LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, May 21, 2024

 One of the hardest things we face in our relationships with others is when they give us advice about who can be our friend and who we should stay away from. It seems to hit at the very core of who we believe we are, because it seems as if they are saying, “You’re not perceptive enough to see what this will do to you so I need to tell you.” Most of us don’t like being told we need help in any area of our lives, and especially in the area of choosing our friends. This is an incredible area of tension between parents and teenagers.

But let’s be honest – we are blinded to the dangers of certain people’s influence in our lives because of a self-centered attitude we have in the relationship: we focus only on the value and pleasure they bring to us in a purely fleshly, worldly, sensual, and materialistic way. It may even be that they have an exterior resemblance to a spiritually minded person, and they seem to be trying hard to do the right thing. Don’t be suckered. They are only playing a game based on their own insecurities and desire to find value in what you give them. Their hearts are plotting personal gain and pleasure, not true self-sacrificing love. That’s our word of relationship wisdom for today, found in  Prov. 24:1-2.

“Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.”  

We all have a desire to be a part of something bigger than we are as individuals. The world and its cronies seem to have the most appealing opportunities. That’s because the basic need of our heart is for relational acceptance that offers a meaningful existence.  The world thinks the local bar is the place that provides that for everyone. Oh, it does offer relational acceptance, but what about the meaningful existence part. One huge aspect of a meaningful existence is security, and where is that found in what the world offers? Only Jesus Christ can provide a truly meaningful, fulfilling, and abundant existence. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life, and have it abundantly (or to the fullest).

We have been looking in the wrong places and looking to the wrong people for our place and purpose. We have also been the wrong kind of people to those who are still looking as well. When Jesus provides us with the full abundance of life through His unconditional love and acceptance and empowerment, shouldn’t that make us who know Him the core group of a movement in the world that attracts people looking to be a part of something bigger than they are? Yes it should. But we are still stuck in the flesh looking for additional acceptance and approval, and we are being dragged back into the mud of mediocrity rather than standing on the Rock of real relationship.

 The choices we make about who we allow to have an influence in our lives are probably the single most important choices we ever make. Listen to what God’s Word says about it:

1 Corinthians 15:33 – “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Exodus 23:2 – “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.”

 Psalm 1:1 – “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.”

Proverbs 4:14 – “Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men.”

 2 Corinthians 6:14 – “Do not be yolked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?”

Now remember, we are not talking about separation from all sinners so that we never have contact with them. We must reach out to them in Christ’s love and draw the to Jesus for salvation. What we must do is separate ourselves from their influence. Think of it this way: if you are in a relationship of any kind with an unsaved person in which the major flow of influence moves from them to you, put up some boundaries quick. You will be dragged down. When you are strong enough to take a stand and the major flow of influence moves from you to them, then go for it and win them to Jesus. That will make for a great relationship!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, May 20, 2024

What expectations do you have for what your children will be when they grow up? That’s an important question. But here’s an even more important one. How are you seeking to control their lives so they meet your expectations?

I see so many parents micro-managing their children’s lives to accomplish their own personal goals in life, and I believe that’s why we see so many frustrated and rebellious children. But there is a solution, and it’s found in Proverbs 22:6, which says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” 

This verse gives us our third wisdom principle for parenting. The responsibility of a parent is to train the child to become the fullness of whom God created them to be, not to become what we wish they would be.

It is vital that we understand the phrase “in the way he should go” in today’s verse. It does not mean that we as parents get to determine what they will be when they grow up. The Hebrew expression means to train them “according to their natural bent.” It is the wonderful privilege of a parent to observe the natural strengths and abilities of their child and then train them, within the context of God’s righteousness, to become all that God created them to be. So many parents make the mistake of imposing their desires on their children, and the children go through life rebelling because inside they know the real person God created has not been allowed to bloom.  It would be very unwise to expect our children to pursue our goals for them when God made them for a different purpose. It is very wise of our children to pursue the fullness of what God made them to be.

We will experience ultimate joy when we see our children fulfilling God’s purpose for their lives. Here’s how King Solomon sees it.

Prov. 23:24-25  “The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him. May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice!”

