Relationship with God; July 24, 2021

Posted on July 27, 2021 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 37:3 King Zedekiah, however, sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: “Please pray to the Lord our God for us.”

This little detail is both very human and very ironic. In the verse ahead of this it’s just been recorded that neither the king nor the people were paying any attention to what God had said through Jeremiah up to this point, but now the king wants Jeremiah to pray for them! We encounter that all the time even today. People want the protection and blessings of God, but they don’t want to obey Him! Zedekiah was the son of a very devout, righteous king, but it doesn’t seem to have rubbed off. He only knew the outward forms, and didn’t have a personal relationship with the Lord. However, he knew without question that Jeremiah was a man of God, so he tried to get God’s help through Jeremiah. This strikes me as very similar to people praying to various saints rather than directly to God, when Jesus went so far as to tell His disciples, “In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” (John 16:26-27) When we have a direct connection to the Source, why go through an intermediary? Zedekiah wasn’t as openly defiant as his nephew Jehoiachin, who we learn in the chapter before this burned a scroll of Jeremiah’s prophecies, but neither did he have the spine to oppose some of his advisors, who threw Jeremiah into a cistern in the chapter after this. God draws close to those who choose to draw close to Him. As we read just a few days ago, God promises that He will allow Himself to be found by those who seek Him with their whole heart. (Jeremiah 29:13) When we find Him that way, we have great assurance that He indeed listens to our prayers and gives us what is best.

This is a factor in prayer that I’m not sure I have covered sufficiently in the past three months of preaching on prayer. As I have commented before, I grew up in a home where prayer was as natural as breathing, because my parents both had a clear, personal relationship with the One to whom they were praying. Going through the motions was thus easy for me, as was loving God, actually, but a deep personal relationship was something I had to grow into, and I’m still doing it! I feel like I’m in a little bit of a “catch 22” about this. I want the believers to pray, frequently and in faith, but their relationship with the Lord has to go deeper for that really to happen. At the same time, their relationship with the Lord isn’t going to mature without a lot of prayer! The key is the choice to obey, and not be like King Zedekiah, who didn’t pay attention to what God was saying. I have long felt that James was writing specifically for me: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22) This isn’t legalism, but it is the choice to obey.

Father, I have chosen not to obey You more times than I could count, but You love me anyway. Thank You for Your truly amazing grace. Help me communicate that grace sufficiently that people will fall in love with You, repenting of their wrong choices and choosing You more and more consistently, growing into the deep fellowship with You that You desire, for their blessing and Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Omnipotence; July 23, 2021

Posted on July 25, 2021 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 32:27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

I have always loved how God quoted Jeremiah’s own words from verse 17 back to him here. God had told Jeremiah in some detail what was going to happen to Jerusalem, and at this point that is obviously about to take place, but He completely blindsided him by telling him to buy a piece of land outside the city with good money and have the transaction legally witnessed. At this point Jeremiah can’t even imagine things returning enough to “normal” that such a thing would make any difference whatsoever. He rightly remembers all the wonderful things God has done in the past, but being told to buy the field is something he really can’t wrap his mind around, even though he did it as told, as recorded in the first part of this chapter. This is a problem we all have. We get so mired in the past and the present that we have no capacity to envision what God is going to do in the future. There are plenty of secular examples of this as well. It’s generally quite amusing to read what various publications printed years ago predicting what the future was going to look like. Occasionally they got a few things almost right, but the misses can be quite hilarious. The point for us, as it was for Jeremiah, is to realize that God can indeed do literally anything, and so not try to stuff Him into even the biggest box we can imagine. It literally doesn’t matter what the current circumstances are; God is still God. That should be a huge comfort to us!

