God’s Universal Love; December 25, 2023

Posted on December 26, 2023 by jgarrott

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Courtesy of Handel, there are few verses in the whole Bible more familiar than this. However, it still bears meditation. The first thing that hit me this morning is that it repeats the plural pronoun, us. The Messiah is not exclusive! There have been countless groups down through the centuries who have tried to claim that Jesus was their Messiah, to the exclusion of other groups, but God dealt with that issue quite clearly in the early Church, first through Peter (Acts 10) and then through Paul, who repeatedly used the phrase, “first to the Jew, and also to the Greek,” to get his point across. Christ was given to all mankind, but the necessity remains of individual repentance and faith. (Mark 1:15) Jesus focused His earthly ministry on Jews, sometimes to the point of seeming harsh to Gentiles, (Matthew 15:21-28) but what let Him know that the time had come for His ultimate act of redemption was when some Greeks came looking for Him. (John 12:20-28) I think everyone has at least some tendency to parochialism and xenophobia, but “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.” Everyone who has ever lived on this planet was created by God in love, and we need to look at them that way. We cannot experience the love of God fully until we allow it to flow through us to others, whether they seem to be like us or not.
On a completely different note, the use of “government” in English translations confuses a lot of people, I think, but the Japanese clears that up by saying “ruling authority.” When we hear “government” we tend to think of politics, but this has nothing to do with that. The kingdom of God is not a democracy or even a republic, but rather the absolute rule and reign of King Jesus. That’s what we pray for in the Lord’s Prayer, and we forget it to our own detriment.

Of course this applies to me. I have a truly blessed heritage in this area. One of my grandfathers, W. O. Carver, founded what is currently the oldest continuing Department of Missions in any Protestant seminary in the world, and my parents became missionaries while still single, and married in Japan. My father even did a stint while in seminary of preaching at an English language church in Havana. (Maybe that cemented his conviction that he was called to Japan!) Even so, the Lord has dealt with some negative feelings in me about some people groups, and I have repented of such prejudice. I even resigned my first pastorate over the race issue. At the time, one of the church officers said, “As my father used to say, they (Blacks) may go to heaven, but they won’t do it through my living room.” Thankfully, my departure triggered some very needed changes in that church! Today I pastor a church that is genuinely international. In our candlelight service last night we had people from Japan, America, Taiwan, China, and Honduras. I have no trouble imagining the scene described in Revelation: “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” (Revelation 7:9)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that Your love truly encompasses all of mankind. May I be a useful instrument in Your hands to impart that understanding to more and more of Your children, so that indeed Your kingdom may come as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Joy; December 24, 2023

Posted on December 25, 2023 by jgarrott

Luke 2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

I have no idea how many times I’ve written on this verse, because it’s so important, in my view, to the Christmas narrative. To analyze it, we start with the fact that the angel had told the shepherds what was going on. That is significant, because we tend to forget that God sees all of eternity at a glance, from the moment He said, “Let there be light,” to the end of the universe. Nothing surprises Him, and He sometimes clues us in on what is happening or is going to happen. That should give us peace, at least! As part of that, we have the word, “everything.” God doesn’t miss anything, and He doesn’t make mistakes. (So much for “being born in the wrong body.”) Our response to Him and our perception of things, however, can be, and generally is, all over the place. Often enough it isn’t until after the fact, and sometimes years later, that we realize things indeed transpired just as God had indicated they would. That is certainly true with the life and ministry of Jesus, which is laid out in amazing detail in the Old Testament, but wasn’t recognized as having been so until after His resurrection, and then by only a limited number of people. All that said, we need to pay attention to the response of the shepherds here. They “glorified and praised God.” What is it to glorify God? I would say that it is recognizing Him for who and what He is, because we cannot add anything to Him. This is closely connected to worship, because who can fail to worship when they recognize God for who He is? The Japanese term in this passage for “praise” is the one used for singing to God, and the mental image I get is of the shepherds walking along, singing scraps of hymns or just exclaiming things like “Hallelujah!” or “Praise God!” Very few people are granted something as dramatic as what the shepherds experienced, and I’m sure they were overwhelmed. However, even without the drama of the angelic appearance, we should have the same or an even deeper level of joy and worship, because we have the rest of the Bible to explain to us all that God has done and is doing. That’s why the dominant word for Christmas should be joy. Like the shepherds, and later the magi, (Matthew 2:10) we should let the reality of God’s love, grace, mercy, and power lift us out of all the mess we are living in, to worship Him with a joy that has no equal on human terms.

