God’s Grace; January 31, 2024

Posted on February 1, 2024 by jgarrott

James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

This is a justly famous verse, actually not quite as famous as it deserves. Even so, I don’t think we notice that the sin in question is favoritism, of all things! The next verse mentions adultery and murder, which we would be quick to recognize as bad, but this is talking about failure to love your neighbor as yourself. There is no one alive who hasn’t failed in this at some point! This points up two very important facts: the law is impotent to save us, and grace is absolutely essential to everyone. It’s not that the law is meaningless. Paul goes on at length in several of his letters about that. However, he also stresses grace, most famously to the Ephesians. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) I find it ironic that Martin Luther called this letter “a book of straw,” because he thought it promoted works over faith, and he had rediscovered the principle of salvation by faith alone (sola fides). It’s almost like Luther wanted to be proud of his faith! James is simply pointing out that we are all desperately in need of God’s grace, so we should rejoice to be instruments of that grace to one another. That’s what verses 12 and 13 are saying here. Amazing Grace is perhaps the most dearly loved hymn in the whole world, and with good cause. However, never having been the captain of a slave ship ourselves, we tend to miss how extremely applicable it is to us personally. That’s what this verse is talking about. We are all equally headed for hell apart from the grace of God, available to us by faith.

This is something I’ve had to have pounded into me by God, because on my own, I’m all too prone to conceit, thinking I’m more deserving of salvation than the next guy. How utterly foolish! I have been relatively “high status” most of my life, for various reasons, and have had to learn how meaningless that all is. In the process of learning that, however, I have been able to relate on equal footing with people of every social stratum, which is a very good thing. I’ve never been particularly intimidated by anyone’s status because I grew up around people who were high status, and I knew they were just as human as I was. That became a problem only when it morphed into conceit, feeling I was higher than they were. I’ve got to remember that I am just as much in need of God’s grace as anyone else, and they are just as much worthy of God’s grace and love as I am.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I’m going from “school teacher” to “conference speaker,” which the world considers an elevation in status, but I’m still your foolish, occasionally disobedient child. Help me rejoice in Your grace and extend it to others, never taking it lightly, so that as many as will may receive it with repentance, gratitude, and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Perseverance; January 30, 2024

Posted on January 31, 2024 by jgarrott

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

The matter of perseverance, patient endurance, comes up many times in the Bible, notably in Paul’s letter to the Romans: “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:3-5) I have seen countless people stumble over trials, but I have also seen people allow their trials to strengthen their faith, just as James and Paul wrote. As countless people have said, it doesn’t matter so much what happens to us as it does how we respond to what happens. One of my favorite verses in the whole Bible was spoken by Jesus in the Upper Room just before His trial and crucifixion: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) God isn’t being mean to us. Just yesterday I ran across an article on the Internet that talked about how “taking it easy” essentially destroys people; we need challenges and work to give us purpose and drive. That’s one reason why so many men die not long after they retire: they’ve lost their sense of purpose. Being so wrapped up in your job that you feel no sense of purpose without it is hardly wise, but we are so created that we need challenges to keep going. The Japanese call it ikigai, a reason to live. And frankly, that means trials that call for perseverance. Society (with the encouragement of the devil) has taught us to grumble and complain about difficulties, but as James says here, we should rejoice at difficulties because they grow us, and a growing life is a fulfilled life.

