The Prayer of Faith; July 5, 2023

Posted on July 6, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 21:22 “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

We’re back to the mystery of faith, coupled with the privilege of prayer. I think every human being has the instinct of prayer, but that can take many forms. On the one hand prayer seems illogical, since even Jesus said that “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:8) However, Jesus also famously told us to “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) And then we have this verse, that couples the results of prayer to our faith. It’s enough to tempt us to throw up our hands and give up, and sadly, many do. The thing is, in genuine prayer we grow closer to the One to whom we are praying, and that is desirable indeed. It is an interesting psychological phenomenon that we tend to feel close to those to whom we give things, or for whom we do things. I think that’s closely tied to Paul’s quote of Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) God enjoys the blessing of giving us stuff, but being the perfect Father He wants to give us only things that will be for our benefit, and do it in ways that will help us grow. God is not a vending machine, and it does us no good to treat Him that way. However, He does delight to give us things and do things for us that line up with His perfect plans for us.

I have commented before that I grew up in a home where prayer was as natural as breathing, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I knew early on that God is always listening, so why not talk to Him? As a father, I know that it pleases me when my children want to talk to me, and I am convinced God is the same way. I do pray many times throughout each day, but not much of it is formal in any way. I am very thankful for the gift of tongues, because using that I can pray while I’m focused on something else, like driving. I have experienced God granting many of my prayers, but I have also prayed many things that I haven’t seen come to pass – yet. A persistent prayer, in a sense inherited from my parents, is for a massive outpouring of God’s Spirit on this nation, bringing repentance and faith for salvation. That one I haven’t seen happen yet, and past experience can make my faith get wobbly. I cannot dictate a time frame, but I do believe this is something God wants to do. I am to keep myself available for However He wants to use me, but I am not to insist that I be the instrument of His power. I am not to give up praying, just as Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow, (Luke 18:1-8) but rather keep pressing in so that God’s kingdom may be established as His will is done, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You are doing in and around me. Thank You for leading me to retire from secular teaching at the end of this school year. I don’t know what You want to do with me from this point, but I belong to You and I ask that Your kingdom indeed come in this nation, for the salvation of multitudes and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Humility; July 4, 2023

Posted on July 5, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 18:1-4 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  He called a little child and had him stand among them.  And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

After all the time He had spent with them, I’m sure it exasperated Jesus no end to have them ask Him who was “greatest.” Their think­ing was still stuck in their culture, when He had reason to expect it to be shifting to Kingdom thinking. The NIV says He told them they had to “change,” but the Japanese agrees with many other translations and says “repent.” Wrong thinking leads us to sin! It is things like this that give total validity to such statements as, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10) We are forever jockeying for position, wanting to be first, when Jesus, who is absolutely the First, humbled Himself so totally as to be scourged, stripped, and nailed to a cross in order to purchase our salvation. (Philippians 2:5-8) We are so prone to forget Whom we serve! It is the highest honor to be able to serve Him, even if that service is as lowly as, say, emptying bedpans. For the true follower of Jesus Christ, there is no service that is “beneath” them.

I am grateful to have been raised by parents who were good examples in this area. My father was a university chancellor, on multiple boards, and eventually awarded by the emperor, but I never saw anything in him that came across to me as personal pride. When an American appliance of one of the other missionaries broke down, he was the one they called to fix it! However, his example pales when compared to that of Jesus, so I am never to be satisfied with where I am spiritually, but keep pressing in for more of my Lord. I am to remember that nothing I have, in possessions or abilities or anything else, in any way compares to the magnificence of my Lord, and it’s all a gift from Him anyway. As He has so graciously told me to do, I am to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, allowing Him to sort everything out because that will be for my greatest blessing, as well as blessing for those around me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all we were able to get done yesterday, and that the floor looks really nice. I ask for wisdom and skill in getting the automatic doors properly reinstalled. Thank You that I was able to get them to where they could be locked last night, but that one bolt doesn’t want to go in. I pray for wisdom, dexterity and strength to get it in and get the shims properly placed for the doors to be properly balanced and work smoothly. I also ask for wisdom in when to put in the rest of the baseboards and thresholds, to have a good final result and minimize wear and tear on my body. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Mystery of Faith; July 3, 2023

