Influence; August 20, 2018

Posted on August 23, 2018 by jgarrott

Acts 9:18-19 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

It fascinated me years ago when I realized that the expression, “scales fell from [my] eyes” is perhaps even more common in Japan than it is in the US. At first I thought there must be some other source for it in Japan, but no, it comes from this story. It occurs to me that we understand “influence” very little. We understand very little of how we are influenced by various things, and we understand even less how we influence others. Japan is a manifestly non-Christian nation, but it has been influenced greatly by Christianity. Even the Shinto wedding ceremony, now being largely supplanted by “chapel weddings,” was a deliberate creation taking elements from Catholic weddings, at a time when common people didn’t have wedding ceremonies at all, but just a wedding feast. The Shinto priests realized that a wedding ceremony was a very attractive element of this “foreign” religion, so they adopted it. Christians are also behind the entire social welfare system in Japan. Fudeko Ishii from right here in Omura, and the more famous Toyohiko Kagawa from Kobe, created a social welfare system practically from scratch that was codified into law well before WWII. Both endured much criticism for their faith, even from people who supported what they were doing. Such critics didn’t understand that they wouldn’t, couldn’t, have done what they did apart from their faith, and the love of God operating through them. They were trying to influence, and the Shinto priests were seeking influence, but most of the time it is far less conscious. Paul speaks of such influence as an aroma. (2 Corinthians 2:15-16) We are drawn to things that smell good to us, and repulsed by things that smell bad, but we often don’t know how we smell to others! Much is made these days of the influence smells have on us emotionally, with “aroma therapy” being quite a business. The point for Christians is to stay spiritually clean so that nothing will mask the aroma of Christ in us, because He will draw people to Himself. Just as Paul said, some people will be repulsed by the aroma of Christ, but we are to pray mercy and repentance for them. At the same time, we need to choose our influences carefully, surrounding ourselves with what will help and not hinder our walk with the Lord. (Philippians 4:8-9)

Living and ministering in Japan as I do, I really wonder how I am influencing others. I see my wife influencing others greatly, in very good ways. She has almost singlehandedly made hugging acceptable among a fairly wide circle of friends and acquaintances! Some of her lady friends seem very hungry for her hugs. I have sought to influence my school students, both through praying for them at the beginning of each class and through what I say and do both in the classroom and out of it. The effect of that influence is something I won’t know until heaven, if then, but I do need to be careful that I don’t distort it in any way. I may not coin a phrase that will become part of the national vocabulary or foster a government ministry, but if I draw people to seek Christ, that is enough.

Father, I do pray that the aroma of Christ in me would draw many to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Persecution; August 19, 2018

Posted on August 23, 2018 by jgarrott

Acts 8:4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

This one sentence exposes why persecution has historically served to grow the Church. This proves that it wasn’t just the apostles who felt that “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20) They were being persecuted for proclaiming Jesus, but they couldn’t stop proclaiming Jesus! This is a sad contrast to the majority of Christians today. I don’t remember the numbers, but studies have been done that show a remarkably small percentage of American Christians have ever talked to anyone about faith in Christ. These days it’s not politically correct even to imply that anyone needs salvation, much less that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. We use the phrase, “the courage of your convictions,” but too many people seem to lack convictions, never mind the courage. That is a sad state of affairs indeed! We are so afraid of what people will think or say that we’re willing for them to rot in hell rather than risk our own embarrassment. It’s no wonder we don’t see the results that the 1st Century believers did! Fortunately, attacks on faith and people of faith have become blatant enough in recent years that people are starting to wake up. It’s interesting that the issue at hand seems to focus on sexuality and marriage. The Roman Empire was so corrupt that one of the emperors actually married his horse! When there are parallels like that, we need to take hope and start acting like 1st Century Christians.

It has long bothered me that the Tokugawa persecution in Japan was the only “successful” persecution in the history of the Church. I still puzzle over why, but when Christianity was proscribed, Christians were effectively eliminated from the land. The movie, Silence, made from the book of the same title by Shusaku Endo, shows us one potential answer. It’s possible the people, missionaries included, were more focused on temporal “salvation” than they were on eternal salvation. Those who had that right were martyred with joy, but far too many discarded their faith to avoid suffering. The other side of that is that the Japanese are a very obedient people. It is amazing to people of other nations that Japanese will for the most part wait patiently in line for almost anything, and even jaywalking is rare. Those might be good things, but when people discard their faith simply because the “authorities” say to do so, that’s a major problem. This is a theoretical issue to many, but I am called to minister in Japan, so I deal with it constantly. I find it rare, and refreshing, to encounter those for whom faith is their life. David proclaimed that “Your love is better than life.” (Psalm 63:3) We sing the chorus based on that verse, both in the US and in Japan, but how many of us live that way? I need to live with right priorities myself before I can hope to lead others into those priorities.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the brother who is to be baptized today. I pray that he, and all of us in this church, would indeed value our relationship with You above everything else and be ceaseless in sharing Christ with all who will hear, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Church Government; August 18, 2018

Posted on August 20, 2018 by jgarrott

Acts 6:2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.”