This is an extremely timely Word. We have ministered in Omura for 39 years and 10 months at this point, with so far very little visible results. There has been fruit, yes, but much of the best fruit has dispersed to the four corners of the earth. I will be 73 in two months, and have no clear picture of my successor. We have poured our hearts out to the people of Omura and have been welcomed and affirmed as people, but very few have come to Christ. Thinking about it, though, that’s not as severe as Jerusalem being surrounded by the Babylonian army! We have an outreach event coming up in two days, and at the moment I’m rather stressed out about the preparations for that. I have no idea what if any lasting impact the event will have, but I’ve got to remember what God told Jeremiah. I’ve learned the hard way not to try to dictate to God what He’s going to do, but I still need an infusion of faith to believe that He’s going to do wonderful things beyond my imagination. He has told me to rest, relax, and rejoice, but I also need the anticipation of faith that will welcome what He has planned, and not stumble in moving into it.

Father, as often as I tell other people to take their eyes off of themselves and their circumstances, I’m not very good at it myself! Forgive my hypocrisy. I do indeed pray for the fulfillment of the vision You have given us of Omura again being the foremost Christian city in the nation, whatever steps that involves and whatever it will look like. Help me not draw back from my part in the “grunt work,” but be willing to apply myself fully however You indicate, for the sake of Your kingdom and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Fulfillment of Prophecy; July 22, 2021

Posted on July 25, 2021 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 31:9 “They will come with weeping;
they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead them beside streams of water
on a level path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn son.”

This is a dearly loved chapter for many, particularly Charismatic Christians. I’ve been singing songs from this chapter for over 40 years! However, I think many modern people don’t realize that this prophecy was delivered in Judah, before the Babylonian captivity, and was specifically addressed to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, that had already been wiped out by Assyria. That’s why there is a specific reference in verse five to Samaria, and why it’s so significant that in verse six the watchmen cry out, “Let’s go up to Zion.” This was a prophecy of the reunification of the 12 tribes of Israel, that had seemed like a distant dream for well over a hundred years by the time of Jeremiah. The Bible is rich even on the first reading, but understanding the context often makes it far richer and more meaningful. That’s why it’s so rewarding to really dig into it! That said, there’s a difference in translation between the NIV and the Japanese that really caught my eye. Where the NIV says “they will pray,” the Japanese says, “I will comfort them.” Those two things often go hand-in-hand, but they aren’t the same thing. Once again I regret my lack of Hebrew scholarship! In any case, this prophecy was given many centuries before its fulfillment, but even Jeremiah had no idea of that at the time he delivered it. I wonder how many Jews completely discounted this chapter in the long centuries of the diaspora? However, God’s Word is true, period. That’s something to remember, because there are many passages in Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation that have yet to be fulfilled. We live in exciting times indeed. The Chinese took that as a kind of curse, but when we are secure in Christ, it is a statement of great hope. As Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Luke 21:33) We do well to read the Bible at times like a “future newspaper,” knowing that if God said it, that settles it.

I have had some awareness of this even from childhood, since I was born in the same year as the modern nation of Israel. However, I have also been very turned off by people who were intensely focused on Revelation, for example, drawing up timelines and trying to figure out exactly where we were on them. I try to remember that Jesus said both, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,” and, “Be on guard! Be alert ! You do not know when that time will come.” (Mark 13:32-33) I’m not to be in the business of setting schedules, but I am to be alert and available nonetheless, precisely because it indeed might be today! I’ve sung the song, What if it were Today, since childhood, but I haven’t really lived by that admonition. I’ve still got growing to do!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the awareness that my own personal appointment with You will certainly be less than 30 years from now. Help me be faithful on every level, looking forward with hope and joy to all that You have planned, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Seeking God; July 21, 2021