Posted on July 4, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 17:20-21 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

I’ve always wondered whether verse 21 was inserted by some copyist to give us “wiggle room,” because what Jesus said in verse 20 is so powerful and absolute. The NIV leaves verse 21 as a footnote, saying “Some manuscripts.” The Japanese puts it in brackets, but leaves it with the rest of the text. The thing is, from our perspective, Jesus’ statement in verse 20, “Nothing will be impossible for you,” simply isn’t true, and that creates a major problem. In his first letter John wrote that “faith is the victory,” (1 John 5:4) but we can also say, “faith is the mystery.” There is so much we really don’t know about faith. I’ve heard Yongi Cho say that only about 30% of the people his church prays for get healed, and they don’t know why. At the same time, they do know that if they didn’t pray, even those 30% wouldn’t get healed. I think the key may be in the fact that Jesus used a mustard seed to talk about spiritual things, both faith and the kingdom of God. (Luke 13:18-19) Seeds grow. Mustard seeds are so small as to be a real pain to deal with, but they have the genetic code, the life, in them to grow into something quite significant, as the Luke passage points out. Our faith will not be completely pure as long as we are on this earth, but the more we exercise it, the more it will grow, and the end result can be glorious. Childlike faith can be astounding. I remember one time when our older daughter was about four years old and she and her mother were walking down the hill in Sasebo to go shopping. She tripped and fell, scratching her hand, and was crying. My wife said, “Let’s ask Jesus to heal it,” and said a simple prayer. Our daughter’s tears dried up immediately and she went back to skipping along happily. Remembering it later in the day, my wife asked to see her hand, which had been bleeding right after the fall, and she couldn’t even find where the cut had been. Sometimes I think we need to get younger in our thinking, rather than older! A famous saying goes, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.” It might be even better to say, “God said it. That settles it.” Our faith can be very unreliable!

I’ve been given a gift of faith, apparently more than some people receive, but I still can’t say I have it figured out. I have complete assurance that God is real and that He loves me. Beyond that, things get grey in a hurry! It is precisely because we can’t see the future, we don’t have all the answers, that faith is so essential. Back on June 17th I wrote about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who famously stated they believed God could rescue them, but even if He didn’t, they would be true to Him. (Daniel 3:17-18) That’s the kind of faith I want. Faith is still a mystery to me, but I am deeply grateful for it. I guess if it weren’t a mystery, it wouldn’t be faith!

Father, thank You indeed for faith. Thank You for the many times when I don’t know, whether the thing in question is big or small. Help me trust You precisely when I don’t know, so that Your perfect plan may be manifested in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Thin Faith; July 2, 2023

Posted on July 3, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 16:8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?”

Jesus’ disciples often tried His patience, but certainly not more than we do today. What is interesting to me about this particular incident is that Jesus didn’t say they were stupid for not understanding what He was saying, He said their faith was inadequate. (The Japanese says their faith was “thin.”) There are people today who have high IQs but refuse to receive Jesus’ teaching. We are quick to substitute human constructs and rationalizations for the clear words of Scripture simply because we don’t have faith that A, God is the omnipotent Creator, B, He is loving toward His creation, C, that He has a plan that will eventually work everything out, and D, that He’s a whole lot smarter than we are. Just yesterday I encountered for the first time something called “the Sparkle Creed,” which is presented as a totally man-centered substitute for the Apostles’ Creed. I was saddened and disgusted, as I’m sure God is. The worst thing about it is that it is being promoted in supposedly Christian churches! Such things certainly bring to mind Paul’s cautionary words to Timothy about people “having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” (2 Timothy 3:5) Giving precedence to human appetites and feelings, they totally deny Christ even while using His name. If we believe God, we will be obedient to Him. The disciples in this incident had seen Jesus’ miracles, as He Himself pointed out to them, and yet they struggled to release themselves and their circumstances to Him in faith. We are no better. We need to believe Him enough to trust Him, love Him enough to obey Him. (John 14:15)