The whole matter of equality, democracy if you will, is a strange one in the Church. Everyone is of equal value before God, or so we insist, but there are manifestly different functions and positions within the Body of Christ. It is vital to remember Paul’s exposition of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, where he points out that functions are certainly different, but they are mutually interdependent. Before 1776, the idea of representative democracy was rare if not unheard of almost universally across the globe. The United States made a go of it, and since then most nations have adopted at least some form of it, with widely varying degrees of success. In many ways Martin Luther laid the foundation for that, emphasizing the Priesthood of the Believer, from 1 Peter 2:9 and elsewhere. Differing Protestant groups adopted that to varying degrees, and again with varying success. My Systematic Theology professor in seminary said that in a class on Church Government under Emil Brunner they discussed the problems with the different systems. At that point my professor said, “Then the Congregational system of church government is clearly best.” Dr. Brunner replied, “The problem with democratic church government is the Holy Spirit only gets one vote.” Of course, multiple people in the church should have spiritual maturity and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, but they are seldom in the majority. Of course, autocratic church government is certainly undesirable, and the list of church leaders who have been undone by a lack of accountability continues to grow. We are back to our total dependence on God for wisdom and everything else. We’ve got to remember that it’s His Church, and seek Him for how it is to operate.

It’s been many years now since I realized I couldn’t find American style democracy in the Bible. It may well have been before I studied Systematic Theology, as I mentioned. However, a form of elitism has been a real problem in my thinking, and I’ve never been very good at delegation. It is certainly hubris to think one person can do it all, but I have tried, and it hasn’t been good. Even when I have been hearing God accurately as to the direction of the church, I have failed to bring people along with me so that they owned that direction for themselves. I earnestly desire spiritual growth and maturity in all of those under my care, but just as I teach about parenting, I’ve got to trust them and the Holy Spirit and not micromanage. In this area as in so many others, I’ve got to pay attention to the truth God speaks through me!

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s very timely, as I’ll be baptizing someone tomorrow who has little grounding in the Bible but has 65 years of life experience. Help me not presume, either positively or negatively. May I be a mentor to him to equip him and set him free to be and do all that You intend, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Focus; August 17, 2018

Posted on August 20, 2018 by jgarrott

Acts 5:42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.[

In Acts 2:42-47 we have a description of what the believers did, but here we have a succinct description of what the leadership did. They had incurred the wrath of the political/religious leaders by insisting they were less important than God. (verse 29, 33) However, their purpose wasn’t to make political waves, but to obey God, and this is what God wanted them to do. There are all sorts of things Church leadership can be involved in, some of them very legitimate and some not so much, but this should be the core. Whether in public or in private (temple courts and house to house) their activities need to be consistent in pointing people to Jesus as Lord and Savior. Too often they seem to be aimed at boosting the church as an institution or boosting the leader personally. Leaders should be working for the good of their local congregation, but that isn’t the ultimate motive or even the ultimate goal. We need to remember that the kingdom of God is far bigger than any local congregation, and stay centered on Who it’s all about. More personally, when a pastor or other church leader starts focusing on what is good for them personally (as they see it) it lays them wide open to temptations for greed, lust, and the like. Sometime, opposition or even persecution is a blessing from God to keep us focused on what is really important.

I had a period of several years when my focus was very diffuse, to the point that the church felt more like a hobby than why I was in Omura. It was a period when we lost our prayer covering, as the church that had been praying for us dissolved over the pastor’s sins, but the effects came in gradually and I didn’t recognize them. When the Lord brought me back to my senses, things came into much sharper focus. Right now, I am at an age when many people are wondering when I will retire. I do need to shift responsibilities to others organizationally, but for me personally, I pray that this verse expresses the rest of my life. I hope to never stop teaching and proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ, in public settings and private, to make as many disciples for Him as He desired, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for yesterday and all it held. Thank You for the blessed interaction with former members of the church who came to the show. Thank you that I could call one man to repentance, and that he was honest enough to say that he wasn’t living as a Christian. I ask Your convicting mercy for him. I pray that our every interaction throughout the rest of the show would indeed draw people to Jesus as Lord, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Evangelism; August 16, 2018

Posted on August 19, 2018 by jgarrott

Acts 5:13-14 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.

