LifeLink Devotional

Monday, August 24, 2020

Pastor Josh did a marvelous job yesterday expounding John 6:25-59. Our hearts were stirred with the truth that Jesus is the Bread of Life, and that when we spiritually feed on Him, it fills us to capacity with eternal satisfaction so that we no longer need to settle for the temporary gratification of the world’s pursuits and pleasures.

This week I want to dig deeper into the remaining verses of John 6, starting with these:

John 6:60-66 ⁶⁰  When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹  But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? ⁶²  Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? ⁶³  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

First, notice that everyone who choses to follow Jesus was called a disciple, not just the twelve He had specifically chosen to be in the inner circle. The word disciple simply means a learner, or pupil. If you have decided to seek to understand the teachings of Jesus, you are called a disciple in this context. Later, as the context of discipleship is developed, it comes to mean more fully that a disciple is one who intentionally chooses to follow the Master and apply the teachings to their life and live according to the Master’s will.

Second, seekers of understanding have not yet made a choice to be a true follower, so they can be dissuaded from following. Hard sayings discourage seekers. Seekers don’t like challenges or change. Seekers are shallow and superficial. Seekers refrain from radical thought. Seekers tend to want validation of their own understanding, not transformation into God’s illumination of understanding. Seekers want to understand so they can make a choice. True disciples make a choice by faith so they can gain further understanding.

K. Chesterton said it this way, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult, and left untried.”

Here’s my point to ponder for today:

Which definition of disciple fits you? Are you a seeker only, holding out on making a commitment until you know more? Or are you by faith committed to Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and daily growing in your understanding and application of His truth?

If you are a seeker, let me help you make a decision. Please contact me today so we can talk and you can discover the incredible life that is available from the One who said, “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE.”

Pastor John

LIFELINK Devotional

Friday, August 14, 2020

Thanks.

Gratitude.

Appreciation.

These words are in a battle for usage with words like criticism, judgment, dissatisfaction, and regret. One set of words is the product of a sense of entitlement. One set grows out of an understanding of grace.

People of grace express gratitude easily.  People of entitlement spew displeasure.

When Jesus was given five loaves of bread and two small fish by a small boy who graciously donated them to feed hungry people, His first response was thanksgiving.

“Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.” John 6:11

Are we willing to do some self-evaluation right now? Allow me to help by letting you in on how I might have responded. There were 5000 men, plus women and children.  There were 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish. It doesn’t take a genius to do that math.  My first words might have been, “Really? Is this all we have?”

We tend to see the negative far before we see the positive. We focus on what is lacking rather than the blessing of what is available. But not Jesus. He didn’t dwell on what was missing. He gave thanks for what had been given. And thanksgiving resulted in multiplication.

There’s a great spiritual principle for us to remember – Thanksgiving results in multiplication.

Look around. The need is great. There may not be enough right now to meet all the needs.  Be thankful for what is available, and watch God multiply it.

Pastor John

LIFELINK DEVOTIONAL

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Certain things annoy me. You too, right? One such thing is when the response to a question doesn’t answer the question. Many times our answers reveal our lack of understanding of the subject. The answer may be an attempt to cover our ignorance by sharing some fact about something else. Sometimes we just prefer not to talk about the subject of the question.  And still other times, like in the case of Philip, we don’t want our lack of faith to be uncovered.

When Jesus tested Philip with a question, Philip sought to protect his lack of faith by making a point in his answer.  Jesus asked him, “Where can we buy enough bread?” Philip didn’t answer the question. The question required an answer of faith. Philip answered in such a way as to try to prove that his understanding of the situation was justifiable. We read about it in John 6 verse 7.

“Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 

Jesus asked Philip intentionally, because Philip was from the region where they were, and would have been familiar with the availability of food. But he doesn’t answer the question. Instead, he points out that they don’t have any money to buy that much bread, even if it was available.  He allowed the visible circumstances to limit his capacity to trust Jesus.