Posted on July 24, 2021 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah was tasked by God with bringing messages of condemnation and destruction and also incredible and glorious hope. This verse brings to mind the Beatles song, My Sweet Lord. In a number of ways it’s a heartbreaking song, because they were looking for peace, satisfaction, and enlightenment in all the wrong places. I have wondered many times what would have happened if someone, almost anyone, had exercised the courage to express the Gospel to them in terms they could understand. Part of the problem was that, growing up in nominally Christian England, they associated the God of the Bible with all sorts of negative things and so were ripe picking for the lies of the devil. I can’t help but think what a difference it would have made if their phenomenal talent had been committed to the true Lord, and not to the fantasy they chased. There is no hope in Hinduism! The Creator of the universe wants to be found by His children, but we are so prone to be led around by our flesh and seek gratification for it, rather than seeking our Creator. As it so famously says in verse 11, God’s plans for us are good, but we’ve got to choose them rather than our own fantasies. It really does all come down to choices. Will we seek God, His kingdom and His righteousness, or will we seek the glitter of the world and our flesh? Every human being is faced with that choice, and some are given the opportunity to choose many times, but we never know when the last chance will be. Seeking God should be what is called a “no-brainer,” but the devil does all he can to turn off our brains, all the time telling us that is the way of wisdom!

I cannot overstate the blessing I received to be raised in a home of faith and obedience to God. I encounter many other Missionary Kids through Facebook, and some of them are like me and some have more or less completely given up on Christian faith. I have read some horrifying tales of things that were done by some missionaries, and just in recent years have learned of some that happened close to me, but that I was mercifully unaware of. We all walk different roads and none are completely straight and level, but the question isn’t what happens to us, but how we respond to it. I have learned the truth of this verse written by Jeremiah under God’s direction, and I seek to communicate it to all who will receive it. The tragedy is that so few do. However, I am never to give up, but keep speaking the truth in love, whether people seem to be listening or not.

Father, the challenges of ministering in Japan are immense, but truly nothing is impossible for You, and in Christ I can do everything You ask of me. Help me truly hold nothing back in seeking You and loving You, so that all of Your gracious plans for me may indeed be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Consequences; July 20, 2021

Posted on July 24, 2021 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 7:19 “But am I the one they are provoking? declares the Lord. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?”

This whole passage is very interesting. Verse 16 is the rather infamous command to Jeremiah not to pray for the people of Judah. Jeremiah received that command twice, here and in 11:14. God seldom gives such a command, but these were very special circumstances. It is also remarkable to me that the specific idolatry listed here is worship of “the Queen of Heaven,” when that is one of the titles the Catholics use for Mary! This was in all probability the fertility goddess called Asherah. It’s very ironic that her idol was a pole, a phallic symbol! I know that official Catholic doctrine is that Mary is never to be worshiped, but only “highly venerated,” but titles such as this are dangerous to say the very least. All of that brings us to this verse, which to me straightens out my thinking about all the times of judgment on the descendants of Abraham. God is here saying, very clearly, that the people were doing this to themselves. We come back to the reality that every one of God’s commands is for our good, not His. It’s really no skin off of His nose if we obey Him or not, but the consequences to us are huge. Any parent will tell you that it grieves them to see their children do things that bring harm on themselves. God is exactly the same way. God told Jeremiah not to pray for the people because He knew they would have to taste the full consequences of their actions before they would learn their lesson and stop doing them. Bill Whittle and others are saying the same thing about some of the socialist policies that are being attempted in the US today: people will have to taste the consequences before they will understand how stupid and wrong they are.

God has occasionally let me taste the consequences of my actions, but in general He has been incredibly gracious. I have certainly had no valid excuses for any of my sins! I have known for a long time that all of God’s commands were for my good, but I’ve still been stupid enough at times to listen to the very persuasive liar who is out to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) Recognizing my own weakness, I am to be gracious toward those around me, but never fail to speak the truth in love. Failing to warn people when they are headed for destruction is hardly loving! I certainly hope that I am never told to stop praying (by God anyway) for people.

Father, thank You for this Word. Thank You for the Bible as a record of how You have dealt with Your children down through the centuries. It really feels like things are drawing to a culmination. May I be sensitive and obedient to You for however You want to use me, whether these are indeed the Last Days or not, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Trouble; July 19, 2021

Posted on July 22, 2021 by jgarrott

Isaiah 65:10 “Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for my people who seek me.”

