Living Wisely; February 4, 2022

Posted on February 6, 2022 by jgarrott

Ephesians 5:15-17 Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Talk about a familiar passage! I use 21-33 every time I do marital or premarital counseling, and 19 and 20 are a dearly loved song that I’ve translated into Japanese. Verse 18 is of course frequently quoted both in relation to alcohol and to being filled with the Holy Spirit. That leaves these three verses, and they too are dearly loved, and for good reason. We have an incredible capacity for foolishness! The common term of “sophomore” comes to mind. We generally use it to indicate a 2nd year student in a 4 year academic course, but by its Greek roots it means “wise fool.” In other words, they know a little, but don’t know how much they don’t know. That describes us very well! We need to be reminded of how foolish we are by nature, but life has a way of doing that, if we’re paying any attention. This is a universal issue, and it certainly applies to the life of faith. YOLO is an acronym that has been popular in recent years: You Only Live Once. That’s certainly better than belief in reincarnation, thinking you’ll have infinite opportunities to get it right, but it’s often used as an excuse for reckless or otherwise foolish behavior. Paul is expressing much that thought, but from a far wiser perspective. In other words, we need to recognize the opportunities God gives us and make full use of them, doing His will on His schedule for His glory. It’s interesting to see that Paul too thought he lived in “an evil age.” We are surrounded by the grace and love of God, but at the same time we are in the age when the devil is rampant, doing all the destruction he can. That age won’t come to an end until the return of Christ as King, so until then, we need to be wise! God gives us all opportunities to share the good news of His kingdom, and otherwise express His love and grace to those around us. We never know when a particular opportunity is unique and will never come again, so we need to be sensitive, and as the Japanese expression puts it, “bring the opportunity to life.” Someone’s eternal life might well depend on it.

Of course this applies to me. I have been a “sophomore” more times than I could possibly count! I have a high IQ, but that’s not at all the same as being wise. As Proverbs famously puts it, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) Again as James says, “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) There is no genuine wisdom apart from God, regardless of how much knowledge I might accumulate. I feel I miss many opportunities to share Christ and otherwise serve God, so I need to keep pressing in to be more sensitive and obedient. It always feels good to realize I’ve met a divine appointment!

Father, I do want to live wisely by Your standards. Help me not gauge things from a humanistic perspective, but always be submitted to You to recognize Your plan in each situation, indeed bringing every opportunity to life and making the most of it, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Children of Light; February 3, 2022

Posted on February 6, 2022 by jgarrott

Ephesians 5:8-10 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

This is an important statement, but Paul had to illustrate it in the middle of saying it because otherwise it would seem so theoretical as to be meaningless. We don’t necessarily go around thinking about whether something is light or dark unless there are actual lumens involved. Paul is talking about a fundamental shift of nature here, and we often have trouble either believing it has happened or grasping what it means. This is actually a further restatement and refinement of what he discussed in Romans 6 about being “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11) Jesus and many others in the Bible associated light and life, so this passage is in no way out of the mainstream of God’s revelation. However, as I said, we don’t generally go around thinking in these terms. That’s why Paul stuck verse 9 in there, explaining the characteristics of a life lived in the light. We don’t understand it all, so it’s important to get the help of the Holy Spirit to know and do what pleases God, what is really a manifestation of the light of the life of Christ within us. If we will do that, we will discover the peace, joy, and satisfaction that everyone seeks, but many plunge into darkness in that pursuit.

Of course I’m talking to myself here. I wish every facet of my life were light, but I’m not there yet. It’s comforting to know that Paul never “arrived,” either! (Philippians 3:12-14) As a pastor, I find that many people are confused as to what is light and what is not. As Paul said, “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14) I am to seek God consistently myself, for my own sake and as an example to others. A song of a few dozen years ago, Children of the Day, expresses that fairly well, but the irony is that the group that sang it fell apart after being deceived by the devil. I am never to think that knowing the facts is sufficient; I’ve got to live them out. (James 1:22) This seems to be a very common issue for leaders/teachers in the Church. Somehow we think or feel that because we are leaders, that exempts us from the things we are teaching, when it doesn’t at all. It’s just like politicians being notorious for thinking they don’t have to follow the rules and laws they create. That’s not the case at all. As James said, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1) I have no excuse for any darkness in my life.

