Gifts; March 7, 2019

Posted on March 21, 2019 by jgarrott

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

This is one of the fundamental truths of the universe, at least from the human perspective. For that very reason, the devil does all he can to hide, deny, or distort it. He tries to keep people from hearing it in the first place, if they do hear it he insists it isn’t true, and if they try to lay hold of it he adds things on – Jesus and – to dilute it and make it ineffective. The very level of opposition is confirmation that it is real! The whole purpose of evangelism and missions is to inform people of this truth. As even the Old Testament points out repeatedly, each succeeding generation must be informed of this or it will die out, as the devil fervently desires. Then we have the whole matter of the “exclusivity” of Christ. “How dare you say that other religions are lies! How intolerant is that?” We hear that sort of objection all the time. The devil doesn’t care what religion you are, just so long as you aren’t a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ! (I could give many real-world illustrations of that.) The mantra (that’s a Hindu term, by the way) from my college days was “Different strokes for different folks.” In other words, “Whatever works for you.” The problem is, if everything is true, then nothing is true. Today a sadly high percentage of people actively believe that there is no such thing as absolute truth. They will find out what is true when they have to stand before their Creator and give an account! (Romans 14:12, He-brews 4:13) As came out recently, even Pilate got into the discussion of truth. (John 18:38) Then, we have all sorts of “add-ons for salvation.” The Catholics are famous for saying that salvation comes through the Church, but many other groups add this, that, or the other as well. All those things might be, and generally are, fine and important, but they aren’t part of the definition of salvation. Jesus Himself called people to “Repent and believe the good news,” (Mark 1:15) and He very famously proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) That’s where Peter got this truth, and we had better hang onto it too.

This is of course the reason I am in Japan, believing that God loves the Japanese people and wants to give them the opportunity to be saved. Akira Takimoto, the founder of Revival Mission, took a condensation of this verse as the motto of his organization: “There is no salvation under heaven apart from Jesus Christ.” (I have a sticker with that on it on the front of my sermon notebook.) I have been berated – by Americans – for “teaching Japanese a foreign religion,” when they already have Shinto and Buddhism. I come back by saying that when I have found such a marvelous salvation myself, I would be incredibly stingy to fail to share it with others. The very idea of exclusive monotheism is very hard for many if not most Japanese to grasp, and even Christians are strongly tempted/pressured to participate in Shinto and Buddhist ceremonies. I am not to condemn those who slip, but I must never fail to proclaim the truth in love. Sometimes such proclamation makes people dislike me and consider me a bigot, but I have to release that into God’s hands. Like Paul I must preach Christ crucified, (1 Corinthians 1:23) because there is no other salvation, just as Peter said.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There is so much going on, both good stuff and junk, that I can get distracted. Help me walk in Your salvation as an open channel of that salvation, so that others may see Christ through me and come to Him – not me – and be saved, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Repentance; March 6, 2019

Posted on March 7, 2019 by jgarrott

Acts 3:19 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

Different translations into different languages can make for some awkward transitions. In Japanese, “times of refreshing” is put at the beginning of verse 20, starting a new sentence. That is very inconvenient either for preaching bilingually, which I do, or interpreting for someone else, which I have done many times. However, I like the connection indicated in the English word order, even though the sentence does continue to the end of verse 20. That connection, as I see it, is that repentance brings the removal of sins, but that in turn brings times of refreshing. Just about everybody is looking for times of refreshing. However, the general population certainly isn’t doing so by repenting of their sins. On the contrary, many people seek refreshing through overtly sinful activities! There are of course physical factors that feel refreshing, with good rest, nutrition, and exercise, but such things don’t touch our fundamental need for a right relationship with our Creator. It is historically verifiable that every revival, that is, a major move of God in society, has involved repentance. It is also true that personal spiritual renewal requires repentance. We may not have wandered into “gross sins,” but we have allowed ourselves to become numb to the things of God, and so lose the intimacy with Him for which we were created. That calls for repentance! We’ve got to remember that repentance isn’t just recognizing you are in the wrong, it is changing direction and starting over. The Japanese term for repentance says that explicitly, but in English we often lose sight of it. Here, Peter makes sure we understand by saying, “Repent and turn to God.” Turning to God is inseparable from genuine repentance.

