Needs; August 13, 2020

Posted on August 16, 2020 by jgarrott

Luke 9:11 But the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

In Matthew’s account we learn that Jesus went to Bethsaida to collect his thoughts and feelings after John the Baptist’s execution, (Matthew 14:13) but Luke specifies that when the crowds caught up with Him He welcomed them. (The Japanese says, “He rejoiced to receive them.”) We don’t identify very well with that level of self-sacrificial commitment. Jesus was all about doing His Father’s will, whatever that meant. After talking with the Samaritan woman at the well, He indicated that doing God’s will was as satisfying as a good meal. (John 4:32-34) This is yet another extension of what it means to “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33) Sometimes our needs are met in the very seeking! In contrast, we tend to categorize our “needs” and then tack “religious things” on somewhere at the end. Jesus made it very clear that is counterproductive, and Paul and others certainly discovered that to be true. It is just as true today, but society and the devil do all they can to convince us otherwise. Much of the confusion in our lives is eliminated when we get our priorities straight. First, God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Second, everything else, even including what we think of as “essentials.” We need to believe that God is more than able to supply our needs, whatever they are, and so seek Him rather than seeking those needs for themselves. That is completely counter to the way the world operates, so it takes not only faith, but daily re-commitment in order to stay on track. That’s a major reason why daily morning devotions are so important.

This is a lesson that has really been drummed into me, but I’m still learning it even so. The devil is forever telling me I “need” all sorts of things. Sometimes they are things God wants me to have, but even in those cases I am to seek Him first. In the final analysis He is all I need, and indeed, all I will have as I leave this earth. As He told Paul, His grace is sufficient for us, (2 Corinthians 12:9) After all, in Christ I have all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, (Colossians 2:3) and indeed, all things. (2 Peter 1:3) I tell people all the time that God is not stingy, but I am still learning how generous He really is. It is only when I let the world and the devil define my needs that I fail to see that.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your abundant provision of everything I need. Thank You for the good report at the hospital yesterday, that there is really nothing to be anxious about. (Actually, that would have been the case even if it had turned out to be an aggressive melanoma, but I’m thankful that it wasn’t.) Thank You for the contacts and opportunities for ministry that You are giving us at the gallery show. Thank You for the mother with the handicapped child who was so open to the Gospel. I ask You to bring us together again, so that I can follow up. Thank You for the old friends who are coming by, both Christians and non-Christians. Thank You for the songs we can sing to express Your Gospel that way. I pray that the remaining five days of the exhibit would produce the results You desire, drawing many into Your kingdom for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Maturity; August 12, 2020

Posted on August 15, 2020 by jgarrott

Luke 8:14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

Matthew’s record of this parable (Matthew 13:1-23) is perhaps better known than Luke’s, but one word in Luke’s record strikes me: “mature.” Normally I consider it very risky to stress a particular word in a passage, understanding the art of translation as I do, but the Japanese likewise uses a term that means “mature, ripe.” Too many of us allow the things of this world to keep us green and immature. The list here of such things is very basic: worries, riches, pleasures. Every person on earth is tempted and/or distracted by such things, sometimes more than at other times, and to varying degrees, but it’s part of the human condition. That’s why Jesus told us, so clearly and famously, to “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” Everyone has moments of worry. Riches aren’t bad in themselves. God wants us to have fun, and He created us to be able to enjoy things. However, each of these things can be a barrier to our maturity and fruitfulness, if we allow them to come ahead of God in our priorities. Every human being has an innate desire, a need, really, for their life to have meaning and purpose. When we tie that with riches and pleasures, we end up with ashes in our mouth, realizing we have wasted our lives. Worries are a special category, because we gain nothing from them but they can rob us of so much. Even so, we cooperate with the robber all too readily, worrying over things we cannot change and so overlooking, or even destroying, countless blessings God has prepared for us. That’s why the Bible tells us again and again not to worry. When we genuinely seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, we realize that those things are available only in and through God Himself, and so we stop striving in our own strength, and relax to allow Him to bring those things about in and through us.

