God’s Ways; September 15, 2020

Posted on September 18, 2020 by jgarrott

Exodus 33:13 “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

Here we have the heart of a leader pleasing to God fully exposed. Moses was not asking for anything personally for himself, he was asking to know God better so that he would be more pleasing to Him. I don’t know the Hebrew, but in Japanese, way, or ways, is consistently rendered with a word meaning street, road, or path. Way does have that meaning in English, as in highway and the like, but I don’t know that we think about it like that in this context. In a sense, Moses is asking for GPS – God Positioning System. That’s something we could all use, but we don’t think about it often enough. If we are following God’s route, not only will we arrive where we and He want us to go, we will see the sights along the way that He intends for us as well. Much of the time we hardly know where we are, much less where we are headed next! Moses was on a first-name basis with God, (Exodus 33:11) but he still wanted to know more of God and to be on ever better terms with Him. That’s certainly an example to follow! When we fail to keep pressing in for more of God, we end up drifting away, because the currents of life in this fallen world certainly flow away from Him rather than toward Him. Self-satisfaction ends up being disastrous! This is particularly true for those charged with leadership, as Moses was, because our “flock” doesn’t belong to us, it belongs to God.

Of course this applies completely to me, since I am a pastor and I desire to be pleasing to God. God has led me throughout my life but I haven’t always paid attention, and sometimes I’ve run into mud and potholes quite unnecessarily. I don’t have to know what’s around the next corner, but I do need to know where to turn! The longer I walk with the Lord, the closer I want to do so. I identify completely with the Bill Gaither song, The Longer I Serve Him, the Sweeter He Grows. I can understand how Billy Graham must have felt, when the only way he could get closer to God was to leave his physical body behind. I’m certainly looking forward to that day myself, but in the mean time He’s got work for me to do, and there is joy and satisfaction in it. Today being my 72nd birthday, it’s a milestone, and I’m deeply grateful, both for the road this far and the road ahead. I am constantly reminded that this flock belongs to Him and not to me, and I desire that all of His plans, for it and for me, be fulfilled for His glory.

Father, thank You for this, today of all days. I am frequently touched at the evidence of Your having guided in the creation of the monthly Scripture reading list, when the passage is spot-on for what You already knew would be happening. Thank You for enabling me to draw up the October list yesterday. Help me indeed follow Your path for me, drawing closer to You just as Moses asked, so that I may be fully pleasing to You. Thank You. Praise God!

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Giving; September 14, 2020

Posted on September 16, 2020 by jgarrott

Genesis 33:11 “Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.

This story tells us all sorts of things about the people involved, as well as the customs of the day. We find that Jacob was indeed very intelligent (or maybe we should say, crafty) and knew how to give a bribe to save his skin. We also learn how Jacob valued the members of his own household. His was certainly what we would call a dysfunctional family today! The rivalries among his wives and concubines are mentioned elsewhere, and his children were ranked in terms of which womb they came from. It’s no wonder his other sons were jealous of Joseph and wanted to kill him! (Genesis 37) All that said, Jacob still managed to say something here that should impact how we think about our own lives: “God has been gracious to me, and I have plenty.” We have a bad tendency to forget that everything we have is a manifestation of God’s grace. Yes, our effort is often involved, but if God didn’t provide it, we wouldn’t have a thing. That’s a major function of tithing. Returning to God 1/10 is to remind us that all of it originates with Him. I talked about tithing with someone recently who is getting started in their first real job. They were taken aback by the idea of giving that large an amount every month, since they did not have the example of tithing when they were growing up. I told them that they should rejoice that God had provided so much as to enable that sort of giving! (They were leaving to work elsewhere, so I wasn’t trying to get more income for this church.) The thing is, we should all look at God’s supply as an opportunity to pass it on appropriately. Few are called to give it all away (though some are) but all of us will find joy and satisfaction as we allow God to meet others’ needs through us, and the first step in it all is tithing, to establish in our own heart and mind that God is our Source.

I am pestered with requests for donations on a daily basis, and I have gotten to where I turn it all off. That isn’t really good. Even political donations can be God’s will for us at times, but I find such organizations as Persecution.com and Samaritan’s Purse far more compelling. However, I was indeed raised to tithe, and I am grateful. God’s supply is indeed abundant, and I am to be a steward and not a glutton. In teaching others about giving, I am to be an example, but never boastful about it. That can take more wisdom than I have at times. However, God provides wisdom too, (James 1:5) so I have no excuse!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You did in this church yesterday. I pray that I wouldn’t get in Your way, but would flow with Your Spirit in all that You are doing on every level, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Feelings; September 13, 2020

Posted on September 16, 2020 by jgarrott

Genesis 6:6 The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.