I am generally thought of as one with a lot of faith, but the question is always whether that faith is leading to full obedience. At times I feel like my faith is a thin veneer, looking good on the outside but not extending very deep. As the father of the epileptic boy said, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) I am called and sent as an example to others, yet at the same time I am at times sharply aware of how much room I myself have to grow, in faith, love, and obedience. If I fix my eyes, my heart, totally on my Lord, then He will be fully reflected in and by me. That is my desire, but I don’t feel I’m there yet. Again like Paul, I want to know my Lord fully, even as He knows me. (Philippians 3:10) However, I do have the assurance that will indeed happen when I stand before Him in glory. (1 Corinthians 13:12) Then, faith will be no veneer, but the total assurance of sight.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed walk in the faith I have received to this point, knowing that it will grow by Your grace, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Focus; July 1, 2023

Posted on July 2, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 15:24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

At first hearing this seems very cold and uncharacteristic of Jesus. However, it displays something that was vitally important to His ministry that we often overlook, and that is His laser focus on what He was sent to do. Were it not for that focus, He would not have gone to Bethany and raised Lazarus from the dead, as even His disciples recognized. (John 11:8) Of course this story has a happy ending, with Jesus commending the woman for her faith and granting her request, but we need to be aware that sometimes the good is the enemy of God. If it distracts us from the purpose God has for us, then we aren’t to get involved, period. The thing is, we are finite, in sharp contrast to God. He could use anyone to do that thing that we see needs doing. After all, there are limitless things that legitimately need doing. At the same time, we are never to back off if the Lord says, “I want you to do it.” Jesus was hardly happy in the Garden of Gethsemane, but He knew that scourging and crucifixion were His task to do, and He submitted Himself to the Father for our sake. In that context, one girl’s demonic possession looks much smaller! We don’t have a task on the scale of Jesus, but we still need to be very selective. A major problem of the Information Age in which we live is information overload. Our news feeds are loaded with horrible tragedies and major emergencies, and we tend to burn out emotionally. That is a major factor in the sharp rise in mental illness that is so evident all around us. In a sense we need to ask the Lord for blinders so that we won’t really see the things He doesn’t want us involved in. That can feel really strange, even selfish and self-centered, but it is unavoidable given our human limitations. We need to be totally committed to Christ, holding nothing back, but ask and allow Him to show us what He desires of us, for His glory alone.

This has been an issue for me all my life. I was broadly gifted from birth, and have always had difficulties with focus. I guess that fits the description of ADD/HD, but I’m thankful I was never medicated for it. It’s just that there were so many things I could do, and often do well. I entered college as a Chemistry major and graduated as a Drama/Creative Writing major! Since living in Omura, I have had it asked of me, “And just what is your occupation?” Just in job history, I have pumped gas, cleaned buildings, driven large trucks, installed fences, and taken portraits and wedding pictures as a photographer. I’m a pastor, but I was actively involved in building this building on a physical level, and my income has been from teaching Medical English and Speech Therapy for the past 42 years. Oh, and in the Army I qualified as a sniper, but my job was playing the clarinet. God hasn’t wasted any of those experiences, but I feel I would have accomplished far more if I had managed better focus. I still have a lot of trouble with distractions, because I’m interested in such a wide variety of things. A major source of stress for me is that very variety of calls on my attention and my time. Age has slowed me down, as my body is currently reminding me, so that places even more of a point on the need to focus, to choose what I will do and what I will not. I need to be quiet enough before the Lord to hear His directions and not be distracted from them. His plans for me are far from finished, and I need to follow them and not my own.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. Thank You for what You enabled me to get done yesterday. Thank You for Your schedule for today. Help me indeed recognize that schedule and follow it, down to the last detail, so that Your will may be done for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Faith to Receive; June 30, 2023