Father, thank You for this reminder. You know my weaknesses better than I do! Help me walk in full humility and live out the truth You have placed in me, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Salvation; February 2, 2022

Posted on February 4, 2022 by jgarrott

Ephesians 2:3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

This brings to mind a brief video clip from the Internet that my wife called my attention to a few days ago. A young man gave a very perceptive and theologically sound answer to the often-heard question of why God sends people to hell. He said, “God doesn’t send anybody to hell; we’re headed there on our own anyway. God in His mercy gives us a way out so that we don’t have to go to hell.” That’s a superb answer, and it meshes perfectly with these first ten verses of Ephesians 2. This verse makes that exact point. Too many people think they’re entitled to heaven, when their own actions have more than earned them a place in hell. None of us deserve heaven, being transformed into the likeness of Christ and spending eternity in perfect fellowship with Him, but God in His amazing grace, mercy and love has opened the way for us. And there is indeed only one way, as Jesus Himself said. (John 14:6) Repentance and faith are the necessary keys, and the Holy Spirit is the “GPS” to keep us on the path. One reason the world hates Christians is that they want what we have but don’t want to give up the sin they cling to, so they accuse us of “elitism.” It doesn’t matter that we’re begging them to receive the same grace we have, they just want to justify themselves in their rejection of what God is offering them through us. Yesterday I read the tragic news of a former Miss America who committed suicide, apparently influenced by online bullying. I’m sure the devil had plenty of material to accuse her of, but those who were his agents are certainly guilty of greater sin. She didn’t have the foundation of faith to see herself as a child of God, so she followed the course her flesh laid out. That should be an object lesson to us that no amount of the world’s acclaim can equal God’s approval, and no amount of the world’s rejection can overcome God’s acceptance. As verses 8 and 9 famously proclaim, we have no room for pride, but every reason for overwhelming gratitude.

I too am by nature an object of wrath, just as Paul says here. My mind goes in all sorts of devious paths. I too need to be “transformed by the renewing of my mind.” (Romans 12:2) I sometimes do things I shouldn’t, and I certainly fail to do things I should. I shouldn’t need to be on a physical “death row” to realize that would be my rightful place apart from the grace of God. Only when I recognize my own “natural condition” am I able to reach out effectively to others to draw them from death to life. Frankly, so far I’ve not been terribly effective at that, which probably reflects on a failure to be appropriately grateful for God’s mercy and grace toward me. I need to let the Holy Spirit work in me fully, washing out old thinking and attitudes so that I will express the love of God without distortion, drawing many into His family for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You also for that video, and for the very clear word You spoke through that young man. May I like him be fully available for You to express Your truth through me, so that many will be set free to repent and believe for their salvation. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Church; February 1, 2022

Posted on February 3, 2022 by jgarrott

Ephesians 1:22-23 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

We not only have too small a concept of God, we have too small a concept of the Church! Omnipotence and omniscience are just words to us, but we don’t really even have words to express the nature of the Church. The problem is that we think in terms of human organizations, or even physical buildings, and that hardly begins to touch on the Church as Paul expresses it here. This is indeed the glorious Bride of Christ, that Paul touches on in chapter 5 of this letter and John writes a good bit about in his Revelation of Christ. We speak glibly about “the Body of Christ,” but we hardly know what we’re talking about. Again, human organizations and our experience of them get in the way. The closest thing to “denomination” in the Bible is “sect,” and that, rightly enough, is hardly a “feel good” term to us. The Protestant Reformation was an essential event in the history of the Church, triggering many corrections within the Roman Catholic organization as well as spawning what are now countless Protestant groups, but none of those can claim exclusive rights to being The Church. Frankly, any group that tries to do so practically excludes themselves from it by their very claim. For centuries the Catholic Church tried to do so, but thankfully that has greatly subsided. I am reminded of C. S. Lewis’ famous statement, in The Great Divorce, that one thing we know for certain is that when we get to heaven, we will discover we were all wrong somewhere. None of us has the whole truth without error, and failure to grasp and acknowledge that lays us wide open to being manipulated and used by the devil, the father of lies. That’s not to say we shouldn’t have assurance in what we believe, but it is very much to say that we must walk in humility, allowing the Holy Spirit to correct our errors. Only then can we begin to fulfill the transcendent vision of the Church that Paul presents here.

