God’s Sovereignty; August 29, 2020

Posted on September 3, 2020 by jgarrott

Acts 4:28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.

This is a verse we often skip over or ignore. We forget that all the horrible things that were done to Jesus were explicitly part of God’s plans, so those who were being inhumanly cruel were even so being God’s agents. We can’t really wrap our minds around that. It’s not at all that God desires evil, but He uses even evil to bring about ultimate good. The more we grasp that, the better we are able to give God thanks for everything, just as Paul admonishes us to do. (Ephesians 5:20) We aren’t to thank God for sin, but in faith we can and should thank Him for a wide variety of things that on their surface aren’t in the least attractive. These believers had just been threatened by their own government, having seen what that government had done to Jesus, and their response was to ask God to use them in defiance of their government. That sort of thing is happening in California and other places in the US today, not to mention in places like China and North Korea. We are not to seek persecution, but we are never to fail to obey God out of a fear of persecution. We must remember that God will never allow anything to happen to us that He can’t turn around and use for our good. (Romans 8:28) We are to thank Him for the privilege of serving Him, regardless of the consequences.

This is an area where God is still training me. Over 20 years ago He told me personally that there are many things that are not as He wants them to be, but at the same time I know that He can and will turn even those things around to advance His plan. How He will, or even can, do that is far above human intellect to figure out, but it is something I need to accept in faith. Right now I am recovering from having had a plug of my scalp removed because of a basal cell carcinoma, and I am anticipating undergoing a skin graft to complete the repair in about a week and a half. What is going on isn’t exactly fun for me, but it is something for which I am to be actively thankful, in faith that God is using it for good. The same applies to every detail of my life, though too often I forget it in practice. I am to be thankful for not being able to figure out (yet) how to get my drone flying, even though I have wanted to be able to do aerial photography with a drone for a long time. I am to be thankful for the interpersonal frictions that complicate my life, as frustrating as they can be at times, knowing that God is using them to shape and grow everyone involved. I am not to “lie down and roll over” for the attacks of the devil, but rather stand firm against them, (James 4:7) and at the same time thank God for training me as His warrior, for His glory.


Father, thank You for this reminder, and for Your patience in training me, in this and every area. Help me be a good student, growing to be and do all that You desire, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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Gifting; August 28, 2020

Posted on August 30, 2020 by jgarrott

Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

There are two particularly powerful statements by Peter in this section, this one and the one in verses 19-20 that has been the justification for civil disobedience ever since. This is just further evidence of Peter coming into full form, on the heels of the healing that triggered Peter and John’s arrest and trial. What strikes me is that the very boldness that up until Jesus’ resurrection had seemed to be something of a liability is here put to marvelous use for the glory of God. God doesn’t make mistakes in how He creates us, whatever we might think about ourselves or others. The very characteristics that might drive us to distraction were prepared by God for specific purposes, and when we discover those purposes, we can be very grateful indeed. Sometimes it can really stretch our faith to try to see good in some characteristics, again, both in ourselves and in others. However, God indeed sees the end from the beginning, and His purposes are good. Sometimes we just have to pray, “Father, thank You for the good You have planned for that, because I sure can’t see it.” Honesty is always the best policy!

My wife and I were enormously helped in this area by the teaching on Motivational Gifts by Don and Katie Fortune. We first met them when a missionary friend in another part of Japan called and said the Fortunes were in Japan and were interested in Kyushu, and would we be interested in hosting them. We recognized a God-given opportunity, and have been grateful ever since. I interpreted for their teaching on more than three different visits to Japan, and we became quite close to them, staying in their home on visits to Seattle. They have both graduated to their reward in heaven, but we still try to communicate the truths they taught. Based on Romans 12:6-8, they differentiated that list of gifts from the one in 1 Corinthians 12 and the one in Ephesians 4:7-13, depending on the Greek terms used, and called the Romans list Motivational Gifts. They said they were analogous to personality types, and listed positive and negative characteristics of each. We found that teaching to be a godsend in raising our daughters as well as in dealing with those around us, and even understanding ourselves. We frequently call on that teaching in ministry involving interpersonal relationships, because we all tend to expect, and even demand, that other people be “like us,” and they seldom are! We were involved in such ministry just last night, and once again we were reminded that God doesn’t make mistakes when He creates people. We are all wounded and otherwise shaped by our life experiences, but God’s gifting is always good, and it is our privilege and responsibility to seek that out and apply it, for His glory.

