LifeLink Devotional

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Grandma’s house was a great place to explore. The attic wasn’t the only part of the house that captured my interest. The basement also provided many attractions. It was an unfinished basement, with only one room partitioned off. More about that tomorrow.

I went exploring the basement the day after I had been in the attic. The rest of the basement was unfinished, and served as the storage room, furnace room, and laundry room.

Grandma’s laundry machines fascinated me, especially the dryer. It was natural gas. When it was running there was a small window on the front through which I could see the blue flame which provided the heat for drying. My mind began to evaluate how a fire could be inside the dryer and not ignite the clothing. All I could imagine was burning clothes.

Since childhood I have been fascinated by fire. I blame it on genetics. My dad and his twin brother burned down their garage with a new car in it when they were the same age I was in these stories.

Earlier that summer, before we got to Cleveland, I had been conducting science experiments in my bedroom to test the flammability of various materials. I discovered that lace curtains go up in flame very quickly. My curiosity cost me an afternoon confined to my room to consider the dangers of fire and embrace the smell of smoke. If only I could figure out how to conduct my science experiments with the level of safety built into the dryer.

I have always been fascinated with how things work. Taking things apart just to learn how they functioned and then put them back together occupied a lot of my time. This day, I was so deeply engrossed in watching the flame and trying to imagine how it worked that I didn’t hear my grandfather come down the stairs. I jumped when he touched me on the shoulder.

My grandfather was brilliant. He had worked for Thomas Edison as an electrical engineer. Cleveland was the first city in the nation to get streetlamps. My grandpa didn’t have anything to do with that, but he later worked for the Edison Electric company that managed the electric infrastructure of the city. He knew how stuff worked.

Having observed my fascination with the fire in the dryer, he asked me if I wanted to know how it worked. I quickly told him I did, and he fed my natural curiosity to know details. I was told about closed combustion chambers and exhaust venting and heat circulating fans. I asked lots of questions, and grandpa patiently answered them all.

Grandpa filled my head with facts beyond my years of understanding. He was passing on to me the heritage of knowledge and the passion to learn. He knew the best way to help me learn was to challenge me beyond my capabilities. He did not oversimplify anything.

I am convinced that my love for learning came from him. I am also convinced that my love for learning motivated my study of God’s Word. It is why when I preach and teach I don’t oversimplify, but use the big words to express the deep truths. It is intended to challenge you to become a student of the Scriptures.

Thanks Grandpa!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Monday, December 7, 2020

Today is the day I will satisfy your curiosity. I don’t think in the twenty-four year history of these devotionals I have ever been asked a question more than this one: “What did you find in the attic?”

The summer after that memorable Christmas Eve dinner, on my family’s next visit to Grandma’s house in Cleveland,  my brothers and I let our curiosity get the best of us. It was mostly me, but I needed them along for support.

It was a hot summer day; too hot to play outside.  We were bored.  We needed an adventure. It was not normal for three boys, ages eight, seven, and six, to sit still. We weren’t necessarily looking for mischief, but we definitely needed some excitement. Playing with the jars of white beans grandma kept in the sunroom had become boring, even though to this day I have vivid memories of those containers of beans. We would occupy ourselves for extended periods of time doing nothing but pouring them back and forth from one container to another. Don’t laugh, and certainly don’t feel sorry for me. Life was simpler in 1961. Imagination was the best game ever.

On this particular day, the imaginations of three little boys ran wild. Bored with the beans, we started talking about the attic door, and what we thought we would find behind it if we opened it. We decided to have a look. One of my brothers wanted to ask grandpa for a flashlight. I stopped him. I knew that wasn’t going to get us behind the door. This had to be a secret mission.

One by one, starting with the youngest, we left the sunroom and headed upstairs. It was smart to start with the one most likely to spill the beans. When I arrived in the room my brothers were already moving my bed to get at the attic door. I immediately took the leadership role, starting with the command to be quiet. It is surprising how quiet three boys can be when they don’t want to be caught. 