However, Andrew came to Jesus with a little boy who had brought his lunch, and was willing to give it all up to help solve the food problem. But Andrew also let the visible circumstances dictate the level of his faith.

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?””

Two lessons for us today:

1. Look beyond the visible circumstances and trust that Jesus has a plan to grow our faith through His limitless provisions.
2. Give the Lord Jesus whatever you have, no matter how little it may be. God uses seeds to create great harvests.

When Jesus asks you a question that is designed to reveal your faith and then grow your faith, answer honestly.  He is prepared to do something magnificent.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

I was, and still am, weird. Most will agree with my self-assessment. Here is yet another way in which I fulfill that description.

I love tests.

When I was in school, I loved tests. They were an opportunity for me to prove myself. They were a way in which I could qualify myself. I have since learned the terrible dysfunction of that. But nevertheless, I still love tests. Today, at my age, my favorite tests are difficult golf holes and fishing after a cold front. They still provide me opportunities to prove myself as well as improve myself and grow.

However, there are many tests that I hate. Financial loss is an unpleasant test. Pain and suffering are hardships we’d rather not endure. There are many such tests in multiple areas of our lives, and we tend to see them as an interruption to what we consider normal, so therefore we hate them.

However, tests are designed to prove us and improve us. Our insecurities may cause us to hate tests because we doubt we have anything to prove, or that we will be proven insufficient. Security embraces tests. Our pride may cause us to hate tests because we don’t think we need to improve. Humility embraces tests.

Jesus loves to initiate tests because He loves us. He desires to prove us and improve us.

In John 6, when Jesus saw the crowds of people coming towards Him, he tested His disciple Philip. He asked him where they might be able to buy enough bread to feed all the people.

Jesus said this to test Philip, for Jesus knew what he would do.

Take a look at the last part of that statement. Jesus knew what He would do.

I wonder if my attitude towards tests would be different if I fully trusted that God knows what He is doing?

Maybe I focus too much on the nature of the test rather than the nature of God who designed the test.

It’s likely that I complain about the difficulty of the test before I consider the benefits of the test.

Life is filled with tests. The life that is filled with the Holy Spirit sees every test as a means by which God proves us and improves us.

James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Embrace the test.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Tuesday, August 11. 2020

John 5:45-47 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

“Pastor John, I think you made a mistake. We are studying John 6, and you gave us Scripture from John 5. Why?”

Nothing ever happens haphazardly in Scripture. There is always a purpose for every word Jesus spoke. Let’s review some history.

The Jewish nation had no greater hero than Moses. He was their prophet, proclaiming the truth of God to them in spoken and written word. He was their leader, providing purpose and direction for them. He was revered as their deliverer and their ruler, the one who gave them their national identity.

Jesus uses that knowledge of the Jews esteem of Moses to teach them that everything Moses did and wrote about ultimately led to the revealing of the Messiah. Jesus emphasized that the One Moses wrote about was not with them.

In John 6, Jesus begins to reveal to the Jews how He is greater than Moses, and that they need to turn their attention to the Christ rather than their esteemed historical leader. The first thing Jesus did was to show the people how much like Moses He was. He would then show them how much greater He was.

Notice the similarities between Jesus and Moses in the story of the feeding of the five thousand.

• Jesus led a crowd. They followed Him to the other side of the lake.
• The crowd followed Jesus because they saw the miraculous signs He performed.
• Jesus went up on a mountain.
• Jesus introduced Himself to them during the Passover.

Jesus is intentionally walking in the footsteps of Moses, referring to him, so that the people would move from historical loyalty to true spiritual worship. Just as Moses cried out to God for food for the people, and God provided manna, so Jesus provides food for the people. Jesus was touching the hearts of the people where they were most spiritually sensitive. He would then lead them to the Promised Land of spiritual life.

My point today is this – we must learn to let go of our loyalty to religious heritage. I have been told more times than I can remember by people who profess faith in Jesus Christ that they don’t understand why they should be baptized again because they were baptized as an infant. I remind them that a religious ceremony cannot save them, only personal faith in Jesus Christ can. Now that you have personally decided to follow Jesus, baptism is your public statement of your faith in Christ, not in religion. Many understand and agree. Some do not.