Some would insist that it’s just anthropomorphic fiction, but the Bible says many times that God has feelings. Anthropomorphism is attributing human characteristic to something that is not human, but the Bible also says, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27) That turns things around the other direction. Some philosophers, calling themselves theologians, have have insisted that God is the ultimate Other, that we can’t grasp Him because He is so different from us. I beg to differ. It is true that His thoughts and ways are far higher than ours, (Isaiah 55:8-9) but I remain convinced that many of our “uniquely human” characteristics come from the fact that God created us in His own image. God isn’t like us; we are in some ways like God. That explains the sanctity of human life, just as President Trump has repeatedly stated: “Every child, born and unborn, is created in the image of God.” Carrying that too far gets you thinking like the Greek and Roman Gods, who were said to have all the human foibles, just with more power. God, being infinite, is beyond our ability to grasp in entirety, but “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” (Hebrews 1:1-2) God has chosen to reveal Himself to us His creation, and the ultimate expression of that is Jesus, who was fully human as well as being fully divine. And Josephus says that Jesus was noted for being quite emotional! Going back to this verse, it’s hard for us to grasp just how God, who knows the end from the beginning, could be grieved over something He had done. However, one of the few times I have “heard” God speak to me directly was over 25 years ago. I was lying in bed, not consciously praying but just thinking, “There are so many things I wish were different.” At that moment, as clearly as if it had been audible words, I heard in my heart, “How do you think I feel?” In that moment I realized that God was indeed grieved by many of the things in the world, but that wasn’t the end of the story. God always has a solution! That said, the logical thing is for us to be and do what will delight, and not grieve, our Creator.

This of course applies to me. It is always a temptation for preachers to feel their pronouncements apply to others and not to themselves. That’s the same thing we’re seeing with politicians ignoring the regulations they’re pushing on everyone else. I must not take things for granted, but renew my commitment to my Lord daily, and even moment-by-moment as necessary. At the same time, I’m not to be anxious about it all. It wasn’t so clearly as the incident I’ve mentioned, but the Lord has told me repeatedly to rest, relax, and rejoice, and my obedience is certainly pleasing to Him! I’m never to think God can’t identify with how I feel. Again as it says in Hebrews, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) I am to rejoice that Christ took on my limitations so that I may share in His glory. That is glorious indeed!

Father, thank You for this powerful, clear reminder. Thank You that You do understand me completely, and You love me anyway. Help me respond to Your love in total gratitude and obedience, so that You may be both pleased and glorified. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Invitation; September 12, 2020

Posted on September 15, 2020 by jgarrott

Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

This is so absolutely glorious! I want to break into a doxology every time I read it. The devil and those deceived by him accuse the Church of being exclusionary, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is really only one condition: repentance. Those who accuse either honestly misunderstand, or they love darkness rather than light, just as Jesus said. (John 3:16-21) Every verse in this last chapter of the Bible references or echoes things that have already been said earlier in the Bible. The description of the river of the water of life from verse one is an exact confirmation of Ezekiel’s vision in Ezekiel 47. The glorious thing is that the invitation is open to all who will come, to drink and receive eternal life. The emphasis is on the word, “will”; volition is involved. We have to choose to believe and receive. As the proverb says, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. The sad reality is that there are those who have in a sense grown up on the banks of the river but who have never drunk. Knowing about Jesus isn’t enough: you have to repent of your rebellion and acknowledge Him as your Lord. The evangelistic imperative is as Paul expressed it: “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) Communicating the Gospel is speaking along with the Holy Spirit, as it says here. The Bride is of course the Church, and any church that isn’t calling people to life in Christ is a travesty. Once we have heard the invitation, we need to be repeating it, just as it says here.

I am challenged by this verse even as I glory in it. How well, how consistently, am I communicating God’s invitation? I genuinely desire everyone to accept and respond to that invitation, but am I expressing it in ways they can understand and receive it? Verse 11 of this chapter seems to indicate that there will always be those who stubbornly refuse, but my heart aches at that. I have had people whom I loved dearly, with whom I had shared the Gospel in various ways, die without ever publicly saying yes to Jesus. That breaks my heart. I’ve got to release everything into God’s hands, allowing Him to be God and to use me however He will, so that as many as possible may be united with Him in eternity.