When the bed was pushed far enough away for the door to swing open, I asked my brothers if they were ready. Not wanting to be left out, they both agreed, even though body language said otherwise, as one brother stayed on the other side of the bed. After getting their consent, I pushed the sliding lock to the left and grabbed the small doorknob. The door creaked open. I was hit by a blast of hot air from the poorly ventilated attic. I pushed the door shut. I had never gone in an attic before. Not only did the unknown scare me, but I had a sudden awareness of the known potential of bees. Do they like it hot? Are they more touchy when it’s hot? Do they attack more easily when they are hot? 

Then one of my brothers said, “Chicken!” That was all the motivation I needed. I slowly opened the door wide enough for me to squeeze in. My two brothers followed. All I could think about was the three young men in King Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace. As we stood there, we could see tiny beams of light coming from a vent on the far end of the attic. We decided to walk towards the light. About halfway to our destination, the floor boards started creaking. We heard the voice of our father yelling from below. “What are you boys doing up there?” We were directly over his bedroom where he had been trying to nap. BUSTED.

We quietly but quickly exited the attic, shut the door, and moved the bed back into position without answering his question. We hoped he had gone back to sleep. He must have because he never came to check on us. 

We had succeeded in going into the attic. We had not found bees, but we also didn’t get to really search and we had no light. All we know is we didn’t get stung. At least not by the bees. But I did get stung by my conscience. Do you know how hard it is to keep a secret, especially a secret sin? 

Two days later, before we left for home, Grandpa pulled me aside. “Did you find any bees?” After he allowed the shock to have it’s full affect on me, he continued. “I was a curious boy once. It’s how we learn stuff. I knew you would go in the attic, so before you got here I went in there myself to make sure there were no bees, or anything else that could hurt you.”

Grandpa taught me what my Father God is like. He goes ahead of me, even in places I shouldn’t be, and makes the way safe for me. The only real danger is my knowledge of my guilt. But when I told grandpa I was sorry for disobeying him, he hugged me and said, “I hope you learned a lesson.”

I actually learned two lessons: God is always watching out for His children; and guilt is removed when we repent of our sin. 

Thanks Grandpa.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Friday, December 4, 2020

It was Christmas Eve, 1961. I was with my family at my grandparent’s house in Cleveland, Ohio. Grandma had done an amazing job of decorating. To an eight-year old boy’s eyes it seemed that every possible space in the house shouted the beauty and excitement of Christmas.

As I played with my brothers that afternoon, we were interrupted by my dad and my Uncle Al. They closed the sliding French doors that separated the sunroom from the dining room, and spoke very quietly to us. Uncle Al did most of the talking.

“You boys have never eaten Christmas Eve ‘You’ll Regret’ before, but believe me, it’s not good. So I have an idea. Let’s sneak out in my car and go to a new restaurant I want to try. The only thing is you can NEVER mention to grandma that we went.”

Having never tasted the Norwegian rice dish that is double-boiled in heavy cream, we boys were all in favor of something to eat. Christmas Eve dinner would be in two hours so Uncle Al and My dad figured the timing was perfect to satisfy us through supper if we didn’t like what grandma made. So one by one we left the sunroom, grabbed our jackets, and snuck to Uncle Al’s car.

Once we got in the car, Uncle Al started telling us about the new restaurant to which we were headed. He told us to be looking for golden arches. We were headed to the first McDonald’s that had opened in Cleveland earlier that year. Little did we know what an influence that meal would have on our lives. Even less did we realize the trouble that was waiting at home.

My first taste of a cheeseburger and fries with a strawberry milkshake was unforgettable, and I have the waistline to prove it. Two Big Macs, a large fry, and a strawberry milkshake was my everyday lunch while in college. My brothers loved their food as well. After we were done eating, Uncle Al spoke sternly.

“Not a word of this when we get home. Grandma must never know. Do your best to eat a little of the ‘You’ll Regret’ but don’t let on that you’ve already eaten.“

As we sat down for supper, and grandma brought out the rice, the butter, the brown sugar, the cinnamon, and the Norwegian fruit bread, I was very nervous. It all looked amazing to me, and I knew I was going to love it. But could I eat enough to convince grandma that I liked it since I was still satisfied from the afternoon Mickey D’s run.

After grandpa prayed, as everyone served up their food, the silence was broken by the loud shout of my youngest brother.

“Man I’m full!”