Posted on July 1, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 13:58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Human beings are strange. If we think we are familiar with something or someone, we resist the idea that there might be something we don’t know about that person or thing. We automatically assume we are the expert on the subject. However, in actual fact our vision and our knowledge are severely limited. God is the only One who knows everything! The people of Nazareth thought they knew everything about Jesus the carpenter, and they couldn’t accept Him as Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. This principle applies very broadly. For example, we are likely not to accept a food that is prepared differently from the way we are used to it. We miss out on a lot of things that way. Coming back to this verse, God has many good things prepared for us that we fail to receive because we can’t believe them, or Him. In the case of eternal salvation that is tragic, but even born-again believers sadly miss out on a lot, I think. We aren’t to be presumptuous, as in “name it and claim it,” but God really does have good stuff prepared for us, “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,” (Ephesians 3:20) to use Paul’s turn of phrase. It’s not that He intends “easy street” for us; we have Jesus’ word on that. (John 16:33) However, He does have uncountable blessings for us along the way, if we will open our hearts to receive them. It does require faith. If we get in a tiff and decide that God is mean and out to get us, then we will never see the blessings God has prepared for us, as God said through Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 17:6) We’re back to that famous statement in Hebrews about faith: “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) He has good stuff for us, and we’d better believe it!

I am convinced that a major reason I’ve seen so many blessings in my life is that I was raised in a household of faith. It’s easy for me to believe that God is benevolent. At the same time, I’m sure I have missed some blessings because I had decided what they were supposed to look like, and I didn’t recognize them enough to accept them. Looking at others that sort of thing is easy to spot, but I easily fail to recognize it in myself! I too need to keep growing in my faith, my openness to whatever the Lord has planned, and teach others by example how to do that as well.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the unavailability of the cushion flooring we tried to buy yesterday, because it gives me a bit more time to recover from the aches and pains of having torn out the old floor and put in the new wood. Help me indeed trust that Your plans are good, whether they agree with my plans or not, 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. Praise God!

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Living in the Supernatural; June 29, 2023

Posted on June 30, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 9:22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment.

There are various supernatural things at work here. We focus on the healing itself, but there was more. Luke, as a physician, was very interested in this story, and he records that the crowd almost crushed Jesus, (Luke 8:42) but He still knew when the woman touched His garment, because power had gone out from Him. (Luke 8:46) That was actually no less miraculous than the healing itself. Jesus ack­nowledged that the woman’s faith had been the instrument of her healing, but it was His own openness to Holy Spirit that allowed Him to know what was happening beyond what normal senses would have told Him. I am reminded from time to time that while in His physical body Jesus rarely if ever exercised His power as the Son of God, but rather relied on Holy Spirit, Who came on Him at the time of His baptism by John. (Matthew 3:16) That same Holy Spirit has been poured out on believers ever since Pentecost, which is why Jesus could say, just before His crucifixion, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12) The vast majority of believers operate in only a fraction of the power and authority that are available to them, but we are blinded by our experiences to this point and our resulting lack of faith. I think it’s analogous to how a Neanderthal would have reacted to someone touching a switch (which they might not even notice) and the room being flooded with light. We take that for granted, and indeed are frustrated if the light doesn’t come on, but it would have been totally outside of the Neanderthal’s frame of reference. The longer we walk with the Lord the more we come to expect things the world considers “supernatural,” but most of us have a long way to grow in that area!

Growing up in a household of faith I have a real advantage in this area, but I still had little exposure to things that would be labeled supernatural. Thankfully, that has grown over the years. In terms of perception, such as Jesus knowing He had been touched, my wife has had such experiences so many times that we have actually had people leave the church, afraid of what would be revealed to her about them. That has happened so often that we sometimes laugh about it. She is amazingly aware of earthquakes, for example, including one in Italy several years ago, when we live in Japan! She recognizes hurts in people’s hearts, sometimes only to pray about them but often to speak amazingly appropriate words of encouragement and comfort. I have seen that God works in each of His children differently, but He doesn’t want us to be limited to the material, the physical. Those things are finite and flawed, but His power is infinite and perfect! As I already said, I’ve got a long way to grow in this area, but I’m sharply aware that it will be totally fulfilled when I am with my Lord in heaven, and I look forward to that eagerly.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You also for the physical, material things You enabled me to do over the past two days, tearing up some weak flooring and replacing it with fresh wood. I was certainly reminded that I don’t have the same body I had 25 years ago when we built this building! I ask Your healing for my various aches and pains from that, and wisdom as we put down the fresh cushion floor tomorrow, that the result will be fully attractive to all who enter. May I be a good steward of both the natural and the supernatural, so that Your purposes may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Matthew; June 28, 2023

