Rebellion Against God; June 13, 2023

Posted on June 14, 2023 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 29:32 “This is what the Lord says: ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellion against me.'”

Speaking against what God is saying has consequences, not only for the individual but for their descendants. I was seeing a headline just yesterday about churches that are having “pride” events this month. I didn’t read the article, but just the headline made me quite sad. It’s one thing when secular organizations spout the devil’s lies, but it’s quite another when supposedly Christian organizations do so. America, and specifically the Church in America, is going to have scars for a long time. The devil in his craftiness is making us think that standing up for Biblical standards is being “hateful,” when it is no more hateful than telling someone not to take heroin because it will do them in. The groundwork for all of this was laid by convincing the average person that there was no absolute truth, that everything was subjective. Try telling a nuclear physicist that! Regardless, we are at the place of speaking of “your truth” and “my truth,” instead of God’s truth. Whether we realize it or not, that is preaching rebellion against God, and just as Shemaiah was punished, so will we be, if we parrot the devil’s lies.

I am grateful to have been raised before the current level of nonsense, but even my own children have been influenced by it. I didn’t imagine that such a rejection of absolute standards would become so widespread, so I didn’t prepare my children sufficiently to stand against it. However, I have seen other cases where people went very far afield and still returned to the Lord, much as the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable, and my own children have not lost their faith. I am not to despair, but keep speaking God’s truth in love to all who will receive it. After all, when that truth penetrates, it sets people free. (John 8:32)

Father, thank You for Your grace. We all need it! I pray that I would be an effective communicator of Your truth, Your holiness, Your love and Your grace, so that many may receive it, repent, and believe for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Prosperity; June 12, 2023

Posted on June 13, 2023 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 29:7 “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

Most people think they want peace and prosperity, but a lot of them don’t act like it. Some people seem to always want to be some­where other than where they are. This verse is a word from the Lord through Jeremiah, but it also seems like common sense – which is all too uncommon! There are cities all over the world that are hell-holes or worse, but the residents don’t take the initiative to clean things up – including their elected leadership. Chicago is a case in point. They recently got rid of a failed, leftist mayor, only to elect someone whose policies are even more destructive. However, the principle in this verse applies to virtually every situation in which we find ourselves. You could replace “city” with “company” or “church” or even “family” and this verse would be equally applicable. God can guide and change even bad leaders, if we pray for them. We aren’t to be “complaint generators,” but rather change agents, and the first step to doing that right is always prayer. Our own plans almost always come with unintended consequences, so we need to pray and listen to what the Lord says to do. As verse 11 of this chapter famously says, God’s plans for us are good, so we need to seek Him for what they are and then apply ourselves to whatever part we have in their fulfillment.

Of course this applies to me as much as it does to anyone else. I’ve been the pastor of this church for 39 years, but I’ve also done secular “tentmaking” for income. I feel like I could have done better about praying for those organizations that employed me, but I don’t think I’ve worked for their downfall. I’m happy to say that I have prayed for this city, and that it has indeed prospered in the years I have lived here. I pray also for the nation of Japan, and rejoice when it does well in various areas. During this period we have had lots of people who have left the church because of school and job changes, but we have also had some who have nursed irritations and then simply left, rather than following this verse. I’m to forgive them fully and pray for them, because the Body of Christ is far greater and more important than this one local church.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the prosperity that I feel You have granted. May I work and pray for more, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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False Prophets; June 11, 2023

Posted on June 12, 2023 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 28:15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies.”

We don’t think much about false prophets, but they certainly exist among us. We also don’t think much about how things were in the time of Jeremiah, with multiple prophets competing for attention. We ourselves would probably be somewhat dismissive of someone who was wearing a yoke on his neck, as Jeremiah obviously was. (verse 10) Even so, we need discernment as to who is speaking for the Lord and who is not, just as much as the people back then did. This has been a continuing issue for all of history, as Paul wrote, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3) People want to hear what they want to hear, and dismiss all other voices. A major problem today is that channels of communication are being controlled so that many people never have an opportunity to hear the truth, and so are controlled by lies. However, God is still working, and lies are being uncovered at a great rate. Some might protest that politics aren’t spiritual, but the issue over which Jeremiah and Hananiah clashed was certainly political. God cares about everything, and He desires truth to prevail everywhere.

