Last Days; September 4, 2021

Posted on September 7, 2021 by jgarrott

Luke 21:36 “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

The world is unquestionably a mess, so the question becomes, as Francis Schaeffer wrote in 1976, “How should we then live?” Jesus gives us the answer here, but it is the responsibility of each believer to seek the Lord for the details in their own life. Ever since Jesus spoke these words almost 2000 years ago, each generation has faced their own challenges, leading believers to feel that indeed they were in the Last Days. Obviously the end hasn’t come yet, but some of the things Jesus specified, such as the Gospel of the kingdom being preached in the whole world, (Matthew 24:14) seem much closer to being fulfilled today than they have ever been. Some of the things look like they were fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70, but John probably hadn’t even written his Gospel at that point. Timelines are always problematical, and getting obsessed with them distracts from what Jesus tells us to do in this verse. Each of us needs to remember that our own personal “appointment with destiny” isn’t very far off. We are to be on our guard against the many devious and diabolically clever tricks of the enemy, but at the same time not rely on our own strength but on God. Jesus’ kid brother Jude put it beautifully: “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25) Jude was obviously writing in a time of considerable turmoil and trouble, but he knew his brother who had become his Lord, and that was enough. We need to be the same way, on our guard but at peace at the same time.

The subject of “Last Days” and how so many people seem oblivious to the “signs of the times” came up last night at dinner with missionary friends. They have lots of young children at home still, so their emotional perspective is different from Cathy’s and mine, but they were in agreement that nothing can stop God’s clock. As I commented to a missionary friend from Hong Kong two days ago, I’ve learned the hard way that human effort on its own accomplishes nothing good, but God does use such weak, flawed instruments as we are to accomplish His will. My task isn’t to be great, it’s to be obedient. I personally would like to see such things as the moon and Mars colonies that are being discussed and looking increasingly possible, but that sort of thing is totally unimportant compared to the eternal destiny of human souls. I am to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, drawing as many people along with me as will come, so that whatever happens, and whenever it happens, we may indeed be able to stand before the Son of Man with great joy, when that moment comes.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Such reminders seem to be increasingly frequent! Help me be anxious for nothing but trust You in everything, allowing You to use me however You choose, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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Childlike Faith; September 3, 2021

Posted on September 7, 2021 by jgarrott

Luke 18:17 “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

This is a famous statement by Jesus, but the question arises, how does a child receive things? The thing that stands out to me is that there is no pretension, and there is no thought of “worthiness.” If they want it, they receive it, and their delight can be a wonder to see. We “adults” put on so many airs! We want to earn things, to be able to say we got them by our own effort, when the kingdom of God cannot be attained that way. In some ways we rebel against Paul’s famous statement that salvation occurs by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:18) Where’s the pride in that? As Paul explicitly says in the very next verse, there can be no “pride of achievement” in salvation. A little child has no real “pride of achievement.” Actually, they have no pride at all! If they are secure in their parents’ love, and they should be, then if they want something, they want it, period. We should be that way about God’s kingdom and His righteousness, as Jesus so famously told us. (Matthew 6:33) We aren’t to be passive and self-centered about it all, as Paul went on to explain. (Ephesians 2:20) We should apply all that God gives us, to do that for which He gave it to us, but worries about whether we can do that shouldn’t keep us from receiving in the first place. That’s another thing about a little child: they don’t worry. As they grow they do have to learn that things don’t always turn out the way they want them to, but unless they have been abused, anxiety is far from the heart of a little child. Anxiety is directly counter to faith, Our attitude should be, “If Daddy wants to give it to me, then it’s good, and I want it.” We need to remember another thing Jesus said: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