Father, thank You for Your grace on so many levels. Help us be consistent channels of that grace to everyone around us, allowing them to blossom into all that You created them to be, for the blessing of everyone around them, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Preparing for Christ’s Return; August 27, 2020

Posted on August 30, 2020 by jgarrott

Acts 3:19-20 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you–even Jesus.”

In English I was going to go with just verse 19, but then I realized that in Japanese, the “times of refreshing” part is in verse 20, and that actually gave me further insight. We are prone to focus on things in this life, which is why “times of refreshing” sounds so nice. However the Bible is very clear that the “final fix” isn’t going to come until Christ returns, so that should be our focus. Times of refreshing are nice indeed, but they are temporary, just as Lazarus’ resurrection was temporary. (John 11) We tend to forget that he eventually died again! The ultimate solution to all the world’s problems comes only with Christ’s return to reign over everything. That’s not at all to say that we aren’t to fight evil right now. We are Christ’s representatives in the here-and-now, (2 Corinthians 5:20) and “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” (1 John 3:8) We cannot be saved by politicians, but we are to be active in promoting Biblical principles and policies in government. We cannot eliminate poverty or suffering, but we can be God’s agents toward that end. That said, we are not to be discouraged by the minimal results of our own efforts, because Jesus is the ultimate “clean-up batter,” and He’s going to hit it out of the park. To continue that analogy, we just need to work to keep the bases loaded. We do need to remember that all of this is predicated on our own personal repentance. This was an extremely hard-hitting sermon by Peter, and he pulled no punches. He had no idea of “political correctness,” and he wouldn’t have cared if he had! Too often we let the devil trick us into being mealy-mouthed, worrying more about offending people than whether they are going to get saved. Peter is an excellent example for us, because he was a deeply flawed individual (as we all are) and he made lots of mistakes (as we all do) but he was totally committed to Jesus Christ as Lord, as we all should be.

I have always been encouraged by Peter, and I need to keep learning from him. Japanese culture cares intensely about “not rocking the boat.” That seems to have rubbed off on me, and I have “tempered my words” more than I should have many times when presenting the Gospel. I need to remember that the Gospel of repentance and faith is disruptive, period, so I shouldn’t be so afraid of offending. I’m not to offend needlessly, (Romans 12:18) but I am to be unapologetic about the fact that salvation is found in Christ alone. (Acts 4:12) My job is to call people to repentance and faith, not to make them feel good about themselves. Too often we offer “palliative care” when a cure is available! I am to remember that my Lord is returning, and I am to call everyone to get right with Him before they meet Him in judgment.

Father, thank You for this call to action. Help me follow through, not just thinking this was a nice devotional time but actually allowing You to change my lifestyle. I ask for wisdom and boldness, because the people around me have no foundation, no frame of reference, to receive the Gospel. I pray that Your Spirit would have total control over my words and actions, so that the lying barriers of the devil may be shattered and people set free to repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Divine Appointments; August 26, 2020