This certainly applies to me, as much as it does to everyone else. It is particularly pointed at the moment because I am retiring from 42 years of secular teaching, and I will confess to a bit of anxiety about it. I’m not used to seeing so much blank space in my schedule! At this point, a major task in my life is caring for my wife. She isn’t exactly an invalid, and certainly isn’t bedridden, but she no longer drives, and taking her places uses a lot of time. The Lord is also opening up various avenues of service. Next month I will be on standby as an interpreter for a national leadership conference, and then later I will be the speaker for a smaller, more local conference. And getting even more granular, today I need to pull out all the piles of papers, etc. from my study and sort things, because important things have a way of getting buried. That’s a challenge I genuinely don’t enjoy! However, I need to rejoice that God has given it to me, recognizing how minor it is compared to what so many go through, and allow God to accomplish His purposes through me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. You always know what I need to hear! Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, even as I am applying myself fully to whatever task You have set before me, so that Your purposes may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Examples; January 29, 2024

Posted on January 30, 2024 by jgarrott

Hebrews 13:7-8 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

My impression is that Hebrews was written after at least the majority of Paul’s letters, and it was actually the last of the books in the New Testament to be accepted into the canon, because of uncertainty of authorship, but for that very reason it could be said to be written to a more mature group of believers, rather than to those who were just a few years away from paganism. The implication in this passage, for example, is that the leaders spoken of have already died. That makes it all the more relatable for us today, who are so many years removed from those who saw Jesus physically. Considering the history of the early Church, the leaders spoken of here could have died any number of ways, from disease to active persecution, but the point is that they died in faith, clinging to Christ spiritually and communicating His Word faithfully. That is certainly worth learning from, as the Japanese expresses it. Verse 8 here has been quoted countless times ever since it was written, and for good reason. The reason faith leaders are worth imitating is that the One in whom they believed hasn’t changed. As Paul testified at the point he was facing his own execution, “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12) That’s the kind of faith we need to imitate!

Of course, my own parents are in that category, but a very recent addition to their number is Leo and Phyllis Kaylor. They made it to 90 on this earth, definitely longer than my parents, and they made full use of the time. Their example shines brightly and will for many years to come, through their physical and spiritual children. When I think of people like them, the statement that Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever takes very concrete form. My prayer is that my own memory will have the same sort of impact. After all, it doesn’t depend on me, but on the One in Whom I believe. Since Jesus is omnipotent, He can use even me to draw people to Himself and manifest His glory. That is my desire.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for the example of so many of Your saints down through the years. I could be here all morning trying to list those who have impacted me personally. May I be an accurate reflection of my unchanging Lord, so that more and more people may realize that salvation is both necessary and available for them, and turn to You in repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Discipline; January 28, 2024

Posted on January 29, 2024 by jgarrott

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

This whole section is very familiar and deeply loved, so I asked the Lord what He wanted to say through it tome today, and this is what He indicated to me. The thing is, discipline is essential for every individual and every society, if anything worthwhile is to be accomplished. We see the results of a failure to discipline all around us. Things have gotten so bad that in Canada, parents were literally jailed for spanking their children! We prize (or say we do) self-discipline, but that doesn’t come automatically. We bemoan addictive behaviors of all sorts, but how do we avoid those? There are indeed genetic predispositions to some kinds of addictions, but as Bill Whittle pointed out, if you ask someone who has never tried drugs why they haven’t, the most likely answer will be, “My mom would have killed me.” The expression, “the soft bigotry of low expectations,” is heard in relation to racial groups, but it applies to parenting as well. Generally speaking, we will get the kind of behavior we allow. That’s the reason for the success of what are called “military academies,” schools where “problem children” are treated as though they were in the military, with strict regulations and discipline. It would be difficult to calculate the number of people who have been rescued by such schools. I know a few personally myself. This is closely related to what is called “broken windows policing,” where aberrant behavior is dealt with at a low level before it escalates into something more serious. The rewards of such discipline are countless. The writer here calls it “a harvest of righteousness and peace.” The Japanese indicates that’s inner peace, not just a lack of external conflict. The numbers of people who lack those today are indeed beyond counting! We need to recognize, allow, and value discipline if individuals and society are to be rescued from the path to destruction.

