Stewardship of Our Bodies; May 21, 2020

Posted on May 24, 2020 by jgarrott

Exodus 15:26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

This isn’t conditional love, but it’s a conditional blessing. The people of those days had no idea of hygiene and nutrition, and many of the rules God would give them after this dealt with those issues, even though they had no actual understanding of them. That said, the last line of this verse is justly famous because it expresses an existential reality: all healing comes from God, whether natural biological factors are involved or not. Right now the world is in an uproar because of the pandemic, but the principles expressed in this verse are still valid. We are to live by God’s rules, which include good nutrition and faithful stewardship of our bodies, and we are to protect the weak and vulnerable. When the overwhelming majority of fatalities from the pandemic are of people with preexisting conditions, the majority of which are lifestyle related, this should come into focus. That said, God is the God of mercy and grace, and healing comes from Him. If we have a preexisting condition that we brought on ourselves, such as obesity and concomitant diabetes, then repentance is certainly called for. We tend to think of obesity strictly in terms of appearance (hence the term, body shaming) when it is actually a matter of stewardship. Then there is the matter of protecting the weak and vulnerable. Advanced age is to be commended, but it qualifies as a “preexisting condition” when it comes to COVID-19. Many of the deaths in that category came from officials failing to protect the weak and vulnerable, which is a very clear Biblical principle. The thing is, we all die sometime of something, but we aren’t to short-circuit God’s plans for us by failing in obedient stewardship, of ourselves or of others.

I have been quite aware of this for a long time, since my father died at 64 of heart issues that might have been avoided with exercise and dietary caution. However, my mother died at 72 of cancer, and there was nothing in her lifestyle that might have predicted that. I say that my father might have lived longer, but at the same time he was totally committed to the Lord, and God saved him from having to retire from Japan at 65 (which he dreaded). I personally have no fears of COVID-19 at all, because I am in very good health, even though I’m 71, and I have great assurance that I will stick around for as long as the Lord has work for me to do. My biggest concern about being infected is that given my lung capacity and my circle of activity, I would likely become a “super-spreader,” and I certainly don’t want that. I am to be appropriately cautious, but in no way live in fear. I am to proclaim the grace and mercy of the God who alone provides healing, whether He uses doctors in the process or not.

Father, thank You for this timely reminder. Thank You that the restrictions have been lifted for this part of Japan. Help me not be impatient, but be an example to others in my stewardship and thoughtfulness, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Invitation; May 20, 2020

Posted on May 22, 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 invitation might seem cryptic and mysterious to some, but to those with spiritual sensitivity it is absolutely glorious. The reference to the Church as the bride of Christ isn’t unique to Revelation, or even to John. Paul used that figure in his famous discussion of marriage in Ephesians 5:22-33. With that said, this makes it very clear that everyone who knows the Gospel should be active in communicating the Gospel to others. If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, He will be calling people to life in Christ. If we are genuinely part of the Church, the Body of Christ and the bride of Christ, we will be calling people to life in Him. To break it down even further, if we have genuinely heard God’s invitation ourselves, we are to be sharing that invitation with others. All it takes to come is recognition of need. This particular passage doesn’t mention repentance, but that is included in the recognition of need and the ability to act on it. Verse 15 mentions the sort of people who won’t accept this invitation, but it is extended to them as well. As Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11) Accepting God’s invitation doesn’t depend on what you have been, it depends on what you want to become. We can’t force anyone to accept that invitation, but we are compelled to extend it. Again as Paul said, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.” (2 Corinthians 5:14) “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20) The better we understand what God has done for us in Christ, the more eager we will be to share God’s invitation with others.

