Faith and Hope; November 8, 2020

Posted on November 11, 2020 by jgarrott

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

How good of the Lord to have this in the reading when I’m speaking on Hope this morning! The devil indeed does all he can to steal and/or destroy our hope, but our Creator is truly the God of hope. We can indeed have hope when we trust in God, because He sees the end from the beginning and has it all worked out, when we can’t even see to the next corner most of the time, much less around the corner. Hope is essential for the joy and peace we all desire, but that hope needs to be based on more than wishful thinking. That’s why faith is essential. (The Japanese here says “by your faith,” where the NIV says “trust,” but trust is faith with its shoes on.) When we find we are low on hope, we need to strengthen our faith. The way to strengthen our faith is to focus on our Creator and all He has done for us, particularly in Christ Jesus our Lord, and then exercise the faith we already have, however small it might be. Faith is very much like muscle: it needs nutrition and it needs exercise. The nutrition it needs is the Word of God, and the exercise it needs is simply to be applied to our real-life situations. So long as faith remains theoretical it isn’t very strong. It is when it is put to work where the rubber meets the road that it grows and becomes “an oaken staff to lead us on our way,” as the hymn says.

Like many Christians, particularly in America, my faith and hope have been getting a real workout over the past week. Honest elections are one thing, but dishonest ones are something else entirely. As I posted on Facebook yesterday (reposted from Intercessors for America) prayer is the answer for the vast majority of people who are concerned about the current situation. Those who are physically “close to the action,” so to speak, of course need to speak up and testify to what they have witnessed, as many are doing, but they are in the minority. The rest of us need to be praying, doing spiritual warfare, but in hope and faith, not in desperation. God is not inconvenienced by the current state of affairs, He’s using the acts of the enemy, and those deceived by him, to train and purify the Family of God. I am to personally rejoice that God is far smarter and stronger than the devil, not to mention me, and rest, relax, and rejoice in Him. That doesn’t mean I’m to take spiritual warfare lightly. After all, He’s given me a full suit of armor! (Ephesians 6) That said, I’m to be a happy warrior, rejoicing that the outcome is in the hands of my Lord.

Father, thank You for this powerful reminder, and for its timing. May I indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, faithfully doing all that You have for me to do but not being anxious about a bit of it. May I not be distracted by things like the election and so fail to do what You have for me closer to home. May Your name be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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Worship; November 7, 2020

Posted on November 10, 2020 by jgarrott

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.

This is a justly famous verse, and the how of it is expressed both in verse 2 and then in verses 6-8. God is certainly worthy of our worship, but we don’t really know how to go about doing it. Throughout history people have tried all sorts of things to worship deity as they understood it, all the way from meditation to human sacrifice. Paul is saying that in a sense, human sacrifice is indeed the way to go, but not by killing someone, and not by imposing that sacrifice on someone else. I’m reminded of the sons of Zebedee, James and John. They both volunteered to “drink the cup Jesus would drink,” (Matthew 20:22) not knowing it referred to crucifixion, but the way they did it was very different. James was the first of the 12 apostles to be martyred (Acts 12:2), and tradition tells us John was the only one of those 12 to die a natural death. I personally think James had the easier course! John had to keep doing what this verse says, day in and day out, until he was well past 90. That’s a living sacrifice! None of us knows the exact course our life will follow, but we too are called to live our lives for Christ Jesus our Lord, who died and rose again for us. That includes not fitting in with the world (verse 2) and exercising the gifts God has placed in us, for the blessing of those around us and for His glory (verses 6-8).

