LifeLink Devotions

Friday, May 5, 2023

Psalm 119:143 “Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.”

I am so thankful for the short time I had growing up in a rural farm community. There’s something about the farm that captivates my heart. As I drive through our scenic state my heart is most often moved by the sight of a farmhouse with outbuildings nestled into a grove of trees surrounded by rolling hills of pasture and cropland. It brings a sense of peace to me that is only rivaled by being on the water in a boat.

One of the visual images I have in my mind from those days on the farm in North Dakota is a scene that involves young calves. They have been penned up overnight in a small enclosure with adequate room to move and find water, but with not enough space to run and jump as calves love to do.

I arrived at the farm at dawn to help my friend move the calves to pasture. We re-positioned all the gates of the feed lot so that the calves would be funneled to the wide-open spaces of the pasture. The funnel was intentionally narrow to control the calves’ behavior. The final gate we opened was the gate that held back the energetic young steers. We did not have to coax them to go through the opening.

They proceeded quickly through the one-hundred-yard passageway, generating more speed with every step that drew them closer to what they considered to be freedom. They had done this before and knew that very soon there would be no more restrictions. Within five steps on exiting the last gate every calf started jumping and running and twisting and turning and leaping. They were exuberant. FREEDOM! That word exploded from every release of energy every calf made.

That is the picture that came to my mind as I read the words of Psalm 119:143. “Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.”

What brought that farm picture to my mind was a verse used by Charles Spurgeon in his daily promise devotional called “Faith’s Checkbook.” The verse is found in Malachi 4:2, and it says, “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.”

Sometimes, and probably more often than not, we feel like those calves penned up in a stall. The troubles of life have us caged in. We are being nourished just enough to stay alive, but we are far from feeling free enough to leap for joy. But as we begin to recall the previous experiences of freedom found in the commandments of the Lord, the light of dawn begins to appear. Hope rises in our hearts when we hear Heaven’s voices coming from the mansion on top of the hill. The Son of Righteousness has risen, and He is coming to open the gates.

We quiver with anticipation as each promise and command of our soul’s Farmer is remembered. We delight in each promise as the gates swing open. We can see a passageway to the pasture where we can be fed again. Then at last the Master stands at the final gate that has locked us in, and with one word of permission he sets us free. We move towards it, not caring any longer that our movements are still restricted by the same barriers that seconds earlier had penned us in. There is now an opening in the cage, and our hearts and minds are fixed on making our way to it.

When the last barrier has been removed, we begin to leap for joy. We run and don’t get weary. We jump and don’t get injured. We have been released into the great pasture of God’s promises. FREEDOM! That word explodes from every part of our lives as we move about in the spaciousness of God’s grace.

Whatever has you penned up today, there is hope for freedom in the commandments and promises of God. The Son of Righteousness shall rise with healing in His wings, and you will soon go out leaping for joy if you pass through the gates He is opening.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, May 4, 2023

I haven’t seen one for a long time, but it used to be that in every pair of new pants I would buy there would be a little white piece of paper in one of the pockets. On it were printed the words “Inspected by” followed by a number or a name. It was the manufacturer’s promise of quality control.

I also noticed that mechanical devices are stamped with the symbol of Underwriters Laboratories. They are a safety consulting and certification company established in 1894 and have participated in the safety analysis of many of the last century’s new technologies, most notably the public adoption of electricity and the drafting of safety standards for electrical devices and components. Their stamp on the devices we purchase is a promise of quality control because we know they have been thoroughly tested.

There is a difference between inspecting and testing. I’m pretty sure that Rudy, the pants inspector, didn’t personally try on every pair of pants that passed by him. My pants weren’t tested, but they were inspected. However, the new microwave or refrigerator or television was plugged in and tested prior to packaging – at least it would be by a reputable company.

When we purchase something, it comes with certain expectations of performance. We love things that work, and we get frustrated at things that don’t live up to the sales pitch. Several years ago, when a good friend of mine left for the mission field, he left some things at my house that he couldn’t take with him. He left a very nice rechargeable air pump with several other options built in. He said he wanted me to keep it for him. After a year of looking at it, I finally decided I needed to use it. I plugged it in, and after 24 hours came back to use it. It didn’t work. The battery would not charge. It was worthless.