This is a struggle even I have. I get all wrapped up in “adulting” and fail to receive from my Father in childlike wonder. I have had problems with pride most of my life, and as I’ve said, pride has no part in receiving the kingdom of God. By His grace He has shown me that I am in no way “worthy,” but that He has provided eternal salvation for me anyway. There is every reason for gratitude to be the overwhelming theme of my life. I am grateful, but I still allow myself to be sidetracked by all sorts of things that are ultimately of no significance at all. As Paul so beautifully said, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) Rather than get wrapped up in the frustration of the moment, I need to be looking forward in childlike anticipation of the next good thing my Daddy has for me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the beautiful dream You gave me this morning of a congregation singing I Surrender All in acapella harmony. May I indeed surrender all to You, knowing that what You have for me is far greater and more wonderful than anything I can imagine. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Those in Authority; September 2, 2021

Posted on September 6, 2021 by jgarrott

Luke 18:2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men.”

This verse is a minor detail in this story, but my sermon on August 15th was based on verse 1, so that part is in a sense a little too fresh in my awareness. This verse, with which Jesus starts out his parable, expresses a sad reality that is as true today as it was back then: not all judges are worthy of the trust and authority they are given. Legally speaking, a judge needs to be very familiar with the law and well able to apply it to the cases that come before him (or her), but sadly, the character traits that we would desire in such people are all too often overlooked. Appointments to the bench are very often political. If you agree with those politics you might not even notice, but you certainly notice when the one doing the appointing is your political enemy. I’m sure this happens in every country, but I’m only familiar with Japan and America, and the issue has been far more publicized in the US. Jesus is here specifying the character of this judge, and the way the Japanese expresses it is striking: “He didn’t think of people as people.” There are certainly people in all sorts of positions of authority who are that way, and it is sad indeed. A judge needs to be objective, not swayed by emotion, but there is the temptation for those in “superior” positions to look down on everyone else, eventually denying their humanity. That is tragic, and it is being demonstrated right now in the attitudes and actions of some US politicians and military brass in relation to the situation in Afghanistan. I won’t go into some of the details I have heard, but it is tragic indeed. In other countries it might be different, but in America the politicians and the military work for the people, and not the other way around. The temptation to anger is very strong, but this parable explicitly points out that God is not corrupt, and He’s still on His throne. He looks at each person as a person, far better than we do. This is why we are to pray that His name would be acknowledged as holy and His reign be manifested in the earth, causing His will to be done as perfectly here as it is before His throne.

This is something I have run into in Japan as well, when the mayor of Omura, who happened to be a Christian, was framed for “accepting bribes” because he wouldn’t go along with the “swamp,” and the governor targeted him. I was only in the courtroom for the closing arguments, but I was absolutely floored when the guilty verdict came down. (It wasn’t a jury trial.) The sentence was suspended, but the mayor was removed from office. Interestingly, once the statute of limitations had passed, he was elected for two more terms, and died in office. Right now, the situation in the US has me torn between anger and grief. All I can do is pray, knowing that “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16) I know I have no power on my own, but I also know that I can talk with the One who has all power, and I need to do that with persistence, just as Jesus was teaching in this parable.

Father, thank You for this reminder, particularly after I watched that very upsetting video yesterday. I pray that all those in the “chain of command” would fear You, and “see people as people,” so that the unjust plans of the enemy may be thwarted and Your plans fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Holy Spirit; September 1, 2021

Posted on September 6, 2021 by jgarrott

Luke 11:13 “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

It’s very interesting to see the little differences in how the different Gospel writers recorded essentially the same teaching or circumstances. Matthew and John were of course present at the time, Mark was there for some of it but for the most part recorded Peter’s recollections, and Luke researched the whole thing in order to write it, probably while Paul was in prison in Caesarea. (Acts 23-26) John has the most “different” material, because at the time he wrote the other three were already circulating as handwritten copies, and he wanted to fill in what he considered to be some blanks. Luke can be seen as perhaps the most objective, since as a doctor he was scientific, but his perspective was from having been saved through the ministry of Paul, probably at Troas, and then traveling extensively with him on his missionary journeys. (Acts 16:10) Luke wrote from having seen God act through people who were not Jesus, and his desire was that every believer understand that they too could be used by God. That underlies this verse, which Matthew records as simply “good gifts.” (Matthew 7:11) Luke knew that the Holy Spirit is the best thing God can give anyone, after eternal life itself! However, far too few Christians ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We ask for all sorts of things, but fail to ask to be filled by the One who is the key to everything else. Part of that comes from seeing some people who have unfortunately sensationalized everything related to the Holy Spirit, or else from feeling that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is some sort of “merit badge,” and they aren’t worthy to receive Him. Both of those are very unfortunate distortions, greatly encouraged by the father of lies, who greatly fears Spirit-empowered believers. Our faith needs to be childlike enough to trust that our Father will give us the very best, and to know that nothing gets any better than His Spirit, and so ask to “keep on being filled,” just as Paul wrote. (Ephesians 5:18, if you follow the Greek verb tenses)