I had read this verse at least by the time I was 10, but grasping it and living it out is still going on 62 years later! Offering my body to God as a living sacrifice takes many forms, because it encompasses every moment of my life. It includes getting out of the house and walking 5K three times a week, weather permitting, and it also includes going to bed at night so that I will be properly rested. It includes active physical labor, such as the carpentry I did yesterday, and it includes eating what my body needs, and not more. One of the evidences of God’s grace is that all of these activities can be pleasurable indeed, particularly when done with awareness of the God who makes them possible and to whom they are offered. That’s not at all to say that every moment of life is fun, but it is to say that when we live for Christ, the awareness of His presence puts a different perspective on everything. This world puts a lot of pressure on me and everyone else to conform, and resisting that is an essential part of my worship of my Creator. Likewise, faithful stewardship of the gifts He has placed in me cannot be separated from true worship. I delight to worship through song and prayer, both individually and especially with brothers and sisters in Christ, but I must never think that when that is done, I have completed worship.

Father, thank You for this clear reminder. You’ve given me another message, and I haven’t even delivered the one You gave me for tomorrow! Help me share the riches You pour out on me, when and how and with whom You intend, so that Your purposes may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Jews; November 6, 2020

Posted on November 10, 2020 by jgarrott

Romans 11:12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!

My impression is that the average Christian thinks very little about the Jews, particularly here in Japan, where most people have never met a Jew. However, if you read the Bible honestly, the issue is inescapable. After all, the Old Testament records the history of the Jewish people up until a few hundred years before Jesus’ birth, and Jesus Himself and all the earliest disciples were Jewish. Whether salvation was even possible for a Gentile was one of the biggest issues in the early Church! That said, the Church worldwide today is very predominantly Gentile, and Paul did not want those Gentiles, to whom he himself was an apostle, to forget their Jewish roots. This verse points out that every believer has the riches of God’s grace because of Abraham and his descendants. Our response should be to hold the Jews very dear, and seek to share in turn with them the riches of glory in their own Messiah, our Savior Christ Jesus. The good news is that there are more Messianic Jews today than at any time since the 1st Century. Websites like OneforIsrael.com are a joy indeed to read, with their abundance of testimonies of Jews who have discovered Jesus as their Messiah. There are many organizations, both in Israel and around the world, that are dedicated to communicating the Gospel with Jews, one of the oldest being Jews for Jesus. Both Jews and Gentiles need to realize that believing in Jesus doesn’t make anyone less Jewish; rather it completes them by a relationship with the Messiah for whom they have been seeking their whole life.

I have written before about my somewhat surprising connections with Jews and Israel. Though I have never visited the geographic location of Israel, as far back as I can remember I have been proud of having been born in the same year, 1948. The 6-Day War happened while I was in college. I think an Arab Israeli student who was a couple of years behind me was the proudest person on campus at what Israel accomplished at that time, but I was probably a close second! There are many, many other connections I could mention, but I continue to be very aware that my Savior, the Savior of the world, was and is Jewish. I don’t know what this will mean for me in the rest of my time on this earth, but I want to be available for whatever my Lord desires.

Father, thank You for how Jewish I feel at times, even though that is probably an insult to those who were born and raised Jewish. I pray that I would be available to bring more and more Jews into the family of Christ, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Trusting God; November 5, 2020

Posted on November 7, 2020 by jgarrott

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

That this would be the passage for today shows God’s foreknowledge and perfect plan. This is one of the most famous verses in the whole Bible, yet God is speaking it to me again right now, because I need it. As God spoke to me personally many years ago, there are many things in the world that are not as He would prefer them to be. He would like every human being to choose repentance and faith, to strive to live according to His Word, but that is certainly not how it is. He would like people to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, trusting Him and allowing Him to use them for blessing and for His glory, but that is clearly not the current situation. As I write this, the US presidential election is not yet decided. Whichever way it goes, the fact that so many Americans would choose to be on the side of a party that openly and actively campaigns for the “right” to rip babies apart in the womb is deeply disturbing and depressing. It is no surprise that that same party would be actively suppressing churches and promoting anarchy in the streets. America needs massive repentance and revival, but that isn’t something we can generate. For too many years the average “person in the pew” has gone with the flow, much like the proverbial frog in a pot of water. There has been no statistical difference between the average “Christian” and anyone else, and we are reaping the harvest of that. This verse, then, assures us that God can and will use even this horrible situation for good, if we will keep our eyes on Him. At the very least, it is clear that this is waking up many believers, causing them to see the depth and magnitude of the situation. Repentance and cleansing begins with the family of God. (1 Peter 4:17) This could well be part of what is written in Revelation, but in any case it is a picture of the dire situation of the nation, and God’s children need to respond appropriately.