I was disappointed. It was a nice unit, but it did not fulfill the expectations it had promised. The same can be said about the Axe body spray he left behind. Not all things can do what the creator of them says they can do.

But there is a Creator who faithfully and completely fulfills promises. He has appointed us testers of them. His very nature eliminates the need for testing, and yet He says, “Put them to the test.”  When we do, we discover what the Psalmist was able to say when he wrote, “Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much.” (Psalm 119:140) David also said, “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 18:30) King Solomon wrote, “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” (Proverbs 30:5)

Every promise of God has been thoroughly tested by the fire of God’s holiness. Now it is time for us to test them so that we can say we truly love them.

As I was communicating with a friend about a trial of fire he was passing through. The Holy Spirit formed this thought in my mind.  “Every day holds God’s glory and is designed by Him to build our faith so we can see it.” Every day is filled with fiery tests that are designed by God so that we can test His promises. Once thoroughly tested, we will love the promises, and we will love the Promisor more.

What is God doing in your life right now that is His invitation for you to test His promises?

Pastor John  

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

I begin with a rather obvious and somewhat stupid question. “When you look in the mirror, whose face do you see?”  Of course, we see our own face.

Next question – “When you look at someone else, whose face do you see?” At first that seems stupid and obvious as well, but I want you to think about something. I wish to present the possibility that when we look at other people, we actually see our own face.

How is that possible? Well, if certain things are true about us, and for most of us they are, then it is not only possible but probable.

Many of us are not yet sure of our true identity. We wonder if we have any intrinsic value. We tend to define ourselves with lists of accomplishments or relationships. We ask others to affirm us based on our abilities, many of which are learned for the specific purpose of impressing people. We seek to affirm ourselves with the approval of people who like us because of our personalities, when even our personality can be nothing more than the mimicking of others we define as popular.

In all these things, people become the idol we choose to bring value to our lives. And there it is – when we see their face, we really see our face because we have empowered them to reflect to us our identity. When we see their face, we see what value they bring to us. We use face time with people to enhance our own face, so in essence when we see them, we are really seeing only ourselves.

I apologize if this makes sense only to me, but I believe our Enemy the Devil has us in powerful chains of bondage in this area. The bondage is this – we believe that living as Christians is all about doing rather than being. We believe that our identity is determined by our deeds rather than our deeds motivated by our identity.

One morning I was awakened at 4:30 AM with the sound of thunder. That was rare for a January day in Wisconsin. I tried to go back to sleep, but events from the day before kept running through my mind. As I prayed about those events, the Lord brought this thought to me – “What’s the difference between doing and being?”

I thought about that question at great length and don’t have time to share with you all the ways the Lord broke my heart and started rebuilding it. Then I read this verse in Psalm 119:135.

“Make your face shine upon your servant…”

I saw the answer. When we focus on doing, we are looking at our own face, but when we focus on being we see only God’s face.

Every one of us will apply this truth to different areas of our lives, but the root cause of the issue is the same in all of us: it is an expression of pride that seeks to earn value and establish identity from some source other than God alone. We all, in some form and to some degree, seek our own face.

The truth of the Gospel is this – the pursuit of our own identity ends in eternal death, but the identity of Christ in us gives us eternal life. It matters not how other people or my productivity define me, but only how Christ defines me has bearing on my eternal soul. It is only when we become absolutely content with the Face of our Lord shining on us, in us, and through us that we will find peace.

Numbers 6:24-26  “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

So it’s a valid question – “Whose face do you see?” Your answer is evidence of the gods or God you have chosen.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

It was an idea we found on Pinterest. Okay, I’ve just lost all the male readers. Stick with me if you can.

It was nearing the time that the grandkid’s parents would be returning home, and they wanted to surprise them. So off to the dollar store we went to buy plastic tablecloths and balloons.

First, blow up all the balloons – two packages.

Second, write a greeting on one of the tablecloths.

Third, secure each side of the greeting tablecloth to each wall beside the back door, forming a barricade.

Fourth, secure the second tablecloth in the same manner but 12-14 inches behind the first one towards the inside of the house.

Finally, fill the space between the tablecloths with the balloons.

We had just finished eating supper when we heard the overhead garage door open.

“They’re here!” came the shouts from the kids, who hadn’t seen their parents in nine days. They all took their places in the kitchen, except the youngest, who wanted to hide.

