Focus; January 17, 2023

Posted on January 18, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Barnabas and those who received their message had just experienced good things and bad things. Many people had believed the Gospel and been saved, and jealous opposition had kicked up to the point that Paul and Barnabas left town. At this point, both Paul and Barnabas and those who had believed had a choice: rejoice at God’s blessings, or be down because of the opposition. They chose to rejoice! We are all faced with the same sort of choices all the time. There is no life without problems, and there is no one to whom God is not gracious. At issue is our focus, where we choose to fix our attention. This past Sunday I spoke on how no one could take away the apostles’ joy once they had seen their risen Lord and understood that since He had conquered death, everything else was less than that and they had absolutely nothing to worry about. Of the people in this immediate story, only Paul had seen Jesus, and that was in a vision. Like us, they had to accept God’s plan of salvation by faith. They did that, and they were filled not only with joy but with the Holy Spirit. We sometimes desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit and forget to be joyful. That shows our focus is off! When our spiritual gaze is fixed on the King of kings, the Lord of lords who loves us, then all the ”slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” don’t matter a hill of beans! And that awareness opens us up to be filled and used by the Holy Spirit. That’s not to say that we are to be naïve or stupid, but it is to say that we aren’t to despair and think that God doesn’t have a way out of whatever mess we find ourselves in.

I think I am further along in this than many people I encounter, but that doesn’t mean I’m fully there yet. I get down too! I too need to be reminded to lift my eyes to my loving Lord, recognizing and rejoicing in His gracious love and responding with the obedience that comes from my loving Him. (John 14:15) The devil tries to trick me into focusing on things of this world, either my flesh or negative things in general, and he never lets up. I am indeed to submit to God and resist the devil, just as James told us. (James 4:7) I’m not to be a Pollyanna, always smiles and ignoring evil, but I am also never to forget that in Christ I have already overcome anything and everything the devil can throw at me. (Romans 8:37) Joy and the Holy Spirit are always available to me, and I am to choose to receive them.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the various ways You are growing me. Help me use every moment of today to do Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Divine Appointments; January 16, 2023

Posted on January 17, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 8:35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

It struck me as I read this that Philip was doing exactly what Peter admonished us all to do in his first letter: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15) It was very convenient for Philip that the eunuch was reading a Messianic passage, but if he hadn’t been emotionally and mentally prepared, it still might have been difficult to go into a full Gospel presentation. (Actually, Isaiah 53 is one of the clearest Messianic passages in the whole Old Testament.) The thing is, God sets up appointments for us to be His agents, but we need to be ready for them. We never know how important they might be. As a result of this encounter, this eunuch went home and spread the Gospel, resulting in a body of believers that has continued for the 2000 years since. That was a pretty important “chance encounter!” The thing is, it wasn’t chance at all; Philip was just sensitive and submitted enough to the Holy Spirit to leave Samaria, where his ministry had sparked a revival and he was doubtless getting a lot of love, (Acts 8:5-8) and go to a place where there were very few people at all. Then, he recognized his opportunity/appointment, took advantage of it, and the rest is history. We should greet each day with anticipation, asking God to help us recognize the appointments He has for us, and for the wisdom and anointing to take full advantage of them. Such things probably won’t happen every day, but every day we need to be storing more of God’s Word in our hearts and minds so that we will be prepared for the appointments when they appear, just as Peter said. When God speaks into our heart we need to receive it for ourselves, and at the same time realize that it probably isn’t just for us, but also for others with whom we are to share it. If we will do that we will indeed be ready for the appointments God has lined up for us.

This is very close to home. I have had countless divine appointments, some of which I recognized at the time and some I didn’t. I joke that I prove I’m a preacher by preaching every time I open my mouth, but I really feel every believer should expect that. I must not take myself and my pronouncements too seriously, but at the same time I must remember that God does use human vessels, and He can even use me. Those appointments might not all seem to be “spiritual.” The other day He used me to tell one of Cathy’s therapists (a former student of mine) that his wife is his first priority. I think it caught him off guard, and I pray he will remember and apply it. For over a year now the Lord has been indicating in various ways to both Cathy and me that major changes are coming in the ministry He has for me. I still have little idea what that means, but I am to hold myself ready, no matter how small the “appointment” might seem. I want to spend all of my time every day doing What God desires and intends for me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for how You are working in and around me. Thank You that I was able to make a start on the clutter surrounding the computer I’m working on right now. Help me follow through with that, and deal properly with my study as well. If Your changes for me involve a new residence, I really need to be working! Thank You that my schedule is as open as it is for the next couple of months. Help me indeed do what You desire of me each moment of that time, not being anxious but resting, relaxing, and rejoicing in You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Signs and Wonders; January 15, 2023

Posted on January 16, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 8:7-8 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city.