Train your children in God’s righteousness, but let God show them His purpose for their lives. That’s wise parenting.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, May 17, 2024

In our last devotional we shared the first wisdom principle of good parenting: teach your children respect for authority. Now today we look at principle number two, which is found in Proverbs 13:24.

“He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.” 

Let me be clearly understood – physical abuse is never justified. However, to swing the pendulum to the other extreme of removing all forms of physical discipline is also deadly. The development of character requires discipline.  So that leads us to our second wisdom principle – There must be discipline for the child to truly know their parents love them.

First of all let’s clarify the distinction between punishment and discipline. Punishment is simply the enforcement of a consequence without concern for the emotional or spiritual needs of the perpetrator. Punishment has no concern with character development. On the other hand, discipline is all about character development, and the physical pain of the consequence is only a means to accomplish maturity. Punishment is not a loving response. Discipline is.

Because we are created in the image of God, we have a basic need to love and be loved. When we feel love, we desire to return love to the one loving us, and the method of returning love that is common to us all is to obey. When there are no rules to obey, there is no way to properly measure love or return love. God created Adam in a perfect love relationship with Himself and gave him a rule to obey to test his love. In parenting, there must be rules and consequences for the child to feel loved and secure. When we withhold discipline, as our Scripture verse for today said, we withhold love. When discipline is inconsistent, the child thinks love is inconsistent. When we discipline, we give the child hope: hope of a fulfilled life and hope that they are both worthy and capable of that life. Proverbs 19:18 says, “Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.”

Today, work on turning your emotional responses that produce punishment into loving responses that develop character in your children. Teach them what you want them to learn from the discipline. They will begin to understand how much you love them.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, May 16, 2024

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, May 16, 2024

Things are upside down. Culture is directing the family, instead of family forming the culture. It is essential that we return to basing our family life on the wisdom of God’s Word. So for the next few days we are going to look at three principles of wise parenting we find in several powerful wisdom statements that Solomon makes about family. Here’s the first one:

Prov. 23:13-14  “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.”

There are a lot of conflicting views bantered about today about the discipline of children. Some say, “Enforce the rules and make the consequences hurt,” while others say, “Don’t have rules so as not to break their spirit and stifle their creativity.” How are we to know what is the proper approach to parenting so that our children will grow up some day to be righteous and wise so we can delight in them?

Over my many years I have learned a few basic principles that might help in your quest to be a better parent and raise Godly kids. Here is parenting fundamental number one.

1.       ALL discipline is for the good of the child and not the good of the parent.  I can’t begin to tell you how many times, in my early years as a father, I was guilty of inflicting a consequence upon my children because it either emotionally or physically satisfied me at the time. This was so wrong, and I learned quickly by the responses of my wife and my children that discipline is not to be an expression of my hurt or my frustration, but it is to be carefully designed to produce a positive response of growth in the child. Look at what Proverbs 23:14 says – “Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.” The emphasis here is on what will most benefit the child. You will have a great relationship with your child, even when there are enforced consequences for sin, when the child knows you are intent on doing what is best for them and not for yourself. This will teach them to respect authority, something that is lost in our current culture.

Tomorrow we will look at principle number two. For today, let’s focus on how to teach our children respect for authority. It starts with you as the parent. Thanks for working hard to apply the first principle to your own life..

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Here’s another wisdom principle for building better relationships. In Proverbs 23:9 Solomon says, “Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.” If we are going to have great relationships, we must learn to recognize foolishness and avoid it, not only in others but in ourselves as well. The following verses help us identify a fool.

Prov. 12:23 – “A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of a fool blurts out folly.”

Prov. 15:2 – “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.”

Prov. 18:2 – “A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinion.”

Eccl. 10:3 – “Even as he walks down the road, the fool lacks sense and shows everyone how stupid he is.”

2 Tim. 3:9 – “But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.”

So what are the marks of a fool that we should be looking for? Here are some prime indicators, some of which may hit close to home.

