Faith; August 15, 2026

Posted on August 16, 2026 by jgarrott

Romans 4:20-21 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

This statement is true, but at the same time, Abraham tried to figure out how he could help God, and that resulted in Ishmael, and that problem has made trouble for Abraham and his descendants ever since. We do need to learn from the faith of Abraham, but at the same time remember that he was no more perfect than we are. The incident that stands out most strongly to me is when he took Isaac to Mt. Moriah, fully intending to offer him up as a burnt offering. (Genesis 22) That showed he was fully convinced that God had the power to fulfill what He had promised! We seldom demonstrate that level of faith, but it’s a comfort to know that it is available to us. After all, as Paul assured us, faith is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8-9) All we have to do is receive it and exercise it. That last part is important, because faith is very like a muscle: unused, it atrophies. That’s why it’s so important to act on the faith we have. That’s the danger of living in an affluent society that has little persecution: we don’t exercise our faith very much. It’s not at all that there isn’t spiritual warfare, it’s that we don’t perceive it, and so are often defeated without ever getting into the fight. We need to be actively pressing in for all that God has promised in His Word, and not be satisfied with the partial measures we experience. We are to be grateful for those, certainly, and give Him thanks and praise, but we should never think that’s the end of the story. We aren’t to try to figure out how we can make things happen, the way Abraham and Sarah did with Hagar, resulting in Ishmael, but rather listen expectantly and obediently to whatever God tells us to do, knowing that will result in His plans being fulfilled in ways we couldn’t imagine, for our blessing and His glory.

This is an area where I’m still growing, but then, I don’t expect to be perfect until I get to heaven. I’m to be careful that I don’t try to dictate to God, even subconsciously, how He’s to do things. That’s a real risk that I share with most believers. Rather, I’m to be expectantly obedient. It was many years ago when I was praying with another believer when the Lord said, very clearly, “Don’t be surprised at what surprises others; expect great things of me.” I want to do that! The Lord has already done many remarkable things in my life for which I can take no credit, and I need to expect Him to keep doing that. I am not to be lazy or feel entitled, but rather apply all that He provides to the tasks which He assigns. He has given us a vision that is patently impossible on the human scale, of Omura again being the foremost Christian city in the nation, but that’s all the more reason to believe that He will bring it about, because no human being could take credit for it. I am to be faithful on a day-to-day, moment-by-moment basis, and trust Him to bring about His plans on His schedule.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You’re doing in this week of the photo exhibit. Thank You for the various contacts that have already been made, and the ones that will happen today, tomorrow, and Monday. May I be prepared and obedient, so that Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Holiness; August 14, 2026

Posted on August 15, 2026 by jgarrott

Romans 1:7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

How many people have thought about being called to be a saint? The NIV softens that to “holy people,” which is probably a good thing, since we attach such baggage to the word, saint. Still, how many people think about being called to be holy? We all want grace and peace, but do we think we qualify? The issue is two-fold. In the first place, we recognize that many of our thoughts and impulses don’t seem to qualify as holy, whether or not we follow through on them. In the second place, the devil has been all too successful in convincing mankind that sin is fun. In the short term, some of it is, or it wouldn’t be so tempting. The problem is, there’s a world of difference between momentary pleasure and long-term joy. It’s not at all that life in Christ isn’t fun, it’s just that the devil presents it to us that way. My mother once told me about the non-Christian girlfriend of a seminary student who went to a party with him, and afterward commented, “I never knew you could have so much fun without alcohol!” We get all confused as to what is holy and what isn’t. Sex is perfectly holy between a husband and wife, to the point that it is a picture of the union between Christ and the Church, but for precisely that reason, the devil likes to make it as dirty as possible. Likewise, we are called to trust God when we don’t know what the outcome will be, but gambling can destroy people. Following Christ is the perfect lifestyle for a genuine thrill seeker! Going back to Paul’s salutation here, I think God calls all mankind to be holy, but only some of us respond to His call. The rewards for doing so are literally out of this world, but too many of us are too shortsighted to realize that. We need to count the cost in the short term, not being discouraged by the troubles Jesus assured us we would encounter, (John 16:33) and rejoice in “the goal that is set before us.” (Philippians 3:14) We are indeed called to be holy, and the better we respond to that call, the more peace and joy we will have.