Healing, deliverance, and other miracles do produce great joy, as well as opposition. Crowds gathered to Jesus for precisely this reason, and the Pharisees hated Him for it. “Signs and wonders” are mentioned throughout the Bible, starting with what God did to bring the Jews out of Egypt and continuing throughout the New Testament as well. The whole point of the miraculous, the “supernatural,” is to show people that God isn’t limited to what we can explain in scientific terms. One of the basic tenets of science is repeatability. Some people have tried to reduce deliverance and healing to a system or formula, but all too often that ends up with people trying to control God. That doesn’t work by definition! God even seems to delight in switching things around to confound us. I remember one story of a Christian camp counselor who thought the whole Pentecostal/Char­ismatic movement was fake, and to prove it, in one meeting he called children up who had medical issues and, copying things he’d seen on TV, put his hands on their heads and said, “In Jesus’ name, be healed!” To his great astonishment, many of them were! Obviously, the faith involved was that of the children, and not of the adult. That said, we’re back to the whole issue of trying to control God. Joni Eareckson Tada is a case in point She couldn’t be faulted for lack of faith, but her spinal injury hasn’t been healed. Sometimes God’s answer is, as He told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Supernatural manifestations are for the purpose of opening people up to the reality of God, so that they may repent of their unbelief and disobedience and choose to follow Him. Sometimes God does supernatural things as blessings for His children, but He is always more interested in our character than our comfort, as even Paul discovered. We are to expect God to do supernatural things and not be shocked when He does, but we aren’t to try to ground our faith in such manifestations.

I have believed in miracles for a long time, having seen a few up close, but they haven’t occurred at what seemed like “convenient” times or ways. I have prayed for people and seen them healed, but I have prayed for many more who did not seem to be healed. One of the sad events of our ministry here in Omura was a young man who really seemed to be on fire for the Lord, but when his father wasn’t healed of cancer, he threw it all out the window. He didn’t take into account that when his father was diagnosed the doctors said he had six months, but he lived for three years after that. I still pray for the son, and it’s been over 30 years. My own wife has numerous medical issues, and I pray for her frequently. Sometimes I see distinct improvements in the immediate situation, and sometimes not. I am reminded of Joni and Paul! I am not to draw back from praying for healing, deliverance, and other miracles, but I need to submit such prayers fully to the Holy Spirit. I am not to deprive God of glory if He wants to use me in such ministry.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Keep me from drawing back out of a fear of man, of looking foolish. I’m foolish by definition! May I be your agent however You want to use me, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Standing for Truth; January 14, 2023

Posted on January 15, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 5:42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

This is certainly a prime example of civil disobedience! As they had already proclaimed to the authorities, they were obeying God rather than men. (verse 29) The authorities had no taste for accountability, specifically in relation to what they had done to Jesus, and being confronted with the truth, “they were furious and wanted to put them to death.” (verse 22) We see that sort of thing today, even in the US that is supposed to be a “bastion of liberty.” Autocrats don’t like to be countered! However, we are to learn from the example of the apostles and never back down from God’s truth, whatever the consequences. It would have been unthinkable even a few years ago that someone would lose their job or even be arrested for maintaining that there are only two genders! Some people insist that issue has nothing to do with religion and faith, but when the Bible so clearly states, “male and female he created them,” (Genesis 1:27) denying biology is denying our Creator. Like the apostles, we need to be so committed to God’s truth that we “rejoice to be counted worthy to suffer disgrace.” (verse 41) The devil is going to attack us in many ways, not least of which being the world’s system. We need to be aware of it and keep our armor on, (Ephesians 6:13-18) setting people free by the truth of God. (John 8:32)

I’ve never encountered official persecution for standing on God’s truth, but I have lost some friends over it. I seek not to offend needlessly, but I will not back down from the truth. Thankfully, I have seen someone who certainly seemed to be “gender confused” come through gloriously, and they are currently actively serving the Lord. I had little if any input into that particular situation, but I have also dealt with people who were much closer, physically or emotionally. It is very painful to have relatives swallow, and stand up for, lies! I am to speak the truth in love, regardless of the consequences. That isn’t always easy, but it’s always worthwhile. I’ve got to remember that our enemy is by definition a liar, (John 8:44) be on the alert for his deceptions, and always stand on and proclaim God’s truth.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the ways that lies are being exposed in the US government these days. I pray that Your truth would prevail there, as well as throughout the earth and in my life personally, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Conscience; January 13, 2023

Posted on January 14, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 2:23 “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.”