This applies to me on every level. As a pastor I desire maturity for everyone in my care, and it pains me to see them struggling with these issues. However, I myself am not perfect in my response to them! I too need to choose to focus on God’s kingdom and His righteousness, so that God may grow me to the fruitful maturity He desires in me. It’s been many years since He told me to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, but I’m still learning! Right now I’m in the middle of another practicum, having had a CT scan yesterday, with assorted pre-surgery tests today and a consultation with the surgeon about a skin cancer, right in the middle of a photo show that started yesterday and will run through the 17th. God continues to grow my faith, but the stretching process isn’t always comfortable. I am quite used to dealing with my wife’s medical issues, but I’m not used to being the one to make her anxious! We both need to place and keep our focus on our Lord, who will never allow anything He can’t use for our blessing and His glory. (Romans 8:28)

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You that we were fully set up by opening time yesterday, and for the many friends who came by to see the show. Thank You for the sales we’ve made already. Thank You for showing us the adjustments we need to make. Help us get those done without hassle. I pray that things would go smoothly this morning, both at the hospital and at the gallery, and that things would go well at the gallery this afternoon. Help us keep our hearts at rest in You, even as our bodies are busy, so that we may bear the fruit that You intend, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Miracles; August 11, 2020

Posted on August 15, 2020 by jgarrott

Luke 7:16-17 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

It’s interesting that only Luke, who did the most research for his Gospel since he wasn’t a participant, records this particular incident. John, on the other hand, is the only one to record the resurrection of Lazarus, which was directly antecedent to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. I think the permanent resurrection of Jesus Himself kind of pushed these temporary resurrections out of people’s minds! We, however, are still blessed that at least one person chose to record these incidents, because they have much to teach us. This particular incident is interesting because Jesus had no prior connection to the young man and his mother, unlike Lazarus and his sisters. His motive appears to have been compassion, pure and simple. In a sense it wasn’t as “difficult” a resurrection as that of Lazarus, because the young man was only on his way to burial, rather than having been in the tomb several days, like Lazarus. Even so, a resurrection is hardly trivial, and the public response was appropriate. The general public might not have been ready to acknowledge Him as Messiah, but they were certainly willing to call Him “a great prophet.” The second part of their response is even more important, crediting God and giving Him praise. There are people who perform pretty remarkable miracles even today, but the question arises of whether they genuinely give God the glory. If they fail to do so, that doesn’t negate the miracle, but it certainly removes any benefit from them. We need to believe that God is great enough and powerful enough to use even us, (John 14:12) but the moment we start taking credit for it, even in our own minds, we are on very dangerous ground.

I have seen a few miracles in my ministry, but not many and with no particular consistency. I’m afraid at this point that I don’t really expect miracles, and that’s unfortunate. God hasn’t changed! I need to be aware that every good thing that comes from me actually comes through me, because it originates with God, and with that awareness I need to give Him the glory. Yesterday He very kindly enabled us to get the photo show set up much more quickly and simply than in most past years, and He provided just the right helper to do so. The show itself starts today, and He will be present in it as well. I am to keep my focus on Him and give Him praise and glory, particularly as people praise me for one thing or another. This year for the first time we will be doing “mini concerts” each day, as a means of presenting the Gospel. I need to sing for and to Him, rather than just the human audience, so that He may use our music to draw people to Himself.

Father, thank You for Your continuing and growing grace toward us. Thank You for using Cathy to get us started on preparing for this show as early as we did, and for guiding in combining her crafts with my pictures. Thank You for giving her the idea of the mini concerts. May all that we say, do, and are in this week open people’s eyes to You and communicate Your love and grace to them, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Opinions; August 10, 2020

Posted on August 11, 2020 by jgarrott

Luke 6:22 “Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.”

