Conceit; October 9, 2021

Posted on October 10, 2021 by jgarrott

Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

There are many blessings to reading the Bible in multiple languages, or at least in multiple translations. This passage as a whole is loaded with pithy aphorisms that really hit home and apply to our daily lives, and I started to write on any of a number of them. However, it was this verse in Japanese that most grabbed my attention. It starts out with, “Be of one heart with one another.” Yes, that’s “harmony,” but it seems deeper than that. Then it says, “Adapt yourself to those of low social standing.” That too seems stronger than “willing to associate.” However, it was the last line that hit me between the eyes. Rather than just “conceited,” it says, “Do not think of yourself as the one with knowledge or wisdom.” In this Information Age it’s often said that knowledge is power. However, sometimes we forget that what we do with what we know is of vital importance. James 1:22 is very pointed in this regard: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Simply having information isn’t enough; it must be applied. That’s why this devotional system, as developed by Wayne Cordeiro, is Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer (SOAP). Without application, just reading the Bible can become an “ivory tower” exercise. As I wrote just a couple of days ago, any time we read the Bible we need to do so with the attitude that “This applies to me.” Anything less can quickly lead to self-deception.

Conceit, and especially intellectual conceit, has always been a problem for me. I was blessed with an IQ somewhere north of 150, and it has taken me a long time to realize that does not make me inherently more valuable than any other person on this planet. In the first place, compared to God, differences among humans are like acorns comparing height (to quote a Japanese proverb). In the second place, I neither chose nor earned my genetics; everything is a gift, something held in trust. As Paul so wisely stated, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2) I have been entrusted with various abilities, but the question is not so much the abilities as what I do with them. I entered college out of the 11th grade, having skipped my senior year, and I was tied for the highest test scores of any entering freshman, but the girl with whom I tied had an absolutely stellar academic record, while I failed two courses my Freshman year! (Interestingly, we both ended up as Drama majors, and I never knew about our test scores until many years later when we met for a class reunion.) Thinking, “I’m the smartest guy in the room,” can be very self-defeating, just as Paul cautions here. I do enjoy “vacuuming up information,” but what I do with it is the question.

Father, You know the problems I’ve had with conceit even better than I do. Thank You for Your patience with me. Help me be the steward You want me to be of everything You have placed at my disposal – and may I not just dispose of any of it! Help me be a useful tool in Your hands to draw others to You, destroying the works of the devil and setting people free, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Evangelism; October 8, 2021

Posted on October 10, 2021 by jgarrott

Romans 10:13-14 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

This passage is the foundation of all evangelism, and particularly of missions. When God convicts you of the reality of people going to eternal destruction because they have never heard the Good News of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, how can you not commit yourself to tell them that Good News? When they have heard, then the responsibility for their salvation rests in their own hands, but that is a different matter. One of the most frightening truths in the whole Bible is actually stated to Ezekiel twice, in Ezekiel 3:17-19 and 33:7-9, and that is that if we fail to warn people of the consequences of their ignoring God, then the responsibility for their destruction lies on us. Ezekiel 33:1-6 fleshes that out with more detail, and it’s a truth we ignore to our own peril. Actually, this principle applies even in the most culturally Christian nations, because no one is born knowing the Gospel. However, even Christian parents “farm out” their children’s spiritual education to Sunday School teachers and the like, when Sunday School wasn’t even thought of until a couple of hundred years ago. Each of us has personal responsibility to share the Gospel with at least those close to us, but sometimes those people are the most emotionally difficult, because we most fear rejection from them. I think everyone preparing to share the Gospel thinks, on at least some level, “What if they laugh at me? What if they get angry?” The devil does all he can to stoke that fear, because stopping us from sharing damages both us and those with whom we would share, and he is always out to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10)

