Amazing Grace; March 1, 2020

Posted on March 5, 2020 by jgarrott

Ephesians 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved.

Verses 8-10 of this chapter are the most famous part of this passage, but I love how Paul explains that in advance, so to speak, talking about God’s love and mercy. And he is unable to hold himself back from blurting out what he repeats in more ordered fashion in verse 8: “we are saved by grace.” Frankly, we don’t like to accept that we are “objects of wrath,” as he says in verse three. That factor is one of the biggest hindrances to salvation the world over. If we don’t understand and accept that our actions, our ignoring and rebelling against God, have made us worthy of hell, then we aren’t going to repent of those attitudes and actions, and without repentance there is no salvation. That’s the problem with many “seeker sensitive” ministries: they never confront sin. “Hellfire and brimstone” preaching is seldom effective in drawing people to Christ, but until we understand and accept that we are dead in sins, we aren’t going to accept God’s offer of life in Christ. Some people insist that “a loving God wouldn’t send people to hell,” not understanding that it is our own choices and actions that destine us for hell, not some vindictive whim of God. The Gospel is incredibly good news, the best news in the universe, but we recognize it for what it is only when we recognize that we are lost without it.

This has been an issue for me personally precisely because I can’t remember ever not knowing about Jesus. When I was five I was proclaiming that I loved Jesus more than I loved my mother, and I was baptized at seven from a genuine desire to follow Jesus as Lord. However, somewhere along the line I got to feeling like I somehow deserved salvation, and though I had occasional times of genuine worship, in general I descended more and more into spiritual pride. It was only after I was already a married father that God tapped me on the shoulder and, when I turned, He had a mirror to show me the blackness of my own soul. In that moment I understood what it means to be “dead in transgressions,” and I repented indeed. I don’t want to discount my experience at age seven, but I am deeply grateful for that experience at age 24. I was never the captain of a slave ship, but God’s grace is just as amazing for me as it was for John Newton!

Father, thank You indeed for Your amazing grace. I ask for Your anointing to communicate that grace more and more effectively to those around me, so that more and more may repent and believe for their salvation, and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Growth; February 29, 2020

Posted on March 2, 2020 by jgarrott

Ephesians 1:16-17 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

I’m actually moved by this and the verses following, but the English and the Japanese divide the Greek differently, making it hard to find a stopping place. Ephesians in general is such a flood of wonderful truth! The point here is that Paul was praying for these believers, not so that they would receive the “pearls of wisdom” that he would give them, but so that they would be able to hear from God directly. Particularly since Constantine established the State Church, the clergy vs. laity divide has been a horrible curse on the Body of Christ. Martin Luther and those of his era proclaimed the Priesthood of the Believer, but the devil did all he could to squash that in practical terms, and even today the concept is honored in words far more than in deeds. God does give authority, in families and in church families, but that is never a matter of value, but rather of function. Both in families and in churches there is structure, with the father as head of the family and the pastor as head of the church, but in both cases the true Head is Jesus Christ, and every member of the family, every member of the church, has equal access to Him. That’s what Paul is praying for here. People can teach us and give us insight, but we don’t have to go through anyone to get to God, nor does He have to go through anything to get to us. Certainly, some people are more experienced and have the spiritual maturity to hear God more readily, but if we depend on them to hear from God for us, we will never grow! Sadly, some pastors seem to revel in the “aura of holiness” that people project on them, and they don’t want people under them hearing from God directly. Such shepherds will have to answer to the Great Shepherd of the Sheep (Hebrews 13:20, 1 Peter 5:4) for that, and it won’t be pretty.