Many would understand and follow Jesus. Most would not, because they couldn’t let go of their loyalty to religion. Jesus is greater than any religion. He is inviting you to be loyal to Him. Is this the day you let go and truly follow Jesus?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Monday, August 10, 2020

Why do you follow Jesus?

If you don’t, what would make you want to follow Him?

This week we begin the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, and a very familiar story of Jesus feeding over 5,000 people with nothing more than five little loaves of bread and two small fish. The story begins with Jesus going to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and being followed by a huge crowd of people. John gives us the detail of why they were following Him.

John 6:1-2 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

The crowd was following Jesus because of the signs He was doing.

We are all attracted to the spectacular. We are especially drawn to what would fit into our definition of the miraculous. These people were no different. They had never personally witnessed such physical power and authority over creation. They had never seen the sick spontaneously healed. Of course they were drawn to follow Him. We would be.

But following Jesus because He has power over creation and physical life does not assure eternal life. Sins are not forgiven because we marvel at signs and wonders.

At the end of the feeding of the people, when all the leftovers have been gathered, the people declare, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” Based on the signs He had done, they not only declared Him to be the Prophet of God, but they were prepared to take Him by force and make Him their King. Jesus withdrew from them. Being their King and Prophet was not His purpose at this time.

Most if not all of us would have been a part of that crowd and would have joined in their cause. We are quickly influenced to join the latest cause because it fits into our understanding of what has to happen for our personal kingdom to be enhanced.

Following Jesus can only be based on faith, not sight. Listen to the words of Jesus and one of His disciples.

John 20:29  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

1 Peter 1:8  Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory…

Why do you follow Jesus? Let it be based exclusively on faith in the eternal fact that Jesus is the Son of God, sent to be the Savior of the world by offering His guiltless life in death on the cross as a sacrifice for our guilt.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Friday, August 7, 2020

As we conclude our supplemental study of John 5 this week, I want to challenge you to consider what Jesus is saying in the following verses. Sorry, no stories today, just spiritual application of Divine principles.

John 5:36-38  For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. ³⁷  And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, ³⁸  and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.

Here are some important truths for us to carefully consider.

• There has been and continues to be sufficient evidence to believe that Jesus Christ was sent by God the Father to accomplish the great work of redeeming mankind from their sin and its eternal consequence of death.
• It is not possible to hear the voice of God unless we believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our Savior.
• It is not possible see the activity of God or ultimately to be in the presence of God unless we believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our Savior.
• It is not possible to have the Word of God abide in us and influence our thoughts and actions unless we believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our Savior.

Far too many people claim to know God but have no belief in Jesus Christ. They are deceived.

Far too many people claim to have heard God speak to them and give direction to their lives but have no belief in Jesus Christ. They are deceived.

Far too many people who claim a knowledge of God seek to obey the commands of God yet continually fail. It is because they do not have the Word of God abiding in them because they do not believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. They are deceived.

Jesus was very clear when He spoke to the religious leaders around Him. You do not know the Father because you do not believe the One the Father sent. That One is Jesus, and our ONLY hope of salvation from sin and eternal life with the Father is to believe on Him.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional
Thursday, August 06, 2020

There’s a whole entertainment company using a word from today’s Bible verse as their name. They have created dozens of characters to be superheroes who give us hope that evil can be conquered and good will rule the day. We MARVEL at them.

But there is only one true superhero, and here’s what He said:

And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.

After the religious people of that region had witnessed Jesus do some miraculous things, Jesus announces to them, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Now before we start trying to list all the miracles that would make everyone marvel at the power of God, please consider this:

The greatest miracle of God is to grant life to those who are dead.

