Dealing with Bad Stuff; October 1, 2019

Posted on October 2, 2019 by jgarrott

Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.

As always, God knows everything. He knew, long before I compiled this Scripture reading list, what kind of day yesterday was going to be for us. As it is, I find this Psalm remarkably appropriate and relatable. All of us have days when it seems like the blows just don’t stop coming. Whether they are big or small, they add up, and we get distracted from a singular focus on God in all His goodness. This verse is an appropriate prayer, not just for such times but all the time. We have trouble knowing God’s will, and then in doing it once we know it. If God is our God on a personal level, desiring to do His will should go without saying. Next we have a reference to God’s Spirit that is fairly unusual in the Bible. We are most familiar with His title as the Holy Spirit, but here He is specifically called Good. The Japanese here amplifies that a little bit, using an expression that means, “of deep compassion and goodness.” It’s the phrase used in the first line of what is probably the best-loved hymn in Japanese, What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Sometimes “holy” can seem distant or even cold to us, but this is the opposite of that. It is a clear indication that David understood how God interacted with him, and he counted on the character of God, expressed by His Spirit. The last line is a simple request: no pit holes or steep climbs, please. With my wife’s Parkinson’s Disease I am far more aware than I once was of the benefits involved here. At times, even a graveled parking lot can be a risk of stumbling. Level ground, emotionally and spiritually, can be a big blessing. Of course, we have conflicting metaphors here, because God always leads us upward toward Him, but the image is clear enough.

In retrospect, yesterday was very interesting. The largest blow, as such, was discovering that our building insurance has a $1,000 deductible, which means that the $850 cost of replacing our storage shed, flattened by the typhoon, will be out-of-pocket. However, the emotional shocks started when my camera fell from its holster and hit the sidewalk during my morning walk. (The mounting screw had worked loose and fell out.) the only actual damage was a scratch to the lens hood, but the emotional shock was very real. That somewhat set the stage, and every other negative thing in the day hit home. What I should have done was thank and praise God more for the lack of damage to my camera, which would have put me in much better position to resist the other attacks. I find it significant that yesterday came right after receiving a comment on my blog that was enormously encouraging, indicating that God is very specifically raising up people to pray for us whom we know nothing about. The devil didn’t like that, so he picked up his attacks! However, nothing negative that happened yesterday is ultimately of any real consequence, and I am to continue to grow in learning to rest, relax, and rejoice in my Lord, knowing and doing His will, just as David prayed here.

Father, thank You indeed for knowing everything about me, from before You formed me in my mother’s womb all the way through until I stand before Your throne in heaven. May I rejoice to know that You know everything I don’t, and that not only do You have it all in control, Your plans are absolutely glorious. May those plans be fulfilled in every detail, for the salvation of this nation, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Deception; September 30, 2019

Posted on October 1, 2019 by jgarrott

Psalm 138:6 Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly,
but the proud he knows from afar.

It just struck me, reading the Japanese for this verse, that the second half could be expressed, “He sees through the proud from a mile away.” Previously I had only thought of this verse in terms of pride blocking intimacy with God, which is certainly true enough, but the Japanese uses an expression that specifically means “to see through,” as in the opposite of being deceived. Human efforts to deceive God are quite laughable! We see people all the time who seem to live on deceit of one sort or another, and it’s really quite remarkable. I am sure they were never raised to have a genuine fear of God. Psalm 139, right after this and also a Psalm of David, is a beautiful exposition of the omniscience of God. David learned the hard way, with his adultery with Bathsheba and then having her husband killed to try to cover it up, that trying to hide stuff never works out in the long run. As he says here, we need to remember that God is incredibly gracious toward those who are humble before Him, but human pride is completely counterproductive. We are constantly presented with a spectacle of public figures of all sorts, entertainers and politicians and the like, and the vast majority are trying to deceive in some way. Actors are successful to the degree that they generate an illusion, but all too often they end up believing the illusion they generate! That leads to the tragic private lives of so many, and sadly of those who take them as role models. Politicians deal in power, and too many forget that real power resides only with God. We often see total fiction paraded as fact for the sake of some political advantage. It is really quite disgusting. We need to fix our hearts on God in genuine humility, knowing as David did that God responds to that, and be open and transparent in all our dealings.