I was looking at my grandma when he said it. She had a shocked and angry look on her face. I saw her look at my dad, who was looking at Uncle Al. Grandma spoke.

“How can that little boy be full?”

Uncle All confessed to what had happened. Grandma looked at me as I took another spoonful of “I don’t regret the rice but I regret being a part of a lie.” I told grandma how good it was, and that I wish I had more room in my stomach for more. She smiled through tears.

I learned several lessons that day. Don’t lie. Don’t keep secrets that could hurt others. And the most important lesson of all – love forgives even when it’s been hurt.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Thursday, December 3, 2020

As more and more people rose on Christmas Eve and Grandma got busy helping them all find breakfast, I suddenly realized why I had gotten up so early. I needed a flashlight so I could open the door behind my bed and investigate the attic. I just had to see what was in there. I went looking for my grandpa to ask him for a flashlight. He was seated in the dining room finishing his breakfast.

“Grandpa, I need a flashlight.”

“Why?” Grandpa was a man of few words, but I have never in my life met a man who so closely matched my interests. Some interests and skills are definitely inherited.

“I need to open the door behind my bed and see what’s in the attic.”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Grandpa was not mean. He did not say it with anger, but I felt the force of his words. And yet, I wanted to know more.

“Why not,” I said gently.

“Because last summer we found two nests of bees in there. It’s warm enough today that they might be active. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I had never seen a beehive, so I asked him if he could show me. He politely declined. The subject was dropped. I ran back to the kitchen to get some more food from grandma.

Fast forward six months to the following summer. My family is again visiting my grandparents in Cleveland. My brothers and I are assigned to the attic bedroom for sleeping. Once again the attic door is behind my pillow. As I crawled into bed, I remembered what my grandpa had said about bees. I was scared again. I searched everywhere I could see to make sure there were no cracks or holes where the bees could enter our bedroom. Finding none, I laid down and tried to sleep.

Two thoughts kept running through my mind: were there bees in there that could hurt me while I slept, and tomorrow, with permission, I’m going in there. I fell asleep with a mixture of fear and the excitement of conquering. I would discover later in life that the mixture of those two emotions is produced by risk, and that I like risk.

I remember thinking about the Bible story of David and Goliath. The Israelite army focused only on the fear side of risk. They were immobilized by it. But not David. He saw the risk and felt the fear but allowed the excitement of conquering to rule his choices. Add to that the fact that God was with David, and the fear factor was reduced to insignificance, and David became the conqueror of Goliath.

I believe God used that night to teach me a life lesson. I have discovered throughout my life that in Christ God is ALWAYS with me (Immanuel), so I have nothing to fear. I am motivated by the excitement of conquering.

Go ahead, take the risk if God has directed it. You can be a conqueror too.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional
Wednesday, December 2, 2020

When I woke up in the morning, I was excited for my adventure. I was going to explore
the attic behind the closed door. I knew I would need a flashlight, so I rushed downstairs
to find one. I have always been a morning person, but on this Christmas Eve I had risen
exceptionally early. There in the kitchen I found my grandmother Alice. She was working
on several different food projects for the family Christmas Eve dinner. She immediately
took an interest in me and showed me what she was doing. I quickly forgot about the
flashlight.

On the stove was a kettle that looked very different from anything I had ever seen.
Grandma explained to me that it was a double-boiler. There was water in the bottom
section of the pot. In the top section she was preparing to put several cups of whole
rice along with a couple of quarts of heavy cream. The rice would simmer in the cream
all day, heated by the steam from the boiling water below. She was making the
Gabrielson traditional Norwegian Yulegret. Now I have looked all over the internet and I
cannot find that word anywhere, but that’s what grandma called it. I remember my
Uncle Al calling it “You’ll regret.” My first taste of it would come that evening.

On the kitchen island counter there were three large lumps of bread dough; two white
and one wheat. As I would soon learn, grandma made the BEST bread ever. One white
loaf would be special. It would be the Gabrielson tradition Norwegian Yulekaka, a fruit
bread with powdered sugar frosting. It would be eaten with the Yulegret. I stood for
what seemed like hours watching grandma knead those lumps of dough over and over
and over. My mom told me many years later that the secret to grandma’s bread was in
how long she kneaded it.

