God’s Feelings; December 9, 2022

Posted on December 10, 2022 by jgarrott

Isaiah 7:13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?”

This is a very interesting statement by Isaiah in a couple of ways. In the first place, he is responding to what was on the face of it a very pious statement by King Ahaz: “I will not put the Lord to the test.” That actually is obedient to what Moses commanded in Deuteronomy 6:16, which Jesus Himself quoted when tempted by the devil: “Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Luke 4:12) However, in the case of Ahaz it was a cop-out, because the Lord had told him directly through Isaiah to ask for a sign. If Isaiah hadn’t already been a tested and confirmed prophet that would have been more understandable, but under the circumstances it was simple cowardice. And that shows that Ahaz feared his human enemies more than he feared the Lord his Creator! The second thing that is interesting is Isaiah’s conflating his own response with that of God. “Try the patience” is a clear image. Other English translations use “weary,” and the Japanese says “trouble,” but we get the picture. The thing is, those in tune with God do indeed sometimes feel God’s emotions in response to things. A good example is Jesus’ anger at the merchants excluding Gentiles from temple worship, causing Him to make a whip of cords to drive out the animals. (John 2:15) However, it is dangerous to presume on that. Doing so can easily descend into hubris, thinking we are on a plane with God. However, we aren’t to discount the feelings we have, because God can use them both to teach us and to motivate us to do His will.


I will never forget the time I was lying in bed, not consciously praying but thinking, “There are so many things I wish were different.” Completely unexpectedly, the Lord spoke to me with utmost clarity: “How do you think I feel?” God wasn’t happy with those things either! He knew His ultimate solution to it all, but that didn’t cause Him to be pleased with everything. I’ve got to keep remembering that, as I see despicable people elected to public office through evidently fraudulent means, and people abusing other people in indescribable ways. As the Lord pointed out to me recently, the world is a mess because we are a mess, so my first priority is to get the beam out of my own eye, as Jesus so colorfully put it. (Matthew 7:5) However, when I am right with my Lord, I will respond to people and events as He does. Frankly, that’s not always pleasant for me. I would rather just gloss over it all and not be so stirred up, but that isn’t an option if I’m fully in line with my Lord. I am to surrender all of me, including my emotions and my reactions, to my God so that He may use them as He sees fit, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You are taking me through even right now. I pray that my responses would indeed mirror Yours, not to inflate me in any way but to make me fully available and useful to You, for the ultimate blessing of those around me and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Father God; December 8, 2022

Posted on December 9, 2022 by jgarrott

Luke 1:17 “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous–to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

In all the celebrations of Christmas we don’t often focus on fathers. God’s character is Father, as even the Old Testament makes clear countless times. That’s why He created mankind, because fathers want children! However, He became Father in a very special way when He sent part of Himself, that is, the Godhead, to earth to be born as a human baby. Japanese has an expression, bunshin, that is used to indicate children as being parts or extensions of their parents. In a sense that is true, but in human terms it can be very problematic, when parents make all the career and marriage choices for their children, as used to be quite common in Japan. However, in Jesus’ case it was completely accurate. He was in full agreement with it, but He Himself said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19) Christmas is the celebration of the moment God became Father. That is of great importance, because a major problem in the world today is the lack of genuine fatherhood among men. There are lots of biological fathers who do not function as true fathers to their children, and not all good fathers are biologically connected to their children. As Gabriel said to Zechariah, it’s a matter of the heart. This statement by Gabriel is a direct echo of the last verses in the Old testament: “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-6) Gabriel didn’t mention the curse, but it’s easy to see that the lack of proper fatherhood is a horrible curse. Christmas is an opportunity for fathers to evaluate how they relate to their children – and it’s not just a matter of getting them the right presents. Those who know the reality of John 3:16 need to let others know that it’s not mythology, but a very real historical event that changed the world, the fate of mankind, or at least of those who would believe. The subject is too huge to even try to cover completely here, but we need to remember that Christmas is a celebration of Father God.

I was blessed with an excellent human father, and I have sought to be a good father to my children, both biological and strictly spiritual. I certainly haven’t done a perfect job, but at least I’m aware of the issue. I talk about it in counseling frequently, as I touch on parenting in talking with couples before their wedding. I need to keep looking to and learning from my Heavenly Father, and I need to encourage the believers to do the same. Many people are looking for healing for the wounds they bear from absent or inadequate fathers. I can’t reach them all, but I can help the believers understand that they too can be agents of putting people into right relationship with their Heavenly Father, so that the kingdom of God may overflow with His children.