My recent experience of speaking to the Rotary Club was a good reminder of this situation. I will speak at the drop of a hat to any group, large or small, but I discovered I was anxious about how I would be received. After all, I would be quoting Scripture, and it was a pretty evangelistic message, when they are a strictly secular group. However, the response was gratifying, with the chapter president saying they wanted to be sure to have me again next year, and someone in that conversation saying they wanted me to come again next month! What they do with the words I spoke is between them and God, but I can trust the Holy Spirit, and I’ve done my part in that particular situation. However, I’m not to think that doing that sort of thing occasionally gets me off of the hook. Very few of the people around me really know the Gospel, much less have a personal relationship with their Creator, so I’ve got lots of work to do! If I will be open and available to my Lord, He will let me know what to say to whom, and there will be no end to the opportunities to share.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do pray that all of Your children would wake up to their responsibility and privilege of sharing the Good News of salvation in Christ. The challenges are limitless, but none are beyond Your ability to meet and overcome. Help us all trust You fully, so that Your will may be done through us for the salvation of many, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Supply; October 7, 2021

Posted on October 9, 2021 by jgarrott

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

It’s very easy to understand why this is my wife’s favorite chapter in the whole Bible! It’s right up there at the top for me too, but I have to say it’s got a lot of competition! The key to being blessed by reading the Bible is to understand, “This applies to me.” If we fail to have that understanding, it is great literature but nothing more, and occasionally dense and even boring. When we come at it with the feeling, “God has written this to me,” then the blessings are endless. Just now this particular verse stood out to me because of the talk I gave to the Rotary Club recently on Giving. As I told them, God is a giving God! This verse, properly understood, should eliminate all anxiety about God’s supply to us. Our anxieties are generally based on experiencing wants not being met, rather than on needs not being met. Jesus famously addressed this issue in Matthew 6, using clear illustrations from nature and concluding with, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) At the time He said it Jesus hadn’t yet been given over to death, as Paul is referencing, so He couldn’t use Himself as an illustration! However, we have Paul’s frame of reference, so we should rest as assured as he did.

Naturally, this applies as much to me as it does to anyone. I have learned from experience that God doesn’t spoil us, because He wants us to grow into responsible, accountable children, but He still delights to give us good things. I’ve also learned that we need to be alert to recognize what God is giving us. A sense of entitlement is a massive hindrance to genuine happiness and joy. There’s an excellent reason John Newton chose the adjective, amazing, when he wrote about God’s grace. When we fail to recognize that everything we have is an expression of God’s grace and that we really haven’t earned any of it, we lose the gratitude that turns it all into the blessing God intends it to be. I too like to feel that I have achieved things, but if I lose the awareness that God gave me the ability, the opportunity, and the drive to do it in the first place, then the blessing is fleeting at best.

Father, thank You indeed for Your truly amazing grace. Thank You for all that yesterday held, and all that You have prepared for today. Help me recognize your hand in it all and give you the thanks and praise that You alone deserve, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Gospel; October 6, 2021

Posted on October 9, 2021 by jgarrott

Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

One of the goals of the devil and those deceived by him is to make Christians ashamed of the Gospel. That is a major element of the “political correctness” business. The moment we start talking about the righteous standards of God, we are accused of “hate speech.” The moment we say that everyone is equal before God, we are accused of “racism.” The moment we state, as the Bible does, that God created us male and female, we are accused of “homophobia.” That sort of thing has probably existed for a long time, but it has really intensified in recent years. (That’s another of the many things that I and many others think point to our being in the Last Days.) In the middle of all this mess, believers have to remember that the Gospel really is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” As the next verse brings out, we can’t talk about the Gospel without talking about righteousness, and that is what people react against so strongly. They don’t want it pointed out that they are unrighteous! The thing is, you won’t receive salvation until you acknowledge you need it. That’s what repentance is all about. “Repent” is considered the vilest of hate speech! Like Paul, we must not bow to this vile nonsense, but keep speaking the truth in love. Failing to communicate the Gospel is not love!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak to the local Rotary Club, and I’ve obviously been a bit uptight about it. The notes the Lord had given me quoted Scripture, starting with John 3:16, and I was nervous about how it would be received. As it turned out, everyone seemed to enjoy my remarks and I got a good bit of positive feedback. The devil had been trying to make me ashamed of the Gospel, but thankfully he didn’t succeed! Yesterday I had email and a phone call about a major speaking engagement in December, and I am to be properly prepared for that. At the same time, these “outside” speaking engagements are neither more nor less important than my speaking in this building every Sunday. For that matter, I am always to be prepared for whatever appointments the Lord has for me, because He knows who is ready to hear what He wants to say through me, and when. His appointments don’t necessarily appear in my date book! At the same time, regularly scheduled things, like my school classes, are no less opportunities to be His representative. Thinking things are just “business as usual” is a trap to dull me to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. He is totally faithful, so I should be looking forward eagerly to what He is going to do through me next.

