Commitment; August 5, 2026

Posted on August 6, 2026 by jgarrott

Mark 8:34-35 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

I have always liked the way that Luke includes the word, daily, when reporting this teaching, (Luke 9:23) but the following verses here really make the teaching as a whole very clear. This isn’t a teaching we’re very comfortable with! We can get very frantic about preserving our physical lives, all the while treating eternal life as though it were a fantasy, a nice fairy tale. We have great difficulty grasping the reality that we are more than our bodies. We tend to think of ourselves as our bodies, that have souls, (if by that you mean will and intellect and the like) with the vague possibility that we might have something beyond that, whether you call it a spirit or not. In actual fact, we are spiritual beings that inhabit bodies, expressing ourselves through our souls. Until we get that straight, our priorities are going to be scrambled. Our bodies, frankly, wear out over time. There is a lot of effort being put into slowing that, and/or extending the period, but physical immortality is a total fantasy. In contrast to that, the Bible is very clear that our spirits, and even our souls, are eternal, and they are actually what define who we are. We are destined to spend eternity with our Lord, so it makes absolutely every difference whether that Lord is Christ or the devil. Very few people, actually, consciously follow the devil, but the fact of the matter is that anything less than the Creator of the universe is, functionally, the devil. God doesn’t “send” anyone to hell. That is a place created as a prison for the devil and his angels. If we choose to follow “less than God,” that is where we are headed, on the basis of lordship. As Jesus says here, when we are focused on preserving our physical lives we are essentially worshiping our own flesh, and the result of that is never good.

The theme of my annual photo show this year is “Change,” with the idea and prayer that the pictures will cause people to be aware of our unchanging Creator. Accordingly, when my wife made posters for it, she included small pictures of the two of us, one recent and one from about 40 years ago. The differences are striking! I am in amazingly good health for my age, but that qualifier – for my age – has to be attached. Now that I’m in what the Japanese government officially describes as “the latter part of old age,” it is easier to understand that eternity is far more important than anything that happens here and now. That gives me far more impetus to share the Gospel with as many as possible, while I, and they, still have opportunity. The man I baptized on his hospital bed not long ago continues to decline medically, but when he saw my face on Monday he smiled, because it reminded him of what lies ahead for him. His wife and brother-in-law, who were in the room at the time, were floored! I think just about everyone needs a perspective check, even Christians, to think about what is really important. I have no idea how much longer the Lord will keep me here, but I don’t want to waste the time before I graduate to eternity.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the incredible privilege of guiding others into repentance and faith. That’s quite a party, going on in heaven, and even as I look forward to joining it, I want to take as many as possible with me. I ask You to use me according to Your perfect plan, so that Your name may be acknowledged as holy and Your rule and reign be established as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Titles; August 4, 2026

Posted on August 5, 2026 by jgarrott

Matthew 23:12 “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

This whole passage is in contradiction to our fallen human nature. On top of that, it is in violation of cultural norms in many countries. We love our titles, and are often jealous of them. It feels like Japan would grind to a halt if you couldn’t call anyone “sensei!” That is literally, “one born before,” but it is used very broadly for any sort of teacher, and even for politicians, when Jesus forbids it in verses 8 and 10. I’ve had conversations with a close friend who happens to be an Augustinian friar, about how verse 9 explicitly forbids the Catholic practice of calling priests, Father. In Japanese, the characters used specify “God father!” That doesn’t seem so shocking when you realize that Shinto priests are called “God owner,” stemming from the Shinto habit of calling anything spectacular in nature a god. All of that together is dealt with in this one verse. We like to elevate ourselves, and to be elevated by others, often explicitly putting others down in the process, and Jesus says that is self-defeating, because the ultimate result will be the opposite of what we seek. We tend to get irritated when others inflate themselves, but we make excuses, or don’t even notice it, when we do it. I think the ultimate remedy for all of this is to recognize how much greater and higher God is than we could ever possibly be, and that all human distinctions of that sort are totally meaningless in comparison. I have always liked the Japanese proverbial expression, “acorns comparing height.” It is interesting that America is the most egalitarian country in history, but even Americans often get tied in knots over titles. We all need to learn from Jesus, who, though literally the Son of God, took the lowest position possible, and didn’t defend Himself when accused.