This verse was directly instrumental in my own experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I had been seeking the baptism for several months to no avail, and finally consulted with a friend. That friend very wisely said, “How do you receive anything from God? By grace through faith, right? Do you believe God has promised you His Spirit?” I replied in the affirmative, specifically quoting this verse. “Then, ask Him to fill you with His Spirit and then thank Him for being true to His Word, without setting conditions on what is to happen or how.” I did as he recommended, later that night as I sat on the bed ready to go to sleep, and didn’t feel a thing. However, two days later I abruptly realized that I was talking with a total stranger about Jesus, Acts 1:8 came to mind, and I knew that God had been true to His promise. Various spiritual gifts came later, but I remain very grateful that God so graciously cleared up my confusing His Spirit with His gifts. Seeking the gifts ahead of the Spirit lays us open to counterfeit, demonic “gifts,” and those are sadly in evidence in the world today.

Father, thank You for Your grace toward me. I pray that it would in no way be in vain, but would accomplish all that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Protection from Harm; August 31, 2021

Posted on September 2, 2021 by jgarrott

Luke 10:19 “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

Something strikes me as I read this rather famous passage. Even though Jesus said “nothing will harm you,” almost all of the 12 apostles were martyred. These of course were an additional 72, but that still begs the question of your definition of “harm.” I’m reminded of a YouTube video I saw recently of a woman talking about her near-death experience. She said she took God to task for having allowed some really rough experiences in her life, and then He showed her the blessed consequences of those experiences. The thing is, we don’t know the final outcome of anything, with the single exception of our commitment to Jesus Christ. Even then, though we know it will be glorious, we know very few details. I’m reminded of a short passage that struck me in Psalms many years ago. “If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the Lord, who is my refuge – then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.” (Psalm 91:9-10) At the time, I wrote in the margin, “Whatever it looks like, it isn’t disaster.” Quoting it just now, I see that the Psalmist also used the word “harm,” just as Jesus did. This is closely related to something Paul said: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) This can frankly be a difficult level of faith and peace to maintain. People in Louisiana and vicinity, now heading north and further east, are experiencing a very severe hurricane, and then there’s the continuing situation in Afghanistan. We need to remember Jesus’ words and Paul’s words, particularly when we are in the middle of such circumstances, and know that in Christ we are secure whatever happens to our physical existence.

I’ve never experienced active persecution or even extreme physical danger, but I’ve certainly experienced the Lord’s protection. I won’t go into what happened while I drove from Raleigh to Knoxville as a new driver, back before the Interstate went through! More recently, we went through a very severe typhoon that damaged many surrounding houses, and went out the next morning to find our car surrounded by pieces of broken roof tile from the homes around us, but not a scratch on the car. And our house had no significant roof damage! I am grateful for such protection, but I am not to take it for granted. As I pray for people in the path of the current hurricane, and certainly for the people in Afghanistan, I am to pray God’s protection, but above that I am to pray for His purposes to be fulfilled. As the lady with the NDE was shown, sometimes things that look horrible at the time end up being deep blessings. I am never to dismiss or belittle anyone’s suffering, but I am to seek to help them look to God to gain His perspective, so that they may receive the blessing He intends sooner rather than later, for His glory.

