LifeLink Devotional

Thursday July 4, 2019

It’s not up to me! Those are liberating words when it comes to seeing results from witnessing. For a long time, I thought I needed to measure my effectiveness as a witness by the results. If no one was repenting and coming to Christ, then there had to be something wrong with my method or my message, or so I thought. Then I was reminded of this simple truth – I am not the Holy Spirit, and He alone is in charge of conviction and conversion. I am simply the vessel through which the gospel of Christ flows in word and deed. I am only responsible for making sure the vessel is full and overflowing to others. The vessel is not filled with itself but with God.

Isaiah 61:11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

It is good for us to critique our methods of witnessing and to sharpen our communication skills, but none of that can compensate for the ineffectiveness caused by a loss of intimacy with Jesus Christ. If the vessel of my life is primarily filled with methods, techniques, and strategies then I will be constantly looking for improved methods, techniques, and strategies. My focus will be on improved methods for increased productivity, rather than the Person of Jesus Christ. There is no power in process. There is power in the Presence of the Holy Spirit.

When we maintain an emphasis on personal spiritual health we become the fertile soil in which God can cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations of the earth. You and I are to be living and growing testimonies to the power of the gospel. That will happen when we are determined to be filled with the Presence of God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit so that the life of Christ is confirmed in ours.

When that happens, witnessing becomes an expression of God’s activity in our lives rather than a technique to tell others what God should be doing in their lives. What a refreshing approach to evangelism – stop telling people what’s wrong with them and start telling them what’s right with God. Let the world see God’s righteousness in how we live, and let them hear God’s praise in how we talk. Then, release the responsibility for conviction and conversion to the Holy Spirit.

Try it! Instead of trying so hard to witness and “win” someone to Christ, include statements of praise to God in your conversations with people and let the Holy Spirit “win” them over. When we empty our ourselves of our methods and our determination to be a success there will be more room for the Presence of God, which is what people really need to see.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

When I was in high school I always disliked other schools that had chosen black as their primary school color. It is the color of fear for me. No matter how good our team was, and no matter how bad the other team was, there was something intimidating about the attitude of a team that wore black. They appeared more united in their cause and more energized to accomplish their goal. They always seemed to have no fear of the opposition, and that meant I should be afraid.

We as Christians are not to intimidate the unsaved like those teams intimidated me, but we are to be the ones who have no fear!

Philippians 1:27-28 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.

There is a direct connection between the strength of one’s beliefs and the presence of fear. My dad used to tell a true story of a man who had strung a tight wire across Niagara Falls and to the amazement of the onlookers would walk across the wire pushing a wheelbarrow. When he would return he would ask the crowd if they believed in his ability to not fall. They would all applaud loudly and shout their belief in him. Then he would approach one of the cheering people and state, “Then get in the wheelbarrow.” No one ever did. Their belief in him was not strong enough to overcome their fear.

It is the same way with us as Christians when we consider our witness for the gospel. We claim to believe in the power of God to save, protect, and provide, yet we are frightened by the opposition we may face.  We claim to stand firm in the Spirit of Christ, but we fail to witness about Christ to the lost.

Paul gives us the key to overcoming that fear – unity with other Christians to accomplish a common goal. There is safety in numbers.

When the whole body of believers comes together to contend for the faith of the gospel, we become the team that has no fear. When we stand strong during opposition and persecution we display the power of God to protect.

Paul does not state that opposition will be eliminated. In fact, in the very next verse he states, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.” No, persecution will actually get worse as we stand more united for Christ in a world that is ever-increasingly rejecting Him. However, our hearts are not to be building treasures in this life, but in eternity. Our personal fulfillment is not to be found in the acceptance of this world. Our need for immediate gratification is to be replaced with the promise of total glorification. We must not fear what the world will do to us because our belief in Christ is so complete that we are focused on His cause and not ours.

My friends, get intimately involved in your local church, and surround yourself with people who boldly and proudly wear the team colors of Christ. Discover the wonderful truth of God’s love that conquers all fear because the punishment for sin is gone.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18).

Then you will be prepared to be the kind of witness Peter describes when he writes,

“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.  But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:13-14).

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

I love the word “partner”. It is so much more meaningful to me than “friend” or “co-worker”. It conveys to me the idea of a common goal and a shared commitment. A partner doesn’t have to have the same talents or abilities, and in fact the best partners are ones that compliment my weaknesses with their strengths. Partners have a long-term approach to a big picture purpose and don’t get hung up on the short-term setbacks or inconveniences. I love having partners, and I love being a partner.