This of course applies to me, since I am a husband, father, and pastor. I am indeed head in the household, (Ephesians 5:23) but our children are long gone. I do pray for them, just as Paul prayed for the Ephesians, but I cannot dictate to them. I am thrilled when they hear and obey God, and that is my greatest desire for them. God talks to my wife as much as He does to me, but often with a slightly different emphasis, which is why we share our devotional notes with each other. In this church I am the pastor, and I am responsible to feed the sheep. However, I don’t generate the food myself, nor can I chew and digest it for them. My desire is that they receive the “meals” I prepare for them, but that they don’t limit their intake to Sundays! I want each one to discover the riches God has prepared for us in His Word and delight to take them in daily, growing to be the strong, obedient disciple that God desires, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the Word You have given me to share in the service tomorrow, and for guiding me as I prepared the outline, just as I asked. I pray that the words You speak through me would indeed open the eyes of those who hear (verse 18) so that they may see You and the things of Your kingdom, and rejoice to be and do all that You desire of and for them, for their great blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Blessings; February 28, 2020

Posted on March 2, 2020 by jgarrott

Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

The letter to the Ephesians is considered by some to be the pinnacle of Paul’s writing. It was considered so by my grandfather, W. O. Carver, who wrote probably his best book, The Glory of God in the Christian Calling, on Ephesians. I have always felt a deep affinity to the book myself, and virtually every verse of it is underlined in one color or another in my Bible. Paul wrote in such long Greek sentences that it becomes difficult to translate into other languages and still make sense. (My grandfather included his own translation in his book.) My understanding is that the section from verse 3 through verse 10 at least, if not through verse 14, is all one sentence! That said, the richness of the content is worth the trouble of digging into it. This verse gives us a preview: every spiritual blessing in heaven (as the Japanese translates it)! We really have no framework to grasp the infinity of God’s gracious blessings toward us. One of the delights of walking with Christ is discovering more and more of these blessings. Then, we have eternity in heaven to look forward to! None of that would have been possible had Jesus not chosen to be born as a human baby, living our life along with us and taking the penalty for our sins on Himself, so that we might be cleansed and made acceptable to our perfectly pure and holy Creator, Father God. That’s what Ephesians is all about, and really, the whole Bible. If reading the Bible doesn’t sometimes put you in absolute awe of what God has done for you, then you aren’t reading it correctly! It is so much more than our human minds can comprehend that we absolutely need the help of the Holy Spirit to grasp it. (1 Corinthians 2:14) However, He does help us, so reading the Bible under His guidance is a delight indeed.

I of course didn’t choose the family into which I was born, but it was an incredible blessing. Not only was one grandfather a seminary professor, the other was a pastor, and my parents were missionaries, with my father having received his PhD in Greek at the age of 23, writing his dissertation on the use of “in Christ” and related expressions in the New Testament. You could say that faith and academics were the two pillars of our household! (In an amusing side note, when my mother was in college, one summer she offered to edit her father’s latest book to catch errors, and got his permission to simplify some of his sentences. When the book was published, one reviewer said, “The most readable Carver yet!” My grandfather had read so much of Paul that his sentence structure had become similar.) I committed myself to Christ at the age of seven, but my spiritual growth since then has hardly been even, with major ups and downs. However, it has certainly been a saga of discovering more and more of the things referenced in this verse. It is easier and easier to rest, relax, and rejoice in my Lord, just as He has told me to do, even though I am surrounded by unknowns. I am not at all anxious about COVID-19, for example, because I know that my God would not allow anything that could not be used for my blessing, whatever it might feel like in the short term. As a pastor, I seek to help others have this same revelation of the incredible, gracious blessings of God, and to my great joy, some indeed do get it, and radiate the joy of the Lord to those around them.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all Your plans for today. I ask for Your anointing as I prepare the sermon notes for Sunday, and as I do some visitation this afternoon. I pray that my walking this morning would be effective in maintaining this body You have given me, so that my every interaction would accurately represent You to those around me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Life in the Spirit; February 27, 2020