As someone with Teacher gifting, I am not a natural evangelist. It was when I abruptly realized that I was sharing the Gospel with a total stranger that I knew God had indeed baptized me with His spirit, just as He had promised. Though I am not a natural evangelist, by the grace of God I am a supernatural evangelist! It is indeed the Spirit saying, “Come” through my lips, my words. That requires my permission and cooperation; if I stay in my comfort zone, it won’t happen. However, I have learned that even as a Teacher, there is no greater joy than extending God’s invitation and having someone accept it. At the same time, I have learned over the years that there is no way I can force anyone to accept that invitation. If they just go through the motions, to be polite or from some other motive, it can do more harm than good. I’ve got to cover everything in prayer. However, if I don’t extend the invitation, it is certain they won’t accept it! I am to give the Holy Spirit full permission to speak and act through me, whenever and however He chooses, because He alone knows who is ready to receive and act on God’s invitation.

Father, thank You for this clear reminder. I ask for wisdom and anointing to act on it, so that many may be brought from death to life, from darkness to light, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Spiritual Warfare; May 19, 2020

Posted on May 22, 2020 by jgarrott

Revelation 20:9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.

When I first read through today’s passage I wondered how it had been included in the readings on Love, and then I looked back and saw this verse. What I realized at that point was that God loving us doesn’t mean we won’t get into tight spots, it just means that the outcome will be good. We tend to get into a panic when things don’t look good, but that’s because we aren’t looking at the right things. God always looks good! 2000 years of Church history tell us that believers can be martyred, sometimes in horrible ways, but their eternal outcome is glorious. When that is the case, why do we get uptight about what are essentially minor irritations? This isn’t at all to say that we are to seek suffering or that we are to ignore injustice. Far from it. We are to be agents of God’s kingdom here on earth, and He is always righteous and just. However, even in the middle of that battle we are to be at peace, knowing that the final outcome will be excellent indeed. Right now on many fronts there are pitched battles, some physical, some political, and all spiritual. We aren’t to draw back from any fight into which the Lord sends us, but we aren’t to be anxious about anything. Right now a lot of the dirty tricks of the enemy are being exposed and we are to rejoice, but at the same time not be vindictive or self-righteous. We are to pray for one another, even when our own battle seems to be demanding all our attention. I am reminded of the saying, and the little ditty that was made from it, around 50 years ago: “I read the back of the Book, and we win.” That is the ultimate message of Revelation, and especially now, when we seem to be in the middle of it, we need to remember that.

I was in the US Army in 1970-72, and I have been aware of spiritual warfare ever since not long after that. I was in spiritual warfare before that, but I didn’t recognize it! The intensity has varied, as it does for everyone, and outcomes haven’t always been as I would have liked. I am reminded of when Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened, so that he could see the heavenly forces arrayed to protect him. (2 Kings 6:17) I am not to be distracted by my immediate circumstances, but neither am I to ignore them. Rather, I am to proclaim God’s victory over them, and trust Him for how that is going to work out. It is entirely possible that the forces of evil will think they have won, at times, but I know what the final outcome is. I am not to be lax and let the enemy blindside me, but even when that seems to happen I am to remember that in Christ I am more than a conqueror. (Romans 8:37)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for yesterday and all it held. Thank You for all that You are doing around the world. These are exciting times, and they can be intense. Help me remember to rest, relax, and rejoice, just as You have told me, to that You may be glorified as Your will is done, even in and through me. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Priorities; May 18, 2020

Posted on May 21, 2020 by jgarrott

Revelation 12:11 They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.

These readings were chosen on the basis of the word “love,” searching for them with English Bible software, but the Japanese doesn’t use the word “love” here at all. The word used in Japanese is hard to translate into English, but rather than say, “They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death,” it says. “They did not consider their lives something they would regret losing, all the way to death.” I don’t think that changes the meaning, but it shows the danger of depending on words in one language when you’re preaching in another. There was a discussion of that issue just yesterday in a Facebook group for Missionary Kids. The point of the passage here is a matter of priorities. The believers mentioned in the verse experienced victory precisely because they weren’t focused on victory, but upon their Lord. Everything, even to physical life itself, paled to insignificance in comparison to knowing their Lord, the Lamb of God. It’s exactly as Paul expressed: “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.” (Philippians 3:8-9) We would do well to make that attitude our goal! When we get caught up in temporal victories and losses, we lose sight of the ultimate victory that has already been won for us by Christ on the cross. That’s what it means to overcome “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of [our] testimony.” Our testimony is that Jesus died for us, He rose again, and He is our Lord! When that is our consistent testimony, then our victory is likewise consistent. When we allow things of this world to take precedence in our hearts and lives, then we experience defeats.