For once, I am writing on a verse that is underlined in neither the English nor the Japanese, but God is pointing something out to me through it. The first is that the Jews utilizing the Romans to actually execute Jesus didn’t eliminate the Jews’ responsibility in the matter. We have quite a record of trying to do that, both from the side of “I was only following orders” and from the side of “I didn’t pull the trigger.” Even human law is clear that someone who arranges for a “hit man” is guilty of the murder. Pilate touched on this directly when he wanted the Jewish leaders to deal with Jesus themselves, but they objected that by Roman law they weren’t allowed to put anyone to death. (John 18:29-31) The other side of that is the Roman soldiers who did the actual crucifixion. The NIV here calls them “wicked men,” but in a footnote concedes that the Greek says, “those not having the law,” in other words, Gentiles. (The Japanese says, “lawless people.”) Those Roman soldiers weren’t innocent, certainly, but they were indeed following orders, doing “the right thing” in their context. Just yesterday I read an article by Dennis Prager talking about the unreliability of “conscience.” Different cultures have different rules, and we tend to twist those rules to suit ourselves. We can convince ourselves that almost anything is OK! Paul spoke of people “whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” (1 Timothy 4:2) We need to have humility before God and ask Him to show us what is right or wrong. The closer we get to God the more sensitive we will be to things that aren’t pleasing to Him, and the quicker we will repent of such things and cling to Him.

I have too much familiarity with this, having built myself a shell of spiritual pride that numbed my conscience pretty thoroughly. In God’s incredible grace He tapped me on the shoulder, and when I turned He had a mirror, in which I saw, for a brief instant, the blackness of my own soul. I was devastated, because I thought I was a “fine, exemplary Christian.” I wish I could say that I have been a totally obedient and responsive child of God in the years since then, but like Paul, I am acutely aware that I am still “under construction.” I am all too adept at self-justification, when that is a trap of the devil. At the moment I face over two months of a very empty schedule, which means the devil will go into overdrive trying to distract me from how the Lord wants me to spend this time. There are plenty of things I believe the Lord wants me to do, and I am not to accept any excuse the devil offers me for not doing them. I am to receive each day as a gift from my Lord, to be used exactly as He directs so that His will may be done on His schedule for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Dennis Prager, and for His faithfulness to write the article he did. May I indeed let You be my conscience, my “good heart” as the Japanese puts it, to know and to do what is right in every situation, for Your glory. (Philippians 2:13) Thank You. Praise God!

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The Love of Jesus; January 12, 2023

Posted on January 13, 2023 by jgarrott

John 17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

It struck me just now that it would be good for me to read this chapter, Jesus’ High Priestly prayer, every day and meditate on it. Every detail of it is incredibly powerful, not to mention meaningful. It strikes me right now that this verse comes after Jesus explicitly expands His prayer from those present with Him at that time to all who would believe in Him because of their message, in other words, to us today. (verse 20) That Jesus wants me to be with Him blows my mind, as I think it should. I am not worthy of approaching Him, much less basking in His glory as He mentions here. John much later got a taste of that on Patmos, and as close as he had been to Him as His youngest disciple, it just about did him in! (Revelation 1:17) We are to live in gratitude that Christ feels that way about us, as He does about every one of His children. This fits in perfectly with yesterday’s reading, because our Lord isn’t just alive, He loves us and wants us to be with Him. If that awareness doesn’t generate joy and peace within us, we’ve got a lot of growing to do!