Father, thank You for Your perfect love and Your perfect plan. Thank You for how I see that unfolding in various ways in the lives of people around me. May I trust You fully myself and be a useful agent of Your blessing to others, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Listening to God; August 30, 2021

Posted on September 1, 2021 by jgarrott

Luke 10:16 “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

This is a very familiar verse, but I just noticed a nuance in the Japanese that I find very interesting. Rendering it back into English, it says, “A person who listens to you is a person who listens to Me,” and so on for the other two similar phrases. That might seem to be identical, but to me it corrects the impression some people seem to have that they are always speaking the words of God, so you’d better listen up. Rather, this is talking about the personality, the attitude, of the listener. This wasn’t to puff up the disciples who were going out as Jesus’ representatives, it was telling them that the reception they got would be indicative of how those people would receive God Himself. When we read this today, we need to check our own attitude first, to see if we are genuinely receptive to God and what He is saying to us. Then, we need to be perceptive of the attitudes of the people around us. We aren’t to give up on unreceptive people, but we are to focus our energies on those who are receptive. That said, we need to be very careful to listen to what God says about people, rather than judging them by our feelings. One of my seminary professors talked about when he was a pastor, going around door-to-door to invite people to his church, and one man responded by spitting in his face – and it wasn’t just saliva. However, God indicated to the pastor that this indicated the man had strong feelings, and those feelings just needed to be corrected. The pastor persisted, and eventually the spitter not only got saved, he became a deacon in the church! The professor told us this to say that indifference is a worse obstacle than active opposition. That’s a lesson I think we all need to remember.

This verse is particularly pointed for anyone ministering in Japan. I think the biggest issue from the human perspective is that Japanese have trouble distinguishing faith from religion from culture. Since very few people have personal faith, they see Buddhism and Shinto as being part of being Japanese, and the idea of becoming “less Japanese” is scary and/or repulsive to them. Active faith seems cultish to them, and they’ve had some pretty scary encounters with religious cults. That is very much of a challenge to me, but I think the simple fact of my longevity here has had a favorable impact. I don’t think people are afraid of me! That said, the issue becomes one of felt need, the awareness that their choices here determine their eternal destiny. All I can do is pray for them and keep speaking the truth in love. Trying to beat them over the head with Scripture is definitely not the answer! God knows their hearts far better than I do, and I need to depend on Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for what You did in the service yesterday, and throughout the day. It was rather strange to only be responsible for interpreting Cathy’s testimony and giving the benediction. Thank You that people stepped up and took part. I pray that we would indeed be Christ-centered and be delivered from being pastor-centered, as so many churches are. May we indeed be the agents that You desire and intend, so that those whose hearts are open may indeed hear and receive the Gospel through us, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Transformation; August 29, 2021

Posted on September 1, 2021 by jgarrott

Luke 9:29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

There are levels of prayer that we haven’t tasted. We might expect Jesus to be transformed like this, particularly in light of how He appeared to John on Patmos, (Revelation 1:12-16) but Moses too was transformed by intimate fellowship with God, so that his face shone. (Exodus 34:29-30) We’re not there yet! As C. S. Lewis wrote in The Last Battle, the call is always to go deeper and higher. As sweet as prayer can be for any believer, there’s always more. The thing is, we indeed need to be transformed to experience and appreciate it. Paul touched on that in writing to the Romans. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2) I don’t think he was speaking of physical transformation there, but we are spiritual beings who possess bodies, so what’s going on inside affects what goes on outside. We do speak of people as “having a glow about them,” and that’s not achieved by external means, whatever makeup companies try to tell us. It is when we are changed inside, through prayer and the Word of God, that we start to reflect the glory of God, just as happened with Moses. Jesus just hid it most of the time! However, He doesn’t want us to hide it. He told us explicitly, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