There once was a church that understood partnership with God in the big picture of His purpose. This church was willing to sacrifice its own short-term comforts and security for the sake of accomplishing a long-term God-honoring purpose. They were convinced that their highest calling was to build the universal kingdom of God to His glory, not to build a local church to their own glory. Yes, their church was a part of the big picture, but their focus was on the bigger kingdom and not on themselves. This was a church that modeled sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are commended in a letter from the Apostle Paul.

Philippians 1:3-6 I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I saw this modeled in another church recently. This church had faithfully proclaimed the truth of God’s Word. They were steadily growing, forcing them to look at a new facility in which to carry on God’s work. From the very beginning of the process the goal was to create a ministry center where partnerships with other ministries could be established so that the whole kingdom of God was growing. A faith decision was made that God had a unique and wonderful plan in place, and the first step of the plan was to sell their current facility. Human wisdom and logic said they were nuts, but the wisdom of man is foolishness to God, and He knew what He was doing. Within five weeks the church had an accepted offer on their building and 22 days later it was done.

Human reason raised questions about the wisdom of their decision, because they now had no building of their own, and no immediate prospects for one. The only option was to rent back their own building from the new owners and work out a worship service schedule. This would seem to be a huge predicament if it were not for the partnership mentality of the people of the church. You see, the new owners of the building were a congregation of Christian people of another culture and language, and the gospel of Jesus Christ would be preached to a whole new segment of the community that the previous church did not reach.  The kingdom of God would grow, and that is worth any sacrifice or inconvenience.

God had His purpose and perfect timing for every decision that was made by this church, and because they are partners in God’s kingdom purpose they willingly obeyed His call to action. Just think of the incredible partnership that is going to be developed between these two congregations in the days ahead. People from the first church training people from the second church to use modern technology to enhance their ministry outreach by sharing their equipment until they have a new home for it. People modeling humility with a servant attitude by being willing to make any sacrifice necessary to see this new congregation accomplish God’s purpose for their ministry. It was all possible because they understand what it meant to be partners with God and to be called by God to a long-term vision.

It would have been easy for them to become focused on the short-term needs and inconveniences. But that was not the heart of these people. They had a kingdom mindset, and God would honor that by carrying out to completion the work that He had begun in them. They knew the day was coming when God would provide for their ministry needs. In the meantime, they focused on providing for the ministry needs of others, and that attitude reflects the heart of God with Whom they are partners.

As God’s partner in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with whom are you partnering to accomplish His redemptive purpose for the world?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Monday, July 1, 2019

Twenty-six years ago, I received a call from a member of the church I was pastoring at the time. He told me to come out to his house because 4 weeks earlier his registered Yellow Lab had puppies and he wanted me to see them. I grabbed the kids and we headed out to his house. When we arrived, there was a flurry of activity as 8 rambunctious puppies all tried to get our attention at the same time. Then the owner of the dogs turned to me and said, “Which one do you want when they are ready?” I was overwhelmed. He was allowing me to have the pick of the litter and he was giving me this very well-bred and expensive hunting dog absolutely free.

The kids and I starting watching each puppy carefully, looking for the best blend of strength, form, hunting instinct and personality that we could find. When we found him, we told the owner which puppy it would be, and he put a mark on him, sealing him as our dog until the day we would come back and pick him up. He had some growing up to do, and we had some preparations to make at his new home. We quickly got to work to make sure everything was ready for the day we would get the call and be able to go get our dog. We made sure that everything from food to play area to sleep area was going to be perfect for him. But most importantly we chose a name for him – a name that described him and fit him – a name that became his identity.

This event in our lives serves as an analogy of the story of our salvation in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:13  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

We are like that nameless puppy, seeking to befriend and please any visitor so that they might accept us. One day we are visited by Jesus Christ and He chooses us to be His. When we believe the gospel of truth, we are marked as His permanent possession with the seal of the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing that we will receive our inheritance, which is to live in the place He has prepared for us for all eternity. Then we are given a new name – a heavenly name – that becomes our identity.

Jesus says this in Revelation 2:17.   I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

In Revelation 3:12 Jesus says, Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.

God Himself gives us our identity. How special is this identity? Look at Revelation 22:4 – They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

We are identified as God’s forever. Hallelujah!

The world is filled with unselected puppies with no identity. They are seeking to please anyone who will pay attention to them. The challenge for us as we wait for our Master to come and take us home is to visit as many of those puppies as possible and tell them the Good News that Jesus Christ has redeemed them, and they can have a new and meaningful identity in a permanent home where every need is supplied.