1.      Atheism / Agnosticism  Psalm 53:1 – “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’

2.      Slander / Gossip  Prov. 10:18 – “…whoever spreads slander is a fool.”

3.      No personal responsibility for sin  Prov. 14:9 – “Fools mock at making amends for sin…”

4.      Rejection of Instruction  Prov. 15:5 – “A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.”

5.      Quarreling and Strife  Prov.18:6 – “A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.”  Prov. 20:3 – “…but every fool is quick to quarrel.”

6.      Self-confidence  Prov. 28:26 – “He who trusts in himself is a fool.”

7.      Dishonesty   Jer. 17:11 – “Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool.”

8.      Hypocrisy   Luke 11:39-40 – “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people!”

I’m sure by now the Holy Spirit has already been showing each of us the areas above that apply to our own lives. Let Him do His work in our hearts. It would be easy to allow Satan to influence our fleshly, carnal mind and cause us to think about other people who are guilty of being fools, but we need to resist him, flee from him, and surrender to the cleansing and maturing power of the Holy Spirit.

You see, we will only be great in relationships if we are not the fool. 

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, May 14, 2024

In the 22^nd – 24^th chapters of Proverbs King Solomon gives his students a look at thirty basic pieces of wisdom to build a life upon. Within them are six specific instructions on relationship issues. Let’s dig in and discover how to build better relationships.

The first one is found in Proverbs 22:24-25.

“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.”

This sounds pretty straightforward for us, right? Avoid people who are quick-tempered. We are already thinking about the people that fit this description. That’s the easy part. But we must consider the possibility that we might be the person that someone else is thinking about avoiding. I know, that’s a remote possibility, and they really don’t know us very well if they are, but let’s consider it anyway.

Let’s use a measuring scale of one to ten. Number one describes a person who is “in control” as we read in Proverbs 29:1. “A wise man keeps himself under control”.  Emotions do not dictate actions.

On the other end of the scale is the ten. They are the hot-tempered person of Proverbs 29:11. “A fool gives full vent to his anger”. They vent anger easily and even explosively.

Now, where would we rate ourselves on that scale? After you rate your anger level, consider this: anyone who is rated lower on the scale may consider you the person to avoid. The challenge is for each one of us to evaluate our own lives and relationships by looking at ourselves first, and then at others.

Let’s also clarify that anger in itself is not a sin; it is an emotion. But how it is expressed can be sinful. Maybe the sinful expression of anger is not a problem for us. Make sure that others are the ones telling us that it is not a problem and that it is not a self-imposed justification of our attitudes and actions.

Or maybe the problem for us is the stirring up of anger in others. Proverbs 30:33 says, “For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”  People may be avoiding you because you tend to cause them strife. Let’s look at ourselves carefully in this area as well.

Solomon then tells us why we should avoid people who are hot-tempered – because it is contagious. Angry people drag us down. Bitter people discourage us. When we are around people with chips on their shoulders, we become comfortable wearing our chips. Some people just have a terrible attitude towards life. Everything is wrong with it, and they gain some sort of satisfaction in always expressing their dissatisfaction with everyone and everything. They tend to believe that life owes them something. People like this are a real bummer to our faith. They are joy stealers. We must realize the potential for the contagious disease of sinful anger to be transmitted to us through people who do not live by faith in God alone.

Now be careful before you withdraw totally from them. Someone has to help them come to faith in Jesus Christ, and that may be you or me. The wisdom here is to not get intimate with them in any way until they do.  You can allow the influence of self-control to flow into them, rather than allow the influence of sinful anger to flow from them into you. Proverbs 29:8 says – “Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.”  Let’s apply this principle of wisdom to all of our relationships!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, May 13, 2024

A young boy sat at the dinner table for several nights in a row listening to his dad pray for the needs of a family that lived across the street. As they would eat their meal he would think about that family and wonder if anyone would step up and help the family in a physical way. On the 5^th night, while dad was again praying, the boy quietly got up from the table, walked over to the buffet where dad laid his keys and wallet every night when he got home from work, picked up the wallet, and headed for the front door. When dad asked him where he was going the boy replied, “I’m going to answer your prayer.”