As I comment from time to time, I didn’t use to be particularly political, but that has changed more and more over the past couple of decades. I have been very emotionally involved in the current election, encouraged by those who seemed so enthusiastically “on my side” and distressed by those dug in in opposition. I found myself depressed yesterday (Japan is currently 14 hours ahead of the US East Coast) to see state after state turning blue, and not just states like New York, California, and Oregon that have been “poster children” for leftist ideology. It is interesting that it would be of such concern to me, when I don’t expect to do more than visit the US occasionally for the rest of my physical life, but I really do care about America, and not just because I have so many relatives and friends there. That my passport says USA is essentially beside the point. Today’s reading is spot on to call me back to the awareness that even things on a national scale, like this election, are “small potatoes” compared to God. I need to lift my eyes, not just from myself but from the world as a whole, and fix them on my Lord, who loved me enough to die for me and who has the perfect plan for me. (Hebrews 12:2)

Father, thank You for this reminder. I indeed needed it. I haven’t checked on the election results yet this morning, but thank You for being God regardless. There were other things that disappointed me yesterday and got me down. Thank You for those, too. I ask for Your solution to each of those situations, whether it is what I had desired or not. May I indeed seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness all the time, and not just in “devotional moments,” so that I will be fully available and responsive to You, for Your will to be done for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Salvation; November 4, 2020

Posted on November 6, 2020 by jgarrott

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

From verse 15 Paul comes back to how he started in verse 1, bringing up the dangerous absurdity of mistaking God’s grace for a license to do anything you like. He then expands on that with a word picture that is very uncomfortable to us today: slavery. Most people aren’t aware of how widespread actual slavery is today, only we call it “human trafficking.” We associate it with race, when it started with whoever lost in a war, in which race is largely coincidental. He then brings that word picture to a sharp point with this verse. It doesn’t take much imagination to see that the only thing a slave is “paid” is suffering and death. It is on that backdrop that the grace of God shines in all its glory. The biggest problem is that people refuse to recognize their own slavery, mistaking momentary pleasures for happiness, closing their eyes to the reality that they’re headed for hell. This verse is rightly quoted a great deal in evangelism, but all too many people close their ears to it. Paul uses the term, wages, here because we genuinely earn death by our rebellion against God, but the eternal life that is available in Christ can only be called a gift, because we can never do enough to earn it. Bringing someone to salvation involves the two steps of opening their eyes to the reality of their own condition, and then showing them that God has provided a way out, as only He could. When someone accepts God’s gift, even heaven rejoices! (Luke 15:10)

Of course, this applies to me on every level. I too had to acknowledge my sinfulness, my need, and humbly accept God’s gift. The problem is that between human foolishness and the devil’s lies, I tend to drift into the pride of thinking I’ve achieved salvation, when it is always and only God’s gift. I desire to lead others to salvation, but as a Teacher I tend just to dump information on them, all too often in ways they have no hope of really assimilating and making their own. That accomplishes nothing but confusion and frustration, all too often “inoculating” them against receiving the true Gospel! I’ve got to step back and let God be in full control, of whom to speak to, when and how, and let Him supply the words that will penetrate that person’s heart. Humanly, I want to run around handing out God’s gift, but it’s not mine to give, and He’s got to do it through me. Salvation is a miracle, whenever and however it happens. God has chosen to use people in communicating that salvation, and I’ve got to be humble enough to leave it in His hands.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s also a reminder that the salvation of souls is absolutely the first and highest priority. I let so many things get in the way! Help me be actively available, always ready for Your appointments, so that as many as will may be saved, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Freedom from Sin; November 3, 2020