I’m sure you know a couple of puppies who need to hear that.  Go visit them.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Friday, June 28, 2019

The world is caught up in a philosophical system that allows for the determination and definition of truth to be based solely on the benefit it brings to the individual. People say things like, “If it feels good, do it!” and “My truth is my truth!” This is not a new philosophy. In fact, it is as old as creation. From the beginning of man’s existence on earth Satan has attempted to convince him that there is a personally beneficial truth that supersedes God’s absolute truth. That was his strategic attack against Eve in the Garden of Eden when she was convinced that the beauty and benefits of the forbidden fruit were worth any risk of disobedience.

Since then, mankind has been searching for meaning in life based on personal gain. In the 1600’s a mathematician and theologian named Blaise Pascal wrote this, “Those are weaklings who know the truth and uphold it as long as it suits their purpose, and then abandon it.”  That describes our modern society accurately – people picking and choosing truth based on personal benefit.

But God has given us an indescribable gift – the gift of grace.

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

God’s grace is received at the moment of confessing the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It transforms a person from a self-centered, self-serving truth seeker into a servant of others. Today’s Scripture verse comes at the end of a statement made about people who have been transformed by God’s grace. Paul describes such people as those involved in acts of service and generosity to others, resulting in many expressions of thanks to God. Paul calls this the indescribable gift. It is a gift that dismantles Satan’s deceptive philosophy of moral relativism.

Truth is not based on personal preference – truth overwhelms personal benefit with real love expressed in giving and serving for the benefit of others. That is what Jesus meant when He said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus also said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Free from what? Free from the bondage of pleasing self to validate one’s existence. When the truth of Jesus Christ is accepted we are accepted by God, and there is no longer any need to qualify our own existence. We are free to invest in the lives of others because God has fully invested Himself in us.

The confirmation that we have truly confessed the truth is the transformation of our lives from being self-centered to others-centered. It is the obedience of serving that accompanies the true confession of faith, thereby proving the validity of one’s faith.

Spend a little time right now evaluating your life in response to this truth. How are you doing in prioritizing serving others over considering your own needs? How are you doing at giving away to others the indescribable gift that God has given you?

May we all pass this litmus test of faith – we prove ourselves to be recipients of God’s surpassing grace by becoming the servants of others. We are the delivery agents of His Indescribable gift.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Thursday, June 27, 2019

One of the unique challenges I face as a pastor is that I struggle with how to present the Gospel in new and exciting ways so that the hearers are led to a point of decision. For some reason I have become convinced that the message needs to be re-packaged on a weekly basis so that it is always fresh, exciting, and inviting. After all, isn’t that what I was called and gifted to do?

To be an effective communicator one must understand the hearer and adjust his delivery technique to meet the needs of the hearer. Unfortunately, many of today’s communicators have done more than just adjust the delivery style; they have also changed the heart of the message. It is very probable that they have done this to be more accepted and admired by their audience. I’m convinced that God has uniquely gifted some people to be effective communicators of His truth, but I am also convinced that changing the heart of the message to please the hearer is wrong.

What is the heart of the message that should never be changed or compromised by human reason?

1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel – not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

It is the message of the cross of Jesus Christ. No message of human wisdom or creativity has any power if it does not clearly proclaim Christ’s atoning death on the cross as the only sacrifice for man’s sin. People are not transformed by man’s stylistic techniques or politically correct language: they are transformed by the power of God, and the power of God is the message of the cross. To the unsaved it may seem like foolishness, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18  For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

 Let us not be swayed by the tide of public opinion or the need for the public’s approval. Let us boldly proclaim the truth of the cross of Jesus Christ in the simple and repeatable ways of the Apostles:

1. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
2. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
3. God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were yet sinners Christ died for us
4. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

Someone you know or meet today needs to hear that message.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Here’s a question to ask to diagnose if you are suffering from the debilitating disease of apathy.

How can people be so consumed with passion that they are willing to suffer personal harm and loss for the sake of the cause in which they believe?

The person that criticizes someone else’s convictions is probably questioning his own. The person that condemns passionate belief in a cause probably has no cause of his own in which to believe. The person who hates fans and fanatics is probably suffering from pride that wishes everyone else saw life and the world the way they do. At the very least, the person who does not boldly engage the culture with his belief system is a coward seeking to protect what little value he believes he has.

The Apostles were no such people. They had encountered the resurrected Christ and been filled with His Holy Spirit, and they were boldly proclaiming the Good News with no concern for personal pain or loss.