My parents weren’t excessive, but they did discipline me. They set limits which weren’t constrictive, but they were to be followed. I can’t say I didn’t go over the boundaries at times, but not far, and I wasn’t comfortable with it. I am deeply grateful. I didn’t do a perfect job with my own children, certainly, but they are both productive members of society, and I am grateful for that as well. As a pastor I am a father figure to many, and church discipline has always been an awkward area for me. I have seen churches, and believers, destroyed by excesses in both directions, and I know I don’t have sufficient wisdom in myself to get it right. Paul had to deal with that sort of thing a lot, and much of it had to be done long-distance, by letter. However, that had the advantage of leaving a record that we can read, and I need to be fully familiar with his example. Right now, self-discipline is my biggest issue, particularly with retiring from secular teaching and so having fewer external demands on my time. I am to seek the Lord at every turn, following His schedule and recognizing that my time, my life, belong to Him, for His glory. That is righteousness and peace, as this verse says.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Use of time is very much on my mind these days. Help me indeed use every moment as You desire, knowing that is the path of greatest blessing for me and those around me. Thank You. Praise God!

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Waiting on the Lord; January 27, 2024

Posted on January 28, 2024 by jgarrott

Hebrews 11:39-40 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

I have been aware of these two verses for a long time, but it just now occurred to me to think about the “something better” that God had planned for us. The listing of people and suffering in this chapter is indeed remarkable, but it struck me just now that none of the Old Testament saints knew about Jesus, except perhaps by prophetic revelation. How much easier it is for us, who live in the New Covenant, to endure suffering, because we know our Savior, who suffered and died and rose again, giving us an eternal hope! Yesterday I referenced a very important statement by Paul: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) I’m reminded of the story, not recorded in the Bible but reasonably authenticated, of when Peter’s wife was being crucified just before he was, and he was forced to watch. He cried out to her, “Remember Jesus!” When we rightly remember Jesus, we can endure anything. Martyrs down through the centuries have indeed endured unspeakable horrors, but their reward is absolutely sure. We tend to get upset about relatively minor suffering, or even inconvenience, when more people were martyred for their faith in the 20th Century than in the previous 19, and the pace has picked up even further in the 21st Century. God indeed has marvelous stuff planned and prepared for us, and we have far more reason to be assured of it than the Old Testament saints did. As Jesus said, we need to take heart, because He has overcome the world! (John 16:33)

Yesterday when I got up a little chorus was running through my head. It is based on Isaiah 40:31, and the final lines are, “Teach me, Lord. Teach me, Lord, to wait.” I have come to the conclusion that patience is an essential part of the makeup of a disciple of Jesus Christ. As far back at the 1st Century they believed Christ would return in glory any day, and that obviously didn’t happen. Today, circumstances certainly seem to indicate that indeed, it could be any day, but if we slough off on the things we have been given to do, thinking it will all be over momentarily, we will miss out on a lot, on various levels. Jesus said, “It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.” (Matthew 24:46) In other words, we are responsible for our assignments, and aren’t to be distracted by “what if” scenarios. I am currently in a transition period, retiring from school teaching and uncertain of what the Lord has planned for the next part of my life here. I am to rest assured that His plans are indeed excellent, and at the same time not be anxious about when they will be revealed. I am to recognize the task at hand and do it with my whole heart as a sacrifice to my Lord, not weighing whether those tasks are “big” or “small.” When things seem slow, I am to “recharge my batteries.” When they seem frantic, I am to allow the Holy Spirit to carry me along. In everything, I am to trust God and His plans, and give Him the praise, glory, and gratitude that only He deserves.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the important things I got done yesterday, even though I felt like I wasted time. Help me indeed recognize Your will each moment and submit myself to do it, for the advancement of Your kingdom and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Aliens and Strangers; January 26, 2024