There are probably many who consider me holy today, but they don’t know my past, or my thought life! This is a matter of daily commitment, just as Jesus said. (Luke 9:23) There are moments when I am aware of the Lord working powerfully through me, and there are moments when I wonder if I’m on the right path at all! I do want to so live that people following me will be following Christ, but there are moments when I hope they don’t see me! I have learned the hard way that my own strength and wisdom can’t cut it, but God is able to do it in and through me, if my will is submitted to Him. As Peter quoted, God’s command to me is, “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) I want to be obedient to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the experience of fasting yesterday, for the first time in a long time. I want to do that regularly, so I ask for clear guidance. May I be a clean vessel, fit for holy use, (2 Timothy 2:21) fully available to my Lord for however He wants to use me, for His glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Negative Guidance; August 13, 2026

Posted on August 14, 2026 by jgarrott

Acts 16:6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.

God’s guidance, and even His calling, are sometimes negative. This passage has always been interesting because of three factors: God declining to allow them to minister in some regions, (though He did allow them to minister there later) His directing them to cross over into Europe, which had a major impact on the history of the Church and of the world, and Luke joining the party from this point, as is evident from the change in pronouns in verse 10. All of those are worth noting, but the one we have the most trouble accepting is the matter of negative guidance. Life is not a zero-sum game, but the fact remains that if we use our time and energy for one thing, they’re not available for another, at least not simultaneously. God’s the only one who can truly multitask, because He’s outside of time. Being good stewards of what God provides includes knowing what not to use it on, as well as knowing what He does want us to do with it. God’s plans are perfect, but our perception of them seldom is. It’s much more exciting to know God is directing us to do something than feeling He’s stopping us from doing something. However, our faith needs to extend even to the negatives, trusting Him to know far better than we do what is best.

Two experiences came to mind as I considered this. The first was when God directed me to turn over ministry in the Immigration Detention Center here in Omura to someone else. There are only two of these in the whole country, and I had been called by a pastor in Yokohama about a Chinese woman who had been sent here for visa violations, and I did visit her a few times. However, I never felt particular enthusiasm for it, and I invited a man in this church to go with me, particularly since he had been studying Mandarin for a couple of years. He very quickly took to it, and I stopped going with him. He has continued the ministry in the years since, winning people of many nations to faith in Christ, and even commenting one time, “Why can’t Japanese be so open to the Gospel?” However, that wasn’t a ministry God allowed me to do, more than briefly. Likewise, I taught Medical English for 42 years, but one day it was like the Lord told me, rather suddenly, to stop. That was at the beginning of a school year, and I did finish out the year, but I announced my retirement at that point, to the consternation and even the tears of some of the teaching staff who had been former students. I am quite satisfied now that I heard the Lord correctly, because my time has been needed in various other ways that would not have been possible had I maintained my teaching schedule. However long He keeps me here, I need to be open to what He wants me to do, and what He wants me not to do, so that I may be fully useful in His hands.

Father, thank You for pointing this out to me. Right now we’re in the middle of my annual photo show, and You have already blessed us in the first two days. However, one of my daughters is urging me not to continue this, considering all the stresses involved. I see others withdrawing from all sorts of things as they get older, and I don’t want to do that for that reason. However, I do want to use the time and energy I have to do Your will on Your schedule. Help me hear You accurately and obey You fully, whether that direction seems positive or negative, so that I will be fully useful to You for Your plans, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fasting; August 12, 2026