I was blessed to be raised by a man who took absolute honesty as one of the foundations of his life. I have found that principle leads to a much easier life than I see so many trying to live. Actually, I have a problem with being too open, and I have hurt people by sharing things they didn’t want exposed. I’ve had to learn that being totally honest doesn’t necessarily mean saying all you know! It is perhaps ironic that I was a Drama major in college, because actors live by creating illusions. That’s how I know that it is all too easy to believe the illusion you are generating! I have “played the part” of “a good Christian” more than I like to remember! However, God always saw through me and loved me anyway, and He brought me back to Himself. Being honest myself, I tend to assume that others are honest as well, which can be risky. Particularly in Japan, society has codified a divide between “public face” and “true intention,” and it can get very messy at times. I need to remember that God always sees through everything and everyone, and keep my focus on Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me never forget to speak the truth in love, and never project legalism, judgmentalism, or a holier-than-thou attitude. May I be an accurate reflection of Your character, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Describing God; September 29, 2019

Posted on October 1, 2019 by jgarrott

Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures for ever.

This Psalm is unique in being antiphonal, a call-and-response between a worship leader and either a choir or the entire congregation. The whole rest of this Psalm is an expansion of this one verse, giving all sorts of ways in which the Lord is good. Where the NIV says “good,” the Japanese says “of deep compassion/mercy.” That is significant, because it is the term used in the best-loved hymn in Japanese, What a Friend We Have in Jesus. I think that whoever translated that song was powerfully anointed, because it captures the difference between Yahweh and every other postulated god. Most Westerners don’t have other gods (in a theological sense) to compare with the Biblical picture, but the differences are striking. It is really a problem when we become so used to the stories of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that we take it all for granted, failing to appreciate the enormity of grace and blessing that is poured out on us. This Psalm is an attempt to remind Israel of all that God has done for them, in a sense putting life itself into context. We would do well to make our own version of this Psalm, substituting events in our own life where God has met our need or forgiven our sin for the events in the history of Israel that are used here. We too need to be reminded that God’s love / grace / mercy endure forever, and to be appropriately grateful.

At 71, I can come up with quite a list of times and places God has been far better to me than I deserved, and I must never forget it. As a pastor, one of my challenges is in helping people understand that God never picks on them, but that they actually deserve far worse than what they experience. We don’t like to admit that! I point out to them that if I were God, I would have given up on me a long time ago! Today being a 5th Sunday, rather than having a sermon we are sticking to singing and testimonies. I think my testimony needs to have this theme today. God’s grace is indeed amazing, and I must never forget that.

Father, thank You indeed for Your love / grace / mercy. Thank You for the privilege of telling others about You and what You are like, so that they too may repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. May this church, today and every day, be a testimony that all can see as to who You are and what You are like, drawing many into Your kingdom for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Forgiveness and Authority; September 28, 2019

Posted on September 30, 2019 by jgarrott

Psalm 130:3-4 If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

This anonymous Psalm is deeply insightful. In the first place, it is fully aware of the sinful state of mankind. But then it says something that on the surface might seem counter-intuitive. Why would God’s forgiveness make people fear Him? There is actually a deep truth here. When you forgive someone, you are freeing yourself from their control. On the personal level, when we refuse to forgive someone, we make ourselves slaves to them, because the hurt we received from them binds our hearts. When we forgive, we let go of that hurt and are thus set free. On the broader level, it takes authority and power to forgive, as in a presidential pardon. That’s why the scribes and Pharisees were so offended when Jesus told the paralytic he was forgiven. (Matthew 9:1-8) Jesus then demonstrated that He had the authority to forgive by healing the man, and the common people rejoiced. It is a matter of extreme importance that Jesus explicitly gave authority to forgive to his disciples after His resurrection. (John 20:23) That is directly connected to His statement in the Great Commission that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. (Matthew 28:18) When we are operating in full submission to and harmony with Christ, that authority operates in and through us. There’s a mind-blowing thought for you! We aren’t to seek authority on our own, but are to seek Christ, (Philippians 3:10-11) and not run from the flow of authority that is involved in that. And the best way to start is by forgiving those who have hurt us, thereby liberating ourselves from the control of the devil.

This is a truth that I have been growing into over the years. I am quite ambivalent about authority, both desiring it and hesitating to exercise it. I know full well that authority is never divorced from responsibility, and I’m not really excited about that! I have felt for many years that God has given me this city of Omura, both in terms of authority and responsibility, but I didn’t really know what to do with it. Every week on Sunday mornings I drive around to each of the six churches in town, praying God’s blessings on them, but I haven’t done much more than that. Just now, prompted by the Holy Spirit, I proclaimed forgiveness to the people of Omura and their ancestors, who either chose physical life over martyrdom or who betrayed their neighbors who refused to make that choice. [My wife, in editing this, put that sentence in boldface type, concerned that others would miss it, as she did when we were sharing our devotional notes with each other.] At one time this was indeed the foremost Christian city in the nation, with 80,000 practicing Christians, and it is the vision given to this church that it would be so again. I have realized for many years that forgiveness is an issue that binds the Japanese people, but I didn’t know what to do about it, besides speaking the truth in love whenever given the opportunity. What I have just done may turn out to be the key for the salvation of the whole nation.

Father God, I am blown out of the water. Thank You for this. Thank You for making it clear that I’m not to go around talking about it, because that would inflate me. Help me share this truth with those You indicate, so that they in turn may share, not casually but effectively, (2 Timothy 2:2) so that indeed Your name may be acknowledged and Your sovereignty established as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Provision; September 27, 2019

Posted on September 29, 2019 by jgarrott

Psalm 127:1-2 Unless the Lord builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

These two verses, if believed, would solve a huge percentage of the stress experienced by just about everybody. In context, the last line makes the most sense translated the way the Japanese does it, which the NIV gives in a footnote: “For while they sleep He provides for those He loves.” The whole point is not that we aren’t to work hard, it’s that we are dependent on God, and thinking we have to do it all is counter-productive at best. We don’t gather around a pile of materials and pray that God would zap them into a house, but neither should we enter into construction without asking Him to guide us and give us strength and wisdom. That applies just as much to organizations as it does to physical construction. It is particularly ironic to see churches and even denominations that are largely human constructs, rather than being extensions of God’s plans for the Body of Christ. The same thing applies to defense, either personal or national. It’s not wrong to study martial arts or to arm yourself in dangerous circumstances, but God is our ultimate protector, and we must never forget it. Verse two is even more broadly applicable, because far too many people burn themselves out trying to make a living, when God is our Provider. It ties in directly with Jesus’ teaching on anxiety, which culminates in His famous instructions to “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) We are to be diligent and faithful, but never forget that we are totally dependent on God.

This naturally applies to me, just as it does to everyone. Growing up in a missionary household, I don’t think I had that strong a connection in my mind between work and income. That connection had to be forged through my own work experiences, which have been quite varied. After I got out of the Army I was willing to do just about any job at all to provide for my young family. None of those jobs lasted very long, but I acquired some interesting, and occasionally quite useful, skills in the process. It was while I was working as a night janitor that we came to the conviction that we had to tithe first, before any other expenses, whether or not we had “enough” money. Very shortly after that I got a position as a photographer for a directory company and our income stabilized. On top of that, our income had been so low for so long that Medicaid paid for essentially everything about our younger daughter’s delivery, even though it was high risk because of a botched first c-section. That was hardly all. We have seen God’s provision countless times, not just financially but in every way, and we are deeply grateful. As a pastor I see people who are frantic to “make a living,” forgetting the One who made them in the first place. I am to teach faithfulness and accountability, but most of all I am to teach faith, because our strength and wisdom are nothing compared to our Creator. By word and by example, I am to teach all to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your protection in the recent typhoon. Thank You for the evidence that at least one of our neighbors has been seeing Christ in us, and has been powerfully impacted. I pray that witness would extend to all who know us, so that many may be drawn to repentance and faith for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Israel; September 26, 2019