I’ve never been accused of “shining like lightning!” I have had some moments of very deep fellowship, to the point that I would not have been surprised if my appearance had changed, but no one’s ever told me that had happened. I’m not to focus on external appearance, certainly, but rather open myself to the Lord’s transformative work within me. I am reminded, with somewhat depressing regularity, that I’m far from perfect, but I do have the assurance that “He who began a good work in [me] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

Father, thank You for how much You have already worked in me, and for the assurance that You’re not going to stop working. Help me cooperate fully with all that You are doing so that I will be an ever more useful tool in Your hands, accomplishing that for which You created me, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Listening to God; August 28, 2021

Posted on August 31, 2021 by jgarrott

Luke 9:18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

Two things are of interest about this simple verse. The first is that Jesus didn’t always go off by Himself to pray, but prayed in the presence of His disciples as well. We have no record of whether He was praying out loud or silently here, but the general impression of the Gospels is that He probably did both. Naturally, the only ones we have a record of are those He prayed out loud. The second thing is that His famous question to His disciples, recorded here, was a direct outgrowth of His time in prayer. In other words, it would seem that the Father told Him to ask them what He did. Any time we pray we need to “have our listening ears on,” as little children are sometimes told to do. We all tend to hear without listening sometimes. That creates enough problems when it’s between people, but it’s much more serious when we fail to listen to God. However, the Biblical record is that mankind has done that a lot! When we read the Bible, too often we take it in just as literature, failing to recognize that it is written to us personally. We don’t believe that God cares that much about us personally! One of the most incredible things about the Gospel is that He does indeed care. Jesus indicated the extent of that caring when He said that even the hairs of our head are numbered! (Matthew 10:30, Luke 12:7) When God cares about us so much, why would He not be speaking to us, guiding us, informing us, and assuring us of His love? After all, that’s what a good father does for his children, isn’t it? When God is the perfect Father, we need to work at being better children, listening to what He says to us and not just letting His words go over our heads or whistle past our ears.

I have written before about how I have heard God speak to me in what could have been an audible voice (though no one but me heard it) on two, maybe three occasions, but inaudible impressions are frequent. Sometimes, if I’m listening, He guides me in such mundane things as when to change lanes when driving. If I’m listening, it really speeds up and/or smooths out my trip. That’s very gentle training, because the consequences of listening or not listening aren’t so momentous, and it helps me tune my ears to Him. I wish I could say I always listen attentively to Him, but that’s another area in which I’m still growing. As a pastor, this is naturally an area in which I want the believers to grow as well, but training them isn’t easy. I can give testimonies, but I don’t want to brag or be seen as bragging. What I can do is pray for them to have their ears opened, and I need to do that more. I want us to be a congregation that listens to our Lord and does what He says, for His glory alone.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the many ways You have guided over the past week. Help us learn from everything You allow us to experience, hearing what You are saying however You choose to express it to us and responding in full obedience, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Loving Enemies; August 27, 2021

Posted on August 30, 2021 by jgarrott

Luke 6:27-28 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

Jesus’ command to love our enemies is one of His most famous, recorded both here and in Matthew 5, and it’s also seen as one of His most “impractical” commands, because it so goes against our human nature. However, unlike so many politicians and leaders of all sorts, Jesus never told us to do anything He didn’t do Himself. The ultimate test of that was when He prayed forgiveness for those who had nailed Him to the cross. (Luke 23:34) This command should be in very sharp focus for every believer at this point, because the whole world is increasingly polarized, and everyone seems to see someone, or some group, as enemies. The starkest test of that in most people’s awareness at the moment is Afghanistan. Every Christian, and indeed every woman, in that area has every reason to consider the Taliban their enemies. The atrocities that are happening even at this moment are unspeakable. How do you pray for people like that, much less love them? We need to start by realizing that such people are terribly deceived by the devil, just like Jesus did on the cross. They are fun­damentally just as human as we are, however inhuman they may act. Then, there’s the question of how to pray for them. What every per­son needs in order to get right with God is to repent. So it should be very easy to pray that they repent. Sometimes that’s all we can pray for them! If we think about it, we also can pray God’s best for them, because His best always includes a right relationship with Him, and if they have that, they will be very different people indeed. I’m re­minded of Corrie ten Boom, praying for the former concentration camp guard whom she had seen beat her sister to death. She was speaking at a meeting and he showed up. She recognized him and froze internally, until God dealt with her on this very issue, and the man was marvelously born again. That’s just about as clear an exam­ple as Jesus on the cross, and it shows that Jesus isn’t the only one who can do it, if we will allow the Holy Spirit to work in us.