One of the characteristics of a self-sacrificing individual is the deliberate involvement in meeting the needs of the weak and poor. Deliberate is the key word. I think it goes beyond the spontaneous and usually emotional response we make to a need when we hear about it on tv or the radio or in church. Now don’t get me wrong, every gift of generosity that comes in at such times is greatly appreciated, but let’s consider carefully this area for the growth potential that it has for our lives. You see, an emotional response to anything carries with it the potential for regret. We may have given a wonderfully generous gift today in response to a need we heard about, but are we sure when the bills come at the end of the month we will not regret having made an emotional decision to do that?

I think there is a better and more mature way – to be deliberate in the planning to meet the needs when they arise. Here’s an idea: sit down with your budget book and your spouse (if you have one), and in a time of prayer consider adding an account to your budget. You could call it P.E.R., for Planned Economic Relief, or better yet, Planned Emotional Response. Whatever you decide to call the account, it will be there when a need arises, and you will know how much to give PER need. There will be no regrets later because you planned to do it and you were able to do it. You were deliberate.

I know, some of you are thinking, “Where’s the sacrifice in that?” Well, for most of us to be able to create such an account will take sacrifice because some other deliberate account or plan will have to be adjusted. Plus, I can guarantee you that as needs arise you will still have emotional responses and want to give more than you planned, so you will still sacrifice, and then adjust your PER account. Pretty soon, everything you have becomes a resource for God, and you will have discovered the wonder of self-sacrifice.

Let’s work together to start a grass roots movement to change from a self-centered church to a self-sacrificing one. It begins with honoring God above our self, and then deliberately honoring others above ourselves by considering their needs before our own.  There is not one of us who is at the bottom of the economic ladder, so no matter what our current condition, we are able to help another in need. Let’s pick up the wallet and answer our own prayers.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, May 10, 2024

As we continue to focus on becoming people of wisdom, let’s think about the social and personal responsibility we have to care for the poor, the weak, and the oppressed. The principle of wisdom that makes such ministry possible is the growth of Christ’s self-sacrificing nature within us.

I have observed two main reasons why people are stuck in the self-centered mode when it comes to caring about the needs of others:

1.      Some people believe they are the needy ones and people should be caring for them. They may very well have a need, but they exploit it for personal benefit. They have an inverted pride that somehow makes them feel valued when they can get the attention of others. It is a self-centered bondage of Satan that destroys their ability to reach outside of themselves to give to others.

2.      Some people believe they are above need and don’t want to be negatively influenced by touching the poor and needy. They tend to have thoughts like, “We had to struggle to make it, let them struggle too” or “If I help them I may get sucked back into it myself.”  Attitudes like this are prideful and self-centered.

On the other hand, I have discovered some traits of the self-sacrificing person that are the product of the servant heart of Christ’ character dwelling within them. Let’s look at one of them today.  

The first character trait of a self-sacrificing person is that they are dedicated to honoring God with everything in their lives.

 Their money is all for God’s use – not just 10% of it as a tithe, but 100% is available for God’s use. They know what it means to give offerings over and above their tithe to meet the needs of others. They have a generous spirit.

Their possessions are available for God’s use at any time. I know a man who models this trait. He has been blessed with the financial ability to own lots of stuff, and yet everything he owns is available to any one of us when we need it. All you have to do is go to his shop, sign it out, and bring it back when you’re done. God owns it all, and it all is used to serve the brothers in the Lord.

Another characteristic of a self-sacrificing person is that their time and talents are God’s and they allow their lives to be interrupted to help others. Nothing about their schedule is self-centered. When God moves, they move with Him. When they see a need, and they have the ability to meet the need, they do it. Sometimes even when they don’t have the ability, they serve anyway, because their desire is to honor God, and they know they do that best by serving others.

Jesus said, “The Son of Man has come not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) There was nothing self-centered about Jesus, even to the point of giving up His life for the needs of others. There is no greater love. There is no greater honor to the One who loves us than to live that way ourselves.

When others look at our lives, which of the two people we described today do they see – a self-centered one, or a self-sacrificing one?  The choice is yours!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, May 9, 2024

In Proverbs 22:19 we read,

               “So that your trust may be in the LORD, I teach you today, even you.”

Our final principle of wisdom for this week is taken from this verse:

            Let wisdom transfer your trust.