I’ve tried false repentance several times myself, and it never works. I have learned the hard way that I can’t just regret the consequences of my actions, but the actions themselves. I have to recognize, “that was wrong,” and not just “that hurt.” Often God allows pain to help us recognize that things are wrong, but the pain isn’t why they are wrong. Paul made a blanket statement that can really make us squirm: “Everything that does not come from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23) I have a lot of growing to do in that area! Any activity that doesn’t trust God to be God is inherently sinful, because it makes Him out to be less than He is. By extension, anxiety is something to be repented of, and not just pushed aside. Few things are as debilitating as anxiety, so repenting of it and choosing to trust God is refreshing indeed. I will never be perfect as long as I am in this flesh, but I can repent and draw closer to God step by step, as the Holy Spirit points out areas that need it. This upcoming trip provides all sorts of opportunities to trust God, as well as to be faithful in obedience as He shows us what to do. Right now I am at a very high stress level, and that shows I need to repent!

Father, thank You for this strong, clear reminder. I do ask for clear guidance today and tomorrow as we pack and take care of various loose ends. Thank You for each thing You’ve enabled us to take care of already. May we remember Your promise, and walk in Your perfect peace indeed. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3) Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Communication; March 5, 2019

Posted on March 7, 2019 by jgarrott

Acts 2:6, 11 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
“We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

Numbers of people have pointed out that at Pentecost, God reversed what He did at the Tower of Babel. Linguistic barriers were erased, and God used “ignorant fishermen” to proclaim His message to people from many nations. He still does that today in various ways. Just last month I met a Jew who came to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah though hearing the Gospel in Spanish from a local in Central America, when he doesn’t really speak Spanish! The woman sharing with him wasn’t “speaking in tongues,” as it is generally understood, but the man hearing was given supernatural understanding. I would be the last person to say that missionaries don’t need to learn the local language as well as possible, but I am saying that spiritual communication is a work of the Spirit, and will not happen without Him. That’s why Jesus talked repeatedly about “ears to hear,” not just in His earthly ministry but also to John in Revelation. Paul also pointed out that “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) Two people can be speaking the same language and have essentially no communication, and people can be speaking different languages and yet the love and truth of God can get through. The major point is not human intellect, but the Spirit of God.

I’ve experienced this from all sides. I speak natural, fluent Japanese, and yet I have had Japanese people not understand a word I was saying because they couldn’t get past my Caucasian face. I have also had sweet fellowship with Christian brothers and sisters from other countries when we hardly shared a word in common. My wife Cathy was once in a prayer meeting with a group of Filipina girls and was quietly praying in tongues, when they got very excited. It turns out she was praying in Tagalog, which was quite a surprise to her! All sorts of things can block or distort communication, from the xenophobia I’ve already mentioned, to pride and preconceptions of all sorts. We all tend to hear what we expect to hear, even when what is actually said might be the opposite of that. I’m dealing with just such a touchy situation right now. The devil indeed comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, (John 10:10) and often he uses words to do that. I am a man of words, but I must not take that for granted, using words without the underlying guidance of the Spirit. In order to resist the devil effectively, I must be fully submitted to God, and that certainly includes every word that comes from my mouth (or my fingers). (James 4:7) I have a tendency to say more than I need to, and that has caused a lot of damage over the years. I need to let the Holy Spirit be in full control of all of my communication of all sorts, for His glory.