Of course, this applies to me as much as it does to anyone else. I’m as prone as anyone to being distracted by things of this world. Like Paul, I need to focus in on knowing Christ, in ever-greater depth and breadth. With Him as my first priority, and really my only priority, I really don’t have to worry about anything else at all. I’m back to Jesus’ instructions to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33) If I am doing that fully, then I will hear His instructions as to how to spend my time on this earth, and He will enable me to follow those instructions. The problem is, I don’t yet do that fully! I’ve got to walk in humility, recognizing my weaknesses and receiving His help, both directly and through those around me. Only then will my testimony be consistent and clear.

Father, thank You for this Word. I’m told I didn’t do too well at this yesterday. Help me do better today. Thank You for what You have on the schedule for today. May I be Your agent in every detail, whether the particular activity seems “spiritual” or not, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Hearing God; May 17, 2020

Posted on May 21, 2020 by jgarrott

Revelation 3:22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

This verse is extremely familiar to me because I use it as part of my regular faith declarations. The declaration in question goes, “By the grace of God, each day I am more accurately hearing and obeying the Holy Spirit, for it is written, ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” Reading it again just now, I see that the Greek specifies even one ear. (Japanese pays little attention to plurals, since it requires special words to indicate plural.) This strikes me as similar to someone saying “I have half a mind to …” In other words, it’s “If you have even one ear, then listen up!” We are quite adept at being willfully deaf – and blind, for that matter. God says things to us and shows us things, and we choose not to pay any attention. I’m reminded of the people (it happens repeatedly) who drive around barriers and signs that say, “Bridge Out,” and get themselves into deep (literally) trouble, or even killed. God genuinely wants the very best for us, so everything He says to us is for our benefit, but like rebellious 2-year-olds we stick our fingers in our ears and do our own thing, complaining that “God is mean to us.” How foolish! This verse wraps up Jesus’ words to a church that seems very familiar to a lot of us in the developed world, words of caution to those who are self-satisfied. The recent economic shutdown is a reminder of how quickly things can change. The only true stability is in God, the Rock of Ages, and if we are to maintain anything good we’ve got to listen to Him.

As I am frequently reminded, really hearing God means not just recognizing words, but taking them into my heart to do them. That’s why my faith declaration says, “hearing and obeying.” I have long felt James 1:22 was written especially for me! Knowing the Bible intellectually, no matter how well, is not the same as actually hearing God. I think I could hold my own in most theological arguments, but that doesn’t mean much if I’m not living the Word out in my daily life. I am quick to speak the Word, which isn’t bad, but I had better be even more consistent in doing the Word, living in obedience to everything the Holy Spirit has spoken to me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s very familiar territory! Keep me from letting familiarity breed contempt, because that will shut my spiritual eyes and ears for sure. With age, my physical eyes and ears aren’t what they once were, but that doesn’t matter so much. Help me indeed hear and obey You accurately in every detail, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Standards; May 16, 2020

Posted on May 18, 2020 by jgarrott

Revelation 3:8 “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”