Posted on June 29, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

Just as with Luke’s change of pronouns in Acts 16:10, we know that it is from this point that the narrator is speaking from personal experience, rather than research. That’s not to say that the sections that were researched rather than experienced are inaccurate, but it does give a slightly different flavor to the narrative. It is also worth noting that modern linguistic analysis indicates that the Gospel of Matthew was originally written in Aramaic, rather than Greek. Aramaic was the daily language of the people of Judea, whereas Greek was what they used for commerce and to talk to the Roman occupiers and other foreigners. Hebrew, on the other hand, was reserved for reading Scripture and the like. That degree of polyglot culture is hard for Americans and Japanese to grasp, but it’s quite common in Europe, with so many languages in close proximity. All of that said, Aramaic was probably Matthew’s “heart language,” the one in which he could express himself most freely. Like the other Gospel writers, Matthew doesn’t put himself forward; it’s all about Jesus. Here, he simply states that from that point he followed Jesus. That actually was an earth-shaking, life-changing move for him, requiring him to resign his commission as an agent of the Roman government and probably changing every detail of his day-to-day life. It is worth noting that he accepts his position as one of the “sinners” at the dinner in his house. Probably the only people who would associate with him were the women he paid to do so and the men who were in similarly despised occupations as he was. The fact that Jesus would choose him as a follower, and indeed, later designate him as an apostle, was a miracle Matthew never got over. Thinking about it, Jesus was the ultimate expert at “diversity and inclusion,” calling people from across the social spectrum and treating them equally. I doubt that Matthew ever complained about Peter, James, and John being the “inner circle” of the disciples. He was too blown out of the water that he was included at all! We have much to learn from Matthew about understanding that Jesus accepts us where we are and as we are, but He doesn’t leave us there. It was the Pharisees, who thought they were “worthy” to be close to God, who had the most conflict with Jesus.

I think it’s fitting that in the Visual Bible presentation of Matthew, the key descriptive word would probably be Joy. I think Matthew had very little real joy before meeting Jesus, only occasional pleasure, and the joy of being accepted, by Jesus and His other disciples, never left him. I have been described as a joyful person, as someone who enjoys life, and I don’t think that’s wrong. I’ve certainly had my times of “not joy,” but the Lord has always carried me through them. I’ve never been in exactly Matthew’s position, but I have certainly experienced exclusion and rejection in various ways. My joy has to come from the knowledge that Jesus loves me so much that He died for me and He wants me to live as His representative. So long as I keep that in focus, I will walk in the joy that Matthew did.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the carpentry I’ve been doing since yesterday. At my age I’d frankly rather be doing other things, but it is satisfying to see physical progress. Help me walk in Your joy in the work to be done today, so that the results may bless everyone involved and give You glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Trusting the Creator; June 27, 2023

Posted on June 28, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 8:27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

I referenced this incident yesterday in contrast to the faith of the Roman centurion, but it’s certainly worth considering on its own. The point is, even Jesus’ disciples didn’t realize fully just Whom they were following. The Jews had a long history of prophets and teachers, and they were sure they had found a good one, but even those who thought He was the Messiah didn’t realize the Messiah was part of the Trinity, the Godhead, who thus wielded all authority in the universe. We tend to rank things in order of difficulty, but for the Creator it’s essentially all the same, whether it’s healing a cold or creating a galaxy. We really can’t wrap our minds around that. They had seen Jesus heal many diseases, probably ranging from the inconvenient to the debilitating to the potentially fatal, and all of them had yielded to Him. That was certainly impressive, but from the human perspective, the ability to command “the forces of nature” was in a different category. From God’s perspective, it was all tweaking His creation. The thing is, we don’t have God’s perspective on things, so we don’t know why He allows some things and not others. However, we shouldn’t let that interfere with our faith that He can change anything at all. Storms, earthquakes, and tsunami are part of the natural order, but our prayers can impact even those at times. I’ve personally known of multiple times when the course of a major storm was diverted in response to prayer, and we of course have no way of knowing when an earthquake or tsunami did not happen because of prayer. We aren’t to think that such things are at our beck and call, but we do need to remember that the Creator is Lord over His creation.