Posted on January 27, 2024 by jgarrott

Hebrews 11:13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

We have a very limited grasp of faith. Even if we aren’t sucked into the “Prosperity Gospel” as such, we still tend to expect faith to usher in some kind of rose-tinted existence. The Biblical record says very clearly that is a deception, fostered by the devil, who tells us the minute things get hard that God doesn’t love us and He’s mean and unfair. We’ve got to remember what Jesus said just before He went to Gethsemane: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) We will have trouble, but in the middle of that trouble we have peace available in Christ. The problem comes when we fail to appropriate the peace that is available to us, and that’s where faith comes in. When we accept that God is under no obligation to be good to us but He is anyway, then gratitude will go a long way in countering all the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” as Shakespeare put it. Knowing that God loves us so much He sent His Son to die for us gives us “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” that Paul spoke of. (Philippians 4:7) Recently I was watching a video testimony of Andrew Klaven, I think it was, and he mentioned a comic strip of Hagar the Horrible his father had kept, in which Hagar was on his boat in rough seas and was ranting against God, saying “Why?” In the comic, the reply comes back, “Why not?” I don’t recommend we get our theology from Hagar the Horrible, but we need to remember that we live in a fallen world, and fix our hearts and our affections on our Lord and His kingdom.

This is almost painfully close to home for me, because my parents came to Japan as single missionaries before WWII, were married here, and are buried here. They did see fruit to their ministry, but not in quantities that would seem appropriate to the effort. I’ve been in Omura as a missionary since 1981, and again, there has been fruit, but this could hardly be called a large church. The whole issue of not belonging has been huge in my life, not being accepted as Japanese because of biology and hardly feeling American, either. I certainly know what it is to be an “alien and stranger,” anywhere I have been. (My college roommate was a Psychology major and he had me take all sorts of psychological tests for his Abnormal Psychology class, because I was “stranger than anyone else he knew.”) In all of that, I have grown to be remarkably happy, to the point that people expressly say that about me, because I am deeply aware of God’s grace toward me and I know that what awaits me will make every temporal trouble fade into absolute insignificance. (2 Corinthians 4:17) I don’t have to be anxious about anything, because I know I’m a child of the Creator of the universe, and He loves me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. All of the things of life tend to distract me from this glorious reality. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me to do, so that Your purposes may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Creation; January 25, 2024

Posted on January 26, 2024 by jgarrott

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

There are many reasons why Hebrews 11 is considered the ultimate “faith chapter” in the Bible. Not only does it start with the only actual definition of faith in the whole Bible, it then dismantles the theory of evolution very expertly with this one verse. This is what materialists balk at. They can’t accept that the material universe was created out of the immaterial, or spiritual. In fact, the very word, immaterial, is often used to mean “unconnected, of no consequence,” particularly in legal settings. However, one issue that astrophysicists, even ones who accept the “creation moment” of the “Big Bang,” continue to puzzle over, is how the seemingly essentially infinite physical universe came from that one incredibly tiny moment. Black holes would have absolutely nothing on it in terms of density! All of that difficulty goes away when we accept that the Creator is outside of the physical universe, and can cause things to come into existence by His expressed will (words). The kicker is that such a scenario can’t be “scientifically proven;” we have to accept it by faith. The vast majority of mankind doesn’t even think about such things, but the more we think about life itself, the more we run into such issues. I recently saw a very amusing and insightful video of five people of varying education and social background being asked to rank each other by IQ, strictly on the basis of such background. One woman was sure she was top, since she had a Masters degree, and she was very dismissive of a man who had entered the military out of high school. As it turned out, he had the highest IQ and she was next to the bottom! Human pride does many strange and foolish things, including trying to deny the existence of our Creator. Genuine faith is inseparable from humility, because we have to accept that there are things we will never be able to prove, or even understand, on our own. However, life is infinitely more peaceful and joyful when we have that foundation.