The Hebrew word for trust in this passage means security and confidence, to have a place of refuge. Understanding the relationship between wisdom and trust according to this definition produces a very simple pattern for life – know God and be secure.

Now by saying know God we are referring to much more than just the head knowledge as we discussed earlier this week. This is a heart knowledge that has involved an act of the will to accept what we know as truth and surrender our life to it. When that happens, we are empowered to transfer our trust to that truth, and the promise of God is that the truth will never fail, nor will it fail us.

Read these examples of trust from the Proverbs, each one using the same root word for trust from today’s key verse:

     3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

14:26 – “He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.”

     16:20 – “Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.”

     28:1 – “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

     28:25-26 – “A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.”

29:25 – “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.”    

We need to deeply appreciate the significance of these words – words like secure fortress, refuge, kept safe, and bold. The problem I have is that there are too many times in my life when these words don’t describe me, but rather words like scared, worried, insecure, fearful seem to fit my behavior better. What are we to do in those situations? There is a simple answer, and it brings us full circle in this week’s principles – Let wisdom transcend all else and be transmitted to you because it will transfer your trust from self to God.

For us to be able to transfer our trust from whatever the world offers to everything God offers, we must have first decided that His Word is trustworthy, and that it will transcend all else in trustworthiness – it transcends my understanding, the world’s understanding, and anything the world’s knowledge has ever been able to accomplish. This kind of trust only comes through a study of God’s Word and an acceptance of its truth.

The teaching of the Word of God and its wisdom is all the light we need for life, and it is totally trustworthy. Transfer your dependence from whatever it is in the world you now trust to Jesus Christ. He alone is trustworthy, and able to make your life secure, confident, and safe.

 Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, May 8, 2024

I love to sing. As I have gotten older my voice has become deeper. Some of the songs I used to sing as a young person I can no longer sing well because they are out of my range. I have to ask the person playing the keyboard to put the song into a lower musical key so I can hit all the high notes without sounding like I did when I was 14 and my voice was changing. This process of putting the music into a different key so it is matched to the needs of the singer is called transposing.  In the dictionary, transpose is defined as:     

1.      to change the position or order of

2.      musically, to put in a different key

3.      algebraically, to move from one side of the equation to the other

Let’s look at those three definitions in light of Proverbs 22:18, which says, “have all of them ready on your lips”.

If you have been following along this week you know we are looking at the five principles of wisdom from Proverbs 22:17-20. Today Solomon tells us to have wisdom always ready on our lips, and we discover this principle – Let wisdom transpose your speech.

In the context of the definitions of transpose, here’s what I have learned:

1.      Words of wisdom need to change position with the normal responses we make to people in conversation.  Our first response is not usually one of wisdom and encouragement. Our first response is usually planned to bring attention to self through humor and personal stories, or to protect self through defensive, argumentative, and antagonistic statements. What would our relationships be like if the first words on our lips in every conversation were filled with the wisdom of God for the other person? Imagine the depth of love we would begin to experience. Our speech needs to be transposed.

2.      Words of wisdom need to be put into a different key. In music, when a song is transposed, it remains the same song. Everything about the song remains the same except the tone. When we speak to others, we may have all the right things to say, but we may not be considered wise because of the tone in which we say them. The Apostle Paul says to “speak the truth in love.” Putting the words of wisdom into the right range to meet the need of the hearer is essential.

3.      Words of wisdom also need to be applied to the correct side of the equation if the problem is going to be solved. Those of you who love math as much as I do will understand that if you are going to solve an equation, assuming “x” is the unknown, you must attempt to move all the known values to one side so that “x” stands alone. Here is an example: x – 4 = 5. To solve for x, you move the 4 to the other side of the equation by adding it to the five, so that x = 5 + 4, or 9. When we apply this principle to our relationships, we discover something very valuable in helping people solve problems and come to decisions. We help them to move all the known factors to one side of the equation, consider their value, see how they relate to each other, and when each has been properly considered and applied, the problem, “x”, is solved.

I know I have a lot of work to do in these three areas. I will be spending time today contemplating the transposing of my speech so that wisdom is always ready on my lips. Will you join me in that pursuit? Thanks

Pastor John