Posted on September 29, 2019 by jgarrott

Psalm 122:6-7 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”

This is a command that sadly, only a small percentage of “Bible believing Christians” obey. I remember my shock when I first heard about “Replacement Theology,” that says the Church has completely replaced Israel in God’s plans, so Israel and the Jews are irrelevant. That’s nothing more than antisemitism with a “Christian” face, and it denies the God of whom Paul said, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:20) All the promises to Abraham, David, and all the rest are still valid, and that certainly includes Israel and the Jews. Jews do need personal repentance and faith, just as Gentiles do, for salvation, but again as Paul pointed out, Gentiles are grafted onto the root stock of Israel and the Jews, and we would be nowhere without them. (Romans 11:13-24) Perhaps the definitive statement comes right after that discussion of grafting: “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29) I have heard that quoted most often in relation to spiritual gifts, such as those discussed in 1 Corinthians 12, but in context it is clearly talking about the Jews, about Israel. Accordingly, all who love the God of Abraham should be praying for Abraham’s descendants, both physical and spiritual.

As I am frequently reminded, I was born in the same year Israel was reestablished as a political entity, and I remember my delight and pride when I first became aware of that as a child. I was not aware of having any Jewish acquaintances at all until I got to Seminary, but there, by God’s amazing grace, we were “adopted” into the Messianic fellowship, meeting with them every month. Since then the Lord has given me connections with various Messianic Jews, allowing me to interpret for them here in Japan. He’s not yet Messianic, but I have the highest respect for Dennis Prager, and feel he is doing America a great service with his efforts to educate people in Biblical truth as it applies to the political realities of today. I do pray for Israel. Right now they are in political turmoil, and certainly need prayer for God’s truth to prevail. I do not give blanket approval to everything Israel does as a political entity, but I am very aware that she has an essential role in God’s plan, and I pray that role would be fulfilled in every respect, for the salvation of the Jews and the blessing of the world.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s not an issue I think about daily, and I probably should. I do pray that I would fulfill the part You have for me, whatever it is, in Your plan, and I know that Your plan includes Israel and a great harvest for Your kingdom there. May Your name be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Peace; September 25, 2019

Posted on September 27, 2019 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:165 Great peace have they who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.

This Psalm has so many references to Scripture, using several different terms, that it’s often unimportant how they are translated, so long as the idea remains that it’s talking about the Bible. Here, however, I prefer the term the Japanese uses to that used by the NIV. Where the NIV says “law,” the Japanese says “teaching(s).” I am no fan of legalism, but to me, what the Bible teaches is far more than rules and regulations. Knowing what’s right and what’s wrong is certainly important, but I have trouble associating it with great/abundant peace. However, the Bible also teaches us that God loves us, and He cares about every detail of our lives. Now THAT can bring peace! This verse speaks of stumbling, which is something we all do at times. However, honest introspection will tell us that every time we stumble, it’s because we have taken our eyes off of God and what He says to and about us. We all desire peace, and particularly inner peace. The key is always, to quote Jesus, seeking first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) When we are doing that, we will certainly love the Bible because it tells us about those things and opens the way for intimate fellowship with our Creator. That is peace indeed!