Posted on August 13, 2026 by jgarrott

Acts 13:2-3 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

This was one of the most momentous commissionings in Church history. It was initiated by the Holy Spirit, but those involved were certainly in a receptive posture. It strikes me that fasting is mentioned twice here, when it is hardly ever mentioned in the Church today. Today, “intermittent fasting” is touted as a health method, but there is no spiritual component. In the US, obesity is a major epidemic, and certainly needs to be addressed from a health standpoint, but Christians seem to have forgotten the whole concept of not eating in order to focus on prayer. It’s no wonder that so few people seem to have any real intimacy with the Holy Spirit! Throughout the Bible, the principle of fasting is to deny the flesh in order to focus on the spiritual. Today, we don’t like to deny the flesh anything! We are called to be good stewards of our bodies, but letting them take priority is dangerous indeed. As came out in this past Sunday’s message, we aren’t animals who have souls and spirits, making us human, we are spiritual beings who inhabit bodies and express ourselves through our souls. When we fail to grasp that, our priorities get all scrambled and we lose direction and purpose in our lives. Fasting is an excellent reminder of Biblical priorities, if we do it for the right reasons. It’s not a method of dieting, however much it might help in that area. Rather, it is a conscious giving up of the flesh to God, telling Him – and ourselves – that He is our Source and we place Him first, not just on a philosophical basis but in everything. Today, churches are known for eating far more than fasting, and at least partially as a result, are characterized far more by tradition than power.

I’m a fine one to be talking here, since I honestly don’t remember the last time I fasted. In the past, I have fasted for as long as a week, taking in only water. By the third day, it’s actually not so difficult, but as I said, I’ve largely forgotten about it. It’s not that there aren’t plenty of things that need concentrated prayer! I don’t remember that I’ve ever taught on fasting, in this church or elsewhere. I’m not medically obese, but I’m in no danger of starvation. I know that fasting isn’t a technique to manipulate God, and I wouldn’t want to try even if I could, but it can have a massive impact on my attitude. I want to be hungry for more of God, and if I assuage my physical hunger every time it appears, that dulls my spiritual hunger as well. I live in an affluent society, physically speaking, that is something of a spiritual desert. I need to shift my eyes to what really matters, and live accordingly.

Father, thank You for this unexpected reminder. Show me what You want me to do. I don’t want any sort of “performance art,” but I want my life and the life of this church to line up with You and Your plans for us. Thank You for all that You did in the first day of our gallery show yesterday, and particularly for the two opportunities to do some in-depth evangelism. I pray that today would likewise run on Your schedule, with the cable TV interview and everyone You will bring to see the exhibit. May it accomplish Your will and Yours alone, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Commissioning; August 11, 2026

Posted on August 12, 2026 by jgarrott

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.”

Sometimes God uses human instruments to convey His commands, His calling. Here He uses Ananias as part of commissioning Saul, who would go on to convey God’s commission to many more. The only danger to this is that some people get such inflated opinions of themselves that they go around commanding others without confirming what God has to say about it. That’s dangerous for everyone involved! That said, when someone expresses “a Word from the Lord” to you, you need to listen in all humility, and then lay it before the Lord and ask for His confirmation. He’s good about doing that! It was first prophesied over my wife that she would be a missionary to Japan when she was three years old, but she didn’t find out about that from her parents until she had been a missionary here for many years. She personally became aware of a calling to missions when she was 12, and that was sharpened to Japan when she was 13. I really think that was a major factor in her father accepting her engagement to me so readily when she was 21, even though she had been engaged to someone else previously. I don’t know that many people are aware of such commissioning, but it certainly happens, because the Bible is replete with statements that God plans for us before we are conceived. Again, though, God doesn’t do such things as isolated statements through some “prophet,” but confirms His guidance in countless ways. I’m sure Saul had guidance of all sorts, both immediately after this encounter and all through his life, though the Bible only records the smallest fraction of those. We need to be assured that A, God has a plan for us, and B, He will indeed guide us into it.