This passage first jumped out at me many years ago. We tend to think of evangelism in terms of “evangelistic meetings,” and of personal evangelism as inviting someone to church, but that wasn’t the Biblical pattern at all. It says here that people were afraid to join their meetings, but in the very next sentence it says the number of believers continued to grow steadily. In other words, people got saved before they ever “went to church.” I have seen statistical studies done of “stadium evangelism,” Billy Graham and others, and they all said that the probability of a personal commitment from an attendee was much higher if they were invited by a personal friend. In other words, genuine personal evangelism had already taken place, even if the meeting was the venue for commitment. The average church member, in Japan or probably anywhere, acts as though “it’s the pastor’s job” to evangelize. That’s a terrible deception of the devil. Whereas there are those with a special gift and calling as evangelists, (Ephesians 4:11) even they are listed with those whose job is to “prepare God’s people for works of service.” (Ephesians 4:12) In other words, every believer is called as a witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8) How we witness is going to be different for each person, depending on gifts and personalities, but absolutely no believers are excluded from that. That makes a lot of people uncomfortable, because they have a strictly verbal image of evangelism. However, it’s actually as Francis of Assisi said: “Preach constantly. When necessary, use words.” Our lives are to be clear declarations of Christ. However, we do need to be able to put words to it from time to time. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15) The pastor’s job isn’t to do the evangelism to the exclusion of others, but rather to prepare all the believers to share Christ within their own sphere of influence.

This is very evident in the brother who is to be baptized on the 19th. I had very little to do with his commitment. It was seeing Christ in his sister-in-law that convinced him Jesus was real, and he needed to follow Him as Lord. My problem in doing that sort of evangelism myself is that Japanese look at me and chalk up the differences between my life and theirs to the fact that I’m not Japanese. That can be very frustrating, even painful at times because it feels like rejection. That’s why I need to focus on training and equipping the people, as Paul said in Ephesians. Japanese tend to be very private people, not sharing what is really going on inside them, so there are real cultural challenges, but as our Verse for the Year says, nothing is too hard for God. (Jeremiah 32:27) I’ve got to be faithful, trusting God to use even me to build up the Body of Christ.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You indeed for the baptism coming up Sunday. May it be a powerful witness to the other members of that family, both those who will attend and those who won’t, and may all of the believers be encouraged to trust You for the salvation of those in their own families and friends, for a growing harvest for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Filled with the Spirit; August 15, 2018

Posted on August 19, 2018 by jgarrott

Acts 4:31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Here we have another fulfillment of Acts 1:8. It was also a direct answer to the believers’ prayer in verse 29. The point is, the Holy Spirit isn’t given to us just to make us feel good (even though it can feel very good indeed) but rather to empower us to be Christ’s witnesses. Much of what we see on the Pentecostal/Charismatic scene is inward-focused: “Come to this conference and be blessed.” We have far too many “Charismatic junkies,” eager for the next conference so they can get their fix, instead of proclaiming Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. That naturally turns some other sincere Christians off, causing them to write off the whole business. Both sides of that are tragic! Paul addressed this issue at some length in 1 Corinthians 14. “Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.” (1 Corinthians 14:12) “Charismania” was a problem even in the 1st Century! Every believer should indeed desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit as much as possible, but we must remember that God has His purposes for every gift, and so seek the Giver rather than the gift itself, so that we may be useful to Him.

I’ve certainly experienced this in my own life. As I shared again in the message this past Sunday, my baptism in the Holy Spirit was delayed because I was seeking the gift of tongues more than I was seeking the Holy Spirit. It was only after I separated those two in my understanding and simply asked to be filled that God acted. At the time, I felt nothing, which was a good lesson in not pursuing feelings, but two days later I abruptly realized I was sharing Christ with a total stranger for the first time in my life, and with that realization I remembered Acts 1:8, and knew that God had been true to His Word. A couple of months later God did give me the gift of tongues, and in the years since then I have experienced all of the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, and others, but I have had to remember that every instance of every gift is to build up the Body of Christ in some way, giving God alone glory. I haven’t been faced with the threat of imprisonment for my faith, much less martyrdom, but many across the world today encounter such risks daily. I am to pray for them earnestly, and seek to be available to God for however He wants to work through me where I am, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for what You are doing in this church. I pray that everyone in this church would indeed be empowered by Your Spirit as Christ’s witnesses, both in word and in action, so that many may be liberated from the traps of the enemy, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Obeying God; August 14, 2018