Father, thank You for this clear Word. Once again You’ve made it clear what I’m to speak on Sunday! I ask for clear guidance and anointing as I prepare the notes, so that what is said may be exactly what You are saying, neither more nor less, and not deviating in any way, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Glory of the Gospel; December 7, 2022

Posted on December 8, 2022 by jgarrott

 Jeremiah 33:2-3 “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it–the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know’!

God was about to give Jeremiah a Word that would indeed overload his imagination, so here he lays the groundwork. This was immediately after He had told Jeremiah to buy from one of his relatives land that was at that time overrun by the Babylonians. That was so strange that Jeremiah had questioned God about it, and He had replied with the very famous words, “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27) This is a continuation and follow-up to that. He starts by reminding Jeremiah that He is the Creator, giving His credentials, so to speak. He then warns Jeremiah that what He will tell him will be beyond his understanding. (The Japanese puts it that way, rather than “unsearchable,” which seems a bit vague to me.) In what follows, the Lord touches briefly on the current situation, in verses 4 and 5, but then He goes on to describe a future that was probably literally unimaginable to Jeremiah. The climax comes in the explicitly Messianic prophecy in verses 13 and 14, culminating in one of the great names given to the Messiah, Yahweh Tsidkenu, the Lord our Righteousness. It would be hard to get more glorious than that! That covenant name was explicitly confirmed by Paul when he wrote, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Hallelujah! Just writing about it makes it well up within me, and I am filled with gratitude and praise. My circumstances have never been such that I have been surrounded by houses filled with dead bodies, as Jeremiah was about to be, so I have no excuse to be down about anything. I serve the same God as Jeremiah, and Jesus is indeed my righteousness. This is a major chunk of the glory of the Incarnation that we celebrate at this time of year, and I must never forget it. I don’t enjoy crowds and busyness, but I must not let that detract from my celebration of the Messiah. The next three weeks in particular are packed with things to do and places to be, but I must not take my eyes off of the One who is the reason for it all. I will have opportunities to share the Gospel in words with people who probably have never heard it expressed clearly before, and I must keep myself fully available for that purpose. I want His joy to so overflow from me that people will be drawn to Him, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this very timely reminder. Thank You for yesterday and all it held. Thank You for giving me wisdom and skill in putting up more handrails for Cathy, and that her healing is progressing despite her pain. I pray that our hearts may be tuned to You each moment, so that we won’t miss any of the things You have planned for us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Light in the Darkness; December 6, 2022

Posted on December 7, 2022 by jgarrott

Isaiah 60:2-3 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Verse one has been our Verse for the Year, so we have been saying it every Sunday, but the glory doesn’t stop there. Yesterday’s passage caused me to write on how the world is a wilderness, and as this passage says, it’s a dark wilderness! The darker things are, the brighter even a small light appears to be. The Bible has a lot to say about darkness and light. Two passages from John immediately come to mind. “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood (overcome) it.” (John 1:4-5) “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (John 3:19-21) I could literally go on and on, because this is one of the great themes, as other religions, even, have recognized. The point for believers to remember is that we are not the source of the light. The moment we start thinking we are, we fall into the trap of Lucifer. His name means “light bearer,” but he wanted to claim that light, that glory, for himself, and in that moment became the devil, the embodiment of evil. We are not the light, but we have the privilege and responsibility to let the light shine from and through us. As in just about everything else, it’s a matter of choice. Jesus stated clearly, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) As we let the light of Christ shine through us, it indeed becomes our light, and people will be drawn to us out of their darkness.

This is an awesome truth, and I can’t say I’ve appropriated it fully myself yet. I have had science fiction-type fantasies of being clothed in light, with commensurate powers, but this is quite different and far better. As I touched on above, I must never think or feel that it’s about me. As the chorus of a song by Chu Kosaka says, “Jesus is the light; He’s shining in the darkness, and you know that He’ll lead you.” (That’s my translation of the Japanese.) As many times as I’ve preached on light, I still have dark areas in my heart and life. I need to let the light of Christ flood me fully, leaving nothing out, so that in every area, every moment, I may represent Him accurately, shedding His light on the people and situations around me, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. We are very much in the middle of spiritual conflict right now, as Cathy’s dream this morning made clear. Help me not hesitate, but move forward boldly under the direction and power of Your Spirit, so that Your purposes may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Lord’s Highway; December 5, 2022

Posted on December 6, 2022 by jgarrott

Isaiah 40:3 A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord ; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”