Father, thank You for being greater than my weaknesses. I ask You to take all that I have said and done and use it for the good of all involved, destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and setting people free, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Power of the Spirit; March 4, 2019

Posted on March 5, 2019 by jgarrott

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

This verse is endlessly quoted, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Jesus had already told them to wait for “the promise of the Father” before they left Jerusalem, (verse 4) which reminds me of a credit card ad of several years ago: “Don’t leave home without it.” Here He makes it very clear what He is talking about, specifying the Holy Spirit. Actually, He had talked about the Spirit a good bit in the Upper Room Discourse, but here He is saying that they are going to experience what He had been talking about. The Holy Spirit has been active in believers throughout the past 2000 years, but with widely varying degrees of awareness and acceptance. It is the height of irony that the Holy Spirit would not be welcome in a church, but that sadly has happened more times than we could count. The thing is, the Holy Spirit insists on sovereignty, and when we won’t give it to Him, He leaves. Paul refers to that as quenching (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and grieving (Ephesians 4:30) the Holy Spirit. That applies on the personal level and on the corporate level. Individuals can welcome or reject the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and organizations can do the same. In both cases the big issue is control. I think that’s the biggest reason the gift of tongues very often accompanies the baptism in the Holy Spirit, because with that gift we control whether we speak, but not what we speak. (Prophecy is similar but more complicated, and deserves separate treatment.) Both individuals and organizations can be hungry for power, but until we are ready to release control, we won’t get the Holy Spirit. That sometimes provides entry to various lying spirits, and actually that’s what witchcraft is all about. It is sadly true that witchcraft is operative in many churches today, and sometimes even with good motives. We get so fixated on what the kingdom of God is “supposed to look like” that we try to force things to go that way and in the process lose our connection with God. How tragic! It is interesting that the power of God comes on those who are hungry for more of God, not on those who are hungry for power.

I almost missed the baptism in the Holy Spirit because I was trying to dictate how it would happen, and God had other ideas. I had totally connected it with the gift of tongues, which was hardly surprising considering the books I had read about it, and God wanted to show me that the baptism and the gifts aren’t the same. When I realized that God had indeed baptized me in His Spirit, though I had felt nothing, it was by God reminding me of this verse as I was sharing Christ with a total stranger, probably for the first time in my life. It hit me that was what I was doing, and this verse came to my mind and I knew that God had been faithful to His Word. (Luke 11:13) As a pastor I naturally want every believer in this church to be totally open to the Holy Spirit, allowing His gifts to operate through them for the sake of the Body of Christ and for His glory, but I can’t force anyone to do anything, nor should I try. I can model and I can proclaim and I can pray. The rest I must leave in God’s hands.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for the reports of Your working at the church I pastored before coming to Omura, and that I’ll be speaking there this coming Sunday. Thank You for how You have arranged things to be at this church during our absence over the next three weeks. I pray that I would be totally available to You for Your power to flow through me, both there and here, so that Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Evangelism and Salvation; March 3, 2019

Posted on March 5, 2019 by jgarrott

John 20:30-31 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

This was the motive of each of the Gospel writers, and not just John. It should be the motive of every Christian writer of any sort, with just a few adjustments. Writers today don’t record things Jesus did when He walked this earth, but they often reference them, and they should be writing about things He is doing today, even though we don’t see Him with our physical eyes. The most fundamental testimony is expressed clearly in a Gaither song, He Touched Me. We can say many things about God, but until it becomes personal, it is empty philosophy. When we have really been touched by God ourselves, we should desire that everyone be touched by God and brought from death to life. A major problem for many Christians today is that they have forgotten their first love, just as Jesus cautioned the believers in Ephesus. (Revelation 2:4) They have forgotten what it was like to go from being lost to knowing they are a child of God – if they ever really had that experience in the first place. As a result, they have nothing to say to anyone else to convince them that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) “Entitlement mentality” has taken over the Church, and not just society. We have been deceived into thinking we are going to heaven because we deserve it, when nothing could be further from the truth. The most pure person you can imagine is still totally dependent on the grace of God, because indeed, all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. (Romans 3:23) We don’t press in for more of God because we are self-satisfied, and that is tragic. We aren’t going to be effective in winning others to the Lord unless we realize what a miracle it is that we ourselves have been saved.