Of course, even though I’m a pastor, if I just preach this to others and fail to appropriate it for myself, I gain nothing. I am never to think that any title, or for that matter any ancestry, makes me more special to God than any other of His children, but rather rejoice that He is big enough and powerful enough to care individually about every one of His children. Only an infinite God could do that, but Jesus drove the point home by telling us that God even keeps track of how many hairs we have on our heads. (Matthew 10:30) As He has told me personally, I am to rest, relax, and rejoice in His perfect love for me, being anxious about nothing at all but rather looking forward to the glory that awaits me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me remember to meditate on this chapter indeed, letting it percolate through my mind, soul, and spirit. Your gracious love is indeed amazing. Help me grasp it more and more, responding to it and allowing it to transform me as You desire and intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Risen Savior; January 11, 2023

Posted on January 12, 2023 by jgarrott

John 16:22 “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”

Here we have the secret to why the apostles were able to rejoice “because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” (Acts 5:41) We often fail to grasp what an incredible, wonderful thing it is that we “serve a risen Savior,” as the song, He Lives, puts it. When unpleasant things happen, we should be like, “What difference does that make? I serve a risen Savior!” The fact that He rose, after being so horribly and undeniably murdered, is proof positive that He is the Victor, and when we are in Him, we share in His victory. That premise has been called Christus Victor Theology, and put down for being “simplistic.” Those who put it down are forever saying, “Yes, but….” One of the best-known proponents of Christus Victor was Corrie ten Boom, who survived a concentration camp and seeing her sister murdered in front of her and went on to be a powerful witness and evangelist to the whole world. That’s plenty of authentication for me! One hesitation the naysayers have is that they don’t want to “serve” even a risen Savior. It’s no accident that Paul expressed the mechanism of salvation this way: “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) It was that very confession that brought persecution, both then from the Roman emperors and today from Communists and totalitarians of all stripes. They don’t want competition for Lordship! However, if you haven’t made Jesus your Lord, you don’t really have Him as your Savior. Our obedience is imperfect in this life, but the commitment must be there. If it is, we’ve got nothing to worry about!

This is something I need to be reminded of with more frequency than I would like. I too get distracted by the immediate difficulty in front of me, effectively forgetting that I serve a risen Savior. It’s all a matter of perspective. When my heart is turned and tuned to Him, “the things of earth will grow strangely dim,” as Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus puts it. (I’m very thankful for all the Biblical songs in my head and heart!) I tend to be a joyful person, but I too can effectively forget that I serve a risen Savior, and so get depressed. That’s no fun! It’s not at all that I ignore difficulties, nor should I, but I seek to remember that “God’s got it all in control,” as yet another chorus expresses. When I forget that, I allow the devil to steal my joy, and he doesn’t have any right to me or my blessings. Material things are unimportant, but my joy is from the Lord, and the devil can’t have it, either to take it from me or to make it his own. The fact that he is incapable of such joy probably motivates him with jealousy to try to keep me from having it either! As I allow that joy to radiate from me it will be a powerful attractant to draw people to Jesus, who is of course the source of my joy. And I certainly want people to be added to the family of God!

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for giving me such a clear, joyful message for Sunday. I ask for Your anointing as I prepare the notes for that, so that I will say everything, and only, what You want me to say, working Your will in the hearts and lives of my hearers, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Joy of Obedience; January 10, 2023

Posted on January 11, 2023 by jgarrott

John 15:11-13 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

When we read this I think we tend to miss the context, which is that of obedience. We all want the joy of the Lord, I think, but we don’t realize that it comes in full only when we are in obedient step with the Lord. Of course, the very next verse is the famous command to love each other as Christ has loved us. That doesn’t seem like a very onerous command to obey, but it’s not always so easy! That said, allowing the love of God to flow within the Body of Christ is certainly a joyful thing indeed. It is my observation that churches that aren’t very loving aren’t very joyful, and vice versa. When we take ourselves too seriously we can’t loosen up enough to let God’s joy flow through us. We also need to remember that Christ’s love is totally unselfish. Rather, it is sacrificial. Most people have experienced the joy of giving in order to meet the need of another. That joy is often in proportion to the level of our own sacrifice. It is worth considering whether meeting needs or having possessions brings the greater joy. The world and the devil want us to focus on possessions, but that will not bring us the joy that God has prepared for us. We need to keep remembering that the world’s standards are not the standards of the Kingdom of God, and God’s standards are always better!

It gives me great satisfaction that this church is very loving. Just this past Sunday, as people were sitting around in fellowship after we had eaten a meal together, I was talking with someone who is not yet a committed believer, but has had a lot of exposure to another Christian tradition. I said something about how we didn’t seem so much like a church as a family, and the man agreed fully, with a degree of awe. I’m reminded of what Jesus said shortly before today’s verses: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35) Everything is tied together: love brings obedience which brings joy. I am not to fail to proclaim God’s holiness and the need for repentance, but I think we will be most effective when we love people into God’s family.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for all You have done in me and in this church over the years. Thank You for the ties of love that people evidently still feel even though they are geographically far from us. Thank You for the extremely loving wife You have given me, who has set the example for this church and been an “open faucet” of Your love. May Your love indeed bring many into Your family, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Lies and Truth; January 9, 2023