The third item on the counter by the sink was a large beef roast for lunch. It was in the
final preparation stage for the oven. Grandma took a break from kneading and
grabbed a sharp knife. She sliced off a thin piece of the seasoned meat and handed it
to me. She explained that this was her tradition. Everything else she did was for the
Gabrielson Norwegians. Grandma was a Meinke, straight from Germany, and she
taught me to enjoy raw beef.

Soon there were others in the kitchen demanding breakfast. I felt I had already had
mine, consisting of raw bread dough and raw beef. My grandma looked at me with a
stern look, and I knew immediately I was not to talk about what we had eaten. It was
our secret. She then winked at me and told me how much she enjoyed my company.
So while grandma kneaded bread, she showed me how much she needed me. I
cherish those memories of great food. But what I cherish most is time I spent with her. I
felt valued, not because she gave me treats, but because she gave me herself.
Without even knowing it (or maybe she did) she laid a foundation in my life that my
value does not come from the treats God gives me, but from giving me Himself. It is my
relationship with Jesus that qualifies me as an eternal child of God.

Grandma is with Jesus today. I wish I could tell her thank-you for raw beef, raw bread
dough, and cream-boiled rice. But I would thank her most for showing Jesus to me by
giving her attention to a six-year old boy.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

I am going to take a big risk. It’s a big risk for me because I like to plan things out. I like to know that when I start something I will be able to finish it, and I like to have a completion date scheduled. I am going to start a series of devotionals today that will hopefully lead us into Christmas. The theme is going to be “Favorite Christmas Memories.” The problem is that I don’t know if I can come up with enough personal stories to get us all the way to Christmas. So to help me, would you mind sharing with me some favorite Christmas memories that I can use to complete my project?

Let’s Begin. I remember large parts of this story, but I have added other details that are probably true based on my knowledge of who I am.

I don’t ever remember a Christmas without an emphasis on Jesus as God’s gift of love to us. My earliest memories of Christmas are centered in Cleveland, Ohio at my maternal grandparent’s home. It was a small brick house with two stories plus a third story attic that was partially finished where I and my two brothers would sleep. At the head of my bed was a small door that led into the unfinished part of the attic. 

I remember the first night I slept in that bed. I was six years old. I was terrified. My two brothers were across this small room, but I never felt so alone and so scared. My imagination ran wild with thoughts of what was behind the door next to my pillow. I dove under the blankets. I cried with fear. My mom came to my rescue. She sat down on the edge of the bed and assured me that I was not alone.

I looked over at my brothers, and wondered what help they would be to me if a monster truly came out of the door. My mom noticed my fear, and began to explain to me the meaning of the word Immanuel. She quoted Matthew 1:23 to me. 

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

She told me that Jesus is Immanuel. She reminded me of the decision she had helped me with one year earlier when I repented of my sin and confessed that I believed in Jesus as my Savior and received God’s forgiveness of my sin. She told me that because I had believed in Jesus, He had come to live in me in the power of the Holy Spirit. She told me that Immanuel was always with me, so I had nothing to fear.

After she left the room, I looked at that door, and decided that in the morning I would go in there and see for myself if there was anything to fear. Suddenly my fear that kept me from sleeping became excitement for an adventure, which also kept me from sleeping. But the fear was gone. I completely trusted what my mom had told me about Jesus. I understood the peace that comes from personally knowing Immanuel. I have always remembered that God is with us because He sent Himself to live with us and die for us so He could live in us. God is not only with me, but He is in me. What have I to fear?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Monday, November 30, 2020

Thanksgiving is under the belt, or in my case, under the stretch waistband jeans with no belt. The nine-day Wisconsin gun deer hunting season is over with varied success. Black Friday deals are packed away for Christmas giving and the next wave of exciting deals is here on Cyber Monday. The commercialization of Christmas is in full swing. It’s the way we have learned to communicate love.