Posted on August 17, 2018 by jgarrott

Acts 4:19-20 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

If this had been a strictly secular governmental body, this argument would have had little weight. However, this was the Jewish Sanhedrin, made up of supposedly highly religious people, so there was no more potent defense that they could possibly have made. We need to remember it well ourselves, because we are constantly being “tried” in the “court of public opinion.” The difficulty for many people is that their faith is theoretical rather than experiential. They know the right words to say, but they have never encountered Jesus personally in their hearts. That is perhaps the major reason God allows all sorts of trials into our lives. We don’t really know God until we have been faced with our own inadequacy and have turned to Him in faith. The apostles had the advantage of seeing and talking with Jesus after His resurrection, but we can encounter Him just as certainly if our hearts are open to Him. When they eyes of our hearts have been opened, we can see Jesus in others, just as Paul told the believers in Corinth. (1 Corinthians 11:1) The brother who is to be baptized next Sunday is convinced of Christ because of seeing Him in his sister-in-law. As has been said, the person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with a theory.

I have experienced God more times than I could possibly count, particularly since He responds to me each morning as I spend time with Him in His Word. Sadly, many people I deal with take that as me being some sort of “holy man,” a shaman if you will. That’s why I seek to be as down-to-earth as possible. I don’t need to be crude, but I do need to be real. I am not to offend needlessly, but like Peter and John, I’ve got to care far more what God thinks of me than what people think of me. From today I have a week of being “on display” at the City Gallery, with my photographs and Cathy’s crafts. I will interact with many people I don’t encounter on a daily basis. I’ve got to have my heart tuned to God so that I will hear Him and thus say and do what He desires, thus demonstrating Christ to those around me and drawing them to Him.

Father, thank You for all the opportunities You give me to represent Christ. May I not depend on my own wisdom and charm (HAH!) but listen obediently to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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In Christ Alone; August 13, 2018

Posted on August 15, 2018 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.”

I didn’t want to stop reading after this verse, even though the next part is on the list for tomorrow. This was an exciting time for the early believers, and I get excited just reading it! They were getting a massive taste of what it is to be filled with God’s Spirit as His instrument. I think they were starting to understand Jesus during His earthly ministry far better than they did at the time, because now they were experiencing what He had. Peter was an ignorant Galilean fisherman, but here he is standing in front of the Sanhedrin – equivalent to congress today – and proclaiming Christ in remarkably crisp, elegant oratory. No wonder those present were astonished! (verse 13) This particular verse is the theme Scripture of the All Japan Revival Mission, founded by Akira Takimoto and currently carried on by his sons. It is an absolute refutation of any sort of universalism, such as that taught by the Unitarians. As such it is something of a stumbling block for Japanese. Most of them practice, at different points in their life or even their day, elements of both Shinto and Buddhism, and see no conflict even though they are widely different religions. That’s why many of them would like to “add Jesus to their god shelf,” and can’t understand why it doesn’t work that way. Peter is really echoing Jesus here, which should be no surprise since they were both speaking by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Peter had heard Him say it, and he was convinced it was true. Sadly, even many Christians aren’t so convinced. Recent surveys in the US indicate that even a majority of people think that “All religions teach a way of salvation.” Libertarians believe strongly in “live and let live,” but when it comes to eternal life, the Bible gives no option besides faith in Jesus Christ. If you don’t want someone to go to hell, you’re going to tell them about Jesus!

Some of the strongest verbal attacks I have encountered have been from Americans incensed at my “cultural imperialism” at being a Christian missionary in Japan. I think probably many of those people had left the US to get away from all the churches! Today we are seeing what a “post-Christian” US looks like, because the nation is dangerously close to the tipping point. Thankfully, many people seem to be waking up, but the battle, and the contrast, is severe. It is easy for me to see from my vantage point in Japan, , but all I can do is sign online petitions, vote absentee, and pray. That last is certainly the most important! And all of that is of course in the middle of ministering in a nation that has never pretended to be Christian, and holds the unenviable record for the lowest rate of return on effort in evangelism. I’ve got to believe and proclaim Peter’s declaration myself, not backing down any more than he did. If I will do that, I will see the kind of victories he did – as well as the opposition he did – and my Lord will be pleased.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for the joy it is stirring in my heart. Thank You for yesterday and all it held, seeing spiritual growth in others and in myself. Thank You especially for the brother who is to be baptized on the 19th, and for the joy and anticipation I see in him. May he be fully effective in drawing more into Your family as well, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Miracles and Persecution; August 12, 2018