Acts 5:40-42 They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Every day we see stories of people who boldly take action based on their belief system. One man believed so strongly in his right to be first on the roadways of our city that when he was allegedly “cut off” by another driver he proceeded to ram her car and cause an accident, resulting in his arrest and potential 5-year prison sentence.

We consistently see examples all around us of people offending others and being offended by others because of what they believe in. Fans of football teams travel to the opponent’s home field wearing the loudest and boldest affirmations of support for their team, hoping to offend and rile up the fans of the opponent, with no fear of personal pain or loss. We see people boldly and loudly stating their position on political issues without fear of retribution in the hope that they can sway another’s point of view. We have chosen our non-negotiable passions and we will fight to the death to protect them – football, politics, and personal rights, just to name a few.

But what has happened to cause the Christian to back down from the fight to proclaim the Good News no matter what the personal pain or loss? Why does the witnessing of our day not resemble the witnessing of the Apostles?

Let’s assume Peter and the other apostles were living today and had been called into court to answer to a charge of public disruption for teaching and preaching the Gospel on the steps of the county courthouse. They are convicted, and are sentenced to 30 days in jail (because we no longer flog). If we apply to them the same pattern of behavior of many Christians today, how would they act after their release from confinement?

First, they would stop talking about Jesus in public for fear of another arrest, knowing that second offenses carry a stiffer penalty. Second, they would find a church to attend that was politically correct so as not to offend the society around them. Then, as their fears continue to tighten their grip on their lives, they would change their lifestyle so that they looked like everyone else to escape any consequences of their now watered-down beliefs.

How sad it is when the witnesses of the resurrected Christ bow before the idol of society and choose to worship personal safety and prosperity. But we do it all the time. We seek not to offend, and we certainly don’t want to be offended. We want to be tolerated so we adopt the tolerance of all other viewpoints. We choose silence, and if not silence we choose a contemporary model of witnessing that the Gospel is to be viewed as just another opinion and not as the absolute truth.

We are the witnesses of the resurrected Christ. May we never stop going door-to-door and into the public places of our society with the Good News that Jesus is alive and saves people from their sin. Do it wisely, but do it!

Pastor John

“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that offends, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

LifeLink Devotional

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

The United States is no longer a melting pot of cultures. A melting pot requires all the cultures to be dissolved into one. That is not happening anymore. People from all over the world have come to America and created their own little communities to maintain their language and cultural distinctions. They no longer desire to be Americanized, but they do desire to enjoy the freedoms and blessing of living in this land. This has caused some in our country to rise up in revolt against what is happening. I have heard it said, “If they can’t speak our language then they shouldn’t be considered citizens.” We are becoming a bigoted and biased people, forming barriers where they don’t belong.

As Christians we have the incredible gift of the Gospel that is able to break down all cultural barriers. We may not understand all the cultural distinctions of people from other nations, and we may not believe we have anything in common with them, but we do. We are all sinners and need to be saved, and the Gospel message of Jesus Christ is understood equally by all, no matter what their culture.

Romans 16:25-27 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him – to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Paul relates to us the heart of God in today’s Scripture passage. The Old Testament references to the Messiah and Savior which seemed like a mystery are now revealed to us by the direct command of the eternal God so that all people can understand the Gospel message that Jesus is the Messiah and Savior of the world. He also states that when anyone believes and accepts the message of Jesus, God will establish them forever as His. The Greek word translated “establish” means “to turn resolutely in a certain direction and make stable, permanently fixing the position.” WOW! I like that. God is able by His almighty power to take any life from any land and turn it around so that it is fixed on Him!

That should be our starting point with all people of all cultures. Every person in the world understands right and wrong, and has the ability to understand sin and its consequences. Therefore, every person in the world should be given the opportunity to hear the Good News that sin and its consequences have been conquered, providing a way for them to be forgiven and restored to permanent relationship with God.

It may be that we will need to learn a little of their culture in order to tell them the message, but not always. When I have gone to the Philippines or to India to minister the Gospel to unreached people in the tribes, I have seen God move powerfully to touch their hearts with the simple message of salvation before I knew anything about how they lived.

We live in our land where other cultures are coming to us. Instead of spending so much time and energy trying to get them to act like Americans, let’s work hard to get them to act like disciples of Jesus Christ. We may never have anything more in common with them than our faith, but isn’t that enough?

Reach out to those whom you have considered different and unreachable. The starting point is the same for us all, and God will cause all nations to believe and obey Him if we will share the Good News.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Monday, June 24, 2019

In March of 1975 the worst snowstorm I have ever experienced happened while I was living in North Dakota. It was Easter weekend, and my fiancé Denise had come home from college for the holiday. It started snowing on Good Friday, and by the time it was all done we had received over 40 inches of snow along with the famous winds of the plains, causing huge drifts that shut down the entire region for days.