This is very close to home, because of how long I was trapped in stupid spiritual pride. I did have a huge advantage in growing up in a genuinely Christian home, steeped in the Bible and prayer, but I came to take that for granted, as though my parents’ dedication was enough for me, too. I did indeed benefit from their dedication, and still do, but that in itself does not save me and never could. It was a major shock when, hearing the testimony of another “preacher’s kid” who woke up from the deception of thinking he could ride into heaven hanging onto his father’s belt, I felt the Lord tap me on the shoulder and then show me a mirror to see the filth of my own soul. I dissolved in tears, but the real test has come in the years since then, as I have sought to live out the truth that has been placed in me. I now believe my first commitment, at age seven, was genuine, but that experience at age 24 was so earth-shaking for me that I asked for, and received, water baptism a second time. Interestingly, I remember very little about either of my water baptisms, but I clearly remember how God baptized me in His Spirit shortly before I turned 26, even though it wasn’t a particularly emotional experience. The thing is, I am to declare the works of God, and how I myself have benefited from them because I was hopeless without them, so that others too may believe, and by believing have life in Christ.

Father, thank You for this reminder of Your incredible grace. Help me proclaim that grace constantly, in word and deed, so that as many as will may accept it for themselves, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Pilate; March 2, 2019

Posted on March 3, 2019 by jgarrott

John 19:11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

I am very interested to realize how sympathetic a figure I am finding Pilate to be. He was far from sinless, as Jesus implies here, but he was really caught between a rock and a hard place. He was about ready to recognize that Jesus was Divine, or at least supernatural in some way, but the Jews framed the issue in terms of how it would look to Rome, to which Pilate had to answer temporally speaking. We know from other historical sources that Pilate didn’t have a sterling reputation in the Empire at this point, and he was very interested in preserving his career and his skin. In consequence, he was directly instrumental in crucifying the Lord of Glory. (1 Corinthians 2:8) We learn from other sources that the decision to do so haunted him the rest of his life. At any point in that, if he had cried out in repentance to the One whom he had crucified, he would have been forgiven and saved, but we have no record of that. As a result, he is one of the more tragic figures in history. That said, we need to recognize that our sins put us in the same position as Pilate. Every human being is just as much in need of forgiveness as Pilate was. Even Jesus here says that Pilate’s sin was “lesser,” yet we paint him as a terrible villain. Pilate’s story should inspire us all to deep humility and repentance.

The more I think about it, my sins are at least as bad as Pilate’s, because I have known from earliest childhood that Jesus was the Son of God, and yet I have done various things in my life deliberately disobeying Him. On top of that, there are the many things I have failed to do that He wanted me to do, and all of that doesn’t touch the countless things that I have done without deliberate intent, but which actively violated His will and His character. God’s grace is glorious because it’s so essential! As I seek to share the Gospel with others, I must never forget that I myself am totally hopeless without it. When I lose that awareness I instantly descend into hypocrisy. That’s not to say that I am to constantly look at myself as dirt. On the contrary, I have been forgiven and cleansed and made to be a child of God. I am to rejoice indeed in that, and know that since God could do it for me, He can do it for anyone!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the opportunity to interact with the guys last night and share the basics of salvation with them. One attended a Christian high school, so my remarks were a refresher for him. I pray that each of them would recognize that what they have seen in Cathy and me over the past few weeks has been Christ, and hunger for Him themselves. May they be the “break in the dam,” allowing a flood of young people to enter life in Christ, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Truth; March 1, 2019

Posted on March 3, 2019 by jgarrott

John 18:37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

I find myself surprisingly sympathetic to Pilate as I read this. The fact that the Jews would go to the trouble of hauling Jesus to him just so he could be legally executed showed the depth of their hatred for Him, but Pilate couldn’t figure out the reason for that hatred. Frankly, it is very reminiscent of the political situation in the US today. Trump is certainly no Jesus, but the hatred for him seems at least comparable to what we read here, and for equally irrational, subliminal reasons. Pilate had never met anyone like Jesus, but then, He was and is the only Savior. He is obviously in danger for His life, and yet He isn’t frantic, but rather keeps speaking as the great Teacher He is. Who else, in a situation like this, would say profound things about Truth? It’s no wonder Pilate responded with his famous, rather snarky rhetorical question, “What is truth?” That said, Jesus’ statement here is important. He is restating His mission, the reason He was born into the world as a human baby. It was to go on trial and be crucified as a testimony that God is absolutely holy and pure, and He is also love. That is the truth that the devil wants desperately to keep from human beings, because when we learn that and believe it, we repent and are saved, passing out of the devil’s domain into life. What Jesus says here brings to mind what He said earlier to Nicodemus: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (John 3:19-21) We cannot have real truth without the light of Christ, and vice versa.

This of course applies as much to me as it does to anyone else. I’ve got to remember that “listens” here is actually, “listens and obeys,” as the Japanese puts it explicitly. If I am on the side of truth – and I earnestly desire to be – I need to live out the truth I know, and not deceive myself. (James 1:22) Following in my father’s footsteps, I have maintained a policy of absolute honesty for the major part of my life, but this is more than that. I need to seek and receive the Holy Spirit’s help in distinguishing the truth from all the falsehoods that bombard us constantly, and receive only the truth to make it my own. That’s far easier said than done, but nothing is too difficult for God. I certainly can’t do it properly on my own! I see people all around me who are chained, crippled, and even destroyed by falsehoods they have accepted as true, and it is tragic indeed. That’s why I must always speak the truth in love, so that people may perhaps receive it and be set free. (John 8:32)

Father, thank You for this reminder. I’ll have another attentive audience this evening. I pray that each person’s heart may be prepared to receive Your love and truth through Cathy and me. May they not just like us, but rather love You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Knowing God; February 28, 2019

Posted on March 1, 2019 by jgarrott

John 17:26 “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

I don’t know what I was thinking when I put the whole Pastoral Prayer as one reading! There is so much marvelous truth in this chapter that it calls for verse-by-verse digestion, and then continued meditation. That is so that Jesus may indeed make the Father (the Japanese, with the Greek, says, “Your name”) known to us more and more. We have a problem with capacity. It’s kind of like trying to download terabytes of information through an old dial-up modem. That’s one of the many reasons the Holy Spirit is essential to us, because He can “trickle it through” as fast as we can take it. (John 16:12-13) As the Lord has been pointing out recently, knowledge by itself is static; it must be applied to be effective. However, we must have the knowledge in the first place to be able to apply it. That’s the same principle that applies to evangelism and salvation: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:14-15) We have already been sent by Jesus, (John 17:18; 20:21, Matthew 28:18-20) so we are to preach (proclaim) the Good News we have received. Salvation is actually the first step of really knowing God. It is a process that will be completed only when we are before Him, with nothing in the way. (1 Corinthians 13:12) Our task on this earth is to keep learning more (continuing that download) and applying what we learn, which also means sharing what we have learned with those around us. Since we are analog rather than digital beings, we need to let the Holy Spirit also do constant “error-checking.” because our understanding of God can really get distorted at times. However, He is more than up to the task, so we need to be diligent but not anxious, rejoicing in Him.

I’m amused at the computer analogies that came out in that, but they shouldn’t be surprising from a geek like me! This whole issue is a major issue for me, because as a pastor I have particular responsibility in teaching people more about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I am never to think I’ve already got it all down, that I don’t need to learn any more, but at the same time I am not to hesitate to share with others what I do know. It is fascinating to experience God revealing more of Himself to me even as I am sharing Him with others.

That’s something I have experienced many times, and have observed in others as well. I am always amused, as well as delighted, when I see/hear a supposed “non-believer” telling someone else about Jesus. I can be absolutely sure their baptism won’t be far off! In this next week I will have various opportunities to share Christ with people who haven’t yet opened their hearts to Him. I’m very caught up with preparations for going to our granddaughter’s wedding, but I must not overlook any of the opportunities the Lord has for me to share the Gospel before then. I am to keep learning more of Him, even as I share Him with all who will receive.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how You are demonstrating Your control of time and schedules. Help me be anxious about nothing, but fully faithful and diligent in everything, so that all of Your purposes may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Assurance; February 27, 2019

Posted on March 1, 2019 by jgarrott

John 16:22 “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”

The disciples who heard Jesus say this went through some incredible hardships, with John the only one to die a natural death, and he actually didn’t get off any easier than the others. However, in all of that they had a joy that no amount of suffering could negate, because they served a risen Savior! They had definitive proof that this world wasn’t the be-all and end-all of everything, and they were on the winning side. This is behind a verse in this same chapter that I quote very frequently: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) We tend to allow all sorts of things to distract us from this glorious reality: physical pain and disease, interpersonal relationships, finances, disasters of all sorts. However, none of those are a match for being in Christ, our risen Lord and Savior who very literally went through hell for us (as the Catholic version of the Apostles Creed proclaims). That is why abiding in Christ, as He tells us repeatedly to do, is so vital. We abide in Him through loving obedience, and with that done, everything else fades to insignificance.

One of the sharpest memories of my childhood is of a time I was riding in the car with my parents. We happened to be on the Administrative Annex of Itazuke Air Force Base, where I went to school since it was the only American school in the city. I even remember the specific part of the base. My father was driving, and I was asking my mother how I could be really sure I was a Christian. (I had been baptized on the profession of my faith at age seven.) My mother responded by reminding me of a song that I knew and loved well, titled, He Lives. The last line of that says, “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.” That satisfied me then, and it satisfies me now. My goal in life is for everyone I know to be able to make that confession with the same assurance I do. It won’t happen to that degree, because God doesn’t violate our free will, but I know that God desires it even more than I do. (1 Timothy 2:4)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that my cold is so much better, day by day. Thank You also that it’s been several years since I last had a cold like this. Thank You that everything is in Your hands, flowing on Your schedule, so I don’t need to be anxious about any of it. Help me indeed not waste any emotional energy on such anxiety, but trust and obey You fully in every detail, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Being Liked; February 26, 2019

Posted on February 28, 2019 by jgarrott

John 15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

In the Upper Room Discourse, Jesus doesn’t beat around the bush because He knows He doesn’t have time for that; this is his last chance to teach them before His crucifixion. This one short verse is a gut punch for anyone who is all upset because they aren’t universally liked and admired. In America at least, being a Christian has generally been seen as admirable, but not so much any more. The media are quick to accuse anyone who holds to Biblical values of being a “bigot,” a “homophobe,” and “intolerant” in any of a number of ways. We’ve got to remember that anyone who refuses to follow Jesus, even when they know about Him, is actively following the liar, whether they realize it or not. As such, we should hardly expect them to make true statements! One reason “identity politics” are all the rage is not just that the devil loves division (though he does) but that lumping people into groups makes it much easier to dismiss them, to despise them. That’s what the devil wants us to do, so that should tell us what we should do instead! I think it was Stalin who said, “Five people being killed is a tragedy. Five million people being killed is a statistic.” That’s why he went so big with his killing. We are to look at people individually and treat them as individuals for whom Christ died. When people get to know us individually they may be surprised at some of the things about our lifestyle, but they will very likely be attracted by the Christ they see in us. History has many examples of persecuted Christians who brought their jailers to salvation, just as Paul did. (Acts 16) We are not to complain about being disliked or even hated, but rather love in return, (Matthew 5:43-48)

I feel like I have very few enemies, but I’m not sure if that is good or bad! Some people have expressed that they feel I live by “impossibly high standards,” but I try to be honest with them about my failings. Some people, particularly Christians, have resented it when I have expressed God’s truth to them. All I’m doing is quoting God! I am not to offend needlessly, but neither am I to come across as excusing things that are clearly in violation of what God has said. In our upcoming trip we will be seeing at least two people in openly homosexual lifestyles. I don’t have the wisdom called for! However, God can use even me to call those people back to Himself. I must not forget that Jesus didn’t hesitate to associate with prostitutes, even though He never “patronized” them. I am to express God’s love and righteousness, not feeling superior but allowing my heart to be broken, so that the Holy Spirit may bring these brothers to repentance.

Father, it can be hard to walk in Your purity without the world seeing me as a “goody two shoes.” Help me not fear that, but abide in Christ fully, in all circumstances, so that Christ may shine through me for the salvation of those who see me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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