Posted on February 29, 2020 by jgarrott

Galatians 5:16, 18, 25 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

God gives us His Holy Spirit for many reasons, and this section of Galatians expresses some of the most basic of those. We tend to focus on power, mentioned in Acts 1:8, or on gifts, as discussed in 1 Corinthians 12 and elsewhere, and this section is famous for focusing on fruit, but the framework is as the NIV section heading has it: “Life by the Spirit.” Biologically speaking we are animals, but if we live like animals, we completely miss the purpose for which God created us as distinct from animals. We are given not only souls, that is, mind and personality, but also spirits, which are capable of being infused with the Spirit of God. The devil does all he can to get us to focus on the flesh, with our “higher instincts” limited to our soul. To the degree he succeeds, he robs us of joy, peace, and even life itself. It is when we open our spirits to the Spirit of God that we discover what it is truly to be human, in the way God created us. From verse 16 through the end of the chapter, Paul is contrasting life by the flesh with life by the Spirit, and the difference is stark indeed. The things listed in verses 22 and 23 seem very attractive, but the devil tries to downplay them, especially the last one: self-control. Under his influence, the world presents many of the things listed in verses 19-21 as exciting and to be desired, but that is a lie from the pit of hell. One look at the “entertainment” industry will show that lie in full force. There is now a full-scale push to sexualize pre-pubescent children, and it is tragic. These three verses give us the framework for resisting all of that. In the first place, only the Holy Spirit can effectively control our physical appetites. The current obesity epidemic in the US is evidence of how little American Christians, even, focus on letting the Holy Spirit be in control! We tend to try to control ourselves and others by rules, but Paul points out that obedience to the Holy Spirit supersedes all of that. And lastly, there is the practical matter of walking in step with the Holy Spirit. I was in marching bands from the 4th grade and I spent a couple of years in the Army, playing clarinet in the 25th Division Band, so I’ve had a lot of experience with keeping in step! When we are out of harmony, out of rhythm with the Holy Spirit, nothing is right, and we need to correct, that is repent, immediately.

As I said, I’ve had enough marching experience that I can do it in my sleep, but staying in step spiritually is something I’m still working on. I have as much “animal nature” as anyone, so I need to be conscious in my submission to the Holy Spirit. “Self-control” is at the end of the list of the fruit of the Spirit for a reason! As a pastor, I am to help others live by the Spirit as well. That’s certainly not something I can do without being submitted to the Holy Spirit myself! As Paul wrote to the Colossians, I need to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16) As a pastor I am expected to “teach and admonish” others, but part of what I need to teach is that all believers are to do that for one another, and even for me! We all need help in staying in step with the Spirit, just as I was assigned to call out the cadence to the other recruits when I was in Basic Training in the Army.

Well, Father, I had wondered what I was to speak on Sunday, and now I know! Thank you. I ask for Your anointing as I prepare the notes, because there is far too much material on this subject to present it all in one message. I also ask for Your anointing as I record messages this morning for CGN TV. Thank You for showing me which messages I am to share. The broadcast time limits can feel very constricting, but You have guided me in the past, and I trust You to do so today as well. May my words indeed draw all who hear them to walk in step with Your Spirit, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Law of Love; February 26, 2020

Posted on February 28, 2020 by jgarrott

Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Much of the Church needs a powerful reminder of this verse. We tend either to bind ourselves and each other with all sorts of rules, or we throw it all off and indulge our flesh. Sometimes we manage to do both at the same time! The whole letter to the Galatians is an effort to counteract the evils of legalism, but that doesn’t mean we are to indulge in our every fleshly whim. As the next verse points out, the law of love covers the whole gamut of human interaction. If we use one another (eros) we are certainly not expressing God’s love (agape). We are complicated beings, and often enough we don’t understand our own motives. However, the more we open ourselves up to the love of God and are obedient to Him because of our love for Him, the more His love is going to flow through us to those around us. It’s like I tell couples when I’m doing marriage counseling. Women being told they are to “submit to their husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:24) may want to rebel, but men being told to “love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25) is much more strict! We tend to think of love as emotion, but Jesus said the greatest and second commandments were both to love, and that is a far cry from simple emotion. (Matthew 22:36-40) Genuine love is the perfect check on our fleshly impulses, and it teaches us the self-control we so often lack.