My own experience wasn’t as dramatic as that of my wife, probably because I was such a conceited twit. I did tell my parents, at Robert Livingston’s grave in Westminster Abbey, that someday I would be a missionary, but I promptly forgot that, and it was only after I was a married father that it was consciously renewed in me. The only “prophetic word” I can remember receiving along those lines was from a member of the ministry team at some meeting I attended, in Virginia, I think, about how I would be “a helper.” My distinct memory is that the young man delivering that “word” thought he was putting me down for my conceit, but the Lord assured me that His plans for me didn’t depend on other people’s evaluations of me. That said, my ministry has indeed been that of a helper, helping people understand God’s love and plans for them. Prophets often don’t understand all the ramifications of what they speak from the Lord! I am to be faithful indeed as a helper, allowing God to use me however He pleases, for His pleasure and glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how much we were able to get done yesterday in setting up the gallery exhibit, and for the help we got. Thank You that the same person will be with us this morning as we finish the setup. I do ask Your blessings for him, and especially that You would give him the courage to commit fully to Jesus as Lord. I pray that throughout this week, that everyone who comes into the gallery would be impacted by Your presence, drawn by my photographs and Cathy’s craft goods, realizing that there is a Creator who loves them. May we be agents of Your harvest in this city, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Repentance and Forgiveness; August 10, 2026

Posted on August 11, 2026 by jgarrott

Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

This is the most fundamental calling of all. God calls us to Himself, but we can’t approach Him in our natural, sinful state. We have to acknowledge our sins and repent, receiving forgiveness not on the basis of our own righteousness but on that of Jesus Christ. That’s what baptism is all about. Going through baptism without knowing you’re a sinner and repenting just gets you wet. Far too many people go through the motions, particularly in culturally Christian communities, without having a clear awareness of their own sin. If you don’t think you’ve sinned, how about pride? Thinking we can live sinless lives on our own is the height of hubris! However, the blood of Jesus is sufficient to blot out even that. I don’t think we can know the depth and breadth of all our sins this side of eternity, but I think that one of the differences between heaven and hell is that in heaven, all of that will be washed away, while in hell, there is intense, unending awareness of our sins. Divine forgiveness is both the most wonderful and the most miraculous thing in the universe. The requirement to receive it is repentance and faith, as Jesus proclaimed from the very start of His ministry. (Mark 1:15) This which could be said to be an extrapolation of the greatest commandment, to love God, (Matthew 22:36-38) and sharing the good news that forgiveness is possible is certainly an expression of the second commandment, to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:39) God’s commandments are fundamentally simple to express; they get difficult only because of how we resist obeying them.

I can never forget when God called me to account for the pride in my heart. I thought I was an exemplary Christian, and just for an instant, God showed me the true state of my heart. That almost destroyed me! I collapsed to the floor, crying, “My Lord and my God!” I really don’t remember how much awareness I had of personal sin when I was baptized at seven. It was a genuine decision and commitment, but I’m not sure on that point. That would seem to be an argument not to baptize children, but not really so. My mother shared with me her own clear awareness of sin, and what that sin was, when she was baptized at five! The man I baptized most recently, whose funeral we held on Saturday, wasn’t specific in confessing sin before he was baptized, but I think his repentance and commitment were real. I am never to gloss over the need for repentance, but neither am I to be personally condemnatory. I must not fall into “easy believism,” but neither am I to stand in the way of those who would follow Christ.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You’ve brought us through recently, as well as for all You’ve done in me in the process. Thank You that we will be setting up our gallery show today. I ask for wisdom and strength, both physical and emotional, so that everything may go smoothly. I pray that everyone we interact with throughout this coming week would see Christ in us and be drawn to Him, for their salvation and His glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Love; August 9, 2026