I was raised in a thoroughly denominational environment, but it was in Japan, where the total number of active Christians of any label was less than 1% of the population. That made it much easier to see anyone who knew Jesus at all as a brother, rather than a rival or even an enemy, as I have seen many times in the US. When we came to Omura in 1981 I was immediately coopted by a denominational organization, but events led to an organizational split in less than three years, and since then I have been steadfastly non-denominational. We have been invited to join various groups over the years, including the one from which we split, but I have always felt a check on that. I am not superior to them, but the moment I put up a denominational label, someone else will consider me an enemy, or at least a rival. The lack of an umbrella organization has been difficult at times, but I have felt great freedom in having fellowship with people carrying all sorts of labels. When we mutually focus on Jesus Christ as Lord, everything else fades into insignificance.

Father, thank You for the magnificence of Your plan. We miss so much by superimposing our human constructs on it! Help me walk in full humility and submission to You, expressing Your love, grace, and holiness in everything I do and say, so that the Body of Christ may indeed be built up as You intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Money; January 31, 2022

Posted on February 3, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

This passage, from verse six on, has been abused by so many charlatans that I’m tempted to wish it weren’t in the Bible, but it’s still God’s truth. “God loves a cheerful giver,” from verse seven, was one of the first lines of Scripture I was taught as a little child. That wasn’t bad, but it betrayed a focus on materialism in the Church as a whole. At the same time, Jesus said more about money than He did about heaven and hell put together, so the Church should certainly not ignore the issue. Our attitude toward money says more about us than we would like it to, sometimes. Financial insecurity is certainly debilitating, but it is actually a glorious opportunity to grow in faith and trust toward God. At the same time, having an unending spigot of funds can be a curse. Bill Whittle, out of his experience as a script writer and such in Hollywood, has said that “trust fund kids” were some of the most miserable people he knew. With no connection whatsoever between their actions and their income, they felt no purpose in life and acted that way, whether or not they did anything actually illegal. As it says in verses 10 and 11, God is certainly able to supply our every need, just as Jesus said in Matthew 6:22, but as Jesus said, our focus needs to be on God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and not on money. All of that is one reason “God’s gift” is indescribable, as this verse says. It’s complicated! Paul famously told Timothy that “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10) That verse is one place the NIV translation is very good, because the traditional translation implies that the love of money is the singular root of every evil, and that is certainly not the case. We are left with the reality that money, though an essential part of human society as it exists now, is a very dangerous thing, so we need to be careful to keep our focus on God and be good stewards of what He provides, whether it seems, in this world’s terms, to be a lot or a little. At every level it is to be an exercise in trusting God as our Provider.


Growing up in a missionary family, I was never aware of any connection between my parents’ activities and their income. That had its good and its bad points. Many missionaries have to spend a great deal of effort “raising support,” as it’s called, and I’m grateful my parents didn’t have to do that. At the same time, their income was not commensurate with the jobs they did, particularly considering that my father filled many positions, including being Chancellor of a good-sized university, yet there were months when my mother had to be very creative in feeding our family because the money ran out before the month did. It is perhaps ironic that it was only after all the kids were in college, at least, that inheritances made my parents financially comfortable enough that they in turn left funds for us when they passed on, but my share of that enabled this church building, and I am grateful. At this point in my own life, I have experienced the Lord’s unexpected provision many times, and I am currently receiving minimal Social Security as well as the Japanese National Pension that I’ve been paying into, while still being able to teach in schools. I still don’t receive as much from the church as I put into it in offerings, but that’s not an issue. The whole point is that I’m to trust God and be a good steward of what He places in my hands, being an agent of His supply to others at times, for His glory.