Last night I took one of my grandsons fishing. At one point, while rescuing a lure from an underwater tomb, the propellor on my trolling motor became wedged in a tree branch.  It locked up.  It wouldn’t run anymore.  Our night of fishing appeared to be over.  After checking all connections and even banging on it with my fist, we started to pack up to head home.  But after a short prayer, I plugged the motor in one more time, turned it on, and after a few seconds of slow motion movement accompanied by the sound of stripped gears, the motor returned to normal function, and we fished for another hour with no problems.  We marveled at what God did.

But if I need signs and wonders to make me marvel at God, I do not yet understand God. The greatest motivator of marvel is the indwelling life of Jesus Christ that has been granted to me by grace alone. I carry in me the eternal life of a Jesus Christ. Not because I have earned it, or deserve it, but because God gave Jesus the power and authority to grant life to whom He pleases.  Because I believe in who Jesus is and what he accomplished on the cross to pay the debt of my sin, and that He was raised from the dead, it pleases Jesus to grant me life. Eternal life. Nothing can ever exceed the marvel of that miracle.

We marvel at Marvel heroes who fight for justice and good, and give us hope. We wait for the next episode in anticipation that we will marvel again. It is time to realize that we can constantly marvel at the miracle of being rescued from the graveyard of spiritual death and have been granted eternal life. There’s no need to seek anything else to motivate marvel in us. We marvel at the saving grace of God.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

“I can’t!”

I wonder how many times we have said that? As children we said it a lot, usually after we were asked to do something. We said it mostly because we didn’t want to, not because we couldn’t. We said it because it interrupted our plans. We said it because we were afraid. We said it because we were stubborn.

There are times in our lives when we honestly have to say, “I can’t.” Two specific times come to my mind as I read the words of Jesus in John 5.

1. “I can’t save myself from my sin.”
2. “I can’t do anything of real value on my own.”

When Jesus was speaking with the religious leaders of His day, He made this statement:

“I can do nothing on my own.” John 5:30

I remember a sermon my dad preached when I was a boy. It was entitled “Seven Things God Can’t Do.” As I have thought about it, the points of the sermon may have been better understood if the word won’t had been used instead of can’t. God won’t send a saved person into hell. God won’t send an unsaved sinner into heaven. God won’t forgive sin based on our good works. Etc., Etc.

But here Jesus tells us that He can’t do anything of value on His own. In context, Jesus says that He will never grant life to anyone nor will He ever judge anyone for their sin based on His own understanding or His own opinion. He always, and that means ALWAYS, grants life and judges sin in cooperation with the Father and in full agreement with God’s Divine nature.

Before we allow ourselves to get overly theological here, let me ask one question for us to ponder today.

“Is the forgiveness I grant to others, or the judgments I make about others, based on my opinion, my feeling, my convenience, or for my benefit, or is it based on the Divine nature of God at work in me through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit?”

Let’s chew on that for a while, and see if we can reach a point of spiritual understanding that allows us to be able to say, “I can do nothing on my own.”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

This morning I rose earlier than normal after a very sound night of sleep. I woke with thanksgiving in my heart and praise on my mind because I realized that the words of Jesus had comforted me when I had somewhat expected that the words of people might have caused restlessness. Yesterday’s devotional caused a stir in me. Jesus was speaking to me. His words broke down my normal responses and reactions to life and revived in me His gifts of grace and love. Jesus spoke life to me, and showed me where I was still being influenced by death.

John 5:24-25 ²⁴  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. ²⁵  “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

Truly, truly, Jesus has said:

• by hearing the words of Jesus and believing that God the Father sent Him we have been given eternal life.
• in Jesus we will NEVER come into judgment.
• In Jesus we have passed from death to life.
• The time is now for the dead to hear the voice of Jesus and live.

My heart is filled with thanksgiving and my mind is filled with praise. I have heard the voice of Jesus. I have listened to His words. I have believed that He is the Son of God. I have passed from death to life. I am no longer subject to judgment. I am an eternal child of God. Not because I earned it, but because I believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior.

When all the troubles of the day and the words of people bring unrest, we can rest soundly on this one truth – NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS.

Pastor John