The door slowly open and the kids could hear their mommy and daddy talking and reading the greeting. They could see the bulges of the balloons and wondered out loud what to do. The kids were quiet.

Suddenly hands appeared through the barrier. Unfortunately, they ripped both tablecloths so the balloons came pouring into the kitchen rather than just onto them. That caused a mad scramble for balloons by the kids, ignoring mom and dad. As Denise and I watched it was kind of funny to see the kids more interested in the balloons than the parents they hadn’t seen for days. The youngest one especially took forever to jump into the arms of his mommy. But once they all did, the balloons didn’t matter anymore. They were in the arms of the ones they loved.

This is the image we have in today’s Scripture. Look with special interest at the word “unfolding.”  

Psalm 119:130 “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.”

This is the only place in the Bible this word is used in this form, and its simple definition is “a doorway.”  But it is so much more than just a doorway, for it also bears the meaning of opening and unfolding. The more the door is opened, the more the light will shine. The more the door is opened, the greater the understanding of the truths of God’s love.

Think back to the balloon story. When the door – the tablecloths – was opened, the simple thrill of balloons appeared and captured the fancy of the kids. But as the doorway of tablecloths opened wider so that the parents could pass through, the greater thrill of relationship was revealed, replacing the simple joy of a toy with the more fulfilling joy of hugs and kisses.

So it is to be with our devotional study of God’s Word. The smallest opening reveals light, but we are not to be content to see only a sliver of the Sonshine. We must press on through the initial joys of the first light of dawn and push open the door wider and wider to reveal the full brightness of the Son’s glory. Let us not be satisfied to see dimly and play only on the floor with balloons but let us unfold the Word of God so that we are lifted up and embraced by the arms of our Father.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Monday, May 1, 2023

Psalm 119:124  “Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes.”

We are performance-based people. At the core of our sinful flesh we believe we earn everything we receive, either good or bad. We have perfected the entitlement mentality. Yet today, based on the words of the Psalmist, my spirit cries out to the Spirit of God with cries of brokenness and repentance. I have so often demanded from God and from people what I believe I am owed because of what I have done. I have become dependent upon what I have done to validate my life. I have stood in front of and beside people with the expectation that I will be recognized for my abilities and accomplishments. I have come before the Lord Jesus Christ with sacrifices that offend Him – sacrifices of my own doing designed for my own benefit. I have said to God, “Look at what I have done, now here’s what I need you to do for me.”

I have attempted to justify my self-centered core with visible coverings of righteous obedience. But I know my heart, and it so frequently demands my own priorities even while perfecting the pose of surrender. What appears before men to be humility is in fact pride at its worst.

Brothers and sisters, we must each come before the throne of grace with nothing to offer, and ask the Lord to deal with us according to His steadfast love, not according to our works. Who of us could stand before God and be declared righteous based on what we have done? Which one of us has done so much good that the Holy One of Heaven should declare us holy? Where is there one person in the whole of human history who can ask God for anything based on their own merit?

But wait, there is One. The Righteous One of Heaven who Himself lived here as one of us. He alone was truly holy, and yet He refused to ask anything from the Father based on His own merit. He only asked based on the Father’s love. In His great prayer of John 17, after asking the Father to meet the needs of His disciples, Jesus asks only one thing for Himself – that the followers given to Him by the Father would be with Him where He is and see His glory. He offers no work as the basis for His request. He does no bargaining. His request is not self-serving, but totally God-centered. He simply appeals to the love of the Father.

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”John 17:24

There are so many ways we have negotiated with God because we felt deserving of His attention. In the recesses of our minds we think that God owes us His help to get us out of the current predicaments we are in, when in reality the predicament may be the most complete expression of His love to us right now. We believe, even if it be minutely, that if we have served Him well enough in one area of our lives that He owes us His help in areas where we have omitted Him. In our prideful attempt to validate ourselves we have even turned to seeking the approval of like-minded people who will encourage us rather than confront us about our sin. We come before the throne of grace with what we determine to be offerings of value, when grace is only granted to those who come empty-handed.

“Oh God, my heart cries out to you in repentance that I and your people have become blinded to the reality of our own pride. We have become people who demand payment for services rendered. We are guilty of asking you to fulfill your promises to us based on our own abilities to earn them. We fall on our faces before you today and receive your forgiveness, and we invite you to deal with us according to your steadfast love and no longer according to our own good. It is grace that we seek, because we are empty. And when we receive it, we will remain empty of all of self so that only You will be seen in us.”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Friday, April 28, 2023

One sunny spring day a wealthy man went into a bank owned by his long-time friend to begin the process of purchasing a new home. He sat at a small table and filled out all the necessary financial statements and application forms. When done, he handed the paperwork to the administrative assistant behind the desk. He was told that the loan officers would review his information and get back to him within a few days.

When the phone call came three days later, it was his friend who called. The bank owner was puzzled. He asked his friend to explain why he had not listed any assets on his application. “How do you expect to get a loan for this huge mansion you want to purchase when you state that you own nothing? I’ve known you for a long time, and I can see on your credit report that you are extremely wealthy. Why have you chosen to not list anything as a personal asset?”

“Oh, that’s easy to answer,” said the wealthy applicant. “I don’t own anything. It’s all on loan to me. By your standards it’s mine, but not by God’s standards. Everything I have is His asset, not mine.”

I thought of this story this morning as I was reading an email I received from a friend who shared what God was teaching him in his personal devotions. With his permission, I share his thoughts with you.

“As I was reading a devotional this morning, the opening reading was Psalm 24;1-2 which basically says that it’s all God’s. This led to Haggai 2:8 and Psalm 50:10 saying that all money and everything on the face of the earth is His. What especially made me stop was a comparison. ‘Since God consistently reiterates that He is the exclusive owner of all creation, we should respond appropriately when using His resources–including money. In other words, we should have exactly the same response as when using something that belongs to our neighbors: ask permission to use it; honor the owner’s instructions and do as he has designated; take no unnecessary risks; handle it the way we would want others to handle one of our possessions; and return it in a timely manner, preferably in better condition or more plentiful than before. And then say “Thank you.”

Well that sure hit me like a ton of bricks. I immediately went to my garage and made sure I didn’t have anything of my neighbor’s that I hadn’t returned. But seriously, I did immediately begin thinking about what I claim to own and possess, and I discovered I was guilty of taking ownership of what had not been deeded to me. You see, it’s all on loan. So, here’s my plan – actually it’s God’s plan that I’m choosing to make mine:

• I hereby declare that I own nothing, and that everything currently at my disposal is God’s, and He has assigned it to me to use solely for His purpose.
• As the Owner of all I have, He can ask for anything He wants at any time, and I will cheerfully give it to Him. This includes people as well as possessions.
• If I think I can use it in some way, I will ask God for permission to do it first, and wait for His response before taking action.
• I will not put His property at risk hoping to gain more for myself.
• I will not hide His property to preserve it, but will put it to use for the current needs of the Kingdom.
• I will invest His resources in ways that bring an abundance of eternal treasures. I will not invest in building earthly security.
• I will learn to say “Thank You” more consistently, and seek to minimize my complaining that He hasn’t given me enough.

Remember, whatever you claim to own actually owns you.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, April 27, 2023

I have a pocketful of promises. At least I believe they are promises, and because of that I use them. I put coins in a vending machine because of the promise of a thirst-quencher or belly-enhancer. I put green-colored paper into the hands of a cash-register operator in exchange for the product I have determined is essential to my life. I slide a plastic card through an electronic device when I don’t have any green-colored paper and I expect the same result. I pull out a cylindrical device with a clicky top to make a promise to pay later with the promise of a signature. I hand a colored punch card to the clerk who makes a promise with a hole to give me something free later. My pockets are full of promises.

In one pocket of my coat, I carry a dozen promises, all attached to a steel ring. One promise opens my office door. One promise opens my house. Other promises open a variety of cabinets and files and doors. When I pull them out of my pocket and insert the appropriate promise into the matching slot, things that had been previously inaccessible are suddenly fully available.

Once I had trouble with a promise in my pocket. It was a small black plastic promise with three buttons on it. Each button is supposed to perform a function on my vehicle. Every time I would exit my car, shut the door and push the button that promises to lock the doors, nothing happened. I push the promise again, and nothing happens. I slowly move to a different location on the outside of the vehicle and push the promise again, and maybe it will work. Some days I just go inside and leave the car unlocked because the promise was never fulfilled. Then there are days like this morning that the promise was fulfilled at the first request.

It can be embarrassing standing in the parking lot pointing a promise at the car while moving around pushing the button repeatedly. Unfulfilled promises are shameful. They destroy hope. My pocket is full of promises that are consistently fulfilled, but the one promise that isn’t seems to dominate my thoughts and affects the quality of my life (or at least I choose to believe it does).

None of the above is true of God’s promises.

Psalm 119:116  “Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope!”

Never once has one of His promises failed – at least not from His perspective. From my vantage point things don’t happen like they should. I want to be fulfilled according to my desires. I want to be upheld according to my application of the promise. Therein lies the problem. Putting God’s promises into our context and timeframe is like putting the wrong key into the lock and never gaining access to the previously unavailable. The Psalmist reminds us of this truth with the words, “Uphold me according to your promise.”

God’s promises are like the coins and currency we carry. Read these encouraging words from Charles Spurgeon:

“Nothing pleases our Lord better than to see His promises put in circulation; He loves to see His children bring them up to Him, and say, “Lord, do as Thou hast said.” We glorify God when we plead His promises. Do you think that God will be any the poorer for giving you the riches He has promised? Do you dream that He will be any the less holy for giving holiness to you? Do you imagine He will be any the less pure for washing you from your sins? Our heavenly Banker delights to cash His own notes. Never let the promise rust. Think not that God will be troubled by reminding Him of His promises. He loves to hear the loud outcries of needy souls. It is His delight to bestow favors. He is more ready to hear than you are to ask. The sun is not weary of shining, nor the fountain of flowing. It is God’s nature to keep His promises; therefore go at once to the throne.”

Follower of Christ, your pocket is full of promises, and they all fit perfectly into the doorway of the heart of God. All that has been previously inaccessible is now fully available, and never will the promise be unfulfilled. Point the promise directly at God and push the button. It will open God’s heart every time.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

I was actually chilly. I was wearing only a short-sleeved shirt because I had given my fleece jacket to someone who had forgotten to bring one. We were high up on the top of a mountain ridge and the temperature had dropped from 95 degrees in the valley to around 65 degrees at the top. Plus, the wind was blowing.  We were there to spend the night at a resort owned by the mayor of that area who was a Christian and a friend of the ECOFI Ministry. We sat out on the edge of the cliff at a table that hung over the drop off.  We laughed, we sang, we prayed, and we shivered.

As we talked, I was informed that just down the road, on the top of the ridge, was a prayer retreat for a false prophet. He is the self-proclaimed Filipino messiah, calling himself the appointed and anointed son of God. He has millions of followers and has raked in millions of dollars, taking advantage of people’s itching ears for self-validation. He is also currently under investigation by the United States Justice Department for human trafficking.

As we talked, I was reminded of the Old Testament prophet who described such false prophets. In Jeremiah chapter fourteen, the Lord has just declared judgment upon the people because of their idolatry. God said he would destroy them with sword and famine. But in the public arena, Jeremiah is hearing a different message from those who pretend to be messengers from God.

Jeremiah said to the Lord, “Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.’ ”And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.Therefore, thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’: By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed.And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them.”

The world is filled with people pretending to be pastors, evangelists, preachers, and prophets. They are fulfilling the warning of the Apostle Peter when he wrote, “there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” (2 Pe 2:1–3)

My friends, it chills me to think of the number of people who think they are safe in Christ while they are being deceived by false teachers. We must pray every day for the discernment of the Holy Spirit so we do not get suckered into believing false teachers just because they appeal to our emotions, pride, and sensuality. The same condemnation and destruction promised to the false prophets in Jeremiah’s day is not idle nor asleep. It is coming upon all such teachers, and upon all those who follow them. And that’s a chilling thought.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

As we travelled out into the mountain regions of Mindanao, I was reminded of my first trip to the Philippines thirty-two years earlier. I was one of the support staff to the ministry founder and director Keith Williams. As we approached one of the villages, he turned to me and asked me to preach. I agreed, but my mind raced to figure out what the Lord would have me say. Then Dr. Williams said this. “Just encourage them so they endure what’s ahead.”

Now, as we travelled to remote areas of poverty and hardship, I was prepared to encourage them to endure. Prior to my arrival I had been praying and seeking the Lord, and I was led to these verses written by the Apostle Paul:

Romans 15:5–7 “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

Look how God is described. He is the God of endurance and encouragement. I was struck with the simple truth that I am not responsible for anyone’s endurance or encouragement. Oh sure, I am commanded by Jesus to be an encourager, but the best encouragement for anyone is to introduce them to the God of endurance and encouragement.