I was enormously blessed to be raised in a home that knew and loved the Word of God, because my parents knew and loved the Author. That was the example set for me, and I have spent a lifetime learning to follow it. I certainly haven’t “arrived,” any more than Paul did on this earth, (Philippians 3:12-14) but the further I move along that road, the more peace I have. A couple of days ago we had a close call with a typhoon that shook the building and sent a steel storage shed flying. Having just gotten back from an overnight conference, today I will be dealing with various parts of the aftermath to that. The prospect isn’t delightful, but I know, both from the Bible and from experience, that God’s grace is sufficient for everything that needs to be done, and He will give me the necessary wisdom to follow through. The devil loves to steal our peace, but the more I am fixed on my Lord and what He has said to and about me, the more secure I will be, just as this verse says.

Father, thank You for this very timely reminder. I ask for Your timing in when to tackle each of the things that need to be dealt with today. I ask particularly that You would guide each detail of my interaction with the widow next door, whose car was dinged and scratched by our flying shed. Our loss doesn’t bother me, but she doesn’t have a husband to share her burdens, and most particularly she doesn’t yet have a Savior to give her the peace she needs. May what has happened draw her closer to You and not drive her away, so that she and her children may be drawn into Your family, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Salvation; September 24, 2019

Posted on September 26, 2019 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek out your decrees.

It’s always interesting when the Lord speaks to me through a verse that’s not underlined in my Bible. (This one is now, though!) The Bible speaks many times about salvation, and God being “near” to us, but this verse speaks very clearly to why that’s not the case for “the wicked.” It’s not that God doesn’t love them, it’s that they avoid Him, or at best ignore Him. If you want God’s salvation, it only makes sense to listen to what He’s saying to you! The devil actively discourages that, naturally enough. The US currently has a Vice President who is well known as an active, committed Christian. Not long after he came under the media spotlight, a media personality questioned his sanity because he had talked about hearing from God. She claims to be a Christian, but she said that hearing voices was a sign of insanity. I think it’s clear that she fits in the category of “cultural Christians!” Seeking God and what He has to say is a clear characteristic of those who recognize their own need for salvation. Without that recognition there can be no salvation, because the Bible is very clear that all have sinned. (Romans 3:23) The glorious part of this is that God and His salvation are indeed very near to all who do recognize their need and cry out to Him in repentance. (Romans 10:8-13)

I was enormously blessed to be raised in a family where this was one of the foundational truths of reality. As missionaries, my parents were dedicated to sharing this truth with as many people as possible, by whatever means. As a pastor in Japan myself, I’m dedicated to that same cause. It can be very painful to see people who stubbornly refuse God’s offer of salvation, for whatever reason. The devil has a huge catalog of excuses that he’s more than happy to supply to anyone to keep them from turning to God, but every last one of them is a lie from the pit of hell. I am not to attack people for expressing those lies, but I must never draw back from speaking the truth in love, even when speaking that truth might make people turn against me personally. When I have found God’s salvation, I must never hesitate to do anything that might help someone else find it as well, regardless of any seeming cost to me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the coaching conference I’m attending, where we’re learning better how to make disciples, as You told us. (Matthew 28:18-20) Help me receive all that You want to say to me today, however and through whomever You want to say it, so that I may keep growing as Your disciple, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Waiting Expectantly; September 23, 2019

Posted on September 26, 2019 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.

I keep running into what I consider a deficiency in most English Bibles in how they translate what seems to be a common Biblical expression. Time and time again I read things like “put my hope in,” as here, or “wait,” in places like Isaiah 40:31 (in most translations, even though the NIV says “hope” there, too). There is a Japanese expression that is used in almost all those places that I think must be a close analog of the Hebrew, because it fits so perfectly, and it’s not difficult to put it into English: “wait in hope,” or “wait expectantly.” Just waiting can be sterile indeed, and hoping without being willing to wait is essentially demanding that God act on our schedule. Neither of those sound like God’s will to me! The Japanese for the second half of this verse translates back to English as, “I wait expectantly for Your Word.” That to me seems a much more fitting response when we cry out to God. If we don’t expect Him to answer, why pray?