My first thought on reading this was that Donald Trump is greatly blessed, because this certainly describes how he is being treated! And the thing is, he is being treated this way because his policies are far more in line with Biblical principles than are those of his opposition. I have heard Christians argue the opposite, but even a cursory look at the stated policies of his political opposition should convince you to back him. He is far from perfect, as we all are, but people react against him most when he doubles down to back something that is straight from the Bible. The larger lesson from this verse is that we aren’t to let the opinions of people, expressed and otherwise, govern either our actions or our attitudes. That is actually something that is stated in various ways throughout the Bible. One of the clearest expressions of it was what Peter and John, uneducated fishermen, stated so boldly before the Sanhedrin: “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.” (Acts 4:19) We interact with and influence many, but in the final analysis we are performing for an audience of One. As has been noted, it is impossible to please everyone, and trying to do so will tear you apart. Several places in the Bible, this one included, indicate that if you are running into human opposition you should be glad, because it means you’re doing something right! Focus on “the opinions of men” has become so intense that people are committing suicide over nasty things said about them on social media, and that seems both pathetic and absurd. We need to seek God’s opinion of who we are and what we are doing, and live for His approval and not that of people.

As I wrote that I remembered the many reports I’ve read of persecution in many different countries, like China, Pakistan, India, Nigeria, and more. The opposition Christians face in the US and Japan is certainly insignificant in comparison! I feel like I have faced so little opposition that I have occasionally gotten worried about whether I was really following the Lord! I have had people walk out on me and I have had people launch “whisper campaigns” against me, but that has all seemed very minor compared to what I knew was happening to my brothers and sisters in, say, North Korea. All the same, I have let the opinions of people affect me more than I should. That isn’t at all to say I am to dismiss all criticism; I am no more perfect than anyone else. However, I need to have the attitude that Peter and John expressed, and do all I can to hear and obey my Lord.

Father, thank You for this reminder. We set up today for the photo show that runs from tomorrow through the 17th. I’ll be getting a lot of compliments during that period. Keep me from being swayed by those, either! Help me indeed live as Your child, Your servant, and let everything else fall into place after that central reality, so that I may do Your will for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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Focus; August 9, 2020

Posted on August 11, 2020 by jgarrott

Luke 4:44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Jesus healed and delivered many, which gained Him popularity, but He never stopped proclaiming the Gospel. We get caught up in all sorts of things, but we must never forget that we are God’s agents to tell people, “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.” (Mark 1:15) To put it into slightly different context, the good news is, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.” (Acts 16:31) It is true that our lives must reflect the character of Jesus, but we also must never stop talking about Him. Over 40 years ago my wife drew a picture, a cartoon, really, that we still have in a frame on the wall. It is of a round little figure and the outline of his body is filled with words, like joy, and envy, and peace, and anger, and on and on. The caption of the picture is, “Whatever you are full of, you will spill when you are bumped.” That reflects what Jesus said: “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” (Matthew 15:18-19) He was talking about negative things there, but the positive things also come from the heart. The things is, we need to be so full of Jesus that any time we are “bumped,” Jesus comes out! Like Jesus, we are not to stop telling people about the holiness, love, and grace of God, that lead us to salvation if we will believe.

I am certainly a talker, but the question is, what do I talk about? I enjoy displaying my knowledge about a wide variety of subjects, but those are all inconsequential compared to salvation in Christ. I have a good example for that in my father. A phrase for which he was known was, “Give all you know of yourself to all you know of Christ.” His work was in institutional education, founding the University Department of Seinan Gakuin, which is to this day the highest-ranked private university in Kyushu, but he never forgot that his fundamental purpose was to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have had times, even periods, of forgetting my primary purpose for being in Omura, and even for being on this earth. I must not do that! Yesterday I reestablished contact with an old friend, who has moved with his wife into an elder-care facility. We were just talking on the phone, but we were both glad to hear each other’s voice. In my talking with him, and with everyone, I need to keep proclaiming the good news of salvation in Christ Jesus.