Father, thank You for Your provision indeed. Thank You that it’s complicated because that forces us to grow, emotionally and spiritually. Help me be the steward You want me to be, doing Your will with everything, material or otherwise, that You provide, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Following the Rules; January 30, 2022

Posted on February 1, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 8:21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.

Life always has its tensions. Though we are not of the world, we are indeed in the world, and our behavior has an impact on how those around us see the Lord we profess. There are some groups and some individuals who totally ignore social and even legal norms. Frankly, I don’t think they draw many people to faith in Christ! Taxes may be complicated and even unjust, but failure to pay them gets us in trouble, period. Financial accountability is a vital test of any ministry. We are of course accountable to God first and foremost, but as long as we are in this world we have to abide by its rules as well. At the same time, doing things just because they are legal doesn’t necessarily mean they are right before God. This principle has been true as long as there have been human governments, and Paul was certainly no exception. As a Roman citizen as well as a Jew, he knew what it was to “toe the line,” as well as which lines to toe. He is a good model for us in many areas, and we do well to pay attention.

I have never been a fan of regulations, at times perhaps excessively so. I have had to learn to submit my reactions to God and listen to Him carefully, because sometimes regulations are indeed unjust or even illegal. The current uproar over mandates is a good case in point. Some US officials have been issuing edicts with no regard for the actual legal framework, leading to the current mess. I’m very grateful that the Japanese government hasn’t issued any actual mandates for those living in the country, though regulations for entering the country have been strict and at times capricious. That gives me pause as I consider the possibility of an emergency trip to the US, not knowing what hoops I’ll have to jump through to get back into Japan, particularly since I have no intention of accepting the mRNA shot. In the area of financial accountability, I’m in an awkward place because we have lost so many church treasurers that I’m now doing it myself, which is not ideal any way you look at it. We are a legally recognized church, but the reporting requirements seem to change from year to year, and I’m frankly not sure what they are at this point. The stresses of the job of church treasurer have literally driven at least five people more or less completely away from the church, which is why I’ve been doing it rather than sticking it on one of the remaining members. A paid accountant would seem to be an option, except for our very limited funds and the additional layer of complexity. God has been bringing in workers recently, so I need to pray for a willing accountant!

Father, thank You for Your answers to everything. Help us recognize Your answer to the situation about a church treasurer, and help us indeed do what is right in Your eyes in every situation, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Perspective; January 29, 2022

Posted on January 31, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

I read verse one of this chapter and almost stopped right there and wrote on that, and had the same reaction again and again as I kept reading. This is so extremely rich! I finally chose to write on this verse largely because I quote it so often! This verse, along with John 16:33, which I also quote with great frequency, should give us the perspective to be able to handle anything life throws at us. The devil loves to get us to focus on the immediate difficulty, be it cancer or a paper cut. When he succeeds, we lose our joy and sometimes our hope, and he is always out to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) To maintain the joy and peace God has provided for us, (John 14:27; 16:22) we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:2-3) All of that is exactly what Paul is talking about in this verse. Because we are in the flow of time, we are inherently prone to misplaced perspective. Adults are often amused at the antics of children when something minor happens, but I think God is the same way with us, because He sees the end from the beginning. He abides in the eternal glory that Paul mentions here, and He knows that He has called us into it as well. When we have that understanding, temporal issues cease to distress us, as Paul goes on to explain in the very next verse.