As I have written before, I was raised in a family that was highly educated as well as firmly grounded in faith. I like that combination! I have certainly had my struggles with pride, and I know there is no limit to the dead ends it can lead us into. I have always enjoyed both science and science fiction, and from childhood have been very happy running scenarios through my imagination. “Time outs” didn’t work as punishment with me! I have encountered many people in my life who didn’t want to acknowledge that there was anything outside of the physical universe, and they have always seemed sad to me. What is life, if there is nothing beyond it? I have had moments of worship in which I was more sure that God was real than that I was. Actually, you could say that the entire universe is no more than a figment of God’s imagination! I know the peace and the purpose that faith has given me, and I want everyone to have that. I recently got word that someone I knew had died. He had lived a rather despicable life, wounding many people along the way, but the report is that in the days before his death he was consumed with wanting the people around him to know Jesus, as he had encountered Him, and he seemed happy and at peace with leaving this world. I was frankly amazed, and confirmed in my conviction that nothing is impossible for God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your grace toward us all. I pray that I would be an effective instrument of that grace, so that more and more people may encounter You as their Creator and Jesus as their Savior, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Assurance; January 24, 2024

Posted on January 25, 2024 by jgarrott

Hebrews 10:35-36 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

This is a message we really need to hear, but don’t really like. The Japanese word order puts it a little more bluntly: “What you need in order to receive what has been promised is patient endurance.” We don’t like being told that! However, we need to remember, and be encouraged by, verse 35. I’ve talked about not liking the Japanese word for confidence, because it is written as “self-belief,” but the term used here I would tend to render in English as “assurance,” and is written as “firm belief.” The English and Japanese agree perfectly on “throw away,” however. It is sad to see people do that, and it’s not uncommon. People can seem to be fully assured believers, and then a very short time later they seem to have no faith at all. We must not forget that the devil is a liar, and he is constantly trying to get through to us. I think it is wise for English-speakers to make the distinctions that are present in the Japanese here, because assurance is far more valuable than confidence. God does not call us to sacrifice with no reward. Jesus told His disciples, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29) However, if our focus is on “I’m going to get rich,” then we will essentially miss out on it all. Materialism doesn’t bring genuine happiness, or, for that matter, the kingdom of God. It does at times help, though, to remember that what we’re going to get totally eclipses whatever we might seem to lose in this life.


I have experienced this first hand. I sank my financial inheritance into this church building, and then joyfully transferred title to the church once we acquired registration as a “religious corporation.” My financial needs have been met, even though there have been moments when I was in something of a panic over them. I do have a deep assurance that God is far greater than all my weaknesses and failures, so all I have to do is listen obediently to Him. People are impressed that we have been in Omura since 1981, and we are in planning for celebrating the 40th anniversary of our church organization in May, but I feel that is very much “small potatoes” for God. I can, however, testify that “patient endurance” has its rewards! As I was telling a Japanese pastor friend in a Google chat last night, I felt great joy on Sunday, despite my physical misery from my cold, to hear the church functioning fully without me, and realize that Christ has indeed established His Body here, and it’s not just something I’ve done. That sort of assurance is reward indeed.

Father, thank You for all that You have done over the years, and all You are continuing to do. It’s exciting to see glimpses of Your plan that have nothing directly to do with me, but at the same time are fruit of what You have done in and through me. May indeed Your name be acknowledged as holy and Your rule and reign be established as Your will is done, right here and across the world, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Hope; January 23, 2024

Posted on January 24, 2024 by jgarrott

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

I find myself confused. I chose to write on this verse on the basis of the NIV, but the Japanese says, “Since the One who promised is faithful, let us not be upset, but firmly confess hope.” That seems to put the confession before the hope, almost as though saying we have hope will make it so. However, even as I write, the Lord is straightening things out in my mind and heart. I don’t ascribe to “name it and claim it” in the least, but what we say does have a major impact on us emotionally and spiritually. Regardless of circumstances, people who are always griping and complaining are not happy, because our words have a major influence on our focus. The point here is to put our focus on the One who promised, that is, Jesus Christ our Lord. As the hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” When we pin our hopes on anything less, and particularly on our own strength and abilities, those hopes will ultimately fail. As the next two verses indicate, we need help in keeping our focus straight, and that’s a major function of the Church. We are to be encouragers for one another, recognizing the hand of God in each other and talking about it. If you don’t see the progress you are making, it’s easy to give up. However, a brother or sister, recognizing your progress from their perspective, can lift you up and give you fresh motivation simply by talking about what they see in you. Our focus is to be on Christ, but our own circumstances, and particularly our own weaknesses and failures, are right in front of our noses. We aren’t to deny how things are right now, but we must always add, “But God…” That is hope indeed.

My own association with this chapter has included verse 25, which every pastor loves to use to encourage attendance, but it has primarily been with the section from verse 26, concluding with verse 31: “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” That section was the foundation of Jonathan Edwards’ famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, that sparked the revival called The Great Awakening that prepared the American colonies spiritually for the Revolutionary War. It is certainly a warning not to take our religion lightly, but rather to cling to Christ in humble obedience. Actually, that goes back to the verse I did write on, because Christ is indeed faithful, and a magnificent foundation for hope. I don’t feel I am called to preach as Edwards did, and indeed, in a culture with no foundation in the Bible, it would be far more likely to drive people away than to drive them to repentance, as Edwards’ preaching did. However, every human being alive needs hope. I am to be careful to keep my own focus on Christ and be faithful to speak whatever He places in my heart and on my lips. He knows what people need to hear. How they respond is between Him and them; my job is faithful transmission. That said, I do want to be one who imparts hope in this hopeless world, for the salvation of many and for the glory of God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the couple I talked to yesterday over the Internet, whom you are calling to minister in Japan. They responded as though I had given them hope that their calling would be fulfilled, and I pray for that fruition in Your timing. May I be Your agent in every interaction I have, today and every day, so that the Body of Christ may be built up for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Not Being Lazy; January 22, 2024

Posted on January 23, 2024 by jgarrott

Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Just yesterday I wrote about how we are not to be lazy, but this particular verse didn’t come to mind. However, as I also quoted yesterday, “God’s got it all in control!” The section from 5:11 through 6:8 is pretty severe, scolding the readers for being “slow to learn,” (5:11) and talking about complete apostasy in 6:4-8, but 6:9-11 is much more comforting. The thing is, our confidence and assurance must rest not on ourselves and our abilities but on God, or it is all an illusion. As I have written recently, I don’t like the Japanese term for confidence, because it is written as “believe in yourself.” I’ve learned the hard way that I’m not worthy of such faith! However, God is totally faithful, and if our hearts are fixed on Him, we have nothing to worry about. It was near the end of his physical life that Paul quoted a hymn of the day, saying, “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13) As Romans 7 says clearly, even Paul struggled with his own sinful tendencies. The thing is, despite it all being dependent on God, our actions still have consequences. We’d rather not be saved “escaping through the flames,” (1 Corinthians 3:15) but rather with the full reward for our service to the Lord and His kingdom, as it says in verse 10. That’s why we are admonished not to be lazy, because obedient service to God never goes unrewarded in eternity.

Yesterday I was greatly blessed and encouraged to hear the church functioning fully without me, as I lay in my bed feeling physically miserable. Minor balls got dropped, but I really look forward to editing the audio from the livestream, to know what was actually said. The believers here aren’t lazy! This was another blessing from the Lord to wean us away from being pastor-centered to be properly Christ-centered. I look forward to ministering more years here, but I have assurance that it is Christ’s church and He will take care of it, even if I’m not around. He is bringing in people who are seasoned believers, establishing the harvest workers that He told us to pray for, (Matthew 9:38) so that Omura may indeed be restored to being the foremost Christian city in the nation, as He has given us as our Church Vision.

Father, thank You indeed for what You are doing. It’s worth getting sick to see it happening! Thank You for the plans for next week, with general discussion about our hopes and plans for the coming year following the pot-luck lunch. I pray that yesterday’s experience would open people’s minds and hearts to how You want them to participate more and more actively, so that this church may indeed grow in every way as You intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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