Posted on November 6, 2020 by jgarrott

Romans 6:14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Once again I was faced with a real dilemma as to what to write about, because every bit of today’s reading is underlined, and rightly so. This is a very rich section, of great importance to living for and in Christ Jesus. The devil is a liar by definition, (John 8:44) and the vast majority of his power is deception, making us think that we are subject to him when we are not. That’s a major part of why Jesus could say, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) The devil tells us that we are powerless against sin, that it’s no use fighting it, in ourselves or in others. This whole section exposes that lie, and this verse gives the legal justification for that, so to speak. For example, diplomats aren’t subject to many of the laws of the country in which they serve; it’s called “diplomatic immunity.” In the same way, we aren’t subject to “the law of sin and death,” (Romans 8:2) because we are ambassadors for Christ, (2 Corinthians 5:20) and we are subject to the law of grace, as it says here. After all, our citizenship is in heaven. (Philippians 3:20) The point, then, is not to act like a local! If a believer in Jesus Christ lives no differently from the people in the world around him, they are missing the vast majority of the blessings God has prepared for us in Christ. There is no reason for us to remain stuck in sin, because Jesus died to free us from that. Yes, we trip up and stumble at times, but that should be an increasingly rare exception in our lives. As has been said, there are three tenses to salvation in Christ: we have been saved from the penalty for sin, we are being saved from the power of sin, and we will be saved from the presence of sin. This verse is about the present tense of that, reminding us that we are no longer under the authority of sin and the law, but under grace.

This of course applies to me as much as it does to anyone else. I remember very clearly how I struggled with a particular “besetting sin” until I realized that when I confessed and repented, I really was forgiven. The truth of forgiveness in Christ truly set me free. (2 Peter 1:9) The challenge now is in communicating that to those to whom I minister. Again, my enemy is the lying devil who tells people it’s no use fighting sin. Even seasoned ministers get caught in his traps, and I am not to let down my guard. I am to walk in the freedom of grace and teach others to do likewise, but never confuse grace for license, as Paul cautions at the beginning of this chapter. The liberty that is in Christ is far too precious to do anything else!

Father, thank You for this important reminder. Help me be effective indeed in communicating this truth to as many as will receive it, so that we may walk together in Your liberty, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Righteousness and Peace; November 2, 2020

Posted on November 4, 2020 by jgarrott

Romans 5:20-21 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul’s logic in this whole passage seems a bit convoluted at times, but the upshot is that Jesus broke us out of the whole cycle of sin and death by taking sin and death on Himself to give us the gift of righteousness (the exact phrase in the Japanese) leading us to eternal life. There have been a lot of theological arguments over just what Paul meant by “The law was added so that the trespass might increase.” My take is that human beings do stupid things even when there are no rules against them, but when rules are in place to protect us from our stupidity, we turn around and want to do those things! Adam and Eve had exactly one prohibition, and they turned around and violated it. The term, prohibition, is closely associated in America with the only constitutional amendment to be passed and then repealed, the 18th, which prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. It lasted only 13 years, and in the process significantly increased alcohol consumption in the US. A Wikipedia article states that prior to Prohibition, bars were almost exclusively for men, but after it was repealed, women flocked to bars as well. That’s the result of trying to legislate righteousness. Ultimately, the only real answer is the gift of righteousness by faith. After all, a person can be completely sober and still be headed for hell! This hardly means that laws are meaningless, but it certainly means that they aren’t the ultimate answer.

Just yesterday the Lord reminded me of His ultimate answer, bringing the song, The King is Coming, to my mind, and that was a blessing indeed. However, I’ve still got to live through the daily slog, so to speak, until that time or until He calls me home. I need to remember that God set His salvation into motion at Calvary, and absolutely nothing can stop it. I need to be intentional in receiving His gift of righteousness, living it out in obedience to Him. If I will do that, He will use me to draw others to repentance and faith as well, so that they too may receive the gift of righteousness for eternal life. If I will focus on obedience and availability, generated by faith and love, He will take care of everything else, and I have absolutely nothing to be anxious about.