Many people tend to think of “desert” as a place of sand dunes, as indeed some deserts are. However, Japanese has two different terms that are used in places where English Bibles say “desert,” and I’m sure Hebrew has multiple terms as well, much like the Inuit have many different words for snow. The term the Japanese uses here doesn’t even specify that the land is dry, but is much closer to the “wilderness” the NIV uses in the last part of the verse. The character used in both places in the Japanese, in combination with two other characters, means “rough,” in distinct contrast to the “great level road” (highway) we are enjoined to prepare. What struck me as I read this just now is that society today could certainly be described as rough. God is saying through Isaiah that we are to prepare a road for the Lord in the middle of this very rough situation. John the Baptist claimed this verse as a description of himself, (John 1:23) but I hardly think this is limited to him. We too need to be “road builders,” regardless of the roughness of the terrain. We have various examples in history we can look to. William Wilberforce in Britain was powerful in eliminating the legal slave trade, and that was certainly a move to prepare the Lord’s highway. For a far lesser-known example, Fudeko Ishii was a Christian woman from right here in Omura who essentially started social welfare for handicapped people in Japan. Any given individual’s role might seem big or small, but the point is, we are to be preparing the Lord’s way right where we are. This is actually directly connected to the Lord’s Prayer. We aren’t just to say the words, “May Your name be acknowledged as holy. May Your rule and reign be established and Your will be done perfectly right here.” We are to pray those words, and we are also to offer ourselves as instruments for their fulfillment. We are to acknowledge God’s name as holy in all we say and do. We are to work for God’s authority to be manifested. We are to seek to do God’s will in every detail, every moment of our lives. That is preparing a highway for the Lord.

This certainly applies to me, because it applies to every believer. My younger daughter is fond of pointing out that in the two Great Commandments Jesus specified (Matthew 22:37-40) there are the two connections: vertical to God and horizontal to our neighbor. It is no accident that forms a cross. We’ve got to have a right vertical relationship with our Creator, but that cannot be maintained without a right horizontal relationship with the people around us. Getting and keeping those relationships right is another way of expressing what this verse says. I am frequently reminded that society around me is rough. I’m not simply to get angry, as I did yesterday, but rather act as God’s agent, changing things as I can and remembering that God is Lord, whatever people do. I’ve got to remember that “Man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” (James 1:20)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed be the highway builder You want me to be, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Zeal; December 4, 2022

Posted on December 5, 2022 by jgarrott

Isaiah 9:7 The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Many prophecies in the Bible seem absolutely incredible to us, and we wonder how on earth they could ever come to pass. Well, here we have a succinct answer. We forget, emotionally at least, that God is the Lord Almighty. (The Japanese sticks with the Lord of Hosts, that is, the Lord of all militaries.) He had to remind Jeremiah, “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27) Likewise, Gabriel said to Mary, “Nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) We keep having to be reminded of that! If Jeremiah and Mary needed such reminders, we shouldn’t feel too bad about it! Another issue is maintaining assurance of what God has said. If things are a long time coming to pass, we can feel doubt that we heard or understood correctly in the first place. We do need to remember that God’s time frame isn’t the same as ours, (2 Peter 3:8) but never doubt that if God said it, that settles it, period. Delays in fulfillment can really test, stretch, and grow our faith, and that’s what they’re for. God doesn’t tease us, but He’s not big on instant gratification. Some miracles are indeed instantaneous, but they are more the exception than the rule. Jesus waited several days to raise Lazarus for a reason. He had already done many miracles of healing, and that’s what Mary and Martha were wanting and expecting, but He had something much greater in mind, as John’s record makes clear. (John 11) To get back to this verse, we don’t use the word, zeal, very much these days, or its adjective form, zealous. The Japanese word for it is literally, “hot heart.” The point is, God cares about things, and if He cares, since He’s omnipotent, it happens. The way it happens may be totally outside of our imagination, but we can count on it nonetheless.

I once gave a predictive prophecy that even I wondered about at the time. I told a couple (who weren’t even formally engaged at the time) that they would have a child, but that for some reason I wasn’t sure whether it would be his child. I was, however, confident that it would be hers. What I didn’t know was that she had had a hysterectomy! They just wrote it off as my imagination, and did go on to get married. She had been previously married, and her daughter by that marriage got into drugs and then got pregnant, and since she was obviously an unfit mother, a court gave full custody of the child to the couple over whom I had prophesied, and they signed formal adoption papers. I was already in Japan at that point and knew nothing about it, but my wife went to the US for something and ran into the couple, and they were effusive over how my prophecy had come true. We very literally cannot imagine how God is going to fulfill what He says, but we can have full assurance that he is going to fulfill it.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s very easy to get distracted by immediate circumstances. Help me remember Your zeal and Your omnipotence at all times, resting, relaxing, and rejoicing in You, just as You have told me to do, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Word of the Lord; December 3, 2022

Posted on December 4, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalms 89:26 “He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.'”