Only in recent years have I become more interested in politics, and at the same time I know that our dependence must be on the Lord, and not on any human instrument. My awareness of the lies that are pushed on the general population has greatly heightened in the recent health scare. Those lies are still being uncovered, and various “experts” are still claiming they are true. The thing is, today we don’t need to depend on specific “prophets,” because God has made His Spirit available to all who will receive Him in repentance and faith. Every believer needs to submit the things they are told to the Lord and ask Him to show them which are true and which are not. Above all, we are not to be controlled by fear of anything other than the Lord Himself. The devil and those submitted to him love fear and use it as a weapon to attack and control others. As James said, I’ve got to submit to God alone, not to fear, and resist the devil, and teach others to do likewise. (James 4:7)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your plans for this morning’s service. I pray that each of us who share will speak Your truth indeed, defeating the lies of the enemy and building up our hearers, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Depending on God; June 10, 2023

Posted on June 11, 2023 by jgarrott

Jer 17:5 This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.

The section from here through verse 14 doesn’t seem to fit what we expect when we think of Jeremiah. It’s kind of like it got misplaced from Psalms! However, it’s another indication that God says the same things to different people at different times. The fact that this seems so similar to Psalm 1 is no accident, because it is true, and God’s truth doesn’t change, whatever people say about it. This verse echoes many that talk about trusting in princes and the like, but it hit me slightly differently. We aren’t in trouble only when we trust in other people, we are in trouble when we trust our own flesh, our “natural abilities” as it were. The reason is that trusting in anything other than God deflects our attention away from the God who created us and gave us whatever abilities we might have. It is when we are most aware that we can’t go it alone that we are most likely to be close to our Creator. That’s precisely why God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) It is not uncommon for people with severe medical circumstances to be deeply in love with Jesus and spiritually intimate with Him to a remarkable degree. That is certainly true of Aldo McPherson, who helped write a book I just finished. He was severely injured in a traffic accident, but his experience of heaven while he was clinically dead did not end there, to the point that he meets with Jesus frequently, in dreams and in times of private worship. He has no reason whatsoever to trust in his flesh, and his trust in the Lord is truly awe-inspiring. When, or even whether, he will join his mother in speaking to large groups is up to the Lord, but his faith has been an example and inspiration to her, and to many others. This verse speaks of a curse, but being deprived of such fellowship with the Lord when it is actually available is a curse in itself.

I know I have been deeply challenged and motivated by reading that book, but the test comes in how much I let that change the way I think, speak, and live. I have a horrible track record of trusting in my flesh, particularly because there were so many things I could do, but advancing age is thankfully putting a damper on that. I need to be grateful when God enables me to do anything, and not complain when I find I can’t do something. I’m not to discount the abilities God has given me, but I must maintain sharp focus on the reality that it all comes from Him and is not generated by me. I am finishing up my school teaching this year, but there are many other things the Lord has for me to do. I need to create a mid-term test to be given next week and I need to start working on choosing the pictures to use in my August photo exhibit. I also need wisdom and skill in cropping and post-processing pictures as called for. I have some new tools for that that I need to learn well how to use. I know that God has already provided everything necessary for whatever He wants me to do, but I’ve got to be humble enough before Him to recognize His provision and apply it as He intends, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for how You continue to grow me. Thank You for Your patience with me. I would have given up on me a long time ago! May I indeed depend totally on You and not on myself or anything else, so that Your strength may indeed be manifested in my weakness, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Accountability; June 9, 2023

Posted on June 10, 2023 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 12:17 “But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.