Father, You know about the devil’s attacks on my peace better than I do. Help me stay focused on Christ indeed, so that what You spoke through Isaiah may be fulfilled in me: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3) Thank You. Praise God!

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Joy!; November 1, 2020

Posted on November 4, 2020 by jgarrott

Romans 5:1-4 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

his whole passage through verse 11 is so glorious that Paul can barely contain himself as he writes. Joy just explodes from him! The fact that Jesus’ death and resurrection, expressed in the last verse of chapter 4, purchased for us peace with God, no longer shackled by the guilt of our past sins, is more than Paul can express with mere words. It puts everything into a context that enables us to rejoice even in suffering! I think the reason we so seldom walk in the fullness of the joy expressed here is that we fail to realize that our sins have earned eternal destruction for us, and so we discount the grace of God. The devil does all he can to distract us from the glorious reality expressed here, because as Jesus said, he is only out to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) He hates it when we rejoice in God’s salvation, so he seeks to steal our joy by distracting us from it. When we are fully focused on God and what He has done for us in Christ Jesus, nothing can shake our joy and peace. That’s how martyrs, from Stephen on, (Acts 7:54-60) can go to their reward rejoicing. We aren’t being stoned, but we grouse and complain. How foolish! God invites us to receive His peace and joy, but we can do so only by faith, because this world certainly isn’t going to generate it!

I think I have a better grasp on this than many, but I still allow myself to be distracted far too often. Just yesterday, in our weekly Internet video meeting, my daughters, my wife and I were talking about worry, and how it differentiates from caring deeply, and from anxiety. Current events can and do generate all those things in me, and I’ve got to do what I tell others to do all the time, which is to place my focus on Christ, above and before everything else. (Hebrews 12:2) Only if I do that will I be able to maintain the peace and joy that God intends for me. Whatever happens, about the election or anything else, God will still be God and His salvation will still be available for all who will repent and believe. As He told me personally, He’s not pleased at the way people spit in His face and damage themselves and others, but what we see around us isn’t the final answer. Just a few minutes ago, as I was typing these notes, the Lord brought to my mind the song, The King is Coming. Letting it play through my mind, I wept tears of joy, because it is an absolutely true song, and I must not forget it. Satan is indeed frantic, because he knows his days are short. (Revelation 12:12) I am not to let him distract me, but rather rest, relax, and rejoice in my God, just as He has told me to do.

Father, thank You for this glorious reminder. Thank You for all You are doing, both around me and in me. Help me welcome Your hand and not resist, allowing You to do in and through me all that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Faith of Abraham; October 31, 2020

Posted on November 1, 2020 by jgarrott

Romans 4:16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring–not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.

Clear translation often requires looking at large chunks of content at one time, because different grammar requires different word order. Here, the Japanese pulls the quote that the NIV puts in verse 17, “I have made you a father of many nations,” into verse 16, ahead of the statement that “He is the father of us all,” in order for that statement to be understandable. One of my biggest frustrations in interpreting between Japanese and English is speakers who say a sentence fragment and expect that to be interpreted before they complete the sentence, which leaves me completely up in the air. They probably think they are being kind, not taxing my memory, but they don’t understand the differences between languages. That’s why interpreting for myself is much easier, since I know what I’m actually saying! It is also interesting that the Japanese translation I use inserts the detail that the promise mentioned here is that of inheriting the world, since Japanese readers wouldn’t be likely to have a firm grasp on that. All such things aside, this is an enormously important passage, both for Jews and for Gentiles. The Jews are naturally very proud of their descent from Abraham, with all the promises of God to him, but this states that those promises are rooted in faith and are by grace, and not simply automatic. The flip side of that is that those who have the faith of Abraham receive the promises equally with the physical descendants, and that was and is earth shattering for Jews. Stating it brought Paul a great deal of persecution, including the imprisonment that sent him to Rome. It is all part of the paradox that God is simultaneously both strictly exclusive and totally inclusive. I have had people attack me for saying that Jesus is the only way of salvation, (John 14:6, Acts 4:12) but Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, so that anyone at all may be saved. (John 3:16) We don’t deal with that paradox very well! I think that’s a major reason why people don’t evangelize, because they don’t realize that God loves the next guy as much as He does them, but if that next guy doesn’t believe, and acknowledge Jesus as Lord, he’s headed for eternity in hell. God’s promises are eternal and are open to all, but we have to believe to receive.