I’m grateful never to have had such stark enemies as I’ve just written about, but there are plenty of people about whom I have to consciously apply this Scripture. For starters, there are numbers of politi­cians and government figures whom I feel are actively cooperating with the devil and advancing his agenda. I certainly pray repentance and deliverance from deception for them! By God’s grace I feel I am fairly up-to-date on forgiving those close to me, and I am grateful to feel I am generally not treated badly by anyone. As a pastor I deal with people all the time who are bound by hatred and unforgiveness (thankfully not toward me) and ministering to them can be a real challenge. They have no grasp of how they are imprisoning themselves, far more than they are doing harm to the people they don’t think they can forgive. I have seen people destroyed by their lack of forgiving others. I talk a lot about how the Japanese language itself hinders the very understanding of forgiveness, because the word is a homophone for one that means “permission.” Since there are many things for which we should never give permission, people can’t un­derstand how we can forgive those things. I explain it every chance I get, but this has to apply on a much deeper level than intellectual understanding, I have to rely on the Holy Spirit to get it through to them.

Father, this is certainly a challenging issue for the whole human race. May all of Your children trust You to work it in and through them, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Fame; August 26, 2021

Posted on August 30, 2021 by jgarrott

Luke 6:12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

I used to think this was largely hyperbole, but having a wife who will get up at all hours of the night and spend hours praying, it’s much easier to see it as entirely realistic. Jesus had momentous decisions ahead of Him, choosing those who would represent Him, not only during His ministry but after His ascension. It’s interesting to me that for several of them, literally the only thing we know about them is their name. They might be mentioned a few times in the Gospel accounts, but that’s it. I think there’s a powerful lesson in that, because James son of Alphaeus was just as much an apostle as James son of Zebedee, and Simon the Zealot was just as much an apostle as Simon Peter. Fame is quite literally how people speak of you, but our value, and our evaluation, comes from what God says about us. When we realize that, fame becomes literally a non-issue. I don’t think we want to be famous the way Judas Iscariot is! I’m reminded of the widow who gave God all that she had to live on, who came up in the reading on the 19th. As I said then, we don’t know her name, but I bet she has plenty of honor in heaven! That’s part of what Jesus was talking about when He told us to “lay up treasure in heaven.” (Matthew 6:19-21) Sociologists speak of “social credit,” and China has recently instituted a formal system to evaluate “how good a citizen” everyone is, entirely as a means to control people. We need to grasp, to the depths of our being, that the only “credit system” that counts is the one that’s eternal.

I would be the first to concede that it feels good to have people speak well of you, but right after this Luke records Jesus’ words of caution about that. (verse 26) However, there is a distinction between fame and reputation. Fame is meaningless, but I am to so live that bad things said about my character are all false. When I live with the awareness that God is my judge, then people’s opinions of me are valid only as they agree with His. Having lived as foreigners in Omura for 40 years now, we are pretty well known. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard people whom I didn’t know personally telling someone else all about us! However, my real concern is how much our influence has drawn people to Christ. I thankfully don’t think we’ve driven many away, but sadly, many seem to admire the Christ they see in us without opening their heart to receive Him themselves. That is a continuing issue, and frankly a mystery. I’ve got to leave it in His hands, and discover how much fruit I really have born when I stand before His throne.

Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of being Your agent. May I care about nothing else, whatever people say, or fail to say, about me. May Your kingdom and Your righteousness indeed take first priority in my life, so that You may be pleased and glorified as Your will is done in and through me. Thank You. Praise God!

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