This is an understanding that I’m growing into. My wife and I have a regular Internet chat time with our two grown daughters, and we have been using a set of “conversation cards” to be sure that those times deepen our understanding of each other. Two of the four questions for today are, “What do you like best about your current age?” and, “What do you like least about your current age?” I knew my answers immediately when I saw the questions. What I like least is the physical deterioration that comes with age, even though it has been mercifully slow in my case. What I like best is my growing grasp of the eternal perspective Paul is talking about here. I do still get frustrated and upset at times, but I’m much more at peace with, “This too will pass.” That’s particularly valuable with the physical difficulties I just mentioned! I want to be fully present and useful to my Lord here and now, but I am increasingly looking forward to the eternal glory that awaits me. Yesterday we had news that my 82-year-old sister was taken to the emergency room with COVID. I pray God’s best for her, but I know that could either be more time here or going on to glory. That’s actually a dilemma for every believer, as Paul wrote to the Philippians. (Philippians 1:21-24) I am to rest, relax, and rejoice, just as God told me to do, so that His purposes for me may be fulfilled for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do pray for my sister, and for all who are concerned for her. May Your perfect will, and Yours alone, be done, not only in her case but in all the world, just as Jesus told us to pray, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Credentials; January 28, 2022

Posted on January 31, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 3:4-6 Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant–not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

It’s rare for me to write on three verses together, but this is a very connected passage. Credentials are important in many societies, some more than others. Probably from the beginning of human society some people have claimed things about themselves that were not true; there have always been shysters of one sort and another. Paul is here saying that his credentials are from God. In verse two he has already said that the people to whom he has ministered are his letter of recommendation. People today often love to put assorted letters after their names to indicate their academic degrees and associations, but too often those mean very little in practical terms. I doubt that Albert Einstein put any letters after his name! Though it’s not what Paul was thinking of, that could be directly related to his statement that “the letter kills.” It generally takes hard work to earn advanced degrees, and I am rather proud that my father received his PhD at 23, but degrees aren’t what Jesus was talking about when He said, “by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:20) These days there are countless doctorates of various sorts, and they mean many different things The current First Lady has been mocked for insisting at times that she be referred to as “Doctor,” because her degree is in some sort of liberal art and certainly not medicine, which is what the average person thinks of with “doctors.” We are certainly to evaluate people carefully, not from a judgmental standpoint but so as not to be deceived. There are plenty of people with paper credentials who are either incompetent or downright dangerous to society. We are to seek the wisdom of God and the life of the Spirit, so that we too may be agents of life and not death.

I once had an amusing incident along these lines myself. I was doing some consulting work for a computer company in a neighboring town, and they offered to get me a subscription to the Journal of the IEEE, which is a professional journal dealing with electrical engineering, particularly relating to computing. I had to fill out an application form, since they don’t give those subscriptions to just anyone. When it asked for academic degrees, I honestly wrote that I earned an MRE in 1978, and they approved my subscription, probably thinking that the E referred to some sort of engineering. Actually, those initials indicate Master of Religious Education! I chuckle remembering that. I have considered getting a doctorate, but realized that it would have absolutely no impact on my actual work and ministry. My experience of seminary in the US was that it bore very little relationship to actual ministry in Japan. Knowledge isn’t bad, but it is no substitute for obedient submission to the Holy Spirit. Right now, interestingly, my white beard is taken as a form of credentials, since age is still respected in Japan, but that too is meaningless. I need to rely fully on God and not on myself, and certainly not on what people think of me.

Father, thank You for having Paul record this truth. Help me be Your agent at all times, not being trapped again by pride and conceit, so that Your name may be recognized as holy and Your rule and reign established as Your will is done, in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Comforting; January 27, 2022

Posted on January 30, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

I long ago lost count of how many times I’ve used this passage in talking to people about what they were going through. As Jesus said, in this world we will have trouble. (John 16:33) Since that is a given, this passage gives meaning to that. In a sense, we don’t suffer for ourselves alone, but in order to prepare us to help others in their suffering. It’s somewhat like military boot camp, where you are put through all sorts of stuff to prepare you for potential future situations, except that the preparation isn’t just for ourselves, but for those to whom we will minister. Some will protest that they didn’t “sign up” for that sort of thing. The fact of the matter is, none of us signed up for anything! We are all created beings, living in a world tainted by the sins of mankind. Blessings abound, but so do pitfalls and hardships. If we focus on the negatives we will be miserable, regardless of how many blessings we also experience. We see that all the time, with people in what would have been unimaginably luxurious surroundings just a few generations ago complaining loudly, while others smile and praise God in the middle of trials. The Finnish government official who is currently facing a 10 year prison sentence simply for quoting the Bible on sexuality comes to mind. In every picture I’ve seen of her she has a beautiful smile, and her lawyer said in a recent interview that that is entirely typical of her. She is obviously experiencing the comfort of the Holy Spirit in her trials, and her response transmits that comfort to every believer who sees her. God’s blessings are never for us alone, but are to flow through us to others as well.