I deal with this constantly, trying to communicate the Gospel in Japan. My impression is that American Gentiles, even, seem to think that they are “in line for” God’s promises, since the Bible is part of American culture, but that isn’t the case in Japan. I need to communicate the reality that it is miraculous that anyone can be saved, since “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) The twin problems are in getting people to acknowledge that they are indeed sinners, and then in persuading them to believe that God has truly provided salvation, free of charge for those who will receive it by faith. That’s a far stretch, particularly in Japan where “sin” is conflated with “crime,” so in a sense I’m asking people to say that they are criminals. Actually, by God’s laws that’s exactly what we are! I can’t do that my be own intellect and powers of persuasion, but the Holy Spirit can, even using me. I’m not to give up because of the magnitude of the task, but rather praise God that He can and does do such an impossible thing, even using me at times.

Father, thank You for this powerful reminder. Help me indeed never give up, but rather keep proclaiming Your Gospel, offering myself and my words for Your use to draw people to Yourself, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Grace; October 30, 2020

Posted on November 1, 2020 by jgarrott

Romans 4:4-5 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Language can be tricky, which is why a translator’s job is so demanding. Where the NIV says “gift,” the Japanese says “grace.” The underlying thoughts are the same, that is, “something not earned,” but the the nuance isn’t, necessarily. The underlying Greek is, I’m sure, charis, which is listed in lexicons as “grace,” or “grace gift.” It all comes back to the reality that we have a hard time with grace, either wanting to earn everything for ourselves or being totally passive. Neither is appropriate. That’s why Paul follows up his definitive statement on salvation by grace through faith with, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) All this talk of not working doesn’t mean we are to be idle, much less lazy. Likewise, it doesn’t mean that what we do in obedience to God won’t be rewarded. As it says in Hebrews, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36) We get all confused, thinking either that we have to work to earn God’s acceptance, or that what we do simply doesn’t matter, and neither is true. I think it comes back to failing to understand God’s character, and that is often linked to our physical father. A father should love his children because they are his children, period, but at the same time discipline them and reward them appropriately for their actions. That is one place where I disagree with Dennis Prager, who says that we have to earn love. He has a point, up to a point, but he doesn’t really grasp grace.

I had the huge blessing of being raised by parents who practiced, even exemplified, the grace of God. I think as a result, I certainly wasn’t “the perfect child,” but I didn’t go so far “off the rails,” so to speak. The thing is, I knew that no matter what I did my parents would love me, which made me not want to hurt or disappoint them. I agree that sometimes people’s misbehavior, especially as children but sometimes as adults, is crying out, “Do you really love me?” The appropriate response, which we need to learn from God, is appropriate discipline coupled with assurance of love. In my opinion, a “time out” is a more cruel punishment than a well-placed whack, because it in a sense denies love, placing space, a barrier, between the child and the parent. In Jesus’ famous parable of the Prodigal Son, (Luke 15) all the son needed to do was acknowledge his wrong and return to the father. That is a perfect illustration of God’s grace. As a pastor, I need to help people understand that they can never do anything that would make God not love them, but they can certainly do things that cut them off from receiving that love. I need to help them grasp the reality, the magnitude, of God’s love and grace, so that they may respond with total gratitude and obedience to Him.

Father, I’m still growing in this myself. Thank You for using imperfect vessels! Help me be an open, effective channel of Your grace on every level, so that as many as will may receive that grace in repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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