This is an important reminder to me, because in most years the very busyness of Christmas drags me down, and I can’t wait until it’s over. This year my heart is in a somewhat better place, and I’m grateful. Our church Christmas caroling last night went well, and that is done and out of the way. We have the service this morning and the candlelight service tonight, and God’s got that taken care of as well. I am not to shirk my responsibilities, but at the same time I am to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, just as He has told me to do. I need to be praying for all who will attend, particularly tonight’s service, so that nothing will stand in the way of their responding to God’s presence here.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for the fact that I am growing spiritually, however slowly or late. May I indeed rejoice in You throughout today, whatever my body is doing, so that the results may be Yours, blessing many, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Spiritual Fathers; December 23, 2023

Posted on December 24, 2023 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

Even though Jesus was very clear about not giving people titles, (Matthew 23:8-12) it’s easy to understand why Catholic priests came to be called “Father,” because as Paul expresses here, the relationship between pastor and people is very familial. Frankly, I have reservations about any pastor who does not feel like a father to those in his flock! In this verse Paul keeps the focus on God, because it’s His kingdom and glory we’re involved in, but the interpersonal dynamics in a local church, certainly, are very much those of a family. The problem is, many people grow up in dysfunctional families, so they don’t know how to relate to their family in Christ. That’s not all from things like abuse. I know someone who was the only child of a mo­ther who was an only child, and she doesn’t understand sibling relationships in the least. We all tend to mirror what we know, so it is vital that we all keep growing. This is also why mentors are so important, because we need examples to show us how we need to grow. The right mentor at the right time can have a marvelous impact. That’s what Paul is talking about here: mentoring his spiritual children. He had no physical children, but he labored to be a good father to his spiritual children, and as such became a model for all in pastoral ministry of all sorts.

My own father was loving, but not very “hands on.” He was not into sports at all, and I don’t remember ever playing catch with him. He used to take me to kindergarten on the back of his bicycle, but I don’t remember him actually teaching me how to ride one. I’m sure that impacted my own patterns of ministry. That’s why the study of Coaching that I’ve been doing for the past few years has been so helpful. I’m having to learn how to come alongside people and show them how to live, rather than lecturing them about it. My father was enormously busy, but I’ve just retired from secular teaching, so I have no excuse! I need to let my Heavenly Father keep teaching me how to be the spiritual father He wants me to be, so that my children may grow strong in every way that matters, in turn raising up more healthy spiritual children, so that the family of God may grow in every way, for His pleasure and glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the changes I do see in myself, though they are small. Help me keep growing as Your child so that I can be the father You want me to be to all the children You give me, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Practical Religion; December 22, 2023

Posted on December 23, 2023 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 1:3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

I know I’ve written on this before, doubtless multiple times, but it hits me every time I run into it. The various “abstract” things in our lives always have “concrete” effects, whether we recognize it or not. For example, true faith works, as James wrote about extensively. It does no good to say we believe this or that unless that belief is reflected in what we do. Often enough, we aren’t even aware of our own hypocrisy, until the Lord points it out to us through someone or something. Then there’s the matter of love. As the whole Bible points out, love is the ultimate motive. The Old Testament says it many times, but that chorus reaches a crescendo in the New Testament, with John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 13 and 1 John 4 and many more. A sufficient quantity of the right kind of love can make us do anything, which is why the devil loves to twist love around and pollute it. And then there’s the matter of hope. A complete loss of hope is essentially fatal, but hope that is grounded in God will carry us through anything. As Paul said, “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 5:5) There are false hopes, so we need to be careful of the object of our hope, but for those who have received the Gospel, we have “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) All of that put together is why I love this verse!

As a person with a gift for words, I can talk a pretty good line, but as the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. That’s another reason I like this verse: it helps me check on my own spiritual health. Am I acting out the faith I proclaim? Am I giving of myself sacrificially, as Jesus sacrificed Himself for me? Am I enduring with grace all that I go through because of my assurance of the ultimate outcome? Those are very serious questions for me, because I am in the position of teaching others, and as James said, “We who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1) I am never to be satisfied with just saying the right thing. I rejoice in the privilege of speaking God’s words, but I must be sure that I receive and apply them myself, rather than just push them onto others.