Father, I can’t think about this without remembering some dear friends. Help me not accuse myself when You don’t accuse me, but help me be faithful to be and say and do all that You desire, so that I may not hinder but rather encourage as many as will to respond affirmatively to Your gracious invitation, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Legacy; September 11, 2020

Posted on September 14, 2020 by jgarrott

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

We speak of a person’s legacy, and as we get older we are concerned as to what our own will be. John really hits the nail on the head, because buildings and programs and even institutions change and fade, and of course wealth is ephemeral, but God’s truth is eternal, and there is no greater legacy. It is a truism that “you can’t take it with you,” but we can lead others to join us in heaven. John was speaking of spiritual children here, including Gaius to whom he is writing. Physical children are a blessing, but if they don’t also become our spiritual children, all we’ve done is increased the population. Yesterday I was reading that El Chapo, the Mexican drug lord currently in jail in the US, has sired some 23 children by various women, and Genghis Khan is said to be the person with the most “reproductive success” in history, but such statistics are not a legacy of joy and peace. It is when we invest in people, pouring into them the truth that God has given to us, that we develop a real legacy. The older we get – and John is said to have lived well past 90 – the more we realize that it is relationships that matter, and not all the material things the devil tempts us with. Of course, our foundational relationship is with our Creator. If we don’t have that right through Jesus Christ His Son, nothing else matters. Again, the longer we live, the better we realize that is an ongoing, growing thing. My father used to say, “Give all you know of yourself to all you know of Christ.” The thing is, we learn more about ourselves every day, and we should keep learning more of Christ, so this is a lifelong activity. When we have that foundation, then it is the relationships with those around us that matter. In my counseling I am constantly telling people that being self-centered is the greatest hindrance to genuine happiness, because it cuts us off from deep, fulfilling relationships. The mess the world is in can rightly be attributed entirely to failed relationships.

This is very much on my heart right now because one of my spiritual children just left to take a job in another part of Japan. It was a considerable relief to hear from him last night that he had arrived safely, and that he already misses Omura. He will have many growing experiences there, and some of them will be painful, and I am to keep pointing him to the Lord and encouraging him to praise God and keep moving forward. There are many things he needs to learn, but that is true of us all. I am to value each of the relationships God has given me with people, pouring into them the truth and grace He has poured out on me. I don’t do that perfectly, certainly, so I’ve got to keep growing in the process. If I will do that, my legacy will be secure and I will receive the ultimate accolade: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Father, thank You for this reminder. The young man who left isn’t the only one learning and growing by the experience! I ask Your anointing as I teach this morning, that my impact on my students may draw them all to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Peter; September 10, 2020

Posted on September 14, 2020 by jgarrott

1 Peter 2:24-25 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

It’s clear that Peter is restating Isaiah 53:4-6, and it is all the more moving for that. He had been a direct observer of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy and he had experienced the benefits in his own life. I have a very warm spot in my heart for Peter, because he is such a beautiful example of a deeply flawed human being who recognizes his total dependence on, and debt to, Jesus Christ. It is certainly no accident that God chose him to lead the Early Church. He is a perfect illustration of the Kingdom reality that the way up is down. That is, as he himself wrote, if we humble ourselves before God, He lifts us up when it is appropriate. (1 Peter 5:6) This is something Jesus talked about, (Mark 9:33-37 and many more) and Peter experienced it first hand in a number of ways. Paul is famous for writing about grace, but Peter certainly experienced it and rejoiced in it. In the section from verse 13, Peter is very practical, applying life in Christ to real-world situations that we all deal with. (We may not be slaves, but some employment situations feel like we are!) However, he comes back to Jesus, because everything is about Him.


I too need to be totally centered on Jesus, fully aware that I can do nothing good on my own. (John 15:5) I have my own set of weaknesses and faults, and I am fully as dependent on the grace and mercy of God as Peter was. My prayer is that I would be as faithful to the end as he was. Some people have pointed out that in some ways I am more analogous to Paul, having been raised steeped in Scripture in an academic family, rather than as a fisherman or manual laborer, but I don’t try to “take sides.” Rather, I am to live out my own unique calling in my own unique circumstances, and encourage those around me to do the same.


Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You did yesterday, and for all You have planned for today. I expected to be in the hospital today, so my schedule is clear. Help me not waste a minute of today, but rather do Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Prayer for Healing; September 9, 2020

Posted on September 13, 2020 by jgarrott

James 5:14-15 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

Having been associated with the Charismatic Movement since 1973, this is a very familiar passage indeed. I have seen many people healed through prayer, and I have seen many people who didn’t seem to benefit from prayer. What I haven’t seen much of is people following this specific pattern, of the sick person calling for the elders of the local congregation and asking for their prayer. I believe it was Yongi Cho who wrote that only about 30% of the people they prayed for were healed, but they knew that if they hadn’t prayed, those people would not have been healed. Something that struck me just now in reading this passage yet again was the element of the will of the sick person; they were personally to call for the elders to come and pray. Also, this isn’t a matter of going to “a healer,” someone with a special gift of healing, (1 Corinthians 12:30) but rather of asking for prayer from the elders of the local congregation, with whom the sick person is already in relationship. Paul is clear, as was Jesus, that elders are not to “lord it over” those in the flock, but they are acknowledged as having spiritual authority and responsibility. Calling for them to come and pray is specifically acknowledging that authority. Far too many people today are really submitted to no authority, and the ill effects of that reverberate throughout society. Just as the Roman centurion recognized, authority is of great importance. (Matthew 8:5-13) If we aren’t submitted to God, and by extension to His representatives, then we have no hope of resisting the devil (James 4:7) and walking in all the blessings God has prepared for us. Another element here is the matter of sin. The Bible is clear that not all disease is the direct result of sin, but some of it is, and we must never rule out that possibility. Receiving healing often calls for repentance, of unbelief if of nothing else. In it all, we must remember that the healing power is from God, and not from any human agent He might use. Too much healing ministry focuses on the minister, and God will not honor that.

I don’t know what my “success rate” is, but I am not to let that stop me from praying for people, for healing or for anything else. I am sharply aware that the power doesn’t come from me anyway. I am to remember that some cases take longer than others, and not give up. Dramatic healings are spectacular, but they aren’t necessarily the most effective. My wife’s health has been an issue for many years, as it is even this morning. I’m not to give up! For that matter, I’m in the middle of a medical procedure myself, and I’m not to be anxious. It is all part of the mystery of prayer. After all, why would the Creator of the universe listen to prayers anyway? However, the Bible and experience tell us that He does, and He is more than gracious. I am to be a ready channel of that grace, anytime and to anyone the Lord directs.


Father, thank You for this reminder. I do ask for Your wisdom in dealing with Cathy’s dizziness, along with everything else going on today. I ask for Your guidance in things related to my health today. May I be focused on You, Your kingdom and Your righteousness, and not on anything less, regardless of how demanding of my attention it might be. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Therapy; September 8, 2020

Posted on September 13, 2020 by jgarrott

Hebrews 12:12-13 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

I have taught Medical English at Nagasaki Rehabilitation College for over 38 years now, and it has never hit me that this is a description of physical therapy! At the same time, the section ahead of this makes it clear that this is a physical metaphor for a spiritual reality. I’d call it ST for Spiritual Therapy, except that we already use that for Speech Therapy. In any case, vast numbers of people are spiritual invalids, limping along or even bedridden, spiritually speaking. The task of the minister is not to point fingers, but rather to enable recovery. At the same time, just as with physical therapy, there needs to be cooperation on the part of the “patient.” A major, and vital, part of any program of therapy is getting the person’s wholehearted participation in the process. That frankly can be difficult, because therapy can be painful, whether it’s the physical kind or the spiritual kind. The verse just ahead of this is very true and instructive: “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) Just as in physical therapy, the goal is not pain, but sometimes pain is an unavoidable part of what is necessary to reach eventual healing. Physically and otherwise, pain can be a vital indicator of what is wrong, what needs to be healed. However, we must be careful that our “ministry” doesn’t disable those already in trouble, but rather heals them. There are limits to how much pain, physical or emotional, a person can tolerate at one time. Especially when pain is unavoidable, we need the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit to minister correctly.


This is a truth I should understand very well, and not just because of my long association with the school. Cathy’s father had a stroke, and his right side was affected. It was over an hour each way to the hospital where physical therapy was available, so when he was discharged they gave him exercises he could do at home for therapy. The problem was, things like squeezing a sponge ball were painful for him, and without a therapist there to encourage him, he quit very quickly, not realizing that his failure to follow through put extra stress on his wife, because he became less and less able to do things for himself. That phenomenon is evident in therapy patients of all sorts, spiritual as well as physical. I am to “teach and admonish with all wisdom,” (Colossians 3:16) not condemning but encouraging, so that the people in my care may be brought to full spiritual health, actively participating in the Body of Christ and fulfilling God’s purposes for them, for His glory.