Father, thank You for Your power for salvation, for me and for everyone I encounter. Help me not hold back in any way, but allow Your Good News to flow through me unhindered, never fearing the response of people but assured of Your power that is so much greater than my weaknesses, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Testing God; October 5, 2021

Posted on October 8, 2021 by jgarrott

Acts 28:3, 5 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.

As someone with a good bit of experience with snakes, I have a major question about this account. The vipers with which I’m familiar strike but do not hang on. However, non-poisonous snakes, because their teeth slant backwards, can’t let go once they have bit something. The locals should have been familiar with the snakes of the area, but a lot of people automatically assume that any snake is bad. I don’t know the lighting at the time, or whether there were similar-looking snakes, but this sounds a lot like a case of mistaken identity to me. Luke naturally went with the identification given by the locals, and in any case, God used this incident mightily in establishing Paul’s bona fides with the locals. This incident certainly calls to mind Jesus’ statement to the 72 disciples after they returned from their “evangelism practicum.” “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Luke 10:19) Some groups have extrapolated that to snake handling as a part of worship services, but to me that is a clear example of “testing” God, which is forbidden in Deuteronomy 6:16 and elsewhere. That’s different in nature from God’s instructions to “test” Him with such things as tithing. (Malachi 3:10) Paul wasn’t looking for snakes! However, God used his encounter with one to open the hearts of the locals (and I would bet, the Roman soldiers, too) to hear what Paul had to say. It certainly brings to mind Romans 8:28, which Paul had written some time previously.

As I said, I’ve had a good bit of experience with snakes. I had a pet one for a while that never tried to bite me, but one time I caught a rather magnificent aodaisho (a Japanese snake similar, I believe, to the American king snake) around 160cm. long. I was putting him into a cardboard box for safe-keeping, but wasn’t holding him with my left hand immediately behind his head as I should have been, and when I went to put him into the box he latched onto my right hand, right between my thumb and forefinger. With his recurved teeth, he was stuck! I had to use my left hand to unhook each side of each jaw in turn. I got him safely into the box, washed my hands and applied antiseptic to the punctures, and was none the worse for wear. With his size, he would have been a bit difficult to “shake off!” That said, I too need to be careful not to “test” God by deliberately doing stupid things. I do plenty of stupid things without being deliberate about it! God has protected me remarkably, but I do have plenty of scars to show for my stupidity. God is totally faithful, but I certainly don’t need to dream up scenarios to “make” Him prove it.

Father, You really have protected me remarkably. I’m reminded of that in traffic almost every day! Help me be a good steward of all You place in my hands, so that Your purposes for everything may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Bold Evangelism; October 4, 2021

Posted on October 8, 2021 by jgarrott

Acts 26:29 Paul replied, “Short time or long–I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

As we read on September 23rd, when Paul – then Saul – was sitting blind in the house of Judas in Damascus, God explicitly told Ananias, “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” (Acts 9:15-16) Here we have him boldly evangelizing King Agrippa! Two things were certainly characteristic of Paul: seeing everyone as equal, and unflinching boldness. Some people want to see everyone else as equally beneath them, and others really resent it when someone seems to place themselves on their level. This incredibly bold declaration by Paul was inviting everyone to come to his level, and that is the attitude every child of God should have. We get caught in the trap of feeling big only when others are small, not realizing that when we are dealing with an infinite God, the very idea of a “zero-sum game” is an absurdity. There’s always more available! We’re used to dealing with a finite “pie,” and if one person’s “slice” is bigger, another person’s share will be smaller. That’s not how God works! When more people enter the family of God by faith, nobody loses – except maybe the devil. Paul didn’t limit his invitation to the very influential king, he extended it to all who could hear him. That’s the boldness we all need.

As I have written before, the circumstances of my childhood taught me that “bigwigs” are just as human as the rest of us, and I have always approached everyone from what I considered an equal footing. I have enormous respect for those greatly used by God – meeting Dennis Balcombe felt like meeting Paul – but I know that what makes them special is the same God who created and loves me, too. At the same time, I’m not a “natural evangelist,” twisting every conversation into a Gospel presentation. Tomorrow I will be speaking to a Rotary Club meeting about the differences in patterns of giving in the West and in Japan. Such men tend to be highly placed in local society, and it’s probable that I know several of them, but the odds of any of them being Christians are low. The notes the Lord has given me are very clear that it’s the God of the Bible who motivates people to true generosity, but I’m definitely not to talk down to them in the least. Like Paul, I’m to seek to bring them to where I am, regardless of any differences they might perceive between us. God is big enough for us all!

Father, thank You for this very timely reminder. I’ve been asked for a manuscript of my remarks for tomorrow, but I can’t provide that ahead of time! I pray that I would operate in full humility and submission to You, so that Your words may flow through me as You desire, accomplishing Your purposes in the hearts of all who hear, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Universal Love; October 3, 2021

Posted on October 5, 2021 by jgarrott

Acts 22:21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'”

It is very telling that the crowd listened to him quietly until he said this, even though he was saying things that clearly stated that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah. However, the moment he made this statement they were ready to kill him, as the next verse says. That makes it clear that they weren’t concerned about their temple, their traditions, or even their God so much as they were concerned for their privileges, their unique status as the people of God. As came up in Chapter 11, and again in Chapter 15, this issue nearly split the early Church, even, and it is a major barrier to Jews receiving Christ today. The physical descendants of Abraham are indeed a special group chosen by God, but along the way they lost sight of the purpose of their choosing, which was to proclaim the laws and the love of the Creator to the whole world. I think that was part of why Jonah tried to run away from proclaiming the Word of the Lord in Nineveh, and then was really put out when God didn’t rain judgment down on them after he did preach to them, as the book of Jonah tells so clearly. We have such a small perception of God that we think His love and blessings are limited, and if someone else gets them, our share will be cut back. How foolish! God is infinite, and His love, grace, and mercy are infinite. That’s not Universalism, saying that every human being is saved, period. The conditions of repentance and faith are there for everyone, but one person getting saved doesn’t mean that another person is any less saved. The Jews aren’t alone in that kind of narrow thinking. We need to grasp the picture painted in Revelation: “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9) That’s how big God’s love is!

This is very close to home for me, because the Japanese have a sense of ethnic identity that in my opinion is comparable to that of the Jews. They see Shinto and Buddhism as cultural, racial things, and fear that becoming Christian would make them “less Japanese.” I had a man who had been coming to church regularly stop coming abruptly, and when I talked to him about it, he said that if he continued to attend he would become a Christian, and as a Japanese he couldn’t do that. Likewise, my wife had a friend who was familiar with the Bible and had other Christian friends, but when Cathy asked her why she didn’t become a Christian, she said, “Every Christian I talk to says that if I become a Christian I will go to heaven when I die, but my ancestors weren’t Christians, and when I die I’m supposed to go be with them.” That is absolutely tragic, particularly since she dropped dead one day. I can’t change people’s hearts, but God can, so I am to keep praying and keep proclaiming the Gospel, that applies equally to every ethnicity, every individual without any distinctions whatsoever.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the message You’ve given me for this morning on Continuing Prayer. I do pray that I wouldn’t give up, but keep going in Your strength and wisdom, since mine are obviously not up to the task. I pray for an outpouring of revelation and repentance on this nation, that all the lying barriers the devil has set up would be demolished and people open their hearts fully to Your grace and love, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Salvation; October 2, 2021

Posted on October 4, 2021 by jgarrott

Acts 16:30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

This is a very famous story, and people tend to focus either on verse 25, which talks about Paul and Silas singing to God in their extreme circumstances, or verse 31, which is their answer to the jailer’s question recorded here. However, this verse expresses an essential element in anyone’s salvation: the awareness of need. If we think we’re OK already, better than the next guy, perhaps, then we aren’t going to repent of our assorted disobediences toward God. We tend to define sin upward, and excuse the things we do as at worst, minor mistakes. The thing is, as Paul so memorably expressed it, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) This jailer had just been confronted with an unbearable situation, because if the prisoners had indeed escaped, Roman “justice” would have demanded his life, and would have taken it very painfully indeed. Falling on his sword, though certainly not a painless death, seemed preferable. Not so many people encounter such a crisis! It’s no wonder he asked as he did. We need to realize, however, that the famous answer to this question doesn’t mean that his household would be saved without believing for themselves. The head of a household can and does have a major impact on the faith, or lack of it, of everyone in the household, but that doesn’t remove the matter of individual responsibility. That said, the spiritual dynamic of a faithful, or faithless, husband and father is a major reason the devil attacks the whole concept of the man as the head of his household. As it says in verse 34, this jailer’s whole family believed because of what happened, and therefore were indeed saved.

Ministering in Japan as I do, I see this dynamic at work all the time. Buddhism has no concept of salvation in its theology, as three different Buddhist priests have acknowledged to me at different times and locations. The best they can come up with is “mu,” an “emptying of self,” but it literally means “nothing.” As a result, Japanese people tend to be stoic but not aspirational, not seeking salvation because they don’t know it exists. When they use the term, they are almost always thinking of physical, temporal relief. Actually, many Americans tend to think of it that way too! “Eternal salvation” is a concept that all too often simply doesn’t register. It is only when we grasp the reality that we are eternal beings on this earth for a few moments only, that we can come to the position, which I have touched on several times recently, that “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) Salvation in Christ rocks!

Father, You know the difficulties I have communicating the Gospel better than I do. You also know better than I do how well it’s actually getting across. However, nothing is difficult for You. I ask that You get through to men in particular to show them their need of salvation and the possibility of it, so that families may be restored in Your family, rising up to restore society as a whole and bringing Your rule and reign, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Divine Appointments; October 1, 2021

Posted on October 4, 2021 by jgarrott

Acts 16:18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

Several things are interesting about this. One is that the demonic spirit was causing the girl to speak truth. Paul and his group were indeed “servants of the most high God, telling [the people of Phillipi] the way to be saved.” (verse 17) The fact that the girl’s pronouncements were accurate was precisely what made her owners so much money. You might think Paul would have welcomed such a method of getting the news out. However, we don’t have any record of people being converted at this point, though perhaps some were. It would seem that not all publicity is good after all! The second thing that interests me is that the girl’s constant shouting really got on Paul’s nerves, and he exercised the power of the name of Jesus to cast the spirit out. God even uses our irritations! We have the record in the following verses of the response of the girl’s owners to this happening, but I find myself wondering about the response of the girl herself. Did she become a follower of Christ, or did she miss the power and influence the spirit had given her? We really don’t know, but I like to think she was a part of the group to whom Paul later wrote so warmly. The Philippian church obviously had a special place in his heart. All of these events were setting the stage for what would be a severe trial for Paul and Silas, but which blessed many people at the time and countless people in the centuries since then who have read Luke’s account. We never know when God has a special appointment for us, nor whether that appointment will be pleasant at the time or not, but we can be confident that the outcome will be very good, and for His glory, if we will yield ourselves and our circumstances to Him.