Father, thank You for this verse, and for speaking to me through it every time I read it. May I indeed live out our Word and not deceive myself, (James 1:22) so that I may be a useful son in Your service, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Successful Christian Living; December 21, 2023

Posted on December 22, 2023 by jgarrott

Colossians 2:6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Here we have the key to successful Christian living. The first point is that our commitment to Him isn’t just for the moment of salvation, but is ongoing. Too many people essentially go through the motions and then forget about it, at least in practical terms. What happens when we maintain our commitment is expressed in two ways here, one from botany and one from construction. We are to be “rooted” in Christ, just as a plant puts down roots to draw nutrients from the soil. We aren’t self-sustaining; we have to be supplied from somewhere. The way to do this is expressed in the very first Psalm: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (Psalm 1:2-3) We need the Word of the Lord for spiritual nutrition, because without it we will have “spiritual osteoporosis,” not to mention spiritual weakness that could be compared to ALS. The other image here is of being built up, as in a strong tower. Jesus Himself used this imagery, (Matthew 7:24-27) as did Paul (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) and Peter (1 Peter 2:5). We should seek to become castles fit for our King! Paul closes this description with something that could well be the key to it all: gratitude. If we don’t value what Christ has done for us, that is, the Gospel, then we won’t be grateful and won’t follow through to receive and apply all that He has provided for us. All of this is embodied in Christ Jesus our Lord. That’s why Paul starts this by speaking of “receiving Christ Jesus as Lord.” If you haven’t taken Him into your heart and given Him first place, then you don’t have anything. Just last night the Lord was expressing through me that the Gospel is the Person of Jesus Christ, not simply a body of knowledge. If you have Him in your head but not in your heart, then you are simply an educated sinner, destined for hell for not having opened your heart to Him.

Of course this applies to me as much as it does to anyone. I continue to grow spiritually, but the more I do, the more I know I need to grow further! The Lord has given me pretty deep roots in His Word, and I am deeply grateful. I have the magnificent spiritual heritage of generations of ancestors who were committed to Christ and shared Him with others, but the Lord has told me explicitly that I can’t “ride on their coattails,” as the rather archaic expression has it. I have the privilege of sharing Christ with others. That involves giving them information, but it must not stop there. I need to model what it is to walk in fellowship with the Lord, so that others may know that it’s possible and desire it for themselves, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for that rather powerful time in the prayer meeting last night. I pray that everyone in this church would grow in their relationship to Your Son by Your Spirit, so that together we may present an irresistible image to Christ to this city and this nation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Stress; December 20, 2023

Posted on December 21, 2023 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

I think Christians endure a lot more stress than God intends. Stress itself isn’t necessarily bad. Without it, we would quickly become aimless slobs. However, excessive stress damages our health, not to mention our peace and joy. Paul here gives the secret to dealing with it all: realizing that we aren’t in this alone. When we think or feel that we have to deal with everything in our own strength and wisdom, our stress level goes through the roof. When we realize that God is at work in and through us, accomplishing His will by His power, then we can let go and let Him take over. That’s not being lazy; someone in that situation can indeed be “busier than a cat on a hot tin roof,” as the old saying goes. However, the stress level is magnitudes lower, because of the awareness that God is in control. I think the biggest issue is in taking ourselves too seriously. We need to realize that we aren’t who gets anything right; that has to be God working in and through us. When that’s how we see things, we can laugh at ourselves and have a good time in the process. When we think it’s all about us, we totally stress out and make things much harder on ourselves and everyone around us, and the results frankly aren’t as good.

This couldn’t be more timely, because the Christmas season has long been a pressure cooker for me, as I’m sure it is for most pastors, at least. The schedule is packed and the emotional demands peak on top of everything else. Thankfully, this year I seem to be learning the lesson of what I just wrote. Yesterday’s schedule was loaded indeed, but everything got done, including things I didn’t know about when the day started. Today likewise has many thing looming, and who knows what else may happen, but God is still in control, and He has given me some ideas of how to juggle things. I just might enjoy this Christmas! I need to be like Paul: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) Silly little me can be an instrument of almighty God! It’s been years now since He told me to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, and I’m still learning how to do that. Sometimes I can be a really slow learner! However, as I have known for a long time, when I manage to take my eyes off of myself and fix them on Christ Jesus my Lord, everything falls into place and I am carried along by His Spirit, and His will is done in and through me for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the amazing dovetailing of events yesterday, and for how You are going to take care of today as well. May I enjoy the ride, for my blessing and the blessing of those around me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Gospel; December 19, 2023

Posted on December 20, 2023 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:6 The gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.