Father, thank You for this reminder. My life seems to run on many different tracks at once. Help me focus consistently on Christ and Your kingdom, so that everything I am and say and do may draw people to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Fulfillment of Scripture; August 8, 2020

Posted on August 10, 2020 by jgarrott

Luke 4:21 And he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

This whole story is one I have loved for a long time. I have preached multiple times about how the passage from Isaiah is our commission as well as Jesus’, because of Jesus’ words after His resurrection: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21) However, that fact drives home what I feel the Lord saying most strongly at the moment: we too are part of the fulfillment of Scripture. We are used to the idea that Jesus fulfilled Scripture, and we are aware that there are prophecies in the Bible that have yet to be fulfilled, but we don’t often think about our being part of that fulfillment. Sadly, one of the best examples of that is Jesus’ statement that “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12) We who maintain love for the Lord should take comfort in the very next statement: “but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matt 24:13) Recently many have been seeing world events as fulfilling Scripture in Revelation and elsewhere, but we need to remember that some prophecies are fulfilled multiple times. Some of the things Jesus said about the End Times were clearly fulfilled when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be fulfilled again. The point is that every statement in Scripture is valid, and we need to be careful we don’t fulfill the negative things, as well as to keep ourselves available as instruments for fulfilling the positive things. To go back to Matthew 24, the next thing Jesus said was, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) If our prayer is indeed, Maranatha, (Our Lord, come! In 1 Corinthians 16:22) then we need to be active in preaching the gospel of the kingdom! These days electronic means are included in that, but the important thing is the message, not the method. After all, “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)

Recently a brother spoke clearly to me that the Lord is going to use the Internet to multiply the work of this church. We have recently started live-streaming our services, which I had been encouraged to do before but had always hesitated for various reasons. This past Sunday, the viewership of the live stream was 10 times the number of those physically present, and spanned multiple continents. I am not to take personal pride in that, but I am not to fail to go through this door the Lord is opening. I am to let the Lord show me how He wants to use me to fulfill His promises, because I certainly can’t accomplish anything on my own. These are exciting times, which isn’t always comfortable, but there is glory in being part of what God is doing.

Father, thank You for this Word. Help me indeed not hang back from what You are doing, but keep myself fully available for whatever You want to do through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Bartimaeus; August 7, 2020

Posted on August 10, 2020 by jgarrott

Mark 10:51-52 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Several things are interesting about this story. For one, it’s very unusual for the name of a person Jesus healed to be recorded. To me that indicates that Bartimaeus remained part of the group of disciples, probably all the way through Pentecost and after. Something that strengthens that impression for me is the way he sought help, calling Jesus “Son of David.” He was clearly addressing Jesus as the prophesied Messiah, and with that conviction it is hardly surprising that once healed, you couldn’t get him away from Jesus. Probably many of the people who followed Jesus thought He was a great teacher, and may have suspected that He was the Messiah, but they didn’t proclaim it openly the way Bartimaeus did. That is another unique thing about this healing: most people didn’t physically follow Jesus after their healing (though some wanted to). It is also indicative of his focus on Jesus that, though a beggar, when he heard that Jesus was calling him, he discarded his cloak, which might have been the most valuable thing he owned. Compared to meeting the Messiah, it had no value to him. There is a powerful parable there, of discarding what we have held dear in order to follow Jesus. All in all, I find Bartimaeus very impressive, and consider him a worthy example of a faithful follower of Jesus.