As I said, I have expressed this truth to others countless times, but the question remains of how well I am walking in it myself. As I am learning through the study of Coaching, transmitting truth isn’t just a matter of lectures. Cold truth delivered from a pulpit isn’t likely to be very comforting! I’ve got to keep growing in coming alongside people and assuring them of my presence, my empathy, and my love. I’ve not been very good at that in the past! Ask me a question and you’re likely to get more facts spewed at you than you can absorb, but that is too often counterproductive. I’m to allow the Holy Spirit to flow through me in whatever way is needed at the time, speaking words of comfort or even being silent as called for, in addition to giving instruction and correction when appropriate. I have been hugely blessed, and I am to be an agent of blessing to others.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the ministry opportunity that is coming up today. Help me be emotionally and mentally prepared, transmitting comfort and encouragement as called for, so that the person may be strengthened and grow as You desire and intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Encouragement; January 26, 2022

Posted on January 30, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Over the space of a brief nine verses I was touched again and again, thinking I could easily write on what I had just read. However, this last verse in the chapter resonates most strongly. I think every dedicated disciple of Christ has moments when they wonder if it’s all worth it. The world is a mess, and sometimes it feels like we’re just spinning our wheels. Even Paul experienced that, in a time of explosive growth in the Church. For that matter, John the Baptist famously wondered about it when he was imprisoned shortly before his martyrdom, sending disciples to Jesus to ask if He was really who John had proclaimed Him to be. (Matthew 11:2-3) None of us can see the future with any certainty, apart from specific revelations from God, and none of us knows all the ripple effects of what we say and do. The famous hypothetical example of such ripple effects is the one of a butterfly flapping its wings in South America, eventually leading to a hurricane in the North Atlantic. That one may border on the absurd, but we really don’t know what actions will happen down the line. The nursing school where I teach has a small poster on the bulletin board in the front of the classroom that states, very simply, 1.01365 = 37.8  0.99365 = 0.03. In other words, a difference of one percent in effort, applied daily for a full year, has an absolutely huge effect on the eventual outcome. Compound interest applies to more than money! The nursing profession is certainly one that calls for daily faithfulness, punctuated by both joys and tragedies, but the same thing may be said of the life of any disciple of Jesus Christ. We actually can’t evaluate ourselves very accurately, as even Paul noted, (1 Corinthians 4:3) so we need to leave it in God’s hands. Our task is simply to do what is at hand to the best of the ability God has given us. If we will do that, God will reward us more than we can imagine.

I have certainly experienced this! Japan has long been called “the graveyard of missionaries,” and for good reason. Statistically, it is without rivals as the country with the lowest “return on investment” in terms of evangelism, whether it be time, money, effort, or any other metric. It isn’t a dangerous place to serve, except for the danger of discouragement! My own father once prostrated himself on the floor and cried out, “Lord, if I’m what’s standing in the way of revival in Japan, then take me out of the way!” I identify completely! I occasionally think that as well-liked as I seem to be in this city, maybe my funeral would be the trigger to draw people to receive Jesus as Lord for themselves. I do pray that my funeral will have that effect, but it’s certainly not something I can schedule! I have, however, written out an evangelistic message to be read at my funeral, inviting the attendees to join me (eventually) in the bliss I will be enjoying at that point. Meanwhile, I am to be faithful, meeting the appointments God sets up for me and being active in my obedience. The results are in His hands.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the good things that have been happening in this church recently. Help me be so focused on You that circumstances don’t shake me, either dragging me down or creating false expectations. May I apply myself fully to the tasks You give me, knowing that Your results will always be good. Thank You. Praise God!

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