It is so easy for us in our human nature to look to others for the things that can ultimately only be supplied by God through Jesus Christ. Why does our emotional state depend so much on the circumstances of life? Why do we get tossed about so easily on the waves of human emotions just because other people aren’t meeting our expectations? Why are we living in such disharmony with people when the God of endurance and encouragement grants us the privilege of living in harmony with others?

The answer is simple yet deeply convicting. It’s because we are not living in accord with Christ Jesus. We are not focused on the unity we have in Jesus, but rather we are focused on bringing everyone into agreement with our perspective.

The God of endurance and encouragement has granted us a solution to relational conflict. When we individually live in accord with Jesus Christ, we will with one voice glorify God. When we are at odds with others, and our endurance is coming to an end, we have two choices. We can either hunker down in the foxhole of our own pride and preferences and push people away, or we can rise up in the endurance and encouragement of God and welcome one another just as Christ has welcomed us.

The choice is yours. Where will you turn for encouragement and endurance? To people? To solving life’s problems? To making sure you are right? Or will you humble yourself and turn to Jesus and bring your life into agreement with His character and principles. I choose God, because God is the only perfect source of endurance and encouragement.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Monday, April 24, 2023

In 1951 my parents had just gotten married and were preparing to go to the Philippines as missionaries. Unfortunately, they never went due to a health issue my mom developed. Instead they became missionaries with the American Sunday School Union and planted churches in rural Pennsylvania.

In 1980 I became involved with the Philippine ministry. But I never knew about my parents’ plans to serve there until 1991 when I was planning my first trip to Davao City. With tears in her eyes my mom told me how the Lord was fulfilling her dreams through me. For 43 years I’ve developed a deep love for the Filipino people, and been blessed with numerous lifelong friendships and ministry opportunities. And based on something that happened on this last trip, I don’t think it’s done.

As I travelled through the mountain regions of Mindanao, the Field Supervisor of the ministry told me something that brought tears of joy to my eyes. I was overwhelmed with humility and honor all at once. I could not verbally express the gratitude I was experiencing in my soul.

“Pastor John, we want to ordain you as an ECOFI pastor so you are one of us,” he said.

I literally had to ask him to repeat it because I couldn’t believe I had heard correctly. As he said it again my tears flowed uncontrollably. The Lord Jesus was choosing to bestow on me an honor I could never have dreamed of having in this life. He explained that I would be considered an official partner in the ministry, with full ministry rights and privileges. It was an honor I cannot explain. It was as if the Lord Himself was reaching down and thanking me for 43 years of faithful service and sacrifice.

When we returned from our mountain ministry adventures, I was asked to submit all my doctrinal paperwork to the ordination council. My wife was able to find it in my files and send it to me. On Wednesday morning I was called in for an interview. I was impressed with the integrity of their ordination system. Then, that evening, during the Pastor’s Conference, after the message, I was called forward along with four other Filipino pastors. We knelt in front of the ECOFI leadership as they laid hands on us and prayed over us, commissioning us for lifelong ministry as an ECOFI Pastor and leader.

Then came another surprise. They asked me and the American Director of the Ministry, Dr. Hank Roso, to kneel in front of them as they anointed our heads with oil and prayed over us. In this symbolic anointing they declared that we were called to the highest positions of leadership in the ministry and were granted the Lord’s commission of appointing and anointing others for their leadership.

It was then explained to me that the next night at the Pastor’s Conference we would have the privilege of anointing and praying for the Filipino Director and the district supervisors. They would then join us as we anointed the heads of all the pastors and pastoras who were at the conference – almost 400 of them. It was an amazing night as we saw the work of Jesus in their hearts as they surrendered to the call of their Lord to be devoted to the Gospel ministry. It was a time of overwhelming spiritual renewal and commitment.

I don’t know how to fully express to you what this all meant to me. But I want to ask you something. Are you serving the Lord so faithfully and sacrificially that He is preparing an honor for you, whether in this life or in His presence? Is your passion for the Gospel so powerful in your life that you are ready and willing to go wherever He directs you to whomever He leads you and courageously tell others about the saving love of Jesus?

I hope so. There is nothing more fulfilling in life than to be honored by the Lord.

Pastor John