Posted on August 15, 2018 by jgarrott

Acts 3:6-8 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

There are many reasons for this miracle to have been recorded. In the first place, it was a notable, public miracle that got the apostles into trouble with the Jewish authorities, triggering persecution. I am reminded of what is called the Kohri Incident in Omura history. About a hundred years after Christianity was proscribed in Japan, a young man in a small Christian village upstream of the Kohri River started operating in the gift of healing, and word quickly got out, much as it did here. As a result, over 200 people were martyred – the vast majority of the small village – leaving behind some notable testimonies to their faith. In places where persecution isn’t a factor, it is important to notice precisely what Peter said and did. Having seen and talked with the risen Jesus, he had absolute assurance of the power of God, and that God could and would use him. He not only spoke boldly, he backed that up with action that would have proved embarrassing if God had not acted. God indeed acted, and the result drew many people to saving faith. (Acts 4:4) It is worth noting, here and throughout Acts, that this is the same Peter who denied three times that he even knew Jesus. Genuine faith is certainly transformative!

Many years ago I learned a catchy little song that is essentially these three verses set to music. It’s a good reminder of what God can and will do, if I will trust Him fully. The closest I’ve come to persecution was when the Baptists refused to appoint me as a missionary because I spoke in tongues, but they weren’t up front about it, and I spent years seeking to meet the false “qualifications” they were insisting on. God used all of that for good in various ways, particularly in terms of my faith, and the fact that since arriving in Omura I haven’t had to deal with their denominational bureaucracy, but there have been some downsides, at least as I have perceived them. At any rate, I haven’t had the level of faith, or results, that Peter demonstrated here. I have said that when Japanese believers realize who they are in Christ, they will transform the world, but the question remains of whether I genuinely realize who I am in Christ. I certainly need to be more like Peter, not bound by my past mistakes but looking fully to Jesus, and knowing that in Him I can do anything He asks of me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I pray for renewed boldness, that I may not draw back for any reason but do and say exactly as You direct, so that Your will may be done fully, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Church Growth; August 11, 2018

Posted on August 12, 2018 by jgarrott

Acts 2:41-42 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Many English Bibles include a heading between verses 41 and 42. Often such headings are helpful, particularly when you’re trying to find a particular passage, but here I think it distracts from a very important point. 3,000 people were baptized, but they immediately entered into training in what it is to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. We are all too prone to “dip ’em and drop ’em,” when that can do major damage to them even on the eternal scale. Many churches require baptismal preparation classes, but then require very little after baptism. I find that to be the reverse of the Biblical pattern! The 3,000 people baptized here did know the circumstances of Jesus’ crucifixion, as well as being believers in the Old Testament, but the Philippian jailer and his household had no such background. (Acts 16) There it simply says that “He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.” (Acts 16:30-33) That would have been no more than a couple of hours of instruction at the most. What happened there was the same thing that happened in Jerusalem after Pentecost: new believers were plugged into the fellowship, and learned both by hearing and by example. In America, “rugged individuality” is seen as something of an ideal, but the Bible knows very little of that. Often we have to go against the flow of society as a whole because it’s so polluted, as it is today, but solitary believers are very much against the Biblical pattern. James cautioned that not many should be teachers, (James 3:1) but Paul, the greatest teacher after Jesus recorded in the Bible, said, “When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.” (1 Corinthians 14:26) As a general pattern, he told believers to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16) In other words, everyone taught everyone else. That brings us back to the Day of Pentecost. The 120 believers who had experienced the tongues of fire would have been hard put to baptize 3000 people, and it would have been out of the question for the 11 apostles. What comes across to me is that as someone was baptized, they then turned around and baptized the next person. There was no clergy/laity divide at all. That divide, loosened by Martin Luther but still all too present, has been a horrible drag on the Church down through the centuries since Constantine.

Since I am counted as “clergy” by the world at large, this is quite an issue for me. I have sought to avoid formal titles in this church, but I’ve slipped up in some more important areas. I’m not good at delegation, and all too often I take the easy way out (in the short term) of doing the work myself. That isn’t the Biblical pattern! Thankfully, Cathy and I will be gone for a weekend next month, and then for at least two weekends in March, so the church will have some good practicum in Biblical Christianity. I do need to prepare them for it, but then, that’s my job. (Ephesians 4:12) With a new, adult believer, I have an excellent opportunity to correct some of the things I’ve done wrong over the years. I must be both humble and diligent, but God is more than able to bring success.

Father, thank You for laying things out so clearly. Help me follow through! I ask for wisdom and anointing at every step, and faith to leave things in Your hands, so that Your plans and not mine may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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