Posted on August 29, 2020 by jgarrott

Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

I am reminded of the story, perhaps apocryphal, of two priests who were walking in the Vatican, seeing all the beautiful, ornate decorations. One of them said to the other, “We can’t exactly say, ‘Silver and gold have I none,’ can we?” The other replied, “No, and we can’t say, ‘Get up and walk,’ either.” Peter, regarded by many as the first Pope, was placing all the focus on Jesus, and that was why he could have Jesus’ power flow through him. It is worth noting here that Peter specified “of Nazareth,” because Jesus was hardly an unusual name, any more so than Joshua would be today (or even Jesus, in Spanish speaking countries). Even more important is the fact that he explicitly called Jesus the Christ, the promised Messiah of God. We so associate Jesus with that title that some people literally think that “Christ” was Jesus’ last name, but it was and is an essential part of confessing faith for salvation, particularly for any Jew, who would know what it meant. We don’t know how long this man had been using this particular location for begging, so we don’t know if he had actually seen Jesus, but it’s a safe bet that he had heard about him at any rate. That prepared him to respond in faith to Peter’s bold statement and action. And we do need to remember that Peter didn’t just say nice words, he actually reached out and did something that would have made him look stupid if God hadn’t acted. He was obviously acting in obedient response to the Holy Spirit, and that is something we all can do. Divine appointments might seem mystical to some, but they are actually just flowing with the Holy Spirit, listening obediently to what He says. When we do that, He is free to operate through us, and God is glorified.

I’ve had plenty of divine appointments, but none so dramatic as this. Often enough, I don’t realize it was a divine appointment until after the fact, when I recognize that God had me where He wanted me, doing what He wanted me to do. I have to say it feels wonderful to come to that realization! I don’t always respond perfectly, or even well. I have had many times of realizing I’ve just missed a divine appointment, and that doesn’t feel good at all. The important thing is committing to obedience before I know what the task is. Hesitating often lets the opportunity escape. That’s why daily devotions are so important: they help keep me focused on listening obediently. I rarely have advance notice of God’s appointments for me, though sometimes I do. I need to be available on God’s schedule, and not worry about my own.

Father, thank You for all You have done in the past 24 hours. Thank You that my surgery started early and went smoothly, and that I’ve only had to take two pain pills so far. Thank you that those pills were available! Thank You for all You are doing with others in the church right now. I pray that each one would open up to what You are doing in and through them so that they would be willing participants, and not resisting You. May indeed Your name be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, right here, as perfectly as it is in heaven, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Confessing Christ; August 25, 2020

Posted on August 29, 2020 by jgarrott

John 12:42-43 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

Human nature hasn’t changed, certainly in 2000 years and probably from creation. The first part of John’s statement here shows that at least some of the leaders weren’t deaf and blind, unable to recognize the many signs that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah, but the second part of the statement is actually very sad. We know the names of two of the men here described: Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. They found their courage, finally, after Jesus was crucified, and saw to Jesus’ burial. God actually used their cowardice to keep them in a position where they could go to Pilate and request Jesus’ body, but at the same time, that doesn’t excuse their failing to confess their faith openly earlier. John wasn’t picking on them, but he was being bluntly honest. I feel sure that many of the men here mentioned were later active members of the Church, but their earlier behavior removed all room for pride. The thing is, we all do this at times. We fear the reaction of people and so fail to stand up for, or even state, the truth. Today’s “cancel culture” makes that all the more acute. In America today, it’s all too easy to lose your job over simply stating, in a social media forum, that the Black Lives Matter organization is a Marxist fraud. The devil tells us that failing to speak the truth is not the same as denying Christ, but it is certainly at least closely related. The devil knows that when truth penetrates, it sets people free from his lies. (John 8:32) In that sense, it comes back to what Jesus said was the 2nd greatest commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:39) If we love our neighbor, we want them to be free from the lying traps of the devil, so we will speak the truth to them in love, even if they don’t seem to receive it. It’s all part of living with Jesus as Lord. Our lifestyles are an inseparable part of our confession of faith.