Posted on January 10, 2023 by jgarrott

John 8:44 “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Reading this I can’t help thinking about all that’s going on in the US right now. There is a world of difference among the three categories of fiction, mistaken information, and lies, but those who are of the liar, as Jesus calls him here, deliberately try to blur the distinctions, and the volume of lies being poured out is astonishing. Those who are on the side of the liar applaud and reinforce the lies. Politicians gain much of the publicity, but this sort of thing extends to every area of society and life itself. After all, we have a Supreme Court justice who claimed she couldn’t “define a woman” because she “wasn’t a biologist.” When lies about sex and gender are vehemently defended, we are in deep trouble! Thankfully, it seems like a genuine backlash is kicking in. Recent events in politics have been encouraging, but the cover over the culture of lies is only beginning to be peeled back. We live in the Information Age indeed, and the liar has kicked into overdrive, knowing his days are short. (Revelation 12:12) It is of great importance that every believer seek the Holy Spirit as a filter for all the information that pours in, so that we may be able to discern the truth from all the lies. We also need to be careful that we don’t mistakenly relay information that isn’t true, because we don’t want to be party to the lies. The devil is indeed crafty, and he can make his lies sound very reasonable or likely. We also need discernment to distinguish between those who have been duped by the lies and those who are actively promoting the lies. Our real enemies aren’t visible! It was not casual that Jesus proclaimed Himself to be “the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Those who belong to Him need to apply themselves fully to walking in the truth.

As I have written before, I had the great blessing of being raised by a man who took Absolute Honesty as one of the pillars of his life. I’ve never been comfortable with lying, thankfully. I have had to learn not to be gullible, expecting others to hold to the same standard! As a reader and writer I enjoy and appreciate fiction, and so am very aware of the distinctions between that and lies, but I have found that lies can be incorporated in fiction as well. Some of the books I have read incorporated some of the lies that are current in society today about gender and the like. I do not need to be entertained by lies! As someone with Teacher gifting, I tend to feel that stating truth should be sufficient to communicate it, but that is seldom the case. Since I desire that everyone know God’s truth and so be set free, (John 8:32) I need to come alongside them and walk with them so that they can recognize the truth themselves, rather than trying to dictate truth to them. Teachers like to dictate! All of that said, one of my anticipations of heaven is that everything will be truth there, with no lies whatsoever. What glory!

Father, thank You for Your truth, and for communicating it to my heart. Help me indeed walk in the light of Your truth consistently so that Your will may be done in and through me for Your glory. (1 John 1:7) Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Salvation by Faith; January 8, 2023

Posted on January 9, 2023 by jgarrott

John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

John puts these words in the mouth of John the Baptist. Whether he was who spoke them is not important, because they are certainly true. God’s plan of salvation is shockingly simple: faith, period. The Japanese is a little clearer here in defining that faith, because where the NIV gives “rejects” as the antonym to faith, the Japanese says “does not listen obediently to.” If we really believe in Him we will love Him, and as Jesus Himself said, if we love Him we will obey Him. (John 14:15) This points up the distinction between faith and intellectual ascent. If we believe a chair will hold us up we will sit in it. However, the chair might or might not be worthy of such faith. The thing about Jesus is that He is absolutely worthy of our total faith. He is more than worthy of the statement Paul made not long before He was martyred: “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) Saving faith produces loving obedience.

I find myself wondering at times how obedient I am. However, as God reminded me just this past week, He’s the Judge of that. I look at myself and see flaws without limit, and that drives me to greater dependence on His grace. I desire to hear Him accurately and consistently and obey Him with zero hesitation, but that remains as an aspiration rather than an accomplishment. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, I’m not fully there yet! (Philippians 3:12-14) However, God has certainly placed the desire in me, and He is working in me to bring that to fruition. (Philippians 2:13) My declaration of the Gospel must be salvation by grace through faith, but at the same time I am not to leave off the loving obedience that saving faith generates. Our Verse for the Year is Ephesians 2:10, speaking of doing the things God has prepared for us to do. I am not to leave that out of my message, and I am to seek always to improve my own level of obedience.

Father, thank You for this reminder, particularly at the beginning of a new year. May 2023 indeed mark steadily improving obedience, even as You’ve had me saying in my Faith Declarations for many years now, so that Your will may be done through me indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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