From time to time I am challenged by the faith of others, either meeting them in person or reading about them, and Bartimaeus is one of those. I have far more advantages than he did, but his commitment to Jesus appears to have been total, and that is what counts. I have experienced Jesus’ power many times in many ways, and I honestly desire that my commitment, my obedience to Him be total, but from my perspective my performance has been spotty. Various things distract me, and I lose focus too easily. Like Bartimaeus, I need to be willing to leave everything behind in order to be close to my Lord. The time will come when I do that, leaving even this physical body behind, but that will be no loss at all compared to being with Christ, just as Paul realized. (Philippians 3:7-14)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the various training You are giving me in priorities and trusting You. Help me receive the lessons You give me and grow as You intend, so that Your will may be done more and more fully in and through me, drawing many more into Your kingdom, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Faith; August 6, 2020

Posted on August 7, 2020 by jgarrott

Mark 9:23-24 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Matthew’s telling of this episode came up in the readings July 26th, but this little interchange between the father of the boy and Jesus is too important to skip over. Jesus’ statement that “Everything is possible for him who believes,” is something He said several times in different ways, but it is the father’s response that rings true for probably every honest believer. We believe, but our faith seems very shaky at times. We honestly want to believe more, but sometimes it seems like a huge obstacle. I think it comes back to our focus on ourselves: how much do I believe. The object of our faith is much more important! We are too prone to see God as either a cruel taskmaster or as an indulgent Santa, and either of those is far off the mark, even though they each contain an element of truth. It is true that God is absolutely holy, and as such no element of impurity can come near Him without being destroyed. Peter rightly quoted God’s words in Leviticus: “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16) However, God is also love itself, (1 John 4:8) and that love is so intense that it caused Him to send His Son to take the penalty for our sins and die in our place, redeeming us to eternal life. (John 3:16-17) However, that doesn’t make him an indulgent Santa. He wants what is best for us, and like any wise parent, He knows that giving us what we ask for isn’t always the best thing for us. We’ve got to remember that He knows the end from the beginning, and trust Him with it all. From our perspective we may see lots of ugly knots, but from His perspective He sees the beautiful tapestry He is creating in and through our life. When we are focused on our faith, we can lose sight of Him for whom all of creation was just a matter of speaking it out, expressing His will.

This certainly applies to me! I can’t remember ever not knowing about Jesus, and I proclaimed my love for Him to my parents at a very young age, but that doesn’t mean my whole life has been an example of mountain-moving faith. I identify a great deal with the father in this story! I don’t doubt at all that God exists, and that He loves me, but that has got to be expressed in daily, obedient trust. Yesterday I was given appointments for tests and surgery that I am told are for a third basal cell carcinoma, but the fact that this one didn’t look like the others, the urgency with which the hospital seems to be acting, and my not having had radiology tests before my previous surgeries, makes me question the diagnostic report. This is a good exercise in using the faith I have! God knows the true diagnosis, and He is more than able to take care of whatever the issue is, so as He has told me many times before, I’m to rest, relax, and rejoice. This is coming at a very busy time for me, with my photo show starting next week (I’ll have to duck out for the CT scan) and giving exams just before I enter the hospital for surgery, and that greatly intensifies the “faith training.” I can’t complain, any more than I could complain in more than words during my Army training. Rather, I need to rejoice that God knows what is best for me and for Cathy, and He is working it out on His schedule for His glory.

Father, thank You for loving me so much. I do ask You to deal with my persistent unbelief, just as this father prayed, so that I may be the son and the servant that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!
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Maturity; August 5, 2020

Posted on August 7, 2020 by jgarrott

Mark 8:25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

I think this is a very important story, not just for those involved in healing ministry but for everyone who seeks to follow Christ. The point that we need to get is that even for Jesus, not everything happened instantly. He certainly didn’t do anything wrong, but this man wasn’t healed instantly; Jesus had to touch his eyes again. We are so used to everything being instant that we get impatient, and/or we give up. How foolish! Jesus even told a specific parable to teach us that we “should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1) It’s not often the Bible explains to us what it is trying to teach us! This story of Jesus healing the man’s eyes isn’t quite that obvious, but it’s the same message. Things that come too easily are seldom valued, and God wants us to be mature. Psychologists have long used “tolerance for delayed gratification” as a major measure of psychological maturity. When everything happens as soon as we want it to, we don’t gain that maturity. Any parent can testify that patience is required in raising children. As a matter of fact, a major portion of child abuse comes from the lack of maturity in those abusing them. They demand instant adherence to something the “adult” desires, and when that doesn’t happen, the child is punished. There have been children killed for not stopping crying, or for being slow to be potty trained. That is the tragic result of children having children, regardless of the physical age of the parents. Spiritual immaturity can be just about as tragic, with people giving up on themselves or on others in various ways. In general, God wants us to “keep on keeping on,” trusting Him for the final solution. That’s not to say that we aren’t to seek better ways of doing the task at hand. It’s often said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. We do need wisdom from God for every situation, but the point is to keep at the task at hand until God says we’re through with it.