I wonder how many congregations down through the centuries have been encouraged by these words? Jesus has just made clear that when He does something it is irreversible, and here he is proclaiming an open door. The Japanese says “gate” rather than “door,” as in castle gates and the like, something larger and grander than a simple door, and certainly far greater than the “garden gate” an English speaker might think of. We tend to judge ourselves and each other by the world’s standards, and that is inaccurate at best. Recently I read the tragic news of the suicide of a “megachurch” pastor. That sort of thing certainly exposes the emptiness of the world’s standards! Like the church in Philadelphia, we need to be good stewards of whatever we have been given, even if it doesn’t seem like much. Even Jesus called it “little strength!” Rather than complain about what we don’t have, we need to be grateful for what we do have, and at the very least, that is knowledge of the Son of God, and God’s plan of salvation. That actually is glorious riches that the world simply does not possess! We aren’t to draw back from any task the Lord gives us, no matter how big, but neither are we to claim or attempt things simply to make us feel or look big. We are to “keep [his] word and not deny [his] name.”

This is a very comforting reminder for me. God is the judge of how big our influence has been over the years, but the fact remains that our current Sunday attendance is around 10. I am not to focus on negatives, but rather be faithful to share Christ as He gives me opportunity, going through doors He opens and not banging my head on doors He doesn’t open. The Emergency Declaration has just been rescinded for Omura, which means that life should soon be getting more normal, but I am not to assume that things will be “as they always have been.” Rather, I am to pursue the inroads we have recently been given with the various neighbors, drawing them in as the Holy Spirit touches their hearts. I am not to wear myself out with humanistic labor, but neither am I to hold back anything at all when God says to act. I have been given a message on Gratitude for tomorrow, and indeed, many people are grateful for the improving conditions. As God draws people in, I am to relate to them as He directs, so that they may be brought to repentance, faith, and discipleship, for His glory.

Father, thank You indeed for all that You are doing. Thank You that my level of strength or ability is no gauge of what You can do through me. Help me be totally submitted and obedient to You, so that all of Your plans for me and for this church, this city and this nation may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Consequences; May 15, 2020

Posted on May 17, 2020 by jgarrott

Revelation 2:23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

This is not a feel-good message! Ever since Creation we have tended to misunderstand God’s love and grace and fail to grasp His holiness and righteousness. That can be fatal, both physically and spiritually. We are not to think we can earn God’s favor, but we must also never think that our actions don’t matter. They have consequences, one way or another. Even small things build up into habits and patterns, changing the whole course of our life. Very seldom do we encounter huge turning points, where one way will follow God and the other depart from Him. Rather, choices and actions that seem insignificant to us color our thinking and actions to the point that the big choices are settled before we get to them. The thing is, we aren’t smart enough to figure it out ahead of time, and if we think we are, we have already put ourselves into a very dangerous place of competition with God. That’s why parenting is such a huge responsibility: the patterns we help our children set will stay with them through their lives, for good or for bad. (Proverbs 22:6) That’s not to say that people can’t change or be healed of emotional hurts or anything like that. Far from it! However, people can be set up for either success or failure from a remarkably young age. That’s not to put a guilt trip on anyone. There are no perfect parents, and every individual is accountable for their own actions and reactions. Kim Il Sung, the first dictator of North Korea, was the son of a pastor who was one of the leaders of a massive move of God. We need to pay attention to our own lives, to see whether our daily patterns are pleasing to God or not. Some people are reporting that the shutdown from the virus has caused them to rediscover what it means to be a family. That is a huge benefit! The point is not to forget the things God teaches us. It is in daily, consistent faithfulness that we grow to be the mature children God desires, and we draw others to do the same.

As I look back over my own life there have been a few dramatic decisions, most notably the decision to marry my wife, but actually, very few. I am deeply grateful for God’s gracious protection, because I can recognize some moments of grave danger that He brought me through. Other than giving me a helper suitable for me, (Genesis 2:18) perhaps the greatest blessing has been in leading me into a consistent devotional time every morning. One day might not make much of a difference, but the fact that I do it every day, year in and year out, has had a huge impact on my life. Recognizing that, I do all I can to encourage the believers to be faithful and consistent in setting aside time with the Lord each day. The difference between those who do it and those who don’t can be striking. I am not to condemn, but I am always to speak the truth in love, encouraging them to draw near to the One who loves them more than they imagine, so that He may cleanse and heal them for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word. There is so much I want to share with others! Thank You for the message You’ve given me for Sunday. Guide me now in getting that laid out as You intend, so that Your Word may communicate to all who hear, working Your will in and through them for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Gratitude; May 14, 2020