We toss the word, Gospel, around rather casually, when as this verse indicates, it is a thing of great power. On the face of it, it seems simple, expressed succinctly in John 3:16, but it has incredible depth. It includes everything my father wrote about in his PhD dissertation on In Christ, and even more than that. That’s why Paul says here, “since you really understood it,” as the Japanese translates it. The thing is, there is so much depth to the Gospel that our understanding should keep growing as long as we are on this earth. Of course, as Paul noted to the Corinthians, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) One thing we have to look forward to in heaven is finally under­standing the Gospel fully, and how we and everyone else fits into it in God’s incredible plan. One of our greatest privileges in this life is in sharing the Gospel, as imperfect as our understanding of it is. We don’t know it all, but we know enough to get someone saved, just as we were. We aren’t to wait for perfect understanding before we share. Doing that would mean no one would share! As has been said, evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. We need to remember that the Gospel at its heart isn’t information, it’s a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who loves us so incredibly. Evangelism isn’t abstract teaching, it’s introducing people to the One they have always needed and wanted to know, even if they didn’t realize it. To do that, we’ve got to be on good terms with Him ourselves, so as my father often said, we’ve got to keep giving all we know of ourselves to all we know of Christ, because our knowledge keeps growing on both sides of that equation.

Of course, this applies to me as much as it does to anyone else. I don’t feel gifted as an evangelist, but I do love to tell people about Jesus. The problem is in their recognizing their need for Him, and Japanese culture can be a big hindrance to that. However, nothing is impossible for God, so I’ve got to keep sharing the Gospel at every opportunity the Lord gives me. I’ll be leading a Christmas party for my nursing school students the day after tomorrow, and I always share the true story of Christmas at such occasions, since many of the students literally don’t know it. I’ve never heard that anyone became a Christian because of those parties, and this is the 42nd year to hold them, but God knows the fruit those seeds have born, even though I don’t. I’m to remember that it’s His Gospel, and trust Him with it on every level.

Father, ministry in Japan can be discouraging, given the low “rate of return,” but You love these people more than I do. I pray that Your will may be done in this nation, tearing apart the lies of the devil that have bound them for so long, for a great harvest in Your kingdom, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Cross; December 18, 2023

Posted on December 19, 2023 by jgarrott

Philippians 3:18-19 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

As I read this I immediately got a mental image of churches filled with obese people. Such are not unusual, but immediately after that I realized that there are many other things of this world that we can focus on , rather than just food. The NIV says “their god is their stomach,” but the Japanese makes it much broader, saying, “their god is their desire.” As I have explained to my students in teaching Medical English, “appetite” most often refers to food, but it can apply to any number of things, and I think that’s the case here. There are plenty of people who seek temporal things to the exclusion of God: physical pleasure, human approval, (i.e. Social media) physical appearance, political power, and the list goes on and on. It’s all a matter of focus and priorities. We really don’t like that Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Frank Viola has written a good bit about the importance of the cross for our spiritual health, and about the many forms that can take. Too many people would rather be slaves to sin than take up their cross. That’s certainly “an inconvenient truth,” and it’s a sad one. Paul says here that he wept over it. It is painful indeed to see people we care deeply about living with sadly misplaced priorities. This doesn’t mean that we are to seek out pain; masochism has no place in the Church. However, fasting, not just food but any sort of temporal indulgence, is a powerful aid in seeing ourselves accurately, so that we can see our Lord more accurately. Jesus was not being mean when He said we needed to take up our cross, He was telling us the fastest, and really easiest, way to become like Him, which is certainly the highest good.

And may I say, ouch! I’ve never been much of a glutton when it came to food (though my appetite was legendary around the time I grew 6 inches in one year as a child) but I have allowed a wide variety of things to take precedence over the Lord at various times and in various ways. There’s an excellent reason the first of the 10 Commandments is, “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3) Living in Japan, which calls itself “The Land of 8 Million Gods,” I have tended to think of that in terms of religious idolatry, but I’ve got to remember in practical terms that it’s much broader than that. As Jesus said, the choice to put Him first is daily. These times of prayer and reading the Bible every morning are certainly helpful, but I am presented with choices throughout every day, and I need to keep my focus sharp.

Father, thank You for this clear reminder. It’s particularly appropriate as I am retiring from secular teaching, since my choices are much more operative than they have been. Help me choose to take up the cross You give me with joy, not grumbling, to become more and more like Christ Jesus my Lord, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Justice; December 17, 2023

Posted on December 18, 2023 by jgarrott

Isaiah 42:4 He will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope.”