I was incredibly blessed to grow up in a household that exemplified Godly love in many ways. I have no question that watching my parents is what made me so eager to get married, and not just play around, at a young age. My Japanese friends are floored to find out I got married at 20, but it’s lasted over 50 years! However, marital love, as wonderful as it is, is just part of our life experience, and just one of the many expressions of love that we are called to give. I am still learning to serve others in love, but it is a blessed course of study! I seek to teach others this Law of Love, but we can be remarkably dense at times. I tell people that selfishness never leads to genuine happiness, but the devil tells them that self-indulgence equals happiness, and they believe him rather than me. I am to keep speaking the truth in love, demonstrating God’s love in all that I am, and let the Holy Spirit take it from there.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace toward me. Help me be a good steward of that grace, allowing it to be expressed through me to all those around me, so that many may be rescued from the lies of the devil and brought into the freedom of Your Spirit, (2 Corinthians 3:17) for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Death and Life; February 25, 2020

Posted on February 28, 2020 by jgarrott

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

This is the most famous single verse in Galatians, certainly, and one of the more famous in the whole New Testament, and rightly so. When we rightly grasp what it says and apply it in our own lives, it can be transforming. Paul touched on this in Romans 6:11. “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” The thing is, when we are dead, temptation can’t touch us. We all have areas of particular weakness, but when we are dead, those disappear. Life in Christ is paradoxical from many standpoints, such as serving to be great, (Mark 10:43) so we really need to have our minds renewed. (Romans 12:2) The disciple of Jesus Christ is in no way suicidal, but they know that death is better than life (Philippians 1:21) and, as this verse says, they are a “dead man walking.” To someone without faith that can seem terribly morbid, but for someone with assurance of eternal life, it is glorious! When we understand that we have already died through the cross of Christ and are resurrected in Him, physical death holds no terrors. As a result, life itself holds no terrors! We fear all sorts of things, but the more we really grasp that in Christ we are already dead, the less those things can shake us.

This is something I have grown in over the years, and I continue to do so. Having already outlived my father by over seven years, I know that each day is a gift with a purpose, to be used as my Lord intends. Since I still “live in the flesh,” I am to be careful that I indeed “live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” As Paul wrote to the Philippians, my personal greatest blessing would be to leave this body behind and go be with my Lord, but my still being in my body means I’ve got work to do to bless others. I would be delighted if I didn’t keep making mistakes in this body, even hurting others at times by the things I say and do, but God’s grace is sufficient for that as well. Right now the world is going into something of a panic over the COVID-19 virus, but I find myself pretty unconcerned, even though there are now cases on this same island of Kyushu. I read reports from Dennis Balcombe and others that this is causing many to come to Christ in China, and I pray that the same would be true in Japan and elsewhere. When I am already dead, what happens to me is entirely God’s business! I am not to be careless, but be a good steward of this body and all it contains in terms of abilities and the like, but when I have this verse firmly established in my spirit, nothing can shake me.

Father, thank You for all that You have been doing and are doing, both in me and around me. Various developments are giving me deep peace and joy. May I be an open channel of that peace and joy to those around me, so that all the tricks of the devil may be exposed and defeated and Your kingdom come indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Benediction; February 24, 2020

Posted on February 25, 2020 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