I well remember loving typhoons as a child, and still don’t mind them. I’ve been through a few minor earthquakes, and even been on the edge of a major one, but I’ve never experienced a tsunami personally. From the human perspective those are all destructive, but I have seen again and again God bring incredible blessing out of tragedy. Just yesterday I saw a brief video of a “TV physicist” explaining why he couldn’t believe in a loving, omnipotent God, but my response was that he was cutting himself off by demanding to understand God before he’d believe in Him. I must not make that mistake! By definition I don’t know everything that is going on, much less how it all fits together. Even supercomputers can’t calculate the sheer number of variables involved, because that number is literally infinite. I am to rest in the assurance that, as the chorus goes, “God’s got it all in control,” and the final outcome will be glorious, whatever happens along the way. His instructions to me to “rest, relax, rejoice,” are simple, but at times very difficult! I’ve got to keep growing in my own faith, trust, and obedience.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all the little lessons You teach me day by day. May I continue to grow as You desire and intend, becoming the useful servant and loving child that You desire, for the blessing of those around me and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Authority; June 26, 2023

Posted on June 27, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 8:8-9 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 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.”

This is a statement of extreme importance, because it blew Jesus’ mind, and that was hardly an easy thing to do to the Son of God! He said it was because of the centurion’s faith, but we need to consider how that faith was expressed. Even Jesus’ apostles were shocked when He exercised authority over natural forces, (Mark 4:35-41) but this Roman understood and believed that Jesus could command disease as easily as he himself could tell a servant to do something. We need such faith! The centurion understood that Jesus was under the authority of the Creator of the universe, and as such, that authority flowed through Him toward everything in creation. That situation hasn’t changed! In fact, just before rising to heaven after His resurrection, Jesus stated clearly, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18) We quote that verse as part of the Great Commission, but I don’t think we really meditate on all its implications. All means all, with no exceptions. The devil tries to tell us that this, that, or the other problem is too big for even God to handle, so there’s no use praying about it. He’s a liar, as always. If we understand the authority of God, then we will be absolutely bold in our prayers. That’s not the same as presumption; we can’t dictate to God, nor should we try. However, to the degree that we are submitted to His authority, that authority will flow through us to accomplish His will, not what our flesh desires. Jesus’ submission to the Father is demonstrated in His crucifixion, from Gethsemane onward. We too need to pray, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) There is more power in such prayer than we have imagined.

I have always had an ambivalent attitude toward authority. As any young person does, I had my period of questioning my parents’ authority, but I think I learned earlier than many that they generally knew what they were talking about. External authority was a different matter, however, and I still tend to be skeptical of “experts.” That attitude has certainly been validated by the pandemic and other recent events! However, I must not let that push me toward rebellion against God’s authority. That is in another class, another dimension. I spoke yesterday on hearing God. He does indeed speak to us, and my attitude needs to be instant obedience. I’ve got room to grow. I wish that “stubborn” weren’t such an appropriate adjective for me! I tend to be hesitant to exercise authority, which isn’t always good. Church discipline is of great importance, and I must not let it slide. As Paul said, such authority is given me to build people up, not tear them down. (2 Corinthians 10:8) I am to exercise it in full submission to Holy Spirit so that the result will be God’s will being done, and not just what is convenient for me. I am to proclaim and exercise the Lordship of Jesus Christ in this church, this city, and this nation, not insisting on my time frame but knowing with full assurance that it will be done, for the glory of God.

Father, thank You for this powerful reminder. Help me not just say, that’s nice, and then go on as usual. Help me be the agent of Your authority that You have created me to be, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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