Matthew 10:7-8 “As you go, preach this message: `The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”

This is one of those rare passages where I prefer the NIV to the Japanese, because of the phrase, “as you go.” If we think we have to get to some sort of destination before we can proclaim the Gospel, we will never proclaim it. Likewise, if we think we have to get to some sort of destination before we serve the Lord, we will never serve Him. As so many have pointed out, life itself is a journey. The destination, either heaven or hell, is of course extremely important, but all of our life on earth is before we get there. We do pass various milestones in the process, such as birthdays and special events, but they are transit points and not destinations. The point is, we are to be proclaiming God’s Word and working His works all along the way. Graduating from seminary doesn’t suddenly make someone a good servant of God; they need to have a heart to serve Him before they even enter seminary. Many people want to be “fully prepared” before they do anything. The thing is, they’ll never be fully prepared! God calls and sends us to do things that are beyond our ability. If that weren’t the case, we could do them on our own without His calling. We are to be obedient to Him precisely because we know that if He doesn’t do it through us, it’s not going to happen. If we could run around healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons on our own, what would God have to do with it? We are to be obedient to Him, allowing Him to use us far beyond our ability, as we go and not just after we have reached some particular place of training or maturity. The only thing Jesus told His disciples to wait for was the Holy Spirit. (Luke 24:49) From that point on we are to go and grow, for His glory.

Japanese society is very aware of qualifications and titles, and it can be very difficult to get people to attempt things for which they feel they aren’t qualified. That accentuates the tendency seen in churches in many countries to let the vast majority of the work devolve onto just a few “qualified” people. On top of that, the vast majority of Japanese churches are quite small, so it can easily lead to burnout of those “qualified” people. There are indeed gifts and skills that need to be recognized and nurtured, but everyone has opportunities for communicating the love and grace of God. My job is to help them recognize those opportunities and take advantage of them, giving them tools, yes, but more than that, helping them open their eyes, minds and hearts to allow God to work in and through them.

Father, You know better than I do that this is an issue I have struggled with as long as I’ve been in ministry. I do ask for an outpouring of Your Spirit on this church, so that each member will rejoice to allow You to work in and through them, tearing down the strongholds of the enemy and setting many captives free, for the salvation of this city and this nation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!