Posted on August 10, 2026 by jgarrott

John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

The Upper Room Discourse is so incredibly rich, I think I could preach on literally any verse in it! This verse is certainly no exception, and it is  justly famous. There is no other religion on earth that has a statement like this in its foundation. That said, we need to be careful we don’t confuse the love that Jesus speaks of here with maudlin sentimentality. This isn’t just feel-good emotion. Reading through the Gospel record, we see that at times Jesus was very strong with His disciples, pointing out the shallowness of their faith and even telling Peter he was being a spokesman for Satan! (Matthew 16:23) As I tell parents, spoiling children does not accurately convey love to them. To love others accurately, we need an accurate assessment of how God loves us. All too often, we feel like God is picking on us when things don’t go exactly as we would like, but that is actually never the case. God allows hard things in our lives in order to train and grow us. No parent actually wants their child to grow up to be a lazy, worthless, entitled bum, but our flesh would like God to treat us that way! In considering God’s love for us, we need to consider two statements (at least) by Paul: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) And, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) There are actually many more passages that I could quote that back this up. Accordingly, we need to appreciate God’s love for us and so allow that love to flow through us to those around us. Understood this way, the popular long of quite a few years ago is actually accurate: “It’s love that makes the world go round.”

I was blessed to be raised with an awareness of God’s love and my parents’ love. I tell parents that beyond basic physical necessities, all children really need is an awareness of their parents’ love for them, and an awareness of their parents’ love for each other. Any child who has those two things is blessed, and is likely to grow to be a happy, productive adult. Sadly, all too many children lack one or both of those, and the consequences can be horrendous. I am a “parent proxy” for a lot of people, and it is a blessed opportunity. The past two days I have interacted with the extended family of a man I met only a couple of weeks ago, and the “love flow” has been remarkable. After I returned from the crematorium yesterday I commented to my wife that I don’t think there’s anyone in that extended family who doesn’t like us now, even with this short exposure, but I made it clear to them that if they want to follow that man to heaven, they need to believe in Jesus. Love commands, not hinders, bold witnessing!

Father, thank You for the clear awareness of Your presence and anointing over the past two days. Thank You also for the disappointments at the P.O. after-hours window and the store where I buy printer ink. Those too were blessings, to teach me to focus on You and Your schedule for me. I ask for wisdom and anointing in all the things that are going on today and tomorrow, because there too the opportunities for misplaced priorities are abundant. May I be Your agent of love in every interaction, so that Your purposes may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Public Prayer; August 8, 2026

Posted on August 9, 2026 by jgarrott

John 11:42 “I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

There are many reasons for public prayer. The most common valid reason is to enable those in earshot to join in with the prayer. That, after all, is the meaning of “amen,” which means, most simply, “so be it.” Some people do it to seem pious, to be admired, and Jesus put such people down very clearly for that. (Matthew 6:5) Sometimes, however, prayer needs to be public to allow the people in earshot to know the spiritual transaction that is taking place, and that’s more common than we realize. When a person of real faith prays, things happen, and when those with previously less faith realize that, they may be prompted to repentance and faith themselves. Any time we have occasion to pray publicly we are not to hesitate, but rather ask the Holy Spirit to pray through us as usual, (Romans 8:26) to speak words that will bless those around us in the ways God knows they need it.

I am in the middle of another practicum in this very thing, having led the wake last night of a man whom I baptized on his hospital bed just recently. His daughter and son-in-law are active Christians, and his wife has professed faith herself, but I don’t think any of the rest of the relatives who gathered are believers. I’ll have another shot at them in the funeral this morning! I’m sure none of them have experienced anything like what we’re doing, expressing gratitude to God for His grace and essentially congratulating the man who died on being in heaven! My prayer is that, once they get over their shock, they will realize that they too need the assurance that is being expressed here, and turn to Jesus in repentance and faith. I pray that the daughter and son-in-law will be kept busy by inquiries from the relatives, wanting to know how they too may be saved! I am a small cog in all of this, but an important one, and I am to stay yielded to the Holy Spirit each moment, so that He may have full opportunity to work in each heart and life, drawing them to repentance and faith.