I have no idea how many times I have spoken this benediction, but it is still meaningful every time. Unpacked, the meaning is very deep indeed. In the first place, grace is absolutely central to everything, because we don’t deserve any of the good stuff God provides for us. I often say that without God’s grace we can’t take a single breath, because it’s true. Jesus exemplified grace, because there was no reason for Him personally to become a human being and live our life with us, much less go to the cross and take our death on Himself. That is amazing grace indeed! Speaking out that grace is an appropriate benediction, because the moment I fail to extend God’s grace to others, I step out of it myself. That’s what Jesus was talking about when He followed up the Lord’s Prayer with saying that if we fail to forgive, we won’t be forgiven. (Matthew 6:14-15) Then we get to the love of God, which motivates the grace that allows us to exist. When I speak this benediction I specify, “Father God,” because in Japan it can be very confusing which god you are speaking of. Some people have sadly not experienced the love of their human father, but our Creator is very much the Father of us all, and His love is absolutely perfect, if our hearts are open to receive it. Finally we have mention of the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Here too I embellish slightly, specifying “intimate fellowship.” That’s because for so many people the Holy Spirit is simply an abstract concept, something they accept in theory but not as part of their daily lives. We need to discover that the Holy Spirit is indeed Immanuel, God with us, in a fellowship that is more intimate than that of a husband and wife. When we experience that, it colors everything else, giving it all tints of heaven. Those who have been to heaven and come back say that the colors there are beyond anything we experience on earth, and walking in step, in fellowship with the Holy Spirit can help us see heaven on earth, quite literally. All of this makes this an appropriate benediction indeed, something we should desire for everyone we meet, because it will transform their lives as nothing else ever could.

As I speak this benediction over others, I need to be careful to walk in it myself. Particularly with something this familiar, it’s easy to just say the words and be done with it, rather than letting those words operate in my own heart and mind. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I need constantly to be aware of the Father’s love and the fact that everything I have and am is because of grace. I’m not there 100% yet! I still get caught in traps of the enemy, being self-centered and losing sight of what is true and good. Being aware of my own foolishness should keep me humble and allow me to transmit the grace, love, and fellowship God provides to me, to those around me for our mutual blessing.

Father, thank You for this reminder. This morning I snapped at my wife and opened a door of attack by the enemy against her and against me. I ask Your forgiveness and cleansing, that we may stand together against the enemy on every front, based on our full submission to You, so that he may indeed flee and Your plans be manifested in our life, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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JOY; February 23, 2020

Posted on February 25, 2020 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 12:19 Everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening.

This should be true for every minister of the Gospel, but sadly, ministers struggle with being self-centered just like everyone else. I think the majority at least have this as a goal, but just as Paul himself discovered, perfection is not for this earth. (Philippians 3:12-14) We are continually growing, and that is as it should be. If there were any true “paragons of perfection” walking around, it could be discouraging to those who recognize their faults! The marvelous truth is that in building others up, we ourselves are built up. Building others up helps us overcome our own self-centeredness, which opens us up to receiving the joy of the Lord. Quite a few years ago someone came up with JOY as an acronym for the priorities that indeed lead to true joy: Jesus, Others, Yourself. I am constantly having to point out to people that selfishness never leads to happiness; at best, it leads to temporary pleasure. Being in full-time ministry is something of an intensive course in that very truth. There is nothing more satisfying than leading someone first to repentance and faith and then into committed discipleship, but that requires committed discipleship on the part of the minister as well. God desires and intends joy for us, (John 16:24) but the more we focus on getting and grasping joy for its own sake, the more elusive it becomes. That’s just as Jesus said about life itself. “Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” (Luke 17:33)

I have experienced this from all directions. I have had times of being focused on myself, and they have never done much good for me or for anyone else. I have also experienced the joy of seeing others blossom as I have ministered to them. In marriage, I have experienced what I tell every couple before I will do their wedding: the more I focus on my own happiness, the more it flees from me. The more I focus on my wife’s happiness, the happier I become. Recently the Lord has given me great joy in seeing one of my spiritual children escape from a trap of the devil. I think I’m happier than I would be if I were the one doing it! The more I give myself to my Lord through giving myself to those around me, the more blessed I will be.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all that You are doing, in individuals and in this church as a whole. May we indeed grow to be and do all that You desire and intend, drawing many into Your kingdom for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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False Apostles; February 22, 2020

Posted on February 24, 2020 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

