Unquestioning Obedience; March 8, 2018

Posted on March 10, 2018 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 37:3-4 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!'”

There are several things about this vision the Lord gave Ezekiel that are very important. In the first place, this wasn’t something Ezekiel sought out for himself; he didn’t have an agenda. That helped him answer the Lord’s question very wisely: “You alone know.” We would be very prone to answer, “No way!” The second thing that strikes me is that God told Ezekiel to do something that seemed totally useless: speak to dry bones. Once again, we would be prone to turn away and refuse to do what seemed useless, but verses 7 and 10 say that Ezekiel did as the Lord told him. There too, Ezekiel was wise. If the Lord says do it, we had better do it, however ridiculous it might seem to our natural mind. This story is well known today, and the song made from it is used in a variety of situations, many of them humorous, so we know that everything didn’t happen at once, but had to go through stages. The Pentecostal/Charismatic movement has rightly picked up on the fact that this “vast army” was useless until it was filled with breath. Both Hebrew and Greek use the same words for “breath” and “spirit,” so the logical inference here is that God’s people are no better than dead without God’s Spirit in them. Many churches today pay lip service to that truth but then turn around and try to do things in their own strength. That’s about as effective as an army of dead bodies! We have to be clear both that God can do anything at all, and that we can do nothing without Him. (John 15:5)

I will confess that sometimes it feels like I’m preaching to dry bones! However, as this story makes very clear, that’s no reason to quit. Whether I see the fruit or not, I am called to faithfulness. My parents before me served in this land, seeing fruit but not as they desired to see it. I am not to insist on my own timetable over God’s, but rather keep listening to Him and doing as He says. That includes being willing to change both what I do and how I do it. After all, how I’ve done it to this point hasn’t exactly taken the nation by storm! I have just entered into a coaching arrangement with a younger missionary from Hong Kong. It’s not that he knows more about Japan than I do, but rather that he may be objective enough to see areas in which I am self-defeating. Frankness isn’t a Japanese strong point! I desire to hear the Lord more clearly and obey Him more accurately, and I commit myself to whatever that means.

Father, thank You for all that You are doing. Thank You for the coaching seminar I was able to attend this week. Help me be totally open to whatever You want to do in and through me, whatever changes that may involve. I see movement in so many areas right now that it’s hard to keep it all straight. Keep me from trying to be in control, but rather help me hear You, yield to You, and obey You fully, whatever my natural mind is saying, so that Your purposes may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Responding to Circumstances; March 7, 2018

Posted on March 10, 2018 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 36:32 “I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, O house of Israel!”

God often had His prophets say things more than once, Just as Jesus also repeated the same teachings in different situations. The promise of a new heart and spirit in verses 26-27 is nearly identical, though not quite, to what the Lord said in 11:19-20, which I preached on this past Sunday. Something God stressed several times through Ezekiel, and through several other prophets as well, is expressed in this verse. That is, God’s blessings on His people aren’t because they are so deserving of those blessings, but because blessing is in keeping with His character, and He wants everyone to know that. I well remember Chris Christopherson’s song from over 40 years ago: Why Me, Lord? In it he expresses his amazement that God has been so good to him in spite of himself. That’s an excellent attitude to have! We tend to feel entitled to constant blessings, when actually the reverse would be more accurate, just as this verse says. When we think we deserve good stuff we fail to be grateful for it when we get it, and resentful when we don’t. That’s poisonous to our souls. Not all the bad stuff that comes our way is because of our own actions; we live in a fallen world, after all. However, plenty of it is, and we need to be open to the Holy Spirit at all times for Him to convict us of the sins we commit so that we may repent.

This certainly applies to me. I am incredibly blessed, and I can take credit for none of it. I enjoy generational blessings from multiple ancestors who were committed to God. I am to be grateful, but I didn’t choose my ancestors! God has also blessed me in various ways simply to prove to those around me that He can, so that they too may repent and believe. I haven’t had “easy street,” but then John 16:33 has long been something of a mantra for me: “In this world you will have trouble. But rejoice, for I have overcome the world.” I see so many people who are so focused on what they see as their “unfair” trials and tribulations that they can’t recognize and enjoy the many blessings God also gives them. They can’t seem to believe God isn’t picking on them! One of the blessings of my life is that I’m married to a woman who isn’t like that at all. She has a list of physical problems, starting with Parkinson’s Disease, that is daunting indeed, but she doesn’t let all of that get her down, or even slow her down very much. This morning she got up to intense pain in her hip, but rather than have a pity party, she got into the shower to let the hot water loosen things up enough for her to go to her regular rehab session later this morning. The staff and other patients at her rehab have said repeatedly, “Your God is strong!” That is reward enough for her to put up with a great deal, and if one of those people is born again, it will have all been more than worth it. She is an inspiration to me, and to many.

Father, thank You indeed for Your overflowing blessings. Help me not only give You thanks and praise for it all, but also help others recognize Your grace to them, so that they may escape the lying traps of the enemy to walk in all that You have done for them in Christ, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Land; March 6, 2018

Posted on March 9, 2018 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 36:11 “I will increase the number of men and animals upon you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

This passage reads a little strangely to most people, because God is speaking not to people but to the land itself. We don’t usually do that! However, Isaiah speaks of the land rejoicing and trees “clapping their hands,” (Isaiah 55:12) so this isn’t too strange. Paul speaks of “all creation groaning,” (Romans 8:22) so this sort of anthropomorphizing is found throughout the Bible. I don’t think the Bible is claiming that everything is sentient, but rather that everything is God’s creation and therefore part of and subject to His plans. That should make us careful in our stewardship, but not to the point of placing ecology (however we define it) above people, as some seem to do. Even Jesus was clear that people are worth far more than animals, for example. (Matthew 10:31) However, needlessly or thoughtlessly being destructive of anything is reprehensible before God.