I have always had a somewhat unique response to this situation. I grew up as an American in immediately post-WWII Japan, which put me in a special category. On top of that, my father was a university chancellor, which put me in a special category even for many people who might not have been so impressed by the color of my skin. Frankly, I made the most of that, going places and doing things that were not possible for “average” people. That fed into my pride, and on top of having a high IQ, I became incredibly conceited. The irony of that is extreme, because there’s nothing more stupid than conceit! God has had to deal with that over the years, and He has been remarkably gracious and gentle about it. It was in this very building that I finally had the deep-down revelation that God’s smart and I’m not. One good thing about all of this has been that I’ve never been intimidated by anyone’s title, or their purported position in some sort of hierarchy. I’ve become genuine friends with my own college professors, not to mention assorted politicians, and even the Archbishop of Nagasaki! I’ve learned that the person lowest in society is as important to God as the highest – and as important as I am! I seek to be God’s agent to all with whom I interact, so that they too may repent and believe God’s grace that I have found, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for using me to draw people to Yourself. It’s very exciting that one man is obviously on the brink of full commitment. I pray that You would give him courage to make that last step, becoming Your child indeed, for his eternal blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Ambition; August 3, 2026

Posted on August 4, 2026 by jgarrott

Matthew 20:26-27 “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.”

Ambition is a strange thing. With none of it, we seldom progress, and largely just exist. However, when directed in the wrong ways, it can totally corrupt our value as human beings. Jesus’ description of “the rulers of the Gentiles” in verse 25 is all too familiar to us even today, and we don’t even have to look to places like North Korea to find shining examples. However, when such motivation makes its way into the Church, the result is tragic. We are called to follow Christ’s example, as He points out in the next verse after this. The difficulty is that this violates human nature. We want to feel big by making others small, and that is the opposite of what Jesus did. The thing is, when we know who we are in Christ, that is to say, redeemed and forgiven children of the Creator of the universe, then any earthly title or position absolutely pales in comparison, and we have absolutely no need to put anyone down to build us up. It’s not a zero-sum game! Our ambition should be to be good disciples, accurately hearing and obeying what our Lord says to us, delighting to build up those around us, because that’s exactly what our Lord did during His earthly ministry. None of us are there fully yet, just as Paul recognized, (Philippians 3:10-14) but we are on the way, and we should rejoice in that fact.

I think I’m a strange one when it comes to ambition, because I have set very few goals in my life, at least in ways that others might call ambitious. That has left me as what been called an underachiever. I find myself challenged by what William S. Clark said to his students as he was leaving what is now Hokkaido University: “Boys, be ambitious.” That is the secular version of the quote, but Clark was a dedicated Christian, and it is reliably reported that the full quote includes, “in Christ.” The Japanese government conveniently cut that off! The challenge to me is not to be satisfied with how things are, but to keep striving, with all the strength God gives me, to bring His rule and reign to this earth. I am certainly not up to the task, but He is, and I must not be satisfied with less. I have recently been challenged by circumstances and my response to them. I have no room for pride! However, God isn’t through with me, and my ambition must be to run the race laid out for me to the end, for God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You’re bringing me through, the fun parts and the hard parts. May I not rely on myself, but indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, doing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Children; August 2, 2026

Posted on August 4, 2026 by jgarrott

Matthew 18:3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

It’s interesting, and a little awkward, that I quoted this verse just two days ago, not realizing it was in the reading for today. Maybe God’s trying to drive a point home! Passages like this should impact every parent and everyone involved otherwise with children. We generally forget that, compared to God, we are never more than children, regardless of how old we are physically. We tend to lose our sense of wonder at all the marvelous things in creation, our gratitude for God’s grace to us. Of course, children can fail to be grateful as well, but that’s one of the points of good parenting, nurturing gratitude. Giving in to every whim isn’t the way to do it! I won’t belabor points I made two days ago, but I think it would be wise for every believer to meditate on how childlike they are before God. We are to be mature in many ways, as Paul and the writer to the Hebrews both stressed, but at the same time we need to be Daddy’s kids, trusting and delighting in Him at all times, respecting His discipline and reciprocating His love. We tend to feel like salvation is transactional, when the ultimate, and really only, transaction was completed at Calvary. We aren’t to be spoiled brats – God doesn’t want any of those – but the better we know God, the easier it is to trust Him and, as He told me, rest, relax, and rejoice in Him. Since we have the perfect Father, we should strive to always be better children.