Virtually any organization of any size, particularly one that is intended to accomplish good, has “enemy agents” in it. Such people act to sabotage what should be going on. We see that in the US government right now, with “deep state operatives” trying to block the various moves toward a more free, prosperous, and righteous nation. That is serious enough, but it is even more serious when it happens in the Church, the Body of Christ. In a biological body, it would be called a cancer, because cancer cells masquerade as normal, healthy cells so that the immune system won’t attack them. One of the most effective lines of cancer therapy research is aimed at training the immune system to recognize cancer cells for what they are, and attack them. When that is successful, there is no need for poison (chemotherapy) or fire (radiation). Paul is attempting to do exactly that for the Body of Christ, telling us to be on our guard and recognize false apostles for what they are. Jesus also cautioned us about exactly the same thing. “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:15-20) We are not to be deceived by smooth words, but look for the evidence, or lack of it, of the Holy Spirit in their lives, not in flashy gifts but in consistent, loving, holy living.

This is of great importance to me as the pastor of a congregation. I am to be careful who I allow to speak, and whose teaching I take in myself, not to mention needing to be careful that I don’t fit into the “false apostle” category myself! Here, everyone sees how I live, day in and day out, but when I go elsewhere they don’t have that background. I am never to claim more than I have been given by the Lord, and seek to do His will alone at all times in everything. We have seen people who were acting as “enemy agents” under various disguises, and I am not to be gullible. At the same time, I am not to be anxious, but know that it is Christ who builds His Church, (Matthew 16:18) and keep myself available for however He wants to use me in that.

Father, thank You for how You have protected us over the years. We have had a few occasional close calls! May we be true to Christ and grow as You intend, being and doing what You desire and nothing else, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Provision; February 21, 2020

Posted on February 24, 2020 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

This whole section on giving is true and important, but it has been used and abused by so many people who were in “ministry” for the money that it almost leaves a bad taste in my mouth. People who want you to give “seed money” to them so they can buy a better private jet are an abomination. That’s not to say that private jets don’t have their legitimate uses, even for nonprofit ministries, but it is to say that pleading for money to acquire them disgraces the name of Jesus before the world. That said, some people fail to give to the Church because they don’t really believe this verse. God is not stingy, and He has a literally infinite supply of everything. We need to remember that when Paul wrote this section he wasn’t seeking funds for himself personally, but to be able to take those funds to Jerusalem to help the believers in Judea. What he says in this verse focuses not on giving itself, but on God’s supply and the purpose for it, and that supply certainly isn’t limited to money. As Paul says, it’s all grace in all things at all times. That does include finances, but it also includes wisdom and knowledge and patience and insight and healing and endurance and strength, and the list can go on and on. And the purpose of all that is that so we will “abound in every good work.” God doesn’t give us stuff of any sort just to inflate us (or our bank account) but to equip us to do the work he has for us to do. As Paul wrote so memorably to the Ephesians, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) If we feel our supply is limited, we need to check and see if we are using what we have already been given in the way God intends. Jesus’ parable of the talents (Matthew 25:13-30) is very explicit on that account, almost frighteningly so. We are not to sit on God’s provision in any area, but rather seek Him to know how He wants us to use it, and be faithful to follow through.

Any time I talk about God’s provision I remember a period of special blessing that He gave us years ago. I had resigned a pastorate over the race issue, and for the next nine months I had only intermittent, temporary employment of various sorts. One thing God showed us in that time was that we didn’t need money exactly, we needed what we would normally get with money, and He provided it: places to stay, heating oil, food, gasoline, and on and on. During that time He also provided various opportunities for ministry, and trained us in the grace of prayer with fasting. It was a blessed time indeed! It wasn’t always fun at the time, any more than my basic training in the Army was always fun, but it grew us and equipped us for our ministry here in Omura, which followed that period. We have learned that if we are listening obediently to God, the provision of every sort is there. As the refrigerator magnet says, “Where God guides, He provides.”

Father, thank You indeed for Your abundant provision. Even I tend to doubt it at times, and I certainly know better! Thank You for the new missionary family from Taiwan, and thank You for the physical healing the father in that family currently needs, because You have already provided it. Thank You for Your grace poured out in other situations as well, more than I could list. May we all trust You fully, not holding anything back, because we know that Your supply is unlimited, and there is much work to do. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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