This seems like a very timely Scripture. Issues of justice and injustice abound! America has certainly been displaying a two-tiered justice system of late, but there is hope, as more and more is being exposed and more and more people are waking up. There is no joy to what is going on in Israel, but at the very least the lines are being drawn very clearly and allegiances are quite obvious. In all of this mess it would be easy to become cynical, to essentially give up hope for mankind, but that’s why God gave us His Word, to let us know that He hasn’t forgotten or abandoned us, but His plans are still in effect. There have been countless times throughout history when people were tempted to give up all hope, but God has been faithful in spite of it all. From the human standpoint it can all seem very illogical, but as God had to remind Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) In the first place, we are born with an innate sense of justice. Even small children complain if something is “not fair,” in their estimation. However, every parent has encountered situations where their children complained, but the parents knew there were necessary things going on that the children didn’t understand. That’s how it is with us and God. We forget that the ultimate resolution isn’t in the world as we see it, but in God’s eternity. We should strive for justice on this earth and offer ourselves to God as His agents to accomplish that, but never think that we have the final answer in ourselves. I am reminded of a case where a vicious murderer escaped police but was later found in the desert, having died of thirst and exposure. The official wrote on his records, “Remanded to a higher court.” Ultimate justice is in God’s hands, and we should rest secure in that assurance.

I occasionally get worked up over injustice as I see it in the world, but I remind myself of this truth and choose to trust God. I have long liked this particular verse because of the last line in it. It might seem silly to assign “islands” to Japan, but there it is! (I give full permission to believers in Indonesia and other island nations to claim it for themselves.) My family has labored for 90 years now in this nation, and to this point have seen only a little fruit. However, the Bible has many references to harvest and reward. I know that my parents are currently more than compensated for their labors, and I have assurance that I will be as well. God is indeed just, as well as gracious and loving, and I can rest in that reality.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the message You’ve given me from this passage for this morning. May it indeed be Your words, accomplishing Your will in the hearts and lives of my hearers, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Humility; December 16, 2023

Posted on December 17, 2023 by jgarrott

Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

The Japanese is a little bit richer than the NIV here, saying, “Have this attitude among you, just as it can be seen in Christ Jesus.” This isn’t just an individual thing, but something for the whole body of believers. The poem/hymn that follows is justly famous as a description of the heart of Christ in coming to earth to be our Savior, but the Japanese also points to the verses ahead of this, that speak of unselfish unity. We aren’t going to be expressing the character of Christ if we are envious of each other, in rivalry, jockeying for position. The chief characteristic of Christ that comes out in the verses that follow is humility, and we should be no different. This doesn’t mean denying the things God has given us, whether they be physical abilities or skills or even appearance, but it does mean that we don’t place ourselves ahead, even or especially in our own minds, of those who are differently gifted. That tends to fly in the face of human nature, or the expectations of society. It can be difficult to be humble if you always come in first in a particular kind of competition – and competition is a part of life. The answer isn’t “participation trophies,” as are currently in vogue in American schools, but rather in recognizing that different abilities don’t mean different value as human beings. Skillful players are valued on a team, but there is no team without the other members as well. The Church is representative of all mankind, with the full gamut of everything. All of us are created by God in His love, and all of us are necessary parts of His plan. We need to rejoice to contribute what God has placed in us, and encourage and praise what God has placed in our brothers and sisters as well.

I will never forget something that happened during my second visit to the US, when I was 10 years old. The pastor of the church we attended was named John, and there was another John in the church who had cerebral palsy. This second John would station himself in the foyer every Sunday morning, welcoming all who came in with a genuine joy that was contagious. One day one of the church officers died suddenly of a heart attack, a very respected man in the community, of comfortable means and with a family. John the greeter went to John the pastor in tears, saying, “Why couldn’t it have been me? I have no family or place in society, but he was valuable!” John the pastor told him, “John, more people know your face and your voice in this church than that man, and probably than me. You are the face of Jesus to those who enter this building.” I know of that interchange because the pastor shared it in a subsequent message, and I cannot recall it without tears, because indeed John the greeter’s face is etched in my memory, fully as much as that of John the pastor. I pray that I never forget that lesson, but indeed have the attitude of Christ.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the many experiences You have used to shape me. May none of them be wasted. May I indeed be transformed into the likeness of Christ Jesus my Lord, (2 Corinthians 3:18) for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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