This particular verse clicks for me because we minister in Omura, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. Lord Sumitada Omura was the first Christian daimyo (feudal lord) in the country, back in the 16th Century, and he was the one who gave the port of Nagasaki to the Jesuits to benefit their efforts to spread the Gospel. In his day, Omura flourished to the point of provoking the jealousy of the government in Edo (now Tokyo) and contributed to the crackdown against Christians that came right after Sumitada died. Omura was a Christian center, not just for the nation but for the whole Far East. Sadly, the persecution that followed was the must successful (from the viewpoint of the persecutors) in the history of the Church. Not only were many thousands killed, the remainder were driven underground to a degree unparalleled elsewhere. The Lord has given our church a vision of Omura again being the foremost Christian city in the nation, actively advancing the Kingdom of God to the ends of the earth, but that looks like even less than a pipe dream to the natural eye. God’s words to the hills of Judea could apply to the land in Omura. This area where our church stands was listed as a samurai residence back in the days of Sumitada Omura, which means almost certainly that those who lived there were Christians. I believe our presence here is prophetic, and God is indeed going to increase the numbers of His people in the land, to even more than before, just as He says in this verse. That’s humanly impossible, but nothing is impossible for God.

Father, thank You for this Word of encouragement. Thank you also for the Coaching seminar I’m attending, and for the affirmation You’ve been giving me here. I pray that all of Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule, not only for our church but for each person at this seminar and the churches they represent, for the salvation of this nation and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Fat Sheep and Thin; March 5, 2018

Posted on March 9, 2018 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 34:16 “I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.”

On the one hand this is a very comforting verse, but on the other hand, it makes you wonder whether you might come under the “fat and strong” heading! To me this really is a cautionary note for churches in America, particularly, where the “prosperity gospel” has sucked in so many, and where obesity is a national epidemic. That’s not to say that everyone who is overweight should feel condemned, but it does call of a hard look at how much you need, not just in food but in everything else as well. As an example, California, that used to be the epitome of a “desirable place to live,” now has the worst quality of life in the country. Though it has quantities of very wealthy people, both entertainers and people in the high tech industry, it also has the most homeless, and violent gangs are relentless. That said, we also have to remember that being poor or thin doesn’t automatically mean you are good! God looks at our hearts, and He knows our motives. Those who are genuinely living by the First and Second Commandments listed by Jesus (Matthew 22:37-40) have nothing to be worried about. On the other hand, those who have fooled themselves into thinking they are seeking God’s kingdom (Matthew 6:33) when actually they are just looking to benefit themselves, are in a very dangerous place.

This verse certainly makes me think and examine myself. I have demonstrated time and again that knowing truth isn’t the same as doing it, and “those who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1) This church has had many sheep who have wandered off, and I haven’t been able to draw them back. I feel that I have been greatly blessed personally, but especially as a pastor I must not be satisfied with that. I need to keep myself available as God’s instrument to seek the lost, bind up the wounded, and strengthen the weak. I can’t do it right in my own strength and wisdom, but I must be active in offering myself for God to use me to that end.

Father, this flock has gone through a lot, especially over the past year. I ask for Your answer to every question, Your resolution to every conflict, that Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule, building up the Body of Christ for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Serving God; March 4, 2018

Posted on March 5, 2018 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 33:8-9 “When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will be saved yourself.”

This whole passage is very similar to what Ezekiel was told at the time the Lord commissioned him, as recorded in Ezekiel 3:16-21. I guess he needed a reminder! The responsibility of a messenger is to deliver the message accurately and faithfully. What happens after that is the responsibility of the recipient of the message. Just yesterday I was reading an article from Ministry Today magazine about “Three Things a Pastor Cannot Do.” Those three things were, convict of sin, convince of truth, and save. Those are exactly the things any pastor wants to do, but they are the work of the Holy Spirit, and we make a mess of things when we try to accomplish them in our own wisdom and strength (which are nonexistent). That is exactly in line with this passage. An extremely Calvinist pastor once said to me that “The Church has no responsibility to evangelize, because God is going to save who He wants to.” (He later reversed that position, thankfully.) This passage certainly speaks to that misconception! There is an unavoidable paradox: we can’t do the work, but we are to apply ourselves so that God can do the work through us. This is exactly what Paul was talking about when he said, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” (Colossians 1:28-29) Paul didn’t for a moment think (after encountering Christ on the Damascus road, at any rate) that he could save anyone on his own. However, he was absolutely convinced that God could do anything He wanted to through him, so he gave himself completely to the Lord. That’s an example every one of us needs to follow.

I have had my struggles on both sides of this issue. I have exhibited physical and spiritual laziness, and I have also demonstrated spiritual pride. Neither has done me any good! Japan is a good field to teach you you can’t do anything in your own strength! The difficulty here is maintaining faith that God can indeed accomplish His salvation through you. It’s been several years now since God told me to rest, relax, and rejoice. I’m still learning how to do that! I desire the salvation of those around me more than I can express, but I can’t do it myself, just as that article was saying yesterday. However, God does give me opportunities to be His instrument, and they are joy indeed. Two days ago I was with a group of people in a distinctly non-church setting, and the Lord opened the conversation up to enable me to say that the most dangerous thing of all was for someone to think they had nothing of which they needed to repent. Billy Graham’s death was the entry point to start talking about the Gospel, so in a sense I was just continuing his ministry! I do not know when or how the Lord will choose to use me, but I am to be instant and active in my obedience, for His glory.

Father, thank You for the privilege of serving You. Help me indeed yield everything to You, allowing You to use me completely, but not setting conditions or making demands. May I be the servant