I couldn’t begin to count how many “divine appointments” I’ve had, particularly because I haven’t been aware of all of them. I’ve said and done things that later turned out to have been Him using me, that I myself didn’t remember at all! That’s not at all to say that everything I do is “a work of God.” I would be foolish indeed to think that! At the same time, I need to operate in the awareness that God can use anything at all for His purposes – even my irritation, as He used Paul’s in this instance. I can say that it feels very good to meet divine appointments when I’m aware of them, and it causes me to shake my head in wonder when I discover I’ve met one without realizing it. We use Romans 8:28 to comfort ourselves and others when things are rough, but that actually applies to every element of our lives. I am to be as intentional as possible in yielding every detail of my life to God so that He can use it for good, according to His perfect plan.

Father, thank You for including me in Your plan. Thank You for the appointments You have set up for me today, though I’m only aware of a fraction of them. Thank You for giving me the notes yesterday for Sunday’s message. I ask for Your guidance and anointing today as I prepare the notes for speaking to the Rotary Club on Tuesday. May my every encounter, every action today accomplish Your purposes on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Church; September 30, 2021

Posted on October 2, 2021 by jgarrott

Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

This is very much in line with yesterday’s passage. This is about what we would call “lay leadership,” but the distinctions of “lay” and “clergy” didn’t really exist back then. There is no direct mention here of qualifications to be an “elder,” but given the term and the culture, age was almost certainly involved. At the same time, as the saying goes, “There’s no fool like an old fool.” Age alone doesn’t qualify you for anything. Paul goes into detail about qualifications for overseers/bishops and deacons in 1 Timothy 3, and with less detail in Titus 1, but those were written quite some time after this. My guess is that some of the choices of “elders” weren’t ideal! At the same time, I’m sure the “batting average” was quite high, because they were so totally dedicated to and dependent on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He knows what is in a person’s heart! I’m sure there were some who let their title go to their head, and some who ran from the responsibilities involved in their position, but Paul and Barnabas weren’t depending on the people they were appointing, they were depending on God. He’s the reason the Church still exists today, despite the various unfortunate leaders and horrible policies that have surfaced over the past 2000 years. I’m reminded of the hymn that says, “Built on the Rock, the Church shall stand, even while steeples are falling.” Human organizations and institutions aren’t the main issue, it’s the Body of Christ, and He said He would build His Church. (Matthew 16:18) Individual churches are under terrific attack in various places around the world today, but that is never a reason for despair. Individual churches might disband and buildings be demolished or used for other purposes, but the Church cannot be demolished. In 1973 Bill Gaither wrote The Church Triumphant on this very topic, and he went on to write many, many more songs that have built up the Church for the glory of God. The Church is made up of very fallible people, but our Head is omniscient and omnipotent, and as long as we are connected to Him, we have nothing to worry about.

This is very close to home for me. Not only am I a local church pastor, we are organizationally completely independent. We have no “safety net,” organizationally speaking. I am 73, and do not at this point have a “designated successor.” Actually, I’ve never received as much from the church as I have given in offerings, so I don’t have an income to offer someone. Money had nothing to do with what Paul and Barnabas did here, so that isn’t a genuine issue, however big it might seem to human eyes. The Lord has been intimating for some time that He was going to move me out into wider ministry, but what that will mean is still completely unknown. Paul’s ministry was certainly wide! The prayer and fasting mentioned here are an excellent course for me to take. I am to be very aware of the need for leadership other than me and keep my heart open for whatever the Lord would say, but I’m not to be anxious about anything.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that You are absolutely faithful and reliable. Help me fulfill Your plans in every detail, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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