Verse five of this chapter is justly famous as the Lord’s caution to Jeremiah about his being upset about what was happening or not happening to the unfaithful people around him, and I almost wrote on it. However, this verse struck me just now as being applicable to all the non-Jewish nations of the world today. The deciding point is whether any nation will listen to what God has said to mankind and choose to be obedient to Him. Jeremiah was upset about individuals around him who seemed to be prospering in their hypocrisy, and God is pointing out that not just individuals but whole nations are accountable for how they respond to Him. Like Jeremiah, we can be tempted to think that evil people and evil nations have it easier than we do, but God is pointing out that it’s all a matter of perspective. As Jesus pointed out, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) It’s not that things in this life are insignificant, but they certainly pale in comparison to eternity, on any scale. We are to seek for God’s rule and reign to be established in the here and now, (Matthew 6:33) but we must remember that our lifespan is essentially a blink on the scale of eternity. As I quote frequently, Paul had it right: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Envy has never been very big for me, and I’m grateful. I am indeed disturbed when people seem to get away with horrible stuff, and I desire that justice be done, but I think I am always aware that no one ultimately gets away with anything, because God is aware of it all, and He is perfectly holy and just. I remember the story of the horrible murderer who ran away after the crime into the Arizona desert. When his body was found days later, having died of thirst and exposure, the sheriff wrote on the legal record, “Remanded to a higher court.” I know, with great peace and joy, that those who have trusted in Christ as their righteousness have their slates wiped clean by His blood, but that is never to be an excuse for me to copy the unrighteous people around me. I desire above all to be found faithful, for the glory of my Lord.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for getting us back home safely last night, and for all You have said and done in these days. Help me be a good steward of all that You have allowed me to experience, so that I will keep growing as Your servant and Your child, for the blessing of those around me and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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What We Believe; June 8, 2023

Posted on June 10, 2023 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 7:8 “But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.”

Some people seem to have faith in faith, but actually it makes a huge difference what we believe. The Japanese have a proverb, “Even a sardine’s head can be an object of worship,” but a sardine’s head never saved anybody! As Paul said, we like to please our “itching ears,” but only God’s truth will set us free. The people of Judah in Jeremiah’s time were trusting in the temple as a “lucky talisman” to save them, but here that attitude is being directly disproved. They needed to be true to the God to whom the temple was dedicated, rather than trusting that the temple itself would save them. Today we have countless churches that follow their traditions and can’t understand why God doesn’t bless them, instead of seeking the God who is behind those traditions. It’s not necessarily that the traditions are bad, any more than the temple in Jerusalem was bad, but that people lose sight of the underlying reality and focus on essentially trivial things. God is calling the Bride of Christ back to her first love, just as He did the church in Ephesus in Revelation. (Revelation 2:4) Couples on the verge of divorce need to remember what attracted them to each other in the first place, and focus on what is important instead of on all the irritations that have crept in. God has not forgotten why He sent His Son to save us; we need to remember why we accepted His invitation, said yes to His proposal, as it were.

The book I just finished (Heaven and Hell, by Retha and Aldo McPherson) is very strong on this point, and the conference I’m attending is bringing it out as well. I have been “in the church,” so to speak, from my conception, and was baptized at age seven, so I’ve got plenty of tradition and habit piled up. I too need to examine what I’m trusting, to be sure my focus is on the Lord and not the traditions of men. At the same time, I’m not to be judgmental about traditions, throwing the baby out with the bath water, as the saying goes. There was a while when I wasn’t big on singing hymns, simply because they were “so old.” Some of them frankly aren’t worth much, but some are rich indeed, pointing us to things that are of vital importance that we must not forget. I’ve got to examine everything through the Lord’s eyes, as He gives me the ability, but still not trust that I personally have it all right. I have lived too long to still think I have a perfect handle on anything! As I point people to the God I know, standing on His Word, I need to be sure my focus is on Him and nothing less, remembering that He loves them as much as He does me, and He reveals Himself to each of us in slightly different ways. At this conference we have a large contingent from a church in Singapore to whom God has given a burden for Japan. Their perspective is naturally slightly different from mine, but we serve the same Lord, and they are my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am to serve our Lord in serving them, just as they are serving the Lord through serving the Japanese, so that the Body of Christ may be built up as He intends, not limited to any merely human conceptions.