I had not seen Denise for several weeks, and there was no way that I was going to stay at my home and not be able to spend some time with her, no matter what the cost. Her parent’s house was less than 3 blocks from mine, so I set out to walk over there. I put on my boots and snow pants and parka and hat and gloves and went out into the blizzard.

The snowdrifts in the streets were well over 6 feet deep, and they were not heavily packed, so my progress was slow and did not even resemble walking. It was more like stepping, sinking, digging, climbing, and sinking some more. Finally, after almost an hour, I arrived at her home, totally exhausted and covered with sweat. It was the hardest 3 blocks I have ever traveled, but it was made possible by the prize at the end.

If only we could apply the same determination to accomplishing the task the Lord Jesus has given us – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. If only we could have the same compelling of the Holy Spirit that Paul had so that no matter what the cost to personal safety, security, or secular success we would consider His purpose as supreme in our priority structure.

Acts 20:22-24 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

We do have the same compelling of the Holy Spirit, but we may not have the same surrender of life that Paul had. It is possible that many of us do not have witnessing as the top item on our priority list of things to do today. Most of us have personal goals and timelines in mind. We have jobs, families, bills, and recreation to take care of today, and with the time that is left we may consider testifying to someone about God’s marvelous grace that makes it all possible. How sad, that we give mental assent to Jesus as Lord but live as though we are lord of our own lives.

Paul considered any pursuit of his own life’s goals as worthless and meaningless compared to completing God’s task for his life. Let’s understand that our task is the same as Paul’s. Maybe we are called to carry it out differently, not as missionaries or pastors but as disciples, but the task is the same – to testify to others of the gospel of God’s grace given to us in the Person of Jesus, the Savior of the world.

Let’s rethink our list of priorities for today.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Friday, June 21, 2019

From the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth He preached the Good News of the kingdom of heaven. In describing the kingdom and its inhabitants He went into great detail about many issues of faith, but the beginning point of his teaching and preaching is always the same. He is always calling people to repentance. In Mark’s Gospel we read, “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” It would be wise for us to adopt the same style as the Master.

Matthew 4:17-23 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria…

Unfortunately, we have been drawn into a so-called contemporary model of witnessing that is socially acceptable, politically correct, and non-confrontational. This “new and improved” model of reaching the lost has been called by different names and described by different phrases, like “seeker-sensitive”, “tolerant” and “felt needs-based”. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not condemning sensitivity to people’s needs, but in an attempt to be more acceptable and appealing to people we have put the cart way before the horse. Now the horse is running loose and not even connected to the cart any more. Let me explain.

From the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, He preached repentance and the Good News of the coming kingdom. He challenged people to believe in the Gospel of the kingdom and revealed three things to them through His life, death, and resurrection:

• that He was the Way into that kingdom;
• that He is the only Truth;
• and that He is the only source of real Life.

The entire message of the Gospel could be summed up in this way: Man’s way is wrong, so turn from it and turn to Jesus, choosing eternal life over the temporary. Even though as time went on Jesus modeled a variety of methods to get that point across, like feeding the hungry and comforting the grieving and healing the sick, He never stopped preaching repentance. He was compassionate, caring, and a selfless servant to others, and He always addressed the real human need – repentance and faith in God.

As followers of Jesus, we would be wise to return to a message of repentance. The hard part of doing that is that it requires a focus on the wrong way of mankind. We have been focusing on making people feel good about who they are and what they are doing so that we will earn the right to tell them about a better way. When we do that, we set ourselves up to have to prove to others that our way is better, and we give them the right to defend their way as better. We spend far too much time trying to teach them a better way when we should be preaching to them the only Way!

There is a huge difference between teaching and preaching. The primary meaning of the word “teach” means “to hold discourse with another”, meaning that it is a discussion where ideas are presented. Preaching on the other hand is “to proclaim truth as a herald”. Scripture does not reveal Jesus teaching repentance, but rather He preaches repentance. It is proclaimed as a truth, but never discussed as an option. That is where Jesus started His ministry, and that is where He continued it.

We must start in the same place with people. I understand it is important for people to know we care about them and their needs, but their greatest need is salvation from sin. That’s where Jesus started with people. That’s where we should start. Yes, we care. Yes, we are compassionate. Yes, we meet people’s needs. But let it be said that first we tell them the truth. Their condition is caused by sin, and it is only in repentance and believing the Gospel that their real needs can be met. That is where witnessing must begin.

Pastor John