I too have to be careful of this, because I want people to like and accept me as much as anyone does. However, I have learned the hard way that not everyone is going to like me regardless of what I do. That leaves the only logical course as seeking to please God, because those who are in tune with Him will certainly like me for that. I have never been a “hellfire and brimstone” preacher, but this past Sunday I stated clearly that ignoring God, not to mention rebelling against Him, destines you for hell. There were two non-Christian ladies here, and rather than taking offense, they seemed hungry for more. I couldn’t begin to count how many times I’ve failed to express the Gospel in such clear terms out of a fear of people’s reactions. Genuine repentance of that sin means that I must be bold from here on out, so that as many as will may repent, believe, and be saved.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. It’s not that I haven’t known this, but I still need to work at practicing it! Thank You that I enter the hospital this morning for surgery. I pray that in all my interactions, with my roommates, the medical staff, and whoever, I may be Your agent indeed, speaking Your truth in love and not letting myself get in the way, so that they may be drawn to You for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Spiritual Vision; August 24, 2020

Posted on August 27, 2020 by jgarrott

John 9:41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

This issue is enormously important, and it trips up countless people. We don’t like to admit our weaknesses, our inabilities, our guilt. That gets directly in the way of our receiving the strength, the abilities, the forgiveness that God has for us. We speak of “meeting felt need” in our interactions with others, but we have to recognize our own need in interacting with God. Just yesterday in the message I was talking about how ignoring God, not to mention directly disobeying Him, destines us for hell. There were people here who have not yet committed themselves to Christ, and I think they hung up a bit on that point. They have a lot of company! Japan, having a “shame culture” rather than a “sin culture,” strongly discourages people from acknowledging personal responsibility before God. That leads to such things as including convicted war criminals among those commemorated at the Yasukuni Shrine. The Bible, in sharp contrast, is all about honesty before God, with David confessing his sin in Psalm 51 and Jesus talking about the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and a repentant tax collector. (Luke 18:9-14) If you don’t acknowledge you’re headed the wrong direction, you aren’t going to turn around, and that’s what repentance is all about. The Japanese word for repentance, kui aratame, is a compound that explicitly says, “regret and re-do.” It is sad indeed that so many people have trouble doing just that, not only in Japan but around the world.

I have had trouble with pride and conceit most of my life, so I don’t have the high ground on this issue. I must not, and indeed cannot, look down on people who balk at admitting their sin, but I also must not fail to speak the truth to them in love. I can forgive sin, as it is committed against me, but I must not excuse sin, in others or especially in myself. I must not go around claiming that I have spiritual eyesight while selectively closing my eyes to specific sins, in myself or in others. I need to seek God for Him to enable me to see things as He does, to see through the lies of the devil in order to lead people out of the devil’s traps, as well as walk out of them myself.

Father, thank You for all You did yesterday. I pray that the impact You had on those ladies would remain and bear abundant fruit. I pray that everyone in this church would continue to grow as You intend, to be and do all that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Experiencing God; August 23, 2020

Posted on August 27, 2020 by jgarrott

John 9:25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

It has been observed that a man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument. This man had just experienced the grace and power of God in Christ Jesus, and nothing the Pharisees said could take that away from him. Theology, and knowledge in general, are important, but they cannot substitute for experiencing the presence and love of God. That’s why we speak of “ivory tower” academics, people who deal in theories entirely and never get into the down-and-dirty of real life. Too much evangelism seems to be geared to getting people to agree to a set of facts, when what is needed is to encourage them to open their hearts to their Creator who loves them, so that He can touch them and make them whole. Bill Gaither’s song, He Touched Me, is about exactly that. Likewise, the song, He Lives, speaks of assurance because of Jesus living in our heart. There is much we don’t know in this life, and indeed cannot know, but if we have experienced the touch of God in our life and accept Him by faith, we don’t really need to know anything else.