Father, thank You for all You have done here in the past two days, and all You are going to do in this morning’s session. Thank You that my interpreting yesterday seems to have been a blessing, as imperfect as it was. I ask for hearing, understanding and anointing as I interpret again this morning, particularly since the person to whom I’m assigned speaks fast! May Your truth be communicated accurately in both languages, so that Your purposes may be fulfilled for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Message; June 7, 2023

Posted on June 9, 2023 by jgarrott

Isaiah 53;1 “Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

This is one of the most important chapters in the whole Bible, laying out God’s incredible plan of salvation hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth. Verse 6 was one of the first verses I ever memorized, and rightly so. Verse 5 was rightly quoted by Peter as the basis for the healing we pray for today. (1 Peter 2:24) I have heard many testimonies of Jews realizing that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah from reading this chapter, because it so undeniably lays out His life and what He went through to gain our salvation. That’s why it’s significant that the chapter starts with this question. It’s interesting that English translations generally say “our message” here, but the Japanese says “what we have heard.” It is indeed the message that Christians proclaim, but it doesn’t originate with us. No human being could have dreamed up what God planned from Creation to make a way for us to be His children indeed. It is the highest honor to proclaim this message, but we must not think we originated it, or change it in any way. Any such changes quickly make it “another gospel,” to use Paul’s terminology. (Galatians 1:7) It has always been interesting to me that it speaks of Jesus having no physical descendants (verse 8) and then turns around and says He will “see His offspring” two verses later. On the physical level that’s impossible, but every genuine believer has experienced it spiritually. That’s just a further reminder that the spiritual world, though invisible to our physical eyes, is very real indeed. All in all, this chapter is a prime example of why Scripture is to be digested, meditated on, and applied, rather than just read for the words on the page.

As I said, I was exposed to this chapter very early in my life, but it is still working its way into me and growing. I need to believe it in practical terms more and more, and I desire to be useful to God in sharing the message so that others may believe it as well. It is a message of such incredible love, grace, mercy, and glory that I will never be able to express it totally, but it is a joy to keep trying! I am currently at a leadership conference where the theme is Mission Advance, and I am surrounded by people who have the same goals I do. What a blessing! This morning and tomorrow morning I will have the privilege of providing simultaneous English interpretation for some brothers and sisters who are here from Singapore. It’s been a while since I’ve done that, and my brain isn’t as young as it once was. I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in my Lord so that His Word will not be distorted as it passes through me. Sequential interpreting is no big deal for me, but having to speak and listen at the same time is certainly taxing, particularly since word/sentence order in English and Japanese are often reversed. However, I know from experience that God can do it through me, because He can speak to me even as He is speaking to the person on the podium. I am not to be anxious, but rejoice to be useful to God for building up the Body of Christ.

Father, thank You for getting us here safely yesterday, and for the blessings You have already poured out. Thank You for the testimony from the pastor who was elected to the Diet just last year about how he is frequently asked outright to explain the Christian position, and the Gospel itself, to the national leaders with whom he works. I pray for a revival in the Japanese government! Thank You for the reminder that nothing is impossible for You, and that Your ways are indeed higher than anything we could dream up – just as this chapter in Isaiah demonstrates. May I indeed get my eyes off of myself and my limitations and trust You totally to do more than I could ask or think, (Ephesians 3:20) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Disciples; June 6, 2023

Posted on June 9, 2023 by jgarrott

Isaiah 50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
and wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

This is reasonably taken as a Messianic passage, but it is one I feel can and should apply to every believer. We talk a lot about discipleship, and rightly so, since the term comes up a lot in the New Testament, and that is the term the Japanese uses repeatedly here. (“the tongue of a disciple” and “listen like a disciple”) However, I think we forget that the basic meaning is simply that of listening obediently, with a heart to learn. The problem is that we tend to be rebellious. We talk about the “terrible twos” in children, and then about “rebellious teenagers,” but many of us never really grow out of that. My mother had a rather colorful phrase that I think captures it well: “Independent as a hog on ice.” Hooved animals in particular can find walking on ice problematic. Just yesterday I watched a video of a man rescuing four wild deer that had gotten out toward the middle of a frozen lake and completely lost their footing, unable to stand up again. He just threw a rope around each one in turn and dragged it over to the shore where it could get some traction. Pigs are noted for their intelligence, but also for their willfulness, and that describes humans pretty well. (Sometimes a little shy on the intelligence.) Discipleship requires a choice, an act, really repeated, consistent acts, of our will. We can’t get by with saying a few words, however good and appropriate those words might be, and then failing to renew our commitment on a daily basis. It’s not that we “lose our salvation,” but we do lose a lot of the blessings God has prepared for us. The life of a disciple isn’t very attractive to our flesh, but it is loaded with incredible blessings the world knows nothing about.

I have known the term and the concept for as long as I can remember, but genuine discipleship is something I’m still growing into. I am very grateful that on some levels this verse describes me, because I can’t really begin my day without taking time to listen to God and respond to Him. He has given me a gift for words, which was recognized from when I was much younger, but the question remains whether I consistently use my words to “sustain the weary,” as the NIV puts it. Too often, even now, my words wound rather than heal, but my prayer is that will continue to change. I delight to share what the Lord speaks to me, but I must never do so in pride, talking down to people. I’ve got to be an obedient disciple myself! I know from countless experiences that I am imperfect and prone to stumble, and I’ve got to keep a firm grip on Daddy’s hand to keep from falling flat on my face. If I will do that, He will use me to teach others to take His hand as well, so that together we may be His disciples to do His will for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the conference we’ll be attending from today. I pray that every attendee would have a tender heart to hear what You are saying to them individually, so that the Body of Christ may be cleansed and built up, knowing who we are in Christ and living that out consistently, for the salvation of this nation and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Only God; June 5, 2023

Posted on June 6, 2023 by jgarrott

Isaiah 43:10-11 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
I, even I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.

This is as clear a statement of the uniqueness of the Creator as could be written, but there are some who would attribute human characteristics to Him and say that of course He would say such things about Himself, whether or not they were true. Such a person is determined not to submit to their Creator in the first place! There are many logical reasons to believe in a Creator, but it ultimately comes down to a decision, and some people refuse to make it. However, they are ignoring the reality that they are mortal, and the time will come when the truth will be inescapable. As Paul wrote, the time will come when every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, whe­ther they ever did before or not. (Philippians 2:11) As has been com­mented, if God is not real and there is just nothing after death, we have lost nothing by living as though He were real. However, if He is real, and we face judgment after death, (Hebrews 9:27) then we lose everything by failing to live as though He were real. Some people in­sist that religions are all superstitions, dreamed up to try to explain things that primitive peoples couldn’t understand, but that we live in the “enlightened” age of science, and we don’t need such things. That was the stated position of Karl Marx, who called religion “the opiate of the masses.” Such hubris is sadly popular even today. The amazing thing is not that God exists, but that He loves His creation enough to divide Himself, as it were, to send His Son into the world to take the penalty for the sins of mankind, and then further send His Spirit to indwell all who would open their hearts to Him in faith. Now that is a miracle! However, hundreds of years before those things happened on the human scale, God is here declaring that He is the only Savior. It does take faith to believe such a thing, but God provides it for all who will open their heart to accept it.

This is of course why I am alive today and ministering in Japan. I am totally convinced that God created me, flaws and all, and He has chosen to use me in this nation, again flaws and all. The early part of this chapter has been set to music and is a powerful encouragement to me as I face trials of all sorts. My life continues to go through different periods, some of which could be called green pastures, some rushing rivers, and some trials by fire. I have no reason to fear any of that, because I am with my Creator and He is with me and in me. I am to make full use of every opportunity He gives me to share His truth with all who will receive it, so that others too may know their Creator and His love for them, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You said through me yesterday, both in the service and in the unexpected counseling opportunity in the afternoon. I pray that I would be Your agent at all times, rightly relating to You so that Your purposes may be accomplished in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Connection; June 4, 2023

Posted on June 5, 2023 by jgarrott

Isaiah 42:10 Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise from the ends of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,
you islands, and all who live in them.

I love this chapter, but I was starting to wonder how I had chosen it when the theme is Faith, until I got to verse 17 that mentions trusting in idols. That said, the reason I love the chapter is the repeated references to islands. Actually, that’s one of the many reasons I like the whole book of Isaiah! Born and raised in Japan, as well as being commissioned to minister here, islands have always been close to my heart. An inescapable characteristic of islands is separation, since the definition of an island is “a body of land completely surrounded by water.” It just occurs to me that you could use that definition to define a person as “a spiritual being completely surrounded by flesh.” Separation is a characteristic of the human condition, and we all long for connection, in one way or another. The newborn infant wails and flails, because they have lost their connection to their mother. “Skin­ship,” physical touching, is an essential part of communicating love, from parents to children, spouse to spouse, and more broadly. We spend our lives seeking connection, which is one reason electronic communication is so popular, and yet so isolating, because it lacks the physical touch. God sent His Spirit to destroy that separation, because Holy Spirit knows no physical limitations. He isn’t just with us, He lives in us, as surely as a fetus is in its mother. (Of course that analogy falls apart pretty quickly, but you get the idea.) We really don’t have words to express the degree of connection that is objective reality on the spiritual level. That’s why Jesus’ statements about being “in the Father” and the Father being “in Him” and both of them being “in us” can get so confusing, until we experience it ourselves. Probably the closest human connection we experience is between husband and wife, which is why the Bible speaks of the Church as the “Bride of Christ.” The devil does all he can to pollute that by spreading sex outside of marriage and perverting it in countless ways, but that doesn’t eliminate the reason God designed it in the first place. A husband and wife who share the spiritual connection of a common faith and intimacy with their Creator and Savior are indeed connected to a degree that is surpassed only in heaven. That heaven is going to exceed that connection can be hard to grasp, but once it is grasped, it creates a huge anticipation or heaven!

I don’t go into this sort of detail, but this is something I touch on in marital counseling all the time. I tell couples that if they don’t have the heart-to-heart connection (since most of my counselees aren’t Christians) that they can get tired of the physical connection, and that’s a major trigger for infidelity. However, if the heart connection is strong, infidelity becomes out of the question. As a pastor, I try to help people understand and believe the intimacy our Lord desires and has prepared for us. That can be difficult without using sexual metaphors, and sex is NOT part of heaven! My position on this issue is backed up by, so far, 54 years of what I think any objective observer would call an excellent marriage. My wife and I don’t have perfect connection – that will have to wait for heaven – but what we have is deep and wonderful. We do have lapses in communication, particularly related to current health issues, but we know that those are temporary. All in all, we have tasted heaven, and we are looking forward to its fulfillment!

Father, thank You for this beautiful exposition. Thank You for the message You’ve given me for this morning, that Holy Spirit is personal and individual and we need to relate to Him that way. I ask for clear words and anointing so that Your truth may penetrate the heart, mind, and spirit of each hearer, bringing us all into closer connection with You, for our blessing and Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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