Father, thank You for all that You are doing. Thank You for the good, friendly atmosphere that was quite evident last night. I pray that as more of our church members attend this morning that Your presence would be even more evident, and that all the way through the crematorium this afternoon, I would be fully available and obedient to You, for You to do through me all that You have planned, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Communication; August 7, 2026

Posted on August 8, 2026 by jgarrott

John 10:6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

It is a real comfort to me as a teacher that Jesus also had trouble getting people to understand what He was saying to them – and it wasn’t just the Pharisees! Jesus used figures of speech that were part of daily life for those He was talking to, but they had trouble grasping the deeper meaning He was trying to convey. Today, those figures of speech aren’t part of our daily lives at all, so we have even more trouble grasping them. Jesus didn’t use figures of speech deliberately to confuse, but His hearers simply didn’t have the mental framework to grasp what He was really talking about. That’s a major reason for the Holy Spirit, because as Jesus said in the Upper Room Discourse, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) I think the disciples had countless “AHA” moments after Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit enabled them to make the connections that had eluded them before. Communication has been an issue at least since the Tower of Babel, and it is certainly one today. Today we have means of transmitting words that our ancestors didn’t even dream of, but the issue of those words actually communicating the speaker’s/author’s intent remains unchanged. We need the Holy Spirit more than ever!

This passage in John 10 includes verses that I quote frequently, particularly verses 10 and 11, but even with those verses, I need to let the Holy Spirit speak them into my heart as Jesus actually intended them. As far as what I say and write in communicating, I do it in two languages, so there’s twice the opportunity for misunderstanding! It is not unusual for me to say things in one language from the mental framework of the other, and it simply doesn’t click for the person I’m talking to. Not having attended school in Japanese (other than kindergarten) I often miss differences in nuance between different terms that might have the same definition – but then, that happens in English, too! I need to pray constantly that the Holy Spirit will guard my words, both in how I say them and in how they are received, so that God’s truth may be transmitted accurately, destroying the lies of the devil and setting people free, for their salvation.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s very timely, considering that I’ll be conducting a wake tonight and a funeral tomorrow morning, and the majority of those present will not have a Christian framework at all. Thank You for how You have guided me so far in talking with the man’s wife, brother, and brother-in-law. I pray that my every word, today and tomorrow, would communicate the joy that man had, from the moment he confessed faith and was baptized in his hospital bed. Thank You for the assurance I have of his joy before You right now. May that communicate effectively through me, drawing many to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Called to Freedom; August 6, 2026

Posted on August 7, 2026 by jgarrott

Luke 13:12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”

Now this is a genuinely blessed calling! We generally think of a calling as being commissioned to do something, but Jesus called this woman to be free! As Paul put it, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) All sorts of things bind us, and the devil twists our understanding to the point that we think we are becoming free when we choose things that result in bondage. Alcohol, drugs, and illicit sex are prime examples of that. Paul said essentially the same thing twice in his first letter to the Corinthians: “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12, and again in 10:23) Jesus calls us to be free of all the traps of the enemy. The problem is, all too often we like our chains! I’m sure this woman Jesus freed was delighted to be set free, but very sadly, that’s not a universal response. Some people use disease and/or disability to milk society for sympathy and privilege, and don’t really want to be free and “normal.” Addictions are no joke, but liberty is possible in Christ, if the choice is there. The devil does all he can to deny that choice, but he can’t change God’s truth.

I haven’t had a debilitating disease or been snared for a long time by substance abuse, but I can certainly testify that nicotine is addictive. In college I decided that a pipe would look “cool,” and for a while I smoked one frequently. Thankfully, I’ve never been enamored of cigarettes, but I did smoke an occasional cigar. It was less than three years, certainly, when I decided I liked the taste of food even more than apple-flavored tobacco, and I quit, so my wife has never seen me smoke. However, quite a few years later I was asked to direct a play in which one of the characters smoked a pipe, and I demonstrated, since if not done right, the pipe will go out. That first “hit” showed me clearly that nicotine is addictive! The Internet is another area where I have struggled. I have had to learn that it isn’t just unsavory content that can snare us! In the position that I am, I am to be an example of the liberty to which we are called, and I am never to betray that.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your grace toward me over the years. Help me walk consistently in that grace and extend it to others, not being permissive but being accurately loving, so that the lies of the devil may be defeated and more and more people be set free indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment