Eternal Life; July 6, 2018


John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

This is pretty definitive! It is the absolute litmus test for eternal life, and there’s no getting around it. I am reminded of the fictional parable, written not so long ago, of the estate sale of an extremely wealthy man that was stipulated to start with a portrait of the man’s son. Only one person was interested and so was able to purchase it for very little money, at which point the auctioneer announced that the sale was over. To the abundant protests, he replied that the owner had stipulated that whoever got the son got it all. That is indeed how it is in God’s kingdom, except that we aren’t limited to one recipient, because God is infinite. However, as this verse states so clearly, with faith in Jesus we receive eternal life, which is in a way shorthand for “the whole ball of wax.” Without the Savior, we are under the wrath of God for our sins. Just yesterday I got a response to a birthday message I sent to a non-Christian friend, and he mentioned my “mythology” that he couldn’t accept. He is pathetic indeed, because he is rejecting the only source of eternal life with our Creator. (John 14:6) I am totally convinced of the truth of the Gospel, but even someone without my advantages should be able to figure out that even if I’m wrong, I’m not worse off than someone who doesn’t believe, and if I’m right, I’m infinitely better off than someone who doesn’t believe. I think it probably comes down to the devil’s lies about the “restrictions” involved in listening obediently to God (which is how the Japanese expresses it in this verse). People enjoy the sins of the flesh and the illusion that they are independent, not needing God. That is such a tragic delusion! That is why evangelism starts with getting people to admit, at least to themselves, that they need salvation, or else the cross means nothing to them. Until we understand that we deserve the cross but Jesus took it for us, we haven’t believed in Him as our Savior and Lord.

This is the story of my life. I have receive God’s incredible grace and mercy, but I feel like I’m butting my head against a wall trying to get other people to believe that they need it as well, and it’s just as available to them as to me. Since coming to Omura I have had several friends die without ever confessing Jesus as their Lord, and it breaks my heart. All I can do is keep speaking the truth in love, demonstrating Christ, as it were, through my life. I am painfully aware that I can’t save anyone by my personal powers of persuasion, but I can keep presenting God’s truth so that the Holy Spirit may work it into people’s hearts and minds to generate faith.

Father, thank You for those who have accepted Your offer of salvation. Thank You for the man who plans to be baptized before long. I pray that You would anoint him to be effecting in bringing his brother along with him. Strengthen his faith as he shares it with his brother, so that they may be disciples of Christ indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Children of Light; July 5, 2018


John 3:20 “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”

I was reading a couple of articles just yesterday about the active hatred of Christianity in some quarters in America today. That is hard for me to grasp as real, yet it is clearly evident. One of the leading candidates for the current Supreme Court vacancy was attacked most strongly last year, in confirmation hearings for one of the high courts, for her very evident Christian faith, even though in every other area she was abundantly qualified. The fact that she lived by her faith, rather than treating it as a social accessory, was seen by some as very dangerous. If she is the soon-to-be-announced nominee, the fireworks will certainly start all over again. Actually, the fireworks have already started at the idea that the nominee will likely be someone at least similar to her. The devil, and thus the world, doesn’t care if we claim to be Christians, but as soon as we start living as born-again children of God, we have moved into enemy territory. If we live in committed obedience to God, our values and decisions will be counter to those of the world, and those who are in rebellion against God are terrified of such people being in positions of authority. The point for genuine Christians is to live as children of light, regardless. (Ephesians 5:8) The devil, through the world and those who live by its standards, is going to do his utmost to extinguish, or at least conceal, the light that emanates from every genuine believer. Jesus said to stand firm against that pressure. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

I’ve not encountered very much active opposition, which makes me wonder sometimes how well I’m letting my light shine the way Jesus said. The sad irony is that I feel like I’ve encountered more opposition within the church than from people outside it. I am to remember that I am an active danger to the devil, and make his fears come true! I’ve got to remember that people aren’t my enemies, the devil is, and pray actively for those he has deceived. I am to bring the love and power and light of Christ to bear on every situation I encounter, personally or even at a distance, so that I may be an agent of God’s kingdom as His will is done in and through me for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the interview I saw with one man who had been firmly in the other camp until he chose to expose himself to people of faith, and discovered Your love. I pray that I would be an open channel of that love at all times, so that nothing may dim Your light shining through me, but rather many be drawn to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spirit vs. Flesh; July 4, 2018


John 3:5-6 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”

As familiar as this passage is, we have a lot of trouble accepting the truth of it. We want to get by as we are, relying on the flesh, and Jesus says very clearly that’s not going to cut it. Sadly, that’s true in many if not most churches. I’m reminded of what happened when a group of mainland Chinese pastors were able to tour the US a few years ago. (I really don’t know the details of how that was possible.) As they were getting ready to return to China, they were asked what their impression was of American churches. They answered, “We are amazed at how much can be done without the Holy Spirit.” With little or no government opposition, American churches tend to just go in their own strength, instead of acknowledging their total dependence on God. We use the term, born again, almost casually, but we seem to have little grasp of what it is to be born of the Spirit of God. I can’t help but wonder how many people really are saved, but pursuing that line of thinking sets me up as a judge in my own mind, and we have very clear instructions not to do that. (Matthew 7:1-2) Each of us needs to examine his own life to see whether he is genuinely waking with God, but if we have the humility to ask, He will show us and draw us to Himself.

As a pastor, this applies not only to me but to everyone in my flock. I can’t cause anyone to be born again, but I can be available to God for Him to use me in that process. You could call me a “spiritual midwife!” We have a man who has announced his intention to be baptized “this summer,” and it’s already July. I am not to hinder him, but I am to confirm his repentance and his faith as God enables me to do so. He wants to keep working on his brother, so they can be baptized together. That would be wonderful, but to this point that brother has run from commitment, recognizing his human inability to follow through. I need to speak the truth in love to them both, so that they may arise from the water in genuine new life. (Romans 6:3-4) Many things remind me of my dependence on God, and I should be grateful for each one, rather than trying to preserve any shred of human pride. Yesterday’s typhoon was a reminder of our impotence in the face of nature, yet we have the opportunity to depend on the God who created it all! I am not to be anxious about anything, but rejoice in God’s love and provision for me, for His glory.

Father, I do thank You for everything that is going on. Thank You that Cathy will be able to have cataract surgery this morning. I do pray for Your perfect will to be done in that. Thank You that the bridge to my glasses broke this morning, and that I have an older pair that enable me to function. Thank You that the computer crashed in the middle of these devotions, losing some of what I had written, and that You renewed what You had been speaking to me once the computer was running again. Thank You that I can indeed rejoice in Christ’s victory even in the middle of the troubles of this life, (John 16:33) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Plans; July 3, 2018


John 2:5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Mary is a good example to us in a number of ways, and here she gives some of the best advice ever: “do whatever Jesus says.” I don’t think she really knew what Jesus would do, but she trusted Him explicitly, even though she had given Him birth. Jesus’ directions in this case didn’t make any sense at first to those who followed them; it was only after they had obeyed that they reaped the benefit. That is very often true for us as well, and it’s really what faith is all about. There’s an old Southern Gospel song that says exactly this: We Will Understand It Better Bye and Bye. That moment of understanding may not come until we are free from these bodies, but the point is obedience. Often we can look back over our lives and understand some of what God was doing in various events, but sometimes it is a mystery even so. The reason for that is that there are so many factors and so many people involved. What God tells us to do may have much more to do with someone else than it does with us. God loves all His children, and we are to rejoice in that reality.

I had the incredible blessing of being raised by parents who believed this completely. If they had times of doubt, I wasn’t aware of it. When my father was in the hospital for the coronary bypass surgery from which he didn’t wake up, he wrote two letters to us his family, as an informal will. (He had a formal, legal will as well, but this was more personal.) One of those letters was on strictly practical matters, saying that cremation had its advantages, and that there was no cemetery where he would feel more at home (if he were feeling) [sic] than the one at Seinan Jo Gakuin in Kokura, just below the chapel where he and my mother were married. That was both helpful and very moving, but the other letter expressed his prayers for each of us. The thing that stands out in my memory (I don’t have the originals at hand) was his desire that each of us would know and do God’s will for us, which would “fit in perfectly with His will for everyone else.” My father was very aware of our interconnectedness, that none of us are in genuine isolation. What God tells me to do may ultimately be for the benefit of someone I will never meet this side of heaven. I think that will be one of the blessings of heaven; getting to discover all these connections and express gratitude to one another and praise to God for His perfect plan. For right now, I need to follow Mary’s advice: do whatever Jesus says.

Father, thank You that You indeed know everything and keep it all straight. I enjoy science fiction, but nothing can touch Your reality! Help me hear and obey You more and more accurately and faithfully in everything, so that Your plans, not just for me but for this world, may be fulfilled, just as You had Jesus teach us to pray. Thank You. Praise God!

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Evangelism; July 2, 2018


John 1:41-42 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

Many people have noticed that here we have the fundamentals of personal evangelism. That is, one person discovers Jesus the Son of God, and then they bring someone close to them to meet Him as well. I have seen various evangelism programs that used Andrew as part of their name. The fact that they were programs essentially removed them from this Biblical model right from the start! The missing element for most people is actually the most essential: being convinced that Jesus is the only Savior. Anyone who doesn’t have that conviction isn’t going to be very effective in leading anyone to commit themselves to Jesus, because they haven’t really done it themselves. Andrew and John the son of Zebedee (the author of this Gospel – John was a common name back then) were apparently the two disciples of John the Baptist mentioned from verse 35 on. John wasn’t going to brag on himself, but he noticed what Andrew did and what it caused, bringing in Peter, who became the effective “squad leader” of the disciples. The whole point is that Biblical evangelism isn’t a program, but rather just sharing what we have discovered. I’m reminded of the lepers in 2 Kings 7 who discovered the Aramaean camp had been abandoned. “Then they said to each other, ‘We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.’” (2 Kings 7:9) When they had discovered something so wonderful, they couldn’t wait to share the news. Often we fail to share the news of Jesus because we have forgotten how wonderful it is! Andrew hadn’t been to seminary or even taken an evangelism class, but he knew in his heart that he had met the Son of God, and he wanted his brother to meet Him too.

When I came to Omura in 1981 I told people, “I haven’t come to teach a religion, but to introduce the Lord Jesus.” (In Japanese there’s an “almost pun” between “religion” and “Lord.”) In the years since then I have sought to do exactly that, but with limited success (which is certainly par for the course in Japan). Japanese have very little concept of a Savior to begin with, and society is shame-based, rather than sin-based, so they don’t grasp why they would need a Savior. I spend most of my time plowing the field and trying to remove rocks and weeds, planting as I go and hoping for some sort of harvest. It is certainly discouraging at times, but the process is teaching me to take my eyes off of myself, because I’m a minor part in the process of salvation. As a pastor, I certainly desire that every member of this church be like Andrew, convinced in their own faith and eager to share the grace and love they have received. I can’t force that to happen, but I believe God is working on it, and I am to be faithful and expect great things of Him.

Father, thank You for the service yesterday, for Your guidance and anointing as I spoke and for how Your Word seemed to be received. I pray that we would indeed be transformed into the body that You desire, to do Your will effectively, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Love; July 1, 2018


John 1:16-17 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Talk about God’s provision! This is right in there with John 1:12 and 3:16. It’s no accident that all of these verses were penned by John, because his self-descriptive term was, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” (John 21:20) There are those today who say there was a sexual relationship there, but such an opinion comes from a complete misunderstanding of love, and is strongly influenced by the father of lies. (John 8:44) John wrote about love more than any other New Testament writer, and he is sometimes referred to as The Apostle of Love. It is said that in his old age he would seem to be asleep, but then would stir to say, “Children, love one another.” Given the content of his letters, that seems to be a very likely tradition. John had witnessed God’s love made visible first hand, and it shaped him forever. English translations generally say, “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ,” but the Japanese says, “were manifested.” In literal translation, that would come out as “actually appeared.” That is to say, those things might have been theoretical before, but now they really exist. This is why Jesus could say, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) John had heard Jesus say that, and I’m sure it was on his mind as he wrote this first chapter of his Gospel.

John is the New Testament character, other than Jesus Himself, that I most admire and would like to emulate. (There are some who say I have more in common with Paul, but that’s just a matter of opinion.) I was raised in a home that manifested genuine love more and better than many, and I realized early on that love is a decision at least as much as it is an emotion. I saw that my parents loved each other, and us children, even when their emotions were in turmoil. I entered marriage at 20 with the understanding that marriage was going to be the biggest job of my life, but it would carry the greatest rewards. In a very real sense I decided to love my wife, meeting her (as I remember, at any rate) in November, having our first date in February, getting engaged 11 days later, and getting married in May. That was 49 years ago! As romantic as that might sound, it doesn’t hold a candle to what John is talking about here. God’s love is so overwhelming, absolutely everything else pales in comparison. My task, and the task of every believer, is to welcome that love so as to be a conduit of it to those around me, so that they too may “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)

Father, words fail me to express my gratitude for Your love. Help me live it out, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Grace and Mercy; June 30, 2018


John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

This verse, along with John 3:16, describes God’s greatest provision, His greatest gift. With such an important truth, the language used to express it is very significant. In English it says, “the right to become children of God.” Rights are dormant until exercised. God doesn’t force anyone into His family, but He makes membership available to anyone who will choose to repent and believe. In Japanese there’s a slightly different slant: “the privilege to become children of God.” We have to believe in order to enter God’s family, but it isn’t something we earn. Paul was very clear on this point. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Even the faith for salvation is a gift! That said, the faith likewise must be received in humility and gratitude, and there are many who reject it. That is the great tragedy of the universe. When God did so much to make salvation available to mankind, it is incredible but heartbreakingly true that so many people reject it. I think that human free will must be one of the most valuable things in the universe, because if we didn’t have free will we wouldn’t bear responsibility for our sins, and Jesus wouldn’t have had to die to take the penalty for them. However, God wanted children, not robots, and so He gave us free will, knowing even as He did it that so many would misuse it. God’s thoughts are indeed higher than ours, and His ways than our ways! (Isaiah 55:8-9)

This is just as true for me as it is for anyone else. Raised in a home that was steeped in faith, prayer, and the Bible, I learned to love Jesus at a very young age, but that didn’t keep me from veering off into extreme, egotistical pride. You could say I didn’t understand that being a child of God is a privilege; I thought I had it in my pocket. God in His mercy and grace brought me to my senses when I was already the married father of one, at the ripe old age of 24. Every aspect of my life, before and after, has been a demonstration of God’s grace and mercy. I feel incredibly blessed in more ways that I could count, but at the same time I still grumble at various things that don’t fit what I would like. I demonstrate my foolishness all the time! I have the privilege of sharing the good news of God’s family, His kingdom, with others, and I’ve got to keep that in focus as my first priority. I am to enjoy His many blessings with gratitude, but not allow those blessings to distract me from the work He has for me to do.

Father, the more I think about Your grace and mercy the more overwhelming it is. Help me respond in gratitude and obedience at all times, not taking any of it lightly, much less for granted. May I be more and more effective in sharing Your Gospel with others, so that Your house may be full as You desire, (Luke 14:23) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Rules of the Kingdom; June 29, 2018


Luke 19:26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.”

This parable has the same point as the much more famous one of the talents. (Matthew 25:14-30) However, the content of this verse is repeated even more than that, along with “The first shall be last, and the last first.” (Matthew 19:30, 20:16, etc.) The whole point is that God’s kingdom doesn’t run the way human organizations do. We have greatly clouded that fact by making churches and denominations on human lines, instead of really seeking God and listening to Him. We tend to think, “What do we have and what can we do with it,” when God says, “What is the need and how shall I meet it.” Those philosophies are as different as first and last. We forget that God is never at a loss for supplies. After all, He created the universe just by speaking it into being! He is Spirit, and we are spirits inhabiting very material bodies. How we relate to the material is very important, because it demonstrates and influences our spiritual attitudes, but the material is temporal and thus temporary, whereas we were created to be eternal. When we really get it through our heads that eternal life in Christ is exactly that, eternal, it changes our attitude and response toward everything else. Irritations become no big deal, but fellowship with our Lord and leading others to Him become everything. We are imperfect, and won’t experience perfection until we are before God’s throne, but our time in these bodies we inhabit should draw us in that direction. That’s why Jesus told us so clearly to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all our physical needs would be met. (Matthew 6:33)

I’m as much a physical human being as anyone else, but by God’s grace I am aware of His kingdom. However, I must not deceive myself into thinking that awareness equals arrival! I think that’s why Jesus said to “seek first.” I’m not to lose hope when I or anyone else stumbles, but rather keep pressing in for more of Jesus. I’ve been in this body almost 70 years, but that’s hardly a flash in the pan on the scale of eternity. I am to rejoice in what God has done and is doing in and through me, knowing that He will keep it up until He brings me before His throne. (Colossians 1:28, Philippians 1:6) He has told me to rest, relax, and rejoice. I’m still learning to do that! Anxiety comes all too naturally, when I see the attacks of the devil and the weakness in myself and others. I’ve got to remember that God knows it all ahead of time, and He is both totally powerful and totally good. That is what faith is all about and He makes that faith available to all who will receive it in humility. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s very timely, when Cathy is experiencing attacks to her health when she is scheduled for cataract surgery in just a few days, and any infection would delay that. I do ask for freedom from infection for her, and peace for her in the process. May we walk in full submission to You, firmly resisting the devil, so that he may flee and Your purposes be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. (James 4:7) Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Word of Knowledge; June 28, 2018


Luke 19:5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”

We have no record whatsoever of any previous interaction between Jesus and Zacchaeus, but Luke records that He called him by name on sight. This brings to mind Jesus calling Nathanael as His disciple. (John 1:44-51) I don’t think Jesus operated in omniscience, knowing absolutely everything. I think that would have totally overloaded His genuinely human brain. However, He operated freely in what Paul called the Word of Knowledge, as a gift of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:8) I’ve experienced that occasionally, and my wife rather more often, to the great consternation of people to whom we have ministered! To use a modern analogy, it was like the Holy Spirit acted as Google Glasses for Jesus, filling Him in on whatever He needed to know. In any case, Jesus always used the information He was given for good. The NIV says He told Zacchaeus, “I must stay at your house today.” The Japanese doesn’t have quite that emphasis, but renders it as, “It is settled that I will stay at your house today.” In either case, Jesus wasn’t giving Zacchaeus any options! In hospitals today, patients are involved in the decision process as to their treatment, for a number of reasons. However, the Great Physician doesn’t always operate that way! He knew it would take shock treatment to break through the shell Zacchaeus had built up so he could continue his lifestyle of becoming rich by selling out his countrymen to the Romans. I think that once the shock wore off, Zacchaeus’ major emotion was relief. What happened after this is a familiar story, and a powerful example of redemption. Much has been made about Jesus’ statement that “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25) However, Zacchaeus is proof that, as Jesus said right after that, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27) Zacchaeus is a demonstration that repentance and faith for salvation are possible for anyone, if they will accept it as a gift from God.

I learned this story, and the song that goes with it, as a young child. I think the reason it’s taught to little children is the fact that Zacchaeus was short, too short to see over the crowd. Children can certainly identify with that! However, children haven’t had time to build up the sort of shell that Zacchaeus doubtless had. This really is a story of the fact that no one is beyond redemption, and that is an adult truth indeed. I recall one time when I was given a word of knowledge as I was counseling someone over the telephone. I didn’t state it directly, but what I said made it clear I knew what the person had been up to, and it was sufficient to shock them to repentance. Conversely, there have been people who have been so afraid of what God would tell Cathy about them that they have completely distanced themselves from us. It all comes down to a willingness to repent. I can’t generate that in anyone, but I can pray for it, and continue to speak the truth in love, whether it is a Biblical truth or something God reveals to me about that person. We are all dependent on the grace and mercy of God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It brought back a lot of memories, as well as bringing to mind current situations. I ask for Your wisdom and guidance as to what to say to whom, when, so that Your Word to them may have the result for which You send it, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Prayer, Pride, and Humility; June 27, 2018


Luke 18:1, 14 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

These are two very famous teachings of Jesus, but I don’t think we connect them very often, even though they come together in Luke’s account. However, just now the Lord showed me they are completely interconnected. When we read about the persistent widow, there is the danger of thinking we are supposed to demand things of God, so the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector is a direct counter to that. We aren’t to pray with boldness and persistence because we are so wonderful, or even that our cause is so exceptional, but rather out of a humble awareness of the character of God. He answers prayer because that’s who He is, not because we deserve it. Some people fail to pray because they think God would never listen to them. Whereas it’s true they don’t deserve to be listened to, God loves them in spite of that, and desires the very best for them. Conversely, some people go through all sorts of religious motions, including prayer, making no real connection to God at all, because they do all of that in pride. God wants an intimate relationship with each of us, but we will be able to enter into that only in humility and gratitude for His grace.

In the past I have certainly fit into the second of the two categories I’ve just mentioned. I was ignoring God in my daily life, yet I thought I was the finest Christian ever to walk into a church. My conceit was so complete that it was absolutely devastating when God tapped me on the shoulder and, when I turned, showed me a mirror to see the state of my own soul. Humility came much easier after that! As a pastor, I desire that every believer in this church have an intimate relationship with their Savior, and indeed, I’m going to be preaching on Relationships this coming Sunday. I need to help them distinguish between pride and assurance, between self-hatred and humility. Japanese society tends to slap down pride to the point of fostering self-hatred, which is one reason for the high suicide rate. I need to help them understand they are indeed “precious and honored,” (Isaiah 43:5) but that is because of God’s creation and His grace, and not because they have earned it.

Father, thank You for this confirmation of Sunday’s message! There are so many Scriptures that speak to this theme. Show me which to use and give me peace about which not to use, so that people won’t be overwhelmed. I pray that Your Word would flow through me clearly and unhindered, so that each hearer may be delivered from the lying traps of the enemy to walk in all that You intend for them, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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