When God chose to communicate love, He gave Himself. He had given many gifts to mankind in the first four-thousand years of human history, but when God wanted to show the fullness of His love to the world and meet our greatest need, He gave Himself.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Of course, other gifts also come from God, but they cannot be realized without God. How foolish we would be to attempt to buy all the latest and greatest accessories that come with a new car without actually purchasing the car. That may sound like a dumb analogy, but think about it. How many times do we demand from God the things that God has promised without any intention of receiving the gift of God Himself? God has promised that peace and joy are fully available to us, but not separate from Him. There is no peace without the presence of the Giver of peace. There is no joy apart from the Savior. None of the other “gifts” that come from God are of significance unless they are the result of receiving the one true gift of Love – God Himself.

God gave us Himself when He gave us Jesus.

John 1:1,14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 1:1-3  Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

1 John 4:9-10  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Love is communicated best when the only thing given is full access to who you are. It is only then that the benefits of relationship can be truly experienced. That is how God loves us. That is how we are to love others.

1 John 4:11-12  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

Beloved, commercialization does not communicate love. Christ alone is the ultimate communication of love. And if Christ’s love has captured your heart, then you can communicate love as God did – by giving yourself to others.

Pastor John

For those of you who follow this blog, I am taking a week off to enjoy my family tradition of deer hunting during the week of Thanksgiving. My regular devotional blogs will return on Monday, November 30th.

LifeLink Devotional

Friday, November 20, 2020

The city was in shambles. There were no more walls of protection. The house of worship had also been destroyed by the invading armies. The people had been taken captive and made slaves in other lands. But God was working to rescue and restore them.

The new king of the world power at that time issued a decree that the people could return to their homeland and rebuild their city and their temple. A man named Ezra was put in charge. When they began the work, and finished laying the foundation for the Temple, they held a worship service. Here’s how it is described.

Ezra 3:10-11  And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the directions of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

As you enter into your weekend, think about these principles of praise.

• Praise and worship are a response to what God is doing in your life.
• Praise and worship invoke others to respond to your thanksgiving with praise of their own. Did you notice that the people sang responsively? We don’t do that in church anymore. We used to have responsive Scripture reading. The new worship song by Chris Tomlin is a great example of responsive singing, and I have heard many people say how much they hate it. Yet when we publicly praise God with thanksgiving it will cause others to respond with praise of their own.
• Praise and thanksgiving are to be enthusiastic. The people shouted with great shouts when they praise the Lord. Don’t let anything stop you from being more enthusiastic about God than you are about any other favorite thing in your life. If you can shout at the TV during a game, you can certainly shout praise to the Lord during a sermon.

So grab a trumpet, a symbol, or any other noisemaker, and start shouting your praise to the Lord. He has laid the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ in your life, and you are being built into a spiritual house in which His eternal presence dwells. You have every reason to shout thanksgiving.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Thursday, November 19, 2020

How would you respond if the United States was threatened with war by a powerful and seemingly overwhelming enemy, and the first people the President mobilized to defend us was your church worship band?

Take a look at that exact scenario in 2 Chronicles 20. The nation of Israel is being invaded by a powerful conglomerate of three nations. In fear, King Jehoshaphat set his face to seek the Lord, and commanded all the people to fast and also seek the Lord. As they prayed they reminded God of His past victories on their behalf. They also asked God how it would honor His Name to allow these nations that had been spared when they entered the Promised Land to now capture them and take away God’s promised inheritance.

Then the Spirit of the Lord speaks through Jahaziel and says, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s…You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.”

Immediately King Jehoshaphat fell to the ground in worship, and all the people iof Judah joined him. They took God at His word and immediately started praising Him for His promise of victory.

The next day, as they went out to battle, Jehoshaphat reminded the people to believe what the Lord had said, and then in an act of incredible faith, he appointed those who were to sing to the LORD to go before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever.” The worship team led the army into battle, and they sang loudly as they went.

Meanwhile, as they sang and marched, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another. The battle was over before the army even arrived.

There’s a great lesson here for all of us. When we praise God, and give thanks to the Lord for His promises, the fulfillment of those promises is already accomplished before we even know we need them. Praise and thanksgiving initiate the power of God to fulfill the promises of God on our behalf.

So the next time you are afraid, set your face to seek the Lord. And when you hear from Him, begin to praise Him and give thanks that His promise will be fulfilled. Your march into battle will have a surprise ending.

Pastor John