My physical father wasn’t perfect, but he was definitely on the better end on the scale. I don’t think I ranked that high on the scale as a child! I’m grateful for the way God kept me from many of the things that snare so many people, but I still didn’t stick to the path perfectly by any means. As now a great-grandfather, I am still a child of God, and I must never forget it. I am to be as trusting as my great-granddaughter, delighting in all the love that is showered out on me, just as she does. At the same time, I am responsible and accountable for various things in ways she doesn’t yet dream of. By God’s grace and wisdom I am to be both mature in faith and childlike in my trust, seeing and interacting with the people around me as He desires, so that they too may be drawn to repentance and faith, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for the clear awareness that I can’t possibly do this on my own, but that You can do it in and through me. Thank You for yesterday and all it held, even with all the emotional upheaval. May I indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You throughout today, as a trusting child, so that You will be free to do all that You want to through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Calling; August 1, 2026

Posted on August 2, 2026 by jgarrott

Matthew 15:32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

Sometimes God’s calling is very specific. Here, Jesus has a particular task in mind, along with a particular lesson He wants to teach His disciples. We too are called on many different levels. We are called first to repentance and faith. (Mark 1:15) Then we are called to take up our crosses and follow Jesus, and as Luke rightly notes, that is a daily commitment. (Luke 9:23) It is only then that the calling to specific tasks, such as making disciples, happens. And of course, there are countless subdivisions within those latter tasks. We need to rejoice that God would choose to use us at all, when He has the entire universe at His disposal. Sometimes His tasks for us seem impossible, as in the instance here. The irony is that the disciples had already seen Him feed an even larger crowd with one boy’s lunch, yet they still viewed their current situation with entirely human eyes. We too fall in the same way, failing to remember how marvelously God has carried us along in spite of ourselves. I wonder how tired God gets of our lack of faith? He shows Himself gracious and faithful and loving in countless ways, yet we stubbornly fixate on our circumstances and fail to look to Him in gratitude and expectation. The marvelous thing is that He will use those very circumstances to teach us more about ourselves and about Him, so we truly have nothing to be anxious about.

I am in the middle of a lesson on this very thing. I have plenty of things to do, but feel no motivation for any of them. I am not to depend on my feelings, or be bound by them, but rather know that my God has not changed in the slightest, and He will carry me through this season of my life as well. At the moment I am facing completing the choosing and printing of the pictures for my photo exhibit that starts in less than two weeks. I also have the service tomorrow, for which I’m thankfully already prepared. I have hospital visitation I want to do, but I don’t want to do it soaked with sweat, and showering in the middle of the day is irritating. We have other calendar items coming up, and my fleshly impulse it to give up on it all. I know who is behind that feeling, and it’s not my loving Lord! As He told Paul, His grace is sufficient for me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Just as Paul reacted to being told that, I need to rejoice at the awareness of my own inability, because that makes room for God to display Himself in and through me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this very timely reminder. Thank You for bringing the song, Just When I Need Him, to my mind as I was waking up this morning. Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in the reality that song expresses, so that Your purposes for me may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Being Childlike; July 31, 2026

Posted on August 1, 2026 by jgarrott

Matthew 10:16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

This is a very famous verse, but there’s a difference in nuance between the English and the Japanese that I hadn’t really noticed before, and that is in the term, innocent. I probably have it memorized from a different Japanese translation, but I’ve always quoted it with a term that means “not guilty,” when this translation uses a term that means “childlike.” There’s a real difference! If we are simply focused on being not guilty, we become legalistic, and that is certainly not childlike. Jesus said explicitly, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3) Those are strong words! We are all too prone to be “adult,” to calculate “what’s in it for me,” to try to figure out if we can do something, when God wants us to be His agents and let Him act through us. The list of things Jesus said to do in verse 8 are all beyond merely human effort. You might say that “heal the sick” is possible through modern medicine, but how about raising the dead? We are to exercise every ability and resource God provides, but we’ve got to remember that the actual results depend on God. Many Christian workers have crashed and burned because they set out to serve God in their own strength, instead of yielding themselves to God for Him to use as He pleased. I think that’s a big part of why we need to “change and become like little children.” If we will do that, God will delight to use us for His glory.

As I have written many times, pride has been a major snare for me. God gave me many abilities, but I thought they were mine, not on loan from Him. I thought that if anyone was qualified to serve God, or do anything else, for that matter, I was. How foolish! I don’t know when I stopped being childlike, but it was at a remarkably young age! People have sought “age reversal treatments” throughout human history, with the “fountain of youth” being a prime example, but nothing is impossible for God. He can take even a cynical old geezer and make them childlike! That may be one reason He allows such things as dementia, which are tragic on the surface, but can indeed make people remarkably childlike. I don’t want to force Him to use a technique like that on me. Rather, I want to be submitted and obedient to Him right now, not proud but grateful, so that I will be fully useful to Him in drawing others into His family, His kingdom, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the experiences I’ve had with people who were “reduced function” for one reason or another, but as a result, were open to repentance and faith. May I be increasingly childlike by Your definition, so that Your purposes may be freely accomplished in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Authority; July 30, 2026

Posted on July 31, 2026 by jgarrott

Matthew 8:9 “For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

Jesus indeed had every reason to be impressed with this man’s faith, because he clearly understood the whole concept of a chain of command, and he believed that Jesus had the authority to command whatever He pleased. There are those who abuse such authority, but we need to understand the concept. There are many people who think they don’t want to be under any authority, but they fail to recognize what a terrible thing genuine anarchy is, and they also fail to recognize what Paul pointed out to the Romans: “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:15-16) The fact of the matter is that we will serve something, whether it be good or evil. It is only when we recognize and submit to our Creator that we are truly free. The centurion in today’s verse had sworn allegiance to Rome. He operated in that framework, and understood it. That’s why it was so significant that he grasped that Jesus had authority over the physical universe itself. We often fail to understand that, in practical terms rather than just theoretically. That makes our obedience hesitant, or even conditional: “If God does this for me, then I’ll obey him.” What nonsense! We don’t get to dictate to God, but He very graciously tells us to ask. (Matthew 7:7-8) The better we understand the absolute authority of God, the more incredible we understand that privilege of asking to be. The authority of God isn’t to oppress us, it just is, because He’s our Creator, and it just so happens that He loves us enough to die for us.

This is something I have known in theory for as long as I can remember, but my practical application of it continues to grow. I have experienced some miraculous things in my life, and I have seen miracles happen in the lives of others. I am grateful for such things as the laws of physics, that make the physical universe possible, and I am also grateful for the laws of morality, which are equally immutable. I have seen God in His grace seem to bypass laws in both those categories, and I know that He alone has the authority to do so. I know that it is only as I choose to recognize and submit to His authority that His authority will be exercised through me. I am personally hesitant to exercise authority, but I need to be submitted enough to Him that His authority will operate through me. This isn’t a matter of indulging in whims, but of making myself available so that His name may be acknowledged as holy and His rule and reign be established as His will is done, on this earth with the perfection that it is in heaven.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. I’m not sure where You’re taking me with this, but I offer myself to You for whatever You want to do through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Fishing; July 29, 2026

Posted on July 30, 2026 by jgarrott

Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

This is understandably one of the most famous “callings” in the Bible, but it just struck me that all four of these men were net fishermen; they didn’t catch one at a time, they caught dozens, at least. We tend to think of evangelism in terms of one-on-one encounters. Those are certainly valid, and Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch is a Biblical example of that. (Acts 8:26-40) However, large gatherings are also valid, and everything in between. Billy Graham was certainly a master “fisherman,” as were Reinhard Bonnke and many others, but the point isn’t so much the method as the catch. I’ve seen videos of commercial fishermen with poles, lines, and hooks, but no bait on the hooks, sailing their boats into a mass of fish, dipping their hooks, and pulling out large fish one after another. I think they scatter food, called chum, to get the fish to gather, but the point is that there’s not just one way to fish. We need to be actively looking for the opportunities God gives us to “fish,” and bring in the “catch” that He desires.

I have never thought I was gifted as an evangelist, but I will confess that it really feels good to “reel one in!” I have used gifting as an excuse to stay in my comfort zone, but excuses don’t cut it with God! The perfect “fishing technique” for Japan hasn’t been found yet, but that certainly doesn’t mean I’m to quit trying. My most recent experience was one who was literally begging to be “caught!” The “chum” I’m to use is simply the love and grace of God. There are countless people who are hungry for it, but they don’t accurately identify their hunger, and try to satisfy it with other things. I’m to put it out there unconditionally. When the Holy Spirit opens their eyes to it, they will jump into the boat! There are people I’ve shared the Gospel with in various ways over the years who have never recognized their own need of salvation and the possibility of it. They think of religions as walled gardens, and they think they’re stuck in the Buddhist or Shinto one, and can’t accept that the Christian one is open to all who will repent and believe. I could go on and on about hinderances to the Gospel in Japan, but none of them are too difficult for God. I’m not to focus on the difficulties, but rather on my omnipotent Lord, who loves all these people so much He died for them.

Father, thank You for this reminder. May I be effective as Your agent however You want to use me, evangelizing, teaching, nurturing, discipling all You bring to me, so that Your house may be full, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Prompt Obedience; July 28, 2026

Posted on July 29, 2026 by jgarrott

Matthew 2:14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt.

Something that comes up again and again in the Biblical narrative is the matter of prompt obedience. We have a few examples of the opposite, such as Jonah, but the people God was pleased with didn’t delay in their response to Him. Joseph is a prime example, because when God told him to go ahead and marry Mary, it seems he did the legal paperwork immediately, (Matthew 1:24) and here, he doesn’t wait until morning to get out of Bethlehem with Jesus and Mary. Since God created time, He understands timing better than we do. Like the angel said to Daniel, sometimes what He shows us is for the future, (Daniel 10:14) so we need to be sensitive and not run off without getting full instructions. A friend once felt God was telling him to go to Africa as a missionary, and he dropped everything and went, generating a mountain of problems for a lot of people and ultimately having to return to the US in fairly short order, having accomplished little if anything. His attitude of obedience was commendable, but he lacked wisdom and understanding. Even so, we aren’t to let “prudence” get in the way of our obedience. We need to be fully committed to obedience, but also ask God for wisdom in how to obey. (James 1:5) Heart attitude should be our first priority, and that includes the humility to know that we don’t have all the answers.

This brings to mind one particular event in my life. The first Sunday in January, 1974, my wife and I were in church in Denver, listening to a message by a missionary who had left Vietnam because of the war, and one of us turned to the other and said, “Do you want to sell the trailer and move to Japan?” To this day, neither of us remembers which one spoke to the other, because the Holy Spirit was speaking to us simultaneously. We immediately contacted my parents, who had been offering to pay for a visit, since we had their only grandchildren, and asked whether, instead of round-trip tickets, they could pay for one-way and baggage. Naturally, they were very upset at that idea! (NOT!!!) From there, things moved with amazing speed, and we arrived in Fukuoka on March 1st, with no loose ends left behind. Had we delayed, my time with my father would have been cut short, since the Lord took him home in May. Obedience carries blessings! I haven’t always been so prompt in my obedience, certainly, and I haven’t always been so sure it was God I was following. My wife and I got  engaged 11 days after our first date, in February, and we were married in May of that same year – 57 years ago. At the time, I can’t say that I was consciously being obedient to God, but I certainly knew what I wanted to do! God has been more than mercifully gracious to me over the years, and I desire to be promptly obedient to Him for as long as He keeps me here – and for eternity after that!

Father, thank You for this reminder. My father also confessed to struggling with procrastination. Help me recognize what You have for me to do at all times, whether it seems trivial or huge, and do it with all the ability You give me, on Your schedule, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Salvation; July 27, 2026

Posted on July 28, 2026 by jgarrott

Joel 2:32 And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
    there will be deliverance,
    as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
    whom the Lord calls.

This verse is famously quoted by Peter in Acts 2:21 and Paul in Romans 10:13, but the idea of calling on the Lord for salvation is scattered elsewhere in the Old Testament as well. God calls to us, but He responds to our calling out to Him as well. That’s a good thing, because He’s the only Savior! People trust in all sorts of things to save them, but they generally have a distorted view of what salvation is in the first place. We usually think in material terms, but we aren’t just material beings. Some of the greatest tragedies happen when people treat other human beings as simply material objects, generally for their own pleasure or convenience, but they will be held accountable for such things in the end. We aren’t animals who have spirits, we are spiritual beings who inhabit bodies, and we need to understand salvation in that context. Frankly, most of us have a lot of trouble doing that. Our bodies delight or our bodies hurt, and that commands our full attention. Our bodies are strictly temporary, but we are still responsible for their maintenance, and some people fall down badly there, too. We need to remember that everything material, including our bodies, is simply on loan to us for the duration of our time on earth. God is the Quartermaster who hands it all out, and we are accountable to Him. However, our focus is to be on the spiritual, the eternal, because that is what real salvation consists of.

I’ve written recently of a man who is currently in the hospital with liver failure who is a beautiful illustration of this verse. His wife and daughter were saying yesterday that his mind isn’t always “present,” so to speak, but he knows he became a Christian week before last, and he rejoices in that. As I said again yesterday, we know that his healing is already provided, but we don’t know if it will be manifested in his current body, or when he is before the Throne in heaven. However, we do know that he is saved, for all eternity! He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered. That is what I try to facilitate, but not many recognize the necessity or take advantage of the opportunity. I can’t force anyone to do it, but I can make it available, and it is my joy and privilege to do so.

Father, thank You for Your salvation, that You make so freely available. Thank You for the rock-solid assurance I have of it, and for the privilege of offering it to others. May more and more repent and believe, receiving their salvation and in turn, offering it to others, for a mighty harvest in this land, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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