We don’t usually think of Isaiah as a judgmental prophet, but this chapter doesn’t make for easy reading! However, here we start getting a glimpse of hope (that actually starts with verse eight). The reference here to the Valley of Achor is interesting. This is the place, in Joshua 7, where Achan, his family and his possessions were stoned, incinerated, and covered with a pile of stones, because he had taken some of the plunder from Jericho that God had forbidden, and Israel suffered defeat at Ai as a result. Just about every Bible has a footnote on Joshua 7:26 informing the reader that “Achor means trouble.” All of that took place hundreds of years before Isaiah wrote this, but the place name had remained. The point, here in Isaiah, is that for those who seek God, the place of trouble becomes a place of peace and blessing. We indeed live in a fallen world, and we too are prone to get caught up in the practices of those around us. Jesus was very clear that “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) When that happens, the first step is to examine our own heart and life, to see if we brought the trouble on ourselves through action or inaction. If that is the case, then immediate repentance is essential. The next step, whether repentance is called for or not, is to actively submit our circumstances to God, for Him to make of them what He chooses. That is seeking God, and when we are faithful to do that, our place of trouble becomes a place of blessing. We need to remember that when Jesus told us so bluntly that we would have trouble, He followed that up with, “But take heart! I have overcome the world,” and all of that was after He had said, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.” Trouble is just an indicator to seek God and be at peace in Him.

I have come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a trouble-free existence. As I quoted recently, the Lord personally told John Voight that life isn’t supposed to be easy! That doesn’t keep my flesh from always seeking the easy way out, however. I get tied in knots over things just like everyone else, but I have less excuse than most. I have known from infancy that God is, that He is love, and that He is holy. That knowledge should have kept me straight all the time, but it hasn’t. (And no, there’s no gender reference in that statement.) I have wandered from the path in various ways, and a good bit of the trouble I have experienced has been of my own doing. At this point I certainly don’t expect over 20 more years in this world, and I will doubtless have trouble in that interval. The point is not to bemoan the trouble, but rather repent as called for and seek God regardless. I am very aware of God being at work all around me, both in my personal life and in the wider world. I am to look forward to the eventual outcome, no matter how unpleasant the immediate process might be. That’s not to say I’m to be passive. On the contrary, I am to be active in my seeking and my obedience, so that every trick of the devil may be turned around for good. I see that in the wider world all the time recently, with forces of evil being so outrageous that the evil is totally exposed, and people waking up and rising up to oppose it. I need to remember that Romans 8:28 is true all the time!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all that You did yesterday right here. I do ask for clear guidance for what we are to do each day, so that in all things Your purposes may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Unlimited Love; July 18, 2021

Posted on July 22, 2021 by jgarrott

Isaiah 56:7 “These I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

This is an enormously important Scripture that Jesus Himself quoted when He drove the merchants out of the Court of the Gentiles in the temple in Jerusalem. (Mark 11:17) It is important because we human beings have a nasty tendency toward xenophobia and discrimination. That comes from being self-centered and from thinking that life, and God, is a “zero-sum game,” that is, that if someone else has more, that means I have less. We have such trouble grasping that God is infinite and we live in an expanding universe. We wouldn’t have any trouble with this if we understood love in the first place. Parents quickly discover that as they have more children, loving the second child doesn’t mean they love the first one less, it simply multiplies the love. Love is never a zero-sum game, and God Himself is love. (1 John 4:8) We exclude others because we don’t grasp that God’s supply of love, and for that matter, all His other resources, is unlimited. This is a powerful basis for unity, but the devil is dead set against our having the unity that God desires for us. (John 17:20-21) Right now in many places around the world, certainly including the US, there are people actively engaged in the politics of division, dividing so that they may conquer. All who know God must stand firm against that, proclaiming that God’s house is for all nations and people-groups.

This is something we deal with constantly, as Caucasians ministering in Japan. We have the additional challenge of dealing with missionaries from other Asian nations, whose culture is neither American nor Japanese. Frankly, friction is common. However, God allows that friction specifically to wear down our rough spots, and to teach us that His love and His plans are greater than we can imagine. We have a neighborhood outreach barbecue planned for the 25th, and with four cultures represented, the lessons can be pretty intense. I am discovering that my heart isn’t nearly as big as I thought it was! I need to recognize, on the deepest level, that our very differences are things that God is going to use to expand His family, His kingdom. I need to be energized by the expectation of God doing good things, and allow Him to pour His love and grace through me, so that I won’t get in the way of what He is doing.

Father, thank You for this very timely Word. Thank You for getting me through the video conference last night, and for what You have planned for today as well. I don’t enjoy planning, and the very need for it is stressful for me. Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You, in all that goes on today, throughout this week, and in every detail of the 25th and what follows from it. Help me indeed expect great things of You and offer myself to You without reservation, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Suffering; July 17, 2021

Posted on July 21, 2021 by jgarrott

Isaiah 53:10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

Isaiah 53 is one of the “superstar” chapters of the Bible. I’ve lost track of how many testimonies I’ve heard of Jews who came to realize that Jesus was indeed their promised Messiah through reading this chapter. Verse 6 is one I memorized as a young boy, and I’m glad I did. Every line of it is deeply meaningful. The reason this verse stands out to me right now is a very unexpected testimony I was able to hear over the Internet yesterday. John Voight was being interviewed by Tucker Carlson, and it was expected to be about political themes. Instead, John shared at some length about an encounter he had with the Lord that has massively shaped his life ever since. He was going through a very difficult time in his life, having recently been divorced, and he was thinking, “It’s so hard!” Out of the blue he heard God speak to him very clearly: “It isn’t supposed to be easy.” That brief encounter gave him the deep revelation that God cares, He’s interested and He’s paying attention. He said that awareness gave him a joy that has stayed with him ever since. To me that agrees perfectly with this verse. It was God’s intention and plan that Jesus suffer so horribly for us, just as is so graphically portrayed in the movie, The Passion. In the same way, God plans difficulties, even suffering, in our lives for specific purposes, stretching and growing us to be more and more accurate representatives for Him, expressing His grace and love to the world. It doesn’t feel like love at the moment, but it is. It’s like it says in Hebrews: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11) We are to rejoice that God cares, and look forward to the eventual outcome.

John Voight’s experience certainly reminds me of my own, when I was thinking over a lot of things and thinking, “There are so many things I wish were different!” Just as happened with John, suddenly I heard the Lord say to me, “How do you think I feel?” That gave me the deep and abiding conviction that much of what is going on in the world isn’t what God wants to happen, but He’s still in control and it will all work out in the end. Having God speak to you personally is certainly a life-changing experience! God doesn’t desire to bring suffering into my life, but sometimes that’s what I need, maybe for myself and maybe to equip me to minister to someone else. When Jesus went through so much to secure my salvation, why should I complain about the little I have to go through?

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for what You said to and through me the other evening, when I commented that with all that the believers in China and Hong Kong are going through right now, I have no room to complain about my trivial difficulties! Help me keep that truth in focus and indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me to do, accomplishing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Invitation; July 16, 2021

Posted on July 18, 2021 by jgarrott

Isaiah 45:22 “Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.

Throughout the Bible we find statements of this sort, yet the devil’s lie is that God is exclusionary and discriminatory. God worked with Abraham and his descendants because He needed to start somewhere, but His love is for His whole creation. The devil has carefully fostered hatred for the descendants of Abraham, but every “justification” of such antisemitism is based on a lie. The Jews certainly have a unique place in history and in God’s plan, but both they and Gentiles have generally misunderstood it. Whether we’re talking about the Jews or the Church, God’s people are those who are obedient to Him to call others to Him. This verse expresses in the simplest terms what God wants communicated to all mankind. Sadly, not all will accept this message, but that in no way invalidates either the message or our opportunity and responsibility to communicate it.

As a missionary in Japan, I obviously take this seriously, but I will confess to burnout, because so few receive the invitation. I cannot force anyone to accept the message, or even really listen to it, but I can give them the opportunity. As Paul said, “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?” (Romans 10:14) I joke that if you don’t believe I’m a preacher, then listen to me for five minutes! Even so, if it’s just my words there is no power. I can talk people’s ears off, but unless the Holy Spirit touches their hearts, nothing changes. That said, God does use “the foolishness of preaching” (1 Corinthians 1:21 KJV) to save people. I’ve got to be faithful to speak, but I’ve also got to be faithful to live a life congruent with the truth I proclaim, and I’ve got to remember that I am never more than an instrument of God’s salvation. God has already told me His solution to burnout: rest, relax, rejoice. I am not to be lazy or hesitant, but I am never to think that my strength or ability can accomplish anything worthwhile apart from God. We are planning an evangelistic barbecue party for later this month. There is great potential, but we have to listen to what God wants us to do and not run off on our own. We are to express what God says in this verse, using His words and His actions, so that people will indeed turn to Him and be saved.

Father, Your Word is very clear, but human factors seem to make it all very complicated. I ask You to straighten out the communication among all those involved in the project ahead of us so that it will all be fully owned by all the believers, so that the end result will be growth in the Body of Christ on all levels, in numbers and in love and in maturity, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Idolatry; July 15, 2021

Posted on July 18, 2021 by jgarrott

Isaiah 44:17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
“Save me; you are my god.”

Just recently Bill Whittle and Alfonzo Rachel had an episode of The Virtue Signal in which they discussed ridicule as the most effective weapon against absurd ideas. This whole section is an absolutely superb example of that. Idolatry is certainly absurd from start to finish, just as Isaiah points out, but people do it anyway. We are all born with an innate impulse to seek our Creator, which is hardly surprising since we were created for fellowship with Him. Solomon expressed that as, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) However, between human pride and the devil’s lies, that often gets totally sidetracked. In “advanced” societies today idols of wood, metal, or stone are hardly in vogue, but that certainly doesn’t mean idolatry has diminished. It’s no accident that entertainment figures are called “idols!” We want something over which we feel we have some control, so we run away from our Creator, over whom we obviously have no control. The absolute stupidity of that is beyond words to express, which is why Isaiah went into this extended discussion of how idols are made. Today, people turn to “science” or political systems, treating them as religions. As has been pointed out by several people, those who keep saying, “Follow the science,” don’t mean that, because the actual scientific method is fundamentally skeptical, always testing and never “settled.” Various political systems have their advantages, but what we are seeing today has left the realm of logic and reason and has entered the realm of religion. North Korea and China are painful examples today of what happens when the State (and its leaders) insist that they alone are to be worshiped. Ridicule is about all we have left in the face of such absurdity! Idolatry in any guise is a totally stupid dedication to ultimate destruction.

I can pontificate on this at length, but I have not been immune to it myself. For a distinct period in my life I essentially worshiped my own intellect, which is about as ironic as they come, because it demonstrates total stupidity! I grew up in a land of many stone, wood and metal idols, and failed to realize that placing anything other than my Creator on the throne of my heart was idolatry. I felt superior to all the idolaters around me, since I knew the Bible, but that didn’t mean I was being obedient to the Bible! I shake my head at Japanese who practice both Buddhist and Shinto rituals, totally ignoring the glaring contradictions between those religions, but I myself claim to believe the Bible and yet fail to live it out consistently. I am to speak the truth in love, never forgetting that the grace that I proclaim is as essential to me as it is to my hearers. I need to be on constant guard that nothing comes ahead of God in my allegiance, that He alone is the final arbiter of all my decisions. Intangible idols are just as dangerous as physical ones, if not more so.

Father, thank You for this clear Word, and for how You work everything together so beautifully. Thank You for how that video meshed with this morning’s reading. Help me listen to You obediently at all times, however You choose to speak to me, so that I may be the obedient child, servant, You desire and deserve, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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