Passages like this naturally stoked the Jews’ expectation of a strictly human Messiah, but the Pharisees still took strong exception to Jesus referring to the Creator as My Father. Human beings have quite a track record of giving strictly human, and therefore inadequate at least, interpretations to what God has said. We see that in “Bible teaching” all the time even today. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t read and understand the Bible. What it does mean is that we must have the humility and faith to let the Holy Spirit be our guide as we read, allowing Him to interpret it into our heart. After all, Jesus said that was a specific function of the Holy Spirit. (John 14:26) However, depending on a specific teacher or commentary is risky indeed. None of us get it all right! I’ll probably never forget a conversation I had with one pastor in his study. Seeing a full set of the Bible commentaries by Karl Barth, I asked him if he was more familiar with the Bible or with Barth, and he was honest enough to say, “Probably Barth.” I’m sure he is far from alone, but people would substitute various other teachers for Barth. Any time we read the Bible we need to ask God what He is saying, and understand that He is saying it to us. Human mental frameworks simply can’t contain God, but He will reveal Himself to us through His Word if we will be humble enough to receive it.

Of course this applies to me as much as it does to anyone. I am very aware of the human tendency to think, “Other people get it wrong, but I get it right.” I’m as fallible as the next guy, as much as I hate to admit it. Ever since I read it I have appreciated C. S. Lewis’ statement in The Great Divorce. “One thing we can be sure of is that when we get to heaven we will find that we were all wrong somewhere.” (I probably don’t have that quote exactly, but that’s certainly the idea.) Taking Preaching in seminary I greatly resented, and disagreed with, the requirement that every sermon had to quote commentaries. My attitude was, “What’s wrong with the Bible and the Holy Spirit?” I now see how much pride was in my attitude, and I do understand that a knowledge of geography, culture,  and historical context are very helpful in grasping the intent of each writer, but I also know that God often says things that are actually beyond the understanding of the direct writer or speaker. Many of the prophets of the Old Testament had no idea how their prophecies would be fulfilled. I have experienced that sort of thing myself, as I’m sure every pastor has. It’s a little unnerving to be thanked after a service for speaking something “so clearly” when I have no recollection of saying it, and it’s certainly not in my notes! I’ve got to operate in full humility, allowing God to use me however He desires and being grateful when He does so.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the incredible privilege of hearing You through Your Word and even through my own mouth. May I not limit or distort You, but always speak Your truth in Your love, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Prophecy; December 2, 2022

Posted on December 3, 2022 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 18:18 “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.”

This is one of several places in the Bible that have multiple true interpretations. It’s kind of like quantum physics, in which two seemingly contradictory things can be true at the same time. This particular verse is explicitly singular, and therefore has long been taken as Messianic, but the following verses clearly speak of multiple prophets, which would not be Messianic. There were many prophets in Israel and Judah in the centuries after this, some valid and some not, but the idea of this singular Prophet was persistent even to Jesus’ day, when John the Baptist was asked if he was “the Prophet.” (John 1:21) We tend to forget that until Jesus started His public ministry, He was completely unremarkable. I’m sure those who knew Him personally thought He was a really nice guy, but as Isaiah said, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2) That agrees perfectly with this verse, that specifies this individual would be raised up from among the people. As a carpenter, Jesus certainly wasn’t a weakling, but he wasn’t a Hercules, either. Until He started speaking the very words of God, there was nothing to distinguish him from anyone else. How­ever, when He did start His ministry He was instantly polarizing, and people were either for Him or against Him. That’s because He spoke the Word of the Lord, and indeed was the Word, as John said, (John 1:1) and as such was “living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) You couldn’t get away from Jesus’ words! Believers today are tasked with communicating Jesus’ words to those around them. We aren’t Him, of course, but we operate under His authority, (Matthew 28:18-20) and we represent Him. (2 Corinthians 5:20) We tend to get hung up on the idea of prophecy being predictive, and as such are either drawn to it or turned off by it. A far more accurate picture is that prophecy is simply speaking out what God is saying, and anyone with the Holy Spirit in them can do that. The danger comes in saying things on our own that God is not saying, and then claiming or even thinking they are from God, as this passage goes on to say. Prophecy requires both faith that God can use us and humility to know that our own words are worthless without the anointing of God. If we have those two things, then God will indeed speak through us.