I come from a very academic, intellectual family, but fortunately it was rooted even more in faith than in intellect. My father wrote his PhD dissertation on the Greek use of In Christ in the New Testament, but he told me that he didn’t understand it until after that, when he had a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit. As academic and intellectual as he was, it was the experience that brought it home and made it real. I distinctly remember one time as a child asking my mother how I could really know I was a Christian, and she quoted the song, He Lives, to me about Jesus being alive in my heart, and I was fully satisfied. I wish I could say I listened obediently to God consistently after that, but unfortunately I got all wrapped up in intellectual conceit, thinking I was somewhere above the “ignorant masses” around me. God had to give me another personal encounter with Himself to snap me out of that, and it was devastating, but I couldn’t be more grateful. I too have experienced God in ways that no argument can shake. As the secular song says, “They can’t take that away from me.” I minister in Japan, which is demonstrably one of the hardest mission fields in the world, with less than 2% active Christians after enormous resources have been poured into evangelism for over 100 years. The Guinness Book of World Records proclaimed the Japanese to have the highest average intelligence of any people group, and I think that has distracted things. From the start, missions in Japan tended to focus on the upper class, the intelligencia, and there were some notable successes but not much penetration into the culture as a whole. In contrast, in Korea it was the common people who received the Gospel, and conservative estimates put Christians at at least 30% of the population. My gifting is as a teacher, but I must not think that facts alone will actually change anyone.

Father, this is a huge issue. I ask You to manifest Yourself in and through my ministry, so that I may be able to say as Paul did, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5) I am a man of words. Help me remember that words alone are never enough. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Sovereignty; August 22, 2020

Posted on August 25, 2020 by jgarrott

John 9:1-3 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

This is the beginning of one of my favorite stories in the Bible. I’m guessing the man had a sign to help his begging that said something like, “Born blind. Please help,” because otherwise, how would the disciples have known his circumstances? In any case, they brought up a very important theological question that seems to have been much debated. Forgetting the Book of Job, the teachers of the day insisted that since God was not capricious, every bad thing had to come from someone’s sin, so they argued over the cause of congenital defects like what this man had. Jesus settled that question once and for all. It’s not at all that sins don’t have consequences; we see that around us all the time. However, being simplistic and deterministic just brings guilt trips and helps no one. It is true that children can suffer the effects of their parents’ sins “to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 20:5 and more) We see the sad evidence of that constantly. However, using your ancestors as an excuse for your own sins is falling for a lie of the devil. We live in a fallen world, and there is genetic damage in everyone. When those genes express, (as the medical term is) we get congenital, or later, problems. The point is to seek God in everything, allowing Him to turn things around and use them for good, just as happened with this man.

This could not be more timely, because from yesterday we are hosting two representatives of the Japan Cockayne Syndrome Network, which Cathy founded nearly 30 years ago as a support group for families with that genetic problem. One of the ladies’ son died exactly a year ago, and she was talking about how after he died she had a dream of him rubbing his hands over his body and saying how much he liked that body, handicaps and all. She is not yet a baptized Christian, but God has certainly used her son to draw her to Himself, and I feel she is very close to full commitment. I will have opportunity to talk with her more today, and Sunday they will be attending our worship service, so I need to be fully available for whatever God wants to say through me to her. God certainly wants to use her son for her blessing and His glory!

Father, it’s awesome to see You working. From the time we picked them up at the airport, You have been in control. Thank You. May this be the time of salvation for both ladies, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Good Judgment; August 21, 2020

Posted on August 25, 2020 by jgarrott

John 7:24 “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”

At first glance this might seem like a pronouncement of “Mister Obviousman,” but the thing is, this is something we all have problems with, often without realizing it. We rely on our senses to evaluate things, and often enough it’s questionable whether our higher reasoning has anything to do with it at all. That’s why public media have such an easy time, often enough, swaying public opinion. As the old computer saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out.” All of that is compounded by the fact that we never have all the information, even if the information we have is accurate in itself. That’s why we need to rely on the Holy Spirit: God is the only one who genuinely knows it all. It’s like Jesus Himself said right before this: “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” (John 7:17) We need to choose to be obedient to God before we “get all the facts” and make a decision. An amusing illustration of this was posted recently on Facebook, using a picture of a ski resort with the headline, “Florida Ski Resorts Not Practicing Social Distancing.” There are so many layers of intentional absurdity in that, but at least one comment on it seemed to take it halfway seriously! Not so long ago, “critical thinking” was considered a desirable skill, something to be taught by both parents and school teachers, but that seems to have gone out the window, with emotions and slogans taking its place. We need to pause, take a deep breath or two, and choose to listen to God.