This is something I still deal with constantly, in myself and in others. At almost 72 years old I’ve had quite a lot of run-ins with my own impatience, and it still happens from time to time. As a pastor and teacher I have to deal with the maturity, or lack of it, in others with occasionally distressing frequency. As that happens I am reminded of how I have been in times past, and it helps me be gracious. Sometimes people take themselves out from under my supervision. In such cases I am to keep praying for them, but not necessarily take it as a failure on my part. I am to assure them, if possible, that God hasn’t left them, even if they have turned their back on Him. Speaking the truth in love, I am to invite them to turn around and face Him again, so that He may do in and through them what is best on every level, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There have been a lot of people over the years who have turned away. I do pray that the seed that has been planted in them wouldn’t die out, but would produce the fruit that they need and You deserve, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Preconceptions; August 4, 2020

Posted on August 6, 2020 by jgarrott

Mark 6:2-3 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

I find it very interesting that Jesus had three brothers whose names overlapped with His 12 apostles. It’s also interesting that this wasn’t a small family, with five boys and at least two girls. We don’t often think of Jesus in this family context, but I think it’s helpful to do so. The people of Nazareth saw Jesus as too ordinary, but we tend to see Him as too “other” to relate to Him. I’m sure He did His share of riding herd on His brothers and sisters, probably changing diapers and helping with discipline and the like. That’s why it wasn’t until after His resurrection that His brothers could really accept that He was the Messiah. It is telling that those in Nazareth acknowledged that His words were full of wisdom, and they couldn’t deny His miracles, but they couldn’t accept that it was the village carpenter who was doing all this stuff. From our standpoint, the image of a muscular carpenter isn’t the one we’re used to! We all have trouble with preconceptions that block us from receiving what God wants to give us. We imagine how our life is supposed to be, and then resist and rebel when God leads us a different way. We look at things with strictly human eyes, instead of allowing God to show us things as they really are. Jesus would have liked nothing better than to really bless the people of the village where He grew up, but they would have none of it, essentially, because of the “carpenter box” they had put Him into. We need to ask God to show us how we have done the same sort of thing, so that we won’t miss the magnificence of His plans for us.

Growing up as a Third Culture Kid I perhaps have less tendency to box people in than some people do, but that doesn’t mean I am fully accepting. I too need to be willing to hear God no matter who He is speaking through! In my case, I am often turned off by “big church” speakers who try to tell me how to minister in Japan. To be quite honest, what they have to say isn’t universally applicable even in America, much less in other cultural contexts! However, that doesn’t mean they don’t sometimes share things that God wants me to receive. When I put people in boxes I am putting myself in a box as well, and God is in the business of breaking all such boxes. I am to be spiritually discerning, allowing the Holy Spirit to filter my intake, but God has blessed me from unexpected directions many times before, and I am to be open to that. However, when people don’t want to receive what God wants to give them through me, I am to remember what happened to Jesus, and respond to them in love.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Right now the boxes that I deal with most often are those of “holy man” and “foreigner.” The problem with the “holy man” box is that people don’t think they can be like me, which also applies to the “foreigner” box. The latter carries the problem that sometimes I’m never actually heard, because I am seen as simply “other.” Thank You that You understand all of that, and that it isn’t too difficult for You to overcome. I ask that You enable me to speak Your truth in love regardless of how it is received at the time, so that at some point it may penetrate and set people free indeed, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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