I have been used in prophecy numbers of times, and occasionally even in predictive prophecy, but I have also experienced continuing to talk after God stopped talking. That’s horrible! In recent years I have very seldom spoken in overt prophecy, but I earnestly seek to speak only what God is saying all the time. Sometimes He speaks some pretty mundane things! I desire to be His mouthpiece more and more, because I know that it is not my words but His that accomplish that for which He sends them, (Isaiah 55:10-11) and I desire that His will be done throughout the earth, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. As I grow older I find that people tend to put more weight to my words. May I indeed speak only what You are saying, so that I may not wound needlessly and so that the devil’s lies may be uncovered, setting people free to repent and believe for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Devil’s Lies; December 1, 2022

Posted on December 3, 2022 by jgarrott

Genesis 3:4-5 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The devil really is crafty, as it says in verse one. However, he is certainly and fundamentally a liar, as Jesus said. (John 8:44) He starts with the big lie of directly contradicting God. Anyone who is paying attention realizes that people are doing that all the time these days, even in such fundamental things as “male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27) Then the devil takes a true statement and twists it. Adam and Eve’s eyes were indeed opened to know good and evil, but that certainly didn’t make them any more “like God” than they were the moment He created them. After all, going back to the verse about male and female, it specifies that humans were created in God’s image. The most damaging thing here, though, is the implication that God doesn’t want us to be like Him, that He is somehow jealous of His status. On the contrary, God wants and intends us to be more and more like Him. That’s what spiritual growth is all about! (Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18) The two sides of the lesson here are that the devil is indeed devious and persistent in his lies, and that it’s very dangerous to swallow them. As he did in his direct encounter with Jesus, he will even quote Scripture to us, (Luke 4:9-10) so we need the constant help of the Holy Spirit as a filter for all the junk, regardless of how it’s presented to us. The encouraging thing here is what James said: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) The devil is frankly smarter and stronger than we are, but he’s no match for the Holy Spirit in us. (1 John 4:4)

This is of course as much an issue for me as it is for anyone. The devil has used flattery against me, saying things like, “You’re smart enough to figure that out on your own. You don’t need to check and see what God has said about it, or what He wants now.” The moment I recognize he’s saying that I know I’ve got to seek God’s face urgently! The longer I live the more strongly I am aware that I both need to listen to the Holy Spirit and resist the devil, seeing through his lies by the light of the Spirit. I know that I don’t have accurate discernment without the Spirit! However, I don’t have to be anxious about it, because as again James said, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You also for helping me recognize some of the lies the devil is telling Cathy so that I can counter them with Your truth, pointing out how Your healing is indeed being manifested in her body, despite the fact that she’s not as she was 10 years ago. I ask Your patience for her as she walks through the process of healing, so that she may receive all the benefits You have for her, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Commission of John the Baptist; November 30, 2022

Posted on December 1, 2022 by jgarrott

Luke 1:76-77 “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.”

It just struck me that this commission of John could now be applied to every believer. When we consider that a prophet is simply someone who speaks the words of God, there is no part of this that falls outside of the Great Commission famously recorded in Matthew 28:18-20. John the Baptist was indeed an important figure in God’s plan of salvation, but as Jesus said, “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:28) John was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth, (Luke 1:15) but that same Holy Spirit is available to every believer today, and we have the knowledge of the cross and resurrection, which John did not have. There is no room for personal pride here, because we are all equally objects of God’s grace, but we must not take lightly the privilege and responsibility of giving people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. John’s preaching, after he became an adult, was at times blunt in the extreme, but many people indeed repented because of it and were prepared to receive Jesus as the Messiah. Even Jesus’ disciples John and Andrew were first disciples of John the Baptist.(John 1:35-39) “Preparing the way,” as it says in this verse, is laying the foundation for repentance and faith in a person’s heart. We can’t do it in our own wisdom and strength, but the Holy Spirit can use us to do it if we are willing and available. We can’t save anyone, but we can let them know that salvation is both necessary and available, and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.

I’ve obviously accepted this commission to tell others about salvation in Christ, and I’ve even written a small book on the subject, though it’s not yet published. However, I see my greater commission as helping others understand that they too have John’s commission. That is of particular importance as a Caucasian in Japan, because people are far more likely to receive the Gospel when they hear it through someone who looks like them. That’s not to say I haven’t led people to repentance and faith, but that number is small. Of potentially far greater importance is the number of people who have recognized their commission through my ministry. I sometimes say that they go into fulltime ministry because they think, “I can do a better job than he does!” However, even that “fulltime ministry” term is a misnomer, because every believer is to be a child of God all the time, and that means telling people about their Father. Of course, words without actions are meaningless, as James emphasized, but far too many Christians never tell anyone about Christ. That’s what the Holy Spirit is given to us to enable, (Acts 1:8) so if we want Him, we had better be willing to share!

Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of being Your agent. (2 Corinthians 5:20) Help me meet Your appointments and fulfill Your plans on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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