Posted on May 17, 2020 by jgarrott

Revelation 2:4-5 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

This is a justly famous warning. The Ephesian church was, by human standards, very successful and good. Christ Himself praised them in the verses before this. However, they had developed a potentially fatal flaw, and Christ pointed it out: they had left their first love. Like them, we too tend to focus on programs and numbers and doctrinal purity, but like Jesus asked Peter after the resurrection, the Lord says to us, “Do you love me?” (John 21:15-17) As Paul pointed out in 1 Corinthians 13, even the finest of pious “good works” are meaningless without love. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) The tricky thing about it all is that it’s a question of why we do things. Even here, Christ tells them to “do the things you did at first,” but if they just go through the motions without the love, it does them no good. I really think the biggest cause of our “leaving our first love” is our tendency to think we deserve God’s love. It is when we realize that everything God does for us is grace, and we really haven’t earned a bit of it, that our love becomes most intense. It’s amazing how we can get so used to luxury and think that’s how things should be. When that happens, we lose our sense of gratitude, and Christ is telling us that can be fatal. We need to step back and realize how incredibly blessed we are, regardless of our circumstances, and so love God in response to His love for us.

The current stir with the virus has been very educational in this area. I’ve had school classes and weddings canceled, which has impacted my income, but our bank account isn’t flat yet, and I still have Social Security and my Japanese pension coming in. The biggest irritation is in having to wear masks, and in being told by the school where I teach that I can’t leave the prefecture, which means I can’t go shopping at Costco. It’s not been that many years ago that we didn’t even have Costco in Japan! I’m spoiled! I look around me and see so many people who live miserable lives out of a simple lack of gratitude. Anyone in Japan or America today, even the homeless, has many things that a few hundred years ago would have been unimaginable luxuries. We think of the devil as attacking us with lies, which he certainly does, but often he doesn’t even need to do that; he just distracts us. Distracted from our focus on God, we are then prey to all sorts of other lies and temptations. I’m realizing that there is great depth to one of the most familiar verses in the whole Bible: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) “These things” means everything we need in the physical realm. When our focus is correct, we will indeed have the gratitude and love we need to keep us on track.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I’m so prone to complain, at least internally, about so many things! Help me recognize more and more of Your amazing grace that You have already poured out on me, and so love You more and more as You totally deserve to be loved, for my blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Bible; May 13, 2020

Posted on May 15, 2020 by jgarrott

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

We tend to forget that when the Bible was written, the printing press hadn’t been invented yet. On top of that, much if not most of the population was illiterate, so they couldn’t read anyway. Moses was one of probably very few Israelites in his day who could read and write. That’s why “scribe” was a very legitimate occupation, and a fairly honored one, because scribes could read and write, and they were paid to do so. Since people didn’t have physical records of things and events, they used their memories, and by today’s standards were pretty phenomenal at it. Today we would tend to consider “oral history” to be unreliable, but they were very good at it. As technology progresses, older techniques fall by the wayside, as is evident today in the decline in cursive writing. The latest demonstration of that is the young people who fail to see the value in learning facts at all, since anything can be looked up on their phones. All of that makes us fail to grasp any number of statements in the Bible, such as “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11) The writer, though literate, didn’t have a copy of the Torah to carry around with him, much less something that would fit in a pocket, so he had to store God’s Word up in his memory, his heart. Back to this verse in Revelation, the books even of the New Testament were expected to be read aloud. (The Japanese in this verse specifies that, which is what caught my eye.) That’s why James said, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22) Few people had the opportunity to read it for themselves, much less own their own copy. And all of that brings up the point that familiarity breeds contempt; we tend not to value that which is readily available. This particular verse was perhaps written by John, but more likely by a later scribe when it was being copied. In any case, it is very true: the blessing comes from taking it to heart. We miss so much when we read the Bible casually! We need to read it, and hear it, as God speaking to us, and respond accordingly.

