Group Prayer; August 20, 2021

Posted on August 22, 2021 by jgarrott

Luke 1:10-11 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

I don’t think I’ve ever noticed before that Gabriel came to speak to Zechariah specifically at a point when there were people (the Japanese specifies many) outside praying. They certainly weren’t praying for an angel to appear, nor were they praying for Zechariah and Elizabeth to have a child, but they were praying. We don’t know exactly how it works, but there is such a thing as an atmosphere of prayer. When a group of people are collectively focused on God, it is much more likely that He will do something out of the ordinary. It isn’t “easier” for Him to act, though we might use that terminology, because nothing is difficult for Him, but you could say that circumstances become more conducive to His acting. It is certainly true that our hearts become more receptive to Him in such situations. I have heard numbers of stories of things that have happened at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, where people often gather in considerable numbers to pray. I really think hindering group prayer and worship was a major purpose of the devil in inspiring people to create the COVID-19 virus. I won’t go into all the ramifications of that, but suffice it to say that united prayer is powerful indeed, and the devil fears it. If the devil is against something, we would be wise to be for it, and practice it as much as possible!

I tend to put a lot of emphasis on individual, devotional prayer, so this is an important reminder for me. I have indeed been in Christian conferences where the atmosphere of prayer was so strong that nothing at all would have been particularly surprising. Sadly, those planning such conferences have seldom placed real emphasis on that, but rather focused on the headlined speakers. Man focuses on the external, but God focuses on the heart! I get the newsletters from Intercessors For America, and they are very good and helpful, but at the same time they can be overwhelming. There are so many things to pray for! My default response tends to be to resort to a generic sort of prayer or praying in tongues, which isn’t necessarily bad, but it isn’t particularly focused, and the Lord has told me to preach this coming Sunday on Specific Prayer. I don’t have those notes yet, but it was good to have this Word from Him before preparing them. As I have said several times in the course of this months-long series on prayer, (with no end in sight) prayer is on the one hand so simple that we do better to be like little children in doing it, and on the other hand so deep that we will never “master” it until we are before the Throne, with no hindrances whatsoever to fellowship with our Father.

Father, thank You indeed for speaking this to me at this point. I do ask for clear guidance and anointing as I type the notes for Sunday, but more than that, I ask You to keep growing me in prayer, so that I may be so in tune with you that You find it very easy to use me to accomplish Your will, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Trusting God’s Provision; August 19, 2021

Posted on August 21, 2021 by jgarrott

Mark 12:43-44 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything–all she had to live on.”

This is a justly famous story, and it seems very fitting that Peter had Mark record it right after talking about hypocritical religious leaders. (verses 38-40) We are entirely prone to judge by externals, when God never does. This woman certainly made no show of her offering, but her faith and devotion were undeniable, and I think the Father pointed it out to His Son, with great love for the widow. Jesus in turn used it to teach this powerful lesson to His disciples, and through them, to all the generations to follow. This woman certainly has a place of honor in heaven! This is indeed a challenge to everyone of faith. How much do we trust God? How truly do we believe that He is Yahweh Yireh, (commonly mispronounced as Jehovah Jireh) our Provider? (Genesis 22:14) It was pointed out to me many years ago that people will say, “All I had to depend on was God,” as though that were a bad thing! There is actually no place of greater security! We believe, as abstract fact, that God created everything and nothing is impossible for Him, but we have trouble believing in practical terms that He is going to meet our needs. That has been true ever since the Garden of Eden. That’s why Jesus taught on the issue so often. This is one of those instances, but probably the most famous is what He said in the Sermon on the Mount: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) We quote that and even sing it, but do we really believe it? This widow, seeking God, gave Him all she had to live on. We have no record of how He did it, but I’m sure He met her needs beautifully.

I have experienced God’s provision more times and in more ways that I could write, certainly in this post. I’ve been encouraged to write an autobiography, and someday I may get around to it, but here I just want to say that I serve an incredibly gracious, generous God. I have told many times how it was in a time of notable poverty for us that we committed ourselves to tithing, not at the end of the month but as soon as money came in, and we’ve never been that poor since. I feel some empathy with that widow! Our cash flow has certainly seen its ups and downs, and at times I have panicked, but God has met every need on His schedule. Sometimes that schedule has caused me a lot of anxiety, but that was simply to grow my faith and teach me not to be presumptuous. I doubt that my death will bring any kind of financial jackpot to my heirs, but I’m pretty happy about my investments in heaven. As a pastor, some of the greatest problems in this church have come from people who couldn’t really believe that “Where God guides, He provides.” (That’s from a refrigerator magnet, not the Bible, but it’s true!) We’ve had several people actually leave the church over the issue. I worry that my testimonies of God’s provision will come across as bragging, but I want to brag on God! I want all of the believers to be active in their obedience to God, not lazy, but truly being anxious for nothing, trusting God for everything. (Philippians 4:6) That is the route to peace in this uncertain world.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that it applies to more than finances! Help me walk in trusting obedience, today and every day, so that I will be fully useful to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Peter; August 18, 2021

Posted on August 21, 2021 by jgarrott

Mark 11:25 “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

The story as a whole is certainly famous, and we ran into the account in Matthew on the 10th. However, Mark has long been understood as Peter’s recollection of events, and this version seems more realistic about the fig tree. Where Matthew says the tree withered “immediately,” (Matthew 21:19) Mark says they noticed it the next day, and Peter was the one who pointed it out. (verses 20-21) Then we have the powerful, even hyperbolic, statements on prayer and faith, and then Mark records this statement on prayer and forgiveness, which Matthew includes right after recording the Lord’s Prayer. (Matthew 6:14 Some manuscripts of Mark include what Matthew records in the next verse too.) By the time he was dictating to Mark, Peter was acutely aware of the whole issue of forgiveness. After all, he had so famously denied three times that he even knew Jesus, at the time of Jesus’ trial. I would imagine that Peter was very quick to forgive anyone for anything! It’s very helpful to remember that all of the people in the Bible were real people, very similar to us. When we place them at too much of a remove in our minds, we lose many of the lessons God wants to teach us through the written record. Peter was an obviously flawed individual, but his flaws were actually neither greater nor less than our own flaws. When he could mess up as badly as he did and still be used by God as much as he was, then God should have no trouble using us! Too many people disqualify themselves in their own minds from active discipleship, simply because they are looking too much at themselves instead of at God, for whom all things are possible. It is foolish indeed to demand that God use us, but we all need to keep ourselves available in case He should choose to do so. After all, God took a brash, ignorant fisherman and made him a pillar of the Church!

I’ve been on both sides of this issue. At one point, when I actually wasn’t walking closely with God at all, I thought, “Of course God would use me. Look how qualified I am!” It was after that, that God showed me the depths of my sinful pride, and I collapsed in tearful repentance. I feel like I have some grasp of how Peter felt when Jesus looked at him as the rooster crowed. (Luke 22:60-62) However, that didn’t totally cure me of conceit, as much as I wish it had. I too need to be active in fixing my eyes on Jesus or I will get off track. (Hebrews 12:2) I know that He can do anything at all, even using me, and I need to give Him full permission to do so, or not. It is pride that insists that “I am the vessel,” but it is unbelief that says, “He couldn’t use me.” After all, He used a donkey to speak to Balaam! (Numbers 22)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me keep myself available to You at all times, to do Your will and Yours alone, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Best; August 17, 2021

Posted on August 20, 2021 by jgarrott

Mark 10:51-52 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Prayer is very interesting. As Jesus said very clearly, God knows what we need before we ask Him. (Matthew 6:8) Why then pray? Because our faith in God as our Provider needs to be focused. This episode might not look like prayer, but Bartimaeus was certainly asking Jesus for something specific, and Jesus responded. Sometimes we get into trouble by trying to dictate to God, but sometimes we need to be very clear in our own heart just what it is that we want from Him. One indication that Bartimaeus’ heart was right in this instance was that after receiving healing, he followed Jesus. Too often we want to receive from God and then go on our own merry way ignoring Him. That’s not genuine faith! If we want God’s best for us, we need to give our best to Him. A hymn I have sung from childhood has exactly that message and that title: Our Best. We have preachers today talking about “Your Best Life Now,” when our best is to be given to God since He has already given His Son to us. When our focus is on our own pleasure, we certainly will not walk in God’s best for us.

This obviously was taught to me as a child, and I’m grateful. We also sang, Give of Your Best to the Master, but more than just singing about it, I saw my parents’ dedication to the Lord, not just in “missionary work” but in every facet of their lives. That’s the example I had, but I wish I could say I had done better about following it! I have indeed learned, sometimes the hard way, that God’s way is best, and that to receive it I have to give Him everything of me. Materially speaking, it all came from Him in the first place, but that is also true of the talents and abilities I consider “mine.” Actually they are on loan from Him, so I need to treat them that way. I’ve known that in my head for a long time, but I don’t always act like it! I desire to lead others to follow Christ, but I will not be effective if I am failing to follow Him faithfully myself.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for getting us through the week in the gallery, and for enabling us to get it all taken down yesterday. Guide me today in getting the pictures out of the frames and into clear files, as well as in delivering the pictures that were ordered. May my photography talents, as well as everything else, be used exactly as You desire, drawing others to You and bringing You glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Deliverance Ministry; August 16, 2021

Posted on August 20, 2021 by jgarrott

Mark 9:28-29 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer. “

It has always struck me as interesting, to say the least, that even though Jesus said that prayer was required, there is no record in this narrative of Him praying in the process of the exorcism. Only two possibilities occur to me. The first is what has been called “telegram prayer,” such as exemplified by Nehemiah in Nehemiah 2:4. (These days many younger people have no idea what a telegram is. Maybe they would understand if we called it a “prayer tweet.”) Since such are rarely out loud, Jesus’ prayer would not have been recorded. The other possibility seems to be that of being “prayed up” ahead of time. Prayer is fellowship with our Father, so this could have been referring to a deep level of intimacy with God. This actually is a very important question in ministry, because no one on the earth today experiences the “success rate” of healing and deliverance that Jesus did. That said, if we didn’t try, none of the people to whom we minister would be healed or delivered! In this story, it is significant that the disciples were genuinely puzzled as to why their efforts weren’t successful. They had already experienced being sent out by Jesus, commissioned by Him to heal and deliver, and seeing success as they did so. (Luke 10:17) We sometimes forget that we have been commissioned by the Son of God to be His agents! We won’t “bat 1000,” but if we stay humbly related to Him, we can expect His power to operate through us. “Prayer tweets” are entirely appropriate, on the base of regular, deep fellowship. After all, Jesus said that it is to the Father’s glory that we bear much fruit! (John 15:8)

To be honest, I don’t reach out in deliverance as often as I used to. That’s probably because I haven’t seen as many successes as I would have liked. And probably I was inhibited by not wanting to appear foolish if nothing happened. How foolish of me! I am forever telling other people to take their eyes off of themselves, and yet I draw back from ministry because of concern as to how I will look! Yesterday a young man came into the gallery who was obviously “not right,” and dealing with him was tiring to say the least. However, it never occurred to me to act for his deliverance. I’ve got plenty of room to grow as the Lord’s agent! I need to stay in fellowship with my Lord so that I will recognize His appointments and not run from them. I want to be the kind of disciple that demons hear about and try to avoid! (Acts 19:15)

Father, thank You for this wake-up call! Some people with active deliverance ministry visiting Japan have said that there are so many, they literally don’t know where to start. Keep me from launching out on my own, but help me be fully, obediently responsive to You so that I may set people free according to Your will for Your glory alone. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Response to Opposition; August 15, 2021

Posted on August 19, 2021 by jgarrott

Mark 8:11-12 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.”

When Jesus had just fed 4000 men, plus women and children, on seven loaves and a few fish, the absurdity of this demand of the Pharisees is obvious. They weren’t interested in getting a sign, they were just trying to get Jesus into trouble. Again I am in no way suggesting that Donald Trump was/is a Christ figure, but this sort of behavior seems very familiar to us today, considering how Trump’s political enemies, including the media, attacked him. As a conservative commentator said, Trump could have come up with a cure for cancer and they would still have attacked him for it! Just as Jesus did in this case, the only thing to be done for such behavior is to walk away from it. Trump’s angry self-defense was a major weak point for him. Rather than copying Donald Trump, we need to do as Jesus did, speaking truth and walking away to keep doing whatever the Lord has told us to do. The temptation to get into arguments and even fights can be intense at times, but yielding to that temptation is generally detrimental. There are those who are called to present truth through the medium of debate, but it has become glaringly obvious that those opposed to truth aren’t interested in debate, because they know they will be exposed. We are to speak the truth in love as the Lord gives us opportunity, but not respond with angry words when we are attacked. We aren’t to back down, apologizing when we have done nothing wrong, but rather speak God’s truth with God’s wisdom in God’s love. In the current climate, that will often get us accused of “hate speech,” but nothing could be further from the truth. It is not love to deny biology, for example. There are powerful spirits of delusion loose in the world, and bowing to them is damaging to everyone involved. The intensity of the current conflict leads many to feel we are indeed in the Last Days, and that could well be the case. Our response to everything must be to abide in the One who is the way, the truth, and the life, (John 13:6) and let Him be our defense.

Just yesterday, on the way back to the gallery from picking up some lunch at a nearby convenience store, I was accosted by a young man who was evidently with Sokagakkai (the Buddhist equivalent of Jehovah’s Witnesses). I responded to him politely, but said I was very familiar with Buddhism, having written a paper on it, and I didn’t let him tie me down. Not long after that he showed up in the gallery, where I welcomed him as I did other visitors, with the prayer that my words and my attitude would in some way communicate the love of God to him. I could have picked apart anything he could have said to me about Buddhism, but I don’t think that would have in any way drawn him to Christ. As has been said, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. That’s far more than a clever play on words! I am certainly tempted to get defensive at times, and too often I yield to that, but I need instead to let God be my defense, He’s got it all covered!

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for all that You are doing. Thank You for Your protection in this weather, and that the rain looks likely to let up a bit today. We had the fewest visitors we’ve ever had in a day at the gallery, I think, in 12 years of holding these annual shows, but one of those visitors was very important indeed, and I thank You for the opportunity to minister to her. I ask for Your anointing on the service this morning, on the time at the gallery this afternoon, and on our last day at the gallery tomorrow. May the people that You intend attend each thing, being impacted by Your Spirit and drawn to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Supply; August 14, 2021

Posted on August 19, 2021 by jgarrott

Mark 6:41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.

This is of course a very famous story. However, there is one detail I have always wondered about. Did the bread and fish multiply as He was breaking them, or as the disciples were distributing them? If it were just as Jesus was breaking them, He would have been doing that a long time! I think it must have happened both times, so the disciples were actively involved in the multiplication. That must have been exciting indeed! This reminds me of the story of Elisha and the widow’s jar of oil. (2 Kings 4:1-7) God’s supply is infinite, but being finite ourselves, we have a lot of trouble grasping that. One of the beautiful things of His kingdom is that we sometimes get to be part of that supply. It’s like the disciples in this story, distributing bread and fish and the supply just not running out. They might have been hesitant at first, but I’d bet they got pretty enthusiastic before they were done! The thing is, we don’t experience that joy until we get started giving out. Just thinking about letting God’s supply flow through us doesn’t make it happen! James was very pointed about this (as he was about a number of things). “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16) It is true that there are countless needs all around us, and we can’t be involved in every one. However, God does want us to be involved in His supply chain, and we need to be open to do whatever He directs. If the disciples had tried distributing the bread and fish on their own, they would have run out in very short order. However, if we are focused on our own resources, we will never hear and obey when God says, “Give.” It is sadly true that some religious hucksters have twisted this spiritual truth to get people to give to them. I’m glad I won’t have to answer for them before God’s throne! We must not let such works of evil keep us from participating in God’s works that He wants to do through us.

As I have written before, I have been very slow to get involved in material provision for others. Thankfully, in recent years that has changed somewhat, and I am grateful. To be honest, I am constantly bombarded with requests for funds. Many of those are noble and good, but I get so many I turn them all off! It has taken a real change of mindset to choose a few to which to contribute. More personally, I have experienced many times the joy of meeting a need of someone close at hand. That’s fun! That’s why I feel like I can understand how the disciples felt when they were distributing the bread and fish. Another side of that is the matter of giving emotionally and spiritually. Always giving and seldom receiving in that area is the recipe for burnout. The only answer for that is to deepen and broaden our connection to our supply, our infinite Lord. He does tell us to take time off, just as Jesus tried to do with His disciples in this story, but even when that doesn’t work out, as it didn’t in this story, God’s grace is sufficient if we will open ourselves up to Him. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. We were pretty done in when the hotel where we had been planning to take a break called to say they would be closed because of COVID. Thank You for the ministry we were able to do yesterday, and that You are going to get us through the rest of this time in the City Gallery. This continuous rain storm, that looks to to continue for as much as another week, is also draining. It’s interesting to see Nagasaki weather in the national news! Help us indeed take our eyes off of ourselves and our circumstances so that we can let Your supply, Your grace, love, and joy, flow through us unhindered, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Morning Devotions; August 13, 2021

Posted on August 15, 2021 by jgarrott

Mark 1:35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

This verse has always been an encouragement to me, but a lot of people seem to prefer to ignore it. Getting up early to pray requires adherence to priorities that can be very difficult in modern society. Sleep is of course essential for everyone, and many things combine to keep us up late at night. Early morning prayer was easier before electricity! Actually, many people are becoming aware of the dangers of late-night “screen time,” whether it be TV, computer, or increasingly, smart phones. Phones these days have “night mode” to cut down the amount of blue light emitted, but that doesn’t correct the basic problem of staying awake late. As people get older they naturally tend to go to bed earlier and get up earlier, so I’m not very convincing in talking to young people about early morning devotions! All of that is actually peripheral to the central issue of placing fellowship with God first, in both time and energy. One thing Jesus did here can be very important, and that is getting away from distractions, and specifically other people. I’ve been at Christian meetings where they were trying to encourage people to have morning devotions, but everything was organized into groups. Group worship and group prayer are wonderful, but they are no substitute for a personal, individual relationship with Heavenly Father. That’s why “a solitary place” (the Japanese says, “a lonely place”) is highly advisable, if available.

I’ve written before about how I knew morning devotions were advisable, but when I tried to get into the practice as a college student I didn’t last long at all. I think I literally fulfilled a Japanese proverb about abandoning resolutions after three days. It wasn’t until several years later, as a married father, after God showed me the state of my soul and I repented in tears, that I became hungry enough for God that I actually got into the habit of praying and reading the Bible every morning. That’s been 48 years ago now, and I can hardly imagine living any other way. Whatever people might say of me now, I certainly wasn’t an “old codger” when I started! Because my handwriting is so poor, or perhaps because I’m such a geek, I’ve found computers to be very helpful for my devotional notes, but some people might be the other way around. As a pastor, I think getting the believers into a consistent practice of daily devotions is one of my strongest goals, but I have little wisdom in how to make it happen. It all comes down to answering the Father’s call to come close to Him.

Father, thank You for enabling me to answer Your call. I pray that I would be increasingly effective in encouraging others to do so as well, so that together we may be the useful disciples that Your desire, doing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Human Weakness; August 12, 2021

Posted on August 15, 2021 by jgarrott

Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Every time I read this passage I remember an experiment that was done in the early days of computer translation between languages. It was at the height of the Cold War, so naturally Russian was the target language. They input, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” and converted to Russian, and then they fed that back into the computer the other direction. What came out was, “The vodka is good, but the meat is rotten.” Algorithms and computing power have both come a long way since then, but computer translation is still a very hit-or-miss business. The Japanese here might be a little harder to scramble: “Even if the heart is burning, the physical body is weak.” We have all experienced that! We have the best of intentions, but simply don’t follow through. The good news is that God loves us anyway, and He doesn’t give up on us. Peter and John, two of the people specifically addressed here, went on to magnificent ministries, though they had other lapses along the way. We need to remember that, along with Paul’s clear words that “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13) He works on our heart, our intentions, and then He enables us to follow through more and more. Sometimes He enables us to do the right thing even when we didn’t intend to! We aren’t to be satisfied with being weak, but at the same time we aren’t to be constantly accusing ourselves over it. Repentance is a daily activity, but it shouldn’t lead to despair. We’ve got to remember that God is more powerful than our weaknesses, and rest in that assurance.

This certainly applies to me! If I were fully effective in all my desires and intentions, Japan would be an actively Christian nation by now! I am constantly confronted with the reality that I can accomplish nothing good on my own; I am totally dependent on God. That said, my obedience is still required. As Paul said, “It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2) I am never to use my obvious weaknesses as an excuse. I am given tools of various sorts, and various opportunities to use them. I am responsible and accountable for all of that. I couldn’t begin to count up all my failures in that area, because I’m not even aware of all of them! I am never to complain, but remember that God’s grace is just as sufficient for me as it was for Paul. (2 Corinthians 12:9) If I were always strong, God wouldn’t get the glory! I am to keep growing in obedience, so that His purposes may be accomplished in and through me on His schedule, for His glory alone.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for what You are doing in the photo show. Cathy and I are already feeling the strain, and today is just the 3rd day! It was a major blow yesterday to get a call saying that the hotel where we had planned to take a little rest after the show is over will be closed because of COVID. We still aren’t at peace or agreement about what to do instead. Thank You that You know our needs better than we do. Help us indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, knowing that Your plans for us are good indeed. Thank You. Praise God!

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Last Days; August 11, 2021

Posted on August 14, 2021 by jgarrott

Matthew 24:12-13 “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

People have been reading this chapter for 2000 years and responding either rightly or wrongly, regardless of the historical era. There are scholars today who say that much of this was fulfilled in AD 70, at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. That is possible, but as I commented when the reading was in Isaiah 7, many prophecies had, and continue to have, multiple “fulfillments” in different ways. Pointing at various things in this chapter and saying they have already been fulfilled doesn’t mean they aren’t coming up for their final, ultimate fulfillment. Since Jesus was adamant about no one knowing when the world would end, (Matthew 24:36) the point for us is to be on our guard against the various dangers and pitfalls mentioned. I have always maintained that for anyone old enough to read this chapter, the end of the world is no more than 100 years in the future! Many of the things mentioned are out of our control. Certainly earthquakes are, and generally, famines and wars. However, each of us is personally responsible for what is mentioned here. We can’t control another person’s fervor, but we are accountable for our own. We can certainly see plenty of “increase of wickedness,” (the Japanese says, “lawlessness”) so we’ve got to keep tabs on our “spiritual temperature.” Many translations say, “the love of many will grow cold,” but this is another of the few places I prefer the NIV, saying “the love of most.” That should be a very sobering thought! Frankly, we seldom pay attention unless it’s a famous person who goes apostate, but in recent years there have certainly been plenty of those. I well remember how saddened I was when B. J. Thomas declared he was no longer a Christian. Some of his songs still bless me, particularly Home Where I Belong, but that is simply evidence that the message is often greater than the messenger. We’ve got to remember that no one is above needing to take in God’s Word daily, letting it permeate our heart, and then living it out under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Those who interpret “love” as simply emotion are very quick to fall away, because our emotions are unreliable. I think every believer goes through times when they don’t feel a thing. That makes it essential that our commitment is far deeper than emotion. (Exactly the same thing can be said of marriage, but that’s another long discussion.) The Japanese renders verse 13 as “He who endures to the end will be saved.” Sometimes it does come down to white-knuckled endurance, but God is faithful. As Paul told us clearly, we must not give up and “go with the flow” of the world. (Romans 12:2)

Of course I’m talking to myself here as much as I’m talking to anyone else. The minute I think I’m “above” all this, I lay myself open to the attacks and deceptions of the devil. I see some of the things mentioned in this chapter almost every day. I’ve got to remember Jesus’ words in the Upper Room: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me.” (John 14:1) I am to look forward to eternity with my Lord, whether that is at the end of all things or simply at my own personal end, and I am to strive to be faithful until that day, however white my knuckles might get from hanging on! I am to remember God’s gracious words to Jeremiah at a time of extreme distress, (Jeremiah 29:11) and rest, relax, and rejoice in my Lord, whatever the journey looks like at the moment.

Father, thank You for this Word. It is always timely! It was sad yesterday to hear that a friend’s wife is probably in her personal last days, but that is in Your hands. The question now is simply how much of the Gospel she has absorbed, and how she responds. Help me remember that I may be the only opportunity someone has to hear the Gospel. May I be faithful indeed, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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