I have the added risk in this (and I’m not alone in it) of pride that “I’m not like all those sheep who are taken in by fake news.” Thinking I have all the answers is even more dangerous than ignorance! I am to seek God and allow Him to show me what is beneath the surface, both of things that at first glance seem good and those that seem bad. Given my name, I was confused and then amused to hear the expression, “You don’t know jack” – which means, you don’t know anything – because I thought it was talking about a person. However, I need to remember that compared to God, I indeed don’t know anything, despite my love of knowledge in general. It’s like God told Jeremiah: “Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.” (Jeremiah 9:24) He is to be the basis for all my judgments and decisions.

Father, thank You for this reminder. With all the flood of information, both accurate and fake, none of us can keep things straight without Your help. I pray that Your truth would indeed go out and prevail, setting people free from the abundance of lies that are presented to us as truth. May I always speak Your truth in love, not relying on myself but on You, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Handicaps; August 20, 2020

Posted on August 23, 2020 by jgarrott

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

I am very grateful John included this particular story in his Gospel, because this can be a very important question. Over the years I have encountered many people with various handicaps, and they have tended to fall into two different groups: those who deal with their handicap to overcome it, and those who utilize their handicap to milk it of what they can get out of it. To illustrate the latter, several years ago I met a young man in his 20s who had a cleft palate and couldn’t speak clearly. Since I teach vocal production and pronunciation to budding speech therapists at Nagasaki Rehabilitation College, I took him to talk with one of the full-time teachers about a prosthesis, which I knew would work wonders for his speech. When the Japanese teacher assured him that making a prosthesis would be a relatively simple matter and, with a little training, he could soon be speaking perfectly normally, the young man, after leaving the school, disappeared and I’ve never seen him since. The thing is, handicapped people in Japan, when certified, receive a “handicapped booklet” that gets them discounts on public transportation, and often a monthly stipend as well. He didn’t want to risk losing that, and I think even more, he enjoyed people feeling sorry for him and letting him get away with stuff because of his handicap. He obviously gave a clear “No” to Jesus’ question! This is why we need discernment and wisdom in ministry. It is also worth noting that verse three records that there were a great number of disabled people there, but Jesus healed just this one man. It isn’t at all that God doesn’t care, it’s that we don’t know all the factors about any individual. We are to make the grace, love, and power of God available without condition, but we are to leave all the details in His hands.

This is very relevant to me, not only because I am in ministry but because this principle applies to more than just obvious handicaps. When my wife was studying sign language many years ago her teacher said, “Everyone has handicaps; some are just more obvious than others.” I find enormous wisdom in that, and it has impacted my life rather deeply, even though I only heard it through my wife. I have found that even I sometimes fail to want to get past some obstacles. For one thing, obstacles can be convenient excuses not to do something I don’t really want to do! Also, I might recognize the effort involved and be simply too lazy to apply myself. Those don’t cut it with God, and they deprive me and those around me of blessings God intends. For example, I have always wanted to be more proficient in written Japanese, but I have never applied myself to the concentrated study required to get to the proficiency I desire. Even today I have to practice reading Scriptures I will be using in messages, because otherwise I stumble badly, interfering with the impact of the message. (For longer passages, I simply ask a Japanese to read them.) There are other examples as well. I can get disgusted at people like the young man I mentioned, but I’m not really that much better. I need to be willing to do whatever it takes to do whatever God wants of me, knowing that the power comes from Him, but my will and effort are required.

Father, thank You for this strong Word. Right now we’re facing a complete update of our church website, which is something I have put off for several years now. We have a man who will do the “heavy lifting,” but there are things I need to do to make it possible for him to do his part. That involves learning new things, and part of me is drawing back. For that matter, I have wanted to be able to take aerial photos for a long time, and now have an inexpensive drone to be able to do so, but I find I draw back from learning to fly it properly. I am only hurting myself! Father, help me recognize the lies of the devil and stand firmly against them. Help me recognize my part in each thing You have for me and apply myself fully, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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