I am greatly blessed to be part of a line of people who loved the Word of God. My seminary professor grandfather regularly asked his students how big their Bible was. He wasn’t talking about printed matter, but what was in their heart. I have tended to rebel against rote memorization, and as a result don’t have nearly as much “chapter and verse” information on tap as I would like, but I have absorbed a lot of the content in terms of ideas. I’m very grateful for Bible software that enables me to find chapter and verse for passages that come up in my heart and memory. Another factor for me is that growing up in Japan, with a father who taught Biblical Greek and Hebrew (to Japanese) and was always interested in new translations, I was exposed to the Bible in many different translations. I would learn one verse in one translation and another in another! That may be unconventional, but I am grateful, because it allows me to focus on what is really being said, rather than on specific words. And experience has taught me that memory alone doesn’t do the trick; I’ve got to put the Word into practice. I sometimes think James 1:22, quoted above, was written just for me! I delight to teach the Word, and my goal must always be for it to be implanted in my hearers and readers, for them to “take it to heart” and so receive the full blessing.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that the Bible is so readily available today. Help us not take it for granted, but really absorb it and make it part of us, to put it into practice and see it be fulfilled, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Trusting God; May 12, 2020

Posted on May 15, 2020 by jgarrott

Jude 1:24-25 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy–to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

After writing so strongly about despicable false teachers, Jude wraps up with one of the most beautiful doxologies in the whole Bible. He is saying, “Yes, these men are horrid and dangerous, but if you keep your focus on God, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” That’s very valuable, helpful advice. We all tend to focus on what’s around us, even to the point of forgetting the One in whom we “live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) It is quite true that we can’t keep ourselves straight, but He can, if we will submit ourselves to Him. That’s why pride is the greatest hindrance to salvation. Sometimes very earnest people can’t seem to get through to God, and the reason is very simple: they’re trying to do it on their own. That’s a major reason Jesus said we have to be like little children to enter the kingdom of God. (Luke 18:17) A little child doesn’t think they can do it on their own, but they trust Daddy. It is true that in physical and emotional maturation we need to grow to accept responsibility and make an effort, and that’s actually true spiritually as well, but in the final analysis we have to acknowledge that all power and ability lie with God alone, and we are no more than stewards of what He entrusts to us. My next-older sister had a catch phrase when she was a little girl: “Selfie do it.” She was working hard on her independence! That’s where we have to differentiate between being childlike and being childish. A childlike person is trusting and obedient, a childish person thinks they are the master of their own destiny – and that of everyone around them as well! We need to remember who God is, and who we are in relation to Him, and be done with both anxiety and rebellion.

I’ve had my own struggles with this. I’ve had periods of real anxiety, but more than that, I’ve had too many times of feeling I was supposed to be in control, when any real authority I have is always and only because I am submitted to God. I should certainly know by now that I can’t keep myself from falling, but God can and that’s just fine. Ministering in Japan, I really think one of the greatest obstacles to Japanese becoming Christians is their national attitude of gambaru, of putting your all into it. That has served them well in various areas, but when it comes to salvation, they’ve got to acknowledge that their very best effort still isn’t going to cut it, and that’s something they don’t like to do. It often takes a crisis for them to make the commitment, and even then, after a while the rhythm of daily life can pull them away. I’ve got to keep speaking the truth in love and pray for the guidance and protection of the Holy Spirit. I can’t keep them from falling, but God can!

Father, thank You for this, and especially for that last Word. Help me be faithful to say and do all that You desire, but ultimately leave each individual in Your hands. May we all look forward to that glorious assembly before Your throne, and rest, relax, and rejoice in the mean time, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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