This verse actually hit me this morning because I indeed got up before dawn this morning, and it’s still dark right now. We had a typhoon last night, and completely lost a storage shed to it. The metal shed was ripped from the base and folded like paper, flying into the fence and car of a neighbor. After the peak passed, I dragged the folded shed from the neighbor’s property to ours, but could do no more. Once it gets light I will need to take pictures of the folded shed, the pile of stuff that was in the shed, and the damage to our neighbor’s fence and car, in hopes that our insurance will cover at least some of it. I’ve never made a claim on that insurance before! Last night in the middle of it all I was the calm one, as compared to my wife, but this morning my mind is full of things I need to do from this point. What complicates things is that I’m scheduled to leave for an overnight coaching conference at 8:00! That may well be delayed, which will probably be just as well, to give the expressway time to be reopened after the typhoon. I am certainly asking God for help in doing all that needs to be done, but I have great peace and assurance that He will indeed supply that help, when and as I need it. I’ve learned that when I depend on God, I can indeed wait expectantly for His answers.

Father, thank You for Your Word. It’s what I get up for every morning! Thank You for Your faithfulness to speak to me every day, and through the day. Thank You for all that You are doing in this church, in and through us individually and in our dynamics as a body. May we rejoice to wait expectantly for Your plans to be manifested in and through us, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Trusting the Bible; September 22, 2019

Posted on September 25, 2019 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:138, 140 The statutes you have laid down are righteous;
they are fully trustworthy.
Your promises have been thoroughly tested,
and your servant loves them.

At this point the Bible has been around for literally thousands of years, whereas this Psalm was written less than a thousand years after Moses started the ball rolling. How much more should we be convinced of what the Psalmist says here! There are prophecies in the Bible that haven’t been fulfilled yet, but so many things were prophesied, and then fulfilled in detail, that we should have the highest level of confidence in the Bible. The thing is, that’s the last thing the devil wants us to have, because it prophesies his defeat and destruction! From a little over a hundred years ago there has been a movement to discredit the Bible on textual grounds, saying that it has numerous copying errors, was greatly edited, and wasn’t written by the people named in it. Most of that should have been laid to rest by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which include a complete copy of Isaiah that is identical to the various copies we already have, yet it is demonstrably from 2000 years ago. However, the devil doesn’t give up with his lies! Parts of the Bible were clearly edited, and translation is always an issue, but God has been careful to insure that His Word has been transmitted faithfully down through the generations. When we fail to believe that God is big enough, and cares enough, to do that, we make all sorts of excuses for failing to take the Bible at face value and apply it in our own lives. It is precisely because the devil knows the Bible is true that he fights against it so hard! Today in English-speaking countries at least, multiple Bible translations are easily available, and that is a huge blessing. However, it does us no good if we don’t make use of it! Even if we stick with one translation, reading the Bible regularly as the Word of God, with every intention of honoring Him by putting it into practice, will benefit us far more than anything else we can do in this life.

I was enormously blessed to be raised in a family with the highest level of Biblical literacy. My father got his ThM degree in Hebrew, and his PhD in Biblical Greek. My maternal grandfather, a seminary professor, did a translation of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians that has influenced every English translation made since. The Bible was a constant presence in our home, and I am deeply grateful. However, the Lord had to tell me sternly that knowing the facts of the Bible did me no good if I wasn’t committed to putting it into practice. Sometimes I think James wrote verse 1:22 in his letter just for me! As a pastor in Japan, I have the challenge of transmitting love and respect for the Bible to others across a cultural divide that sometimes feels like it puts the Grand Canyon to shame. I am never to give up, but remember that it’s God’s Word and not mine, even though He is so gracious as to allow me to speak it, and His Word never goes out without accomplishing that for which He sends it. (Isaiah 55:11)

Father, thank You for this powerful reminder. Thank You for the message You’ve given me for this morning. It’s very unusual for me, in that it only uses one verse from the Bible, but I have assurance that it’s what You are saying. Help me indeed deliver it in faithfulness and clarity, so that Your Spirit may work it into the hearts and lives of all who hear, for their deliverance and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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