Father, thank You for making this clear connection that I indeed understand very well. Help me also not draw back from the discipline that doesn’t seem fun at the moment, but is necessary for my growth. May I be Your agent on every level, for true health in the Body of Christ, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Body of Christ; September 7, 2020

Posted on September 9, 2020 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

This section of 1 Corinthians is a supremely anointed metaphor, one that anyone can grasp, and it deals with a vitally important subject. Unity and division of labor are both vital issues in any organization, and certainly so in the Church, as well as in each local church. We speak glibly of a “body of believers” without really thinking about all that means, the way Paul lays it out in this chapter. Part of that comes from leaders thinking they’re more important, but just ask someone with cerebral palsy how much good that does if nothing follows your lead! We don’t like to admit how much we are dependent on others, and we don’t like to accept the responsibility of others being dependent on us. However, that’s an inescapable reality, whether we like it or not. For a genuine Christian, it should be a joy. Since Christ is our ultimate Head, (Ephesians 1:10 and many more) we should rejoice to be counted as part of His body, organs if you will. I may be no more than a toenail, or even a hair follicle, but I’m part of the Lord of the universe! That is glorious indeed, and we should rejoice in it. However, the flip side of that is recognizing that others are as much parts of the body as we are. That has been a problem throughout Church history, and it’s a problem in just about every local congregation today. It is true that bodies can become cancerous, and excision can become necessary. However, the only one with the wisdom and knowledge necessary to do that right is our Head, so total submission to Him is essential. It is all too common for one member of a local body to decide that another member is “inconvenient,” or an irritant, and set about trying to exclude them. They don’t realize that is like sawing off your own toe, at least! We need to value each other and build each other up, recognizing our own value in the process, and so be fully functioning and useful to our Head.


For far too long I failed to recognize how much I need other believers, other parts of the Body. I saw the tragedy of divisions between different groups, like denominations, but I failed to see that I couldn’t go it alone on a personal level. Thankfully, that is changing. God has gifted me in a wide variety of areas, but my tendency to try to do it all myself has been a hindrance to this church from the start. Now, however, I’m shifting to trying to find who can do a task that needs to be done, rather than trying to acquire that skill myself. That will be far more healthy and productive in the long run!


Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all the mistakes I made in recording yesterday’s service. I’ve been “the tech guy” in so many situations for so long that it’s hard to let go of that sort of thing. I do ask for the right person to handle it. I pray that I would fill the niche You have for me, and not try to cover more than You intend, so that every member of the Body may have joy and satisfaction in serving You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Ignorance; September 6, 2020

Posted on September 9, 2020 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 12:1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.

For once, I really prefer the NIV to the Japanese! Where the NIV (like most English translations that come to mind) says, “I don’t want you to be ignorant,” the Japanese says, “I really want you to know the following things.” There is a Japanese term for ignorance, but the translators chose not to use it. Ignorance isn’t sinful, but it can certainly be dangerous, and indeed, many Christians are ignorant when it comes to spiritual gifts. I could literally teach for many hours on the subject, and I’m tempted every time it comes up! This chapter is naturally of prime importance in such teaching, along with Romans 12 and Ephesians 4, but the point is, we do well to press in to know as much as possible of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus, not to puff us up but so that we will be more useful to Him in establishing His kingdom. That brings up the point that we aren’t to pursue knowledge for its own sake, but so that it can be used to do the will of God. There are denominations that require academic tests for ordination. I think that is a grave mistake. Information is no substitute for a living relationship with our living Lord! That said, information is to an extent absolutely essential. As Paul said, how can people believe in someone of whom they have not heard? (Romans 10:14) In that same chapter he speaks of the Jews having zeal but not knowledge. (Romans 10:2) We are to seek more knowledge of God, and to share that knowledge with others, but we must not let that knowledge just be information on a shelf, but rather apply it actively in service to our Lord. (James 1:22)


Because my motivational gifting is Teacher, I have always been a “knowledge hound,” seeking it and drinking it in. I used to read the Encyclopedia Britannica for fun when I was in the 4th grade! At the same time, I have learned the hard way how easy it is to deceive myself with “head knowledge,” just like James said. I do not want to be ignorant and I don’t want others to be ignorant, but I can’t force anyone to accept knowledge, any more than I can acquire all knowledge myself. I’ve got to be at peace with what Paul expressed in the chapter right after this: “Where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.” (1 Corinthians 13:8-10) At the same time, I can take comfort in what he said right after that: “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) I must not let knowledge substitute for obedience. As James pointed out, even demons have knowledge of God, but it does them no good. (James 2:19)


Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for making us capable of learning, of gaining knowledge. Help me keep my focus on knowing You, more than on knowing anything else, and help me communicate that knowledge to as many as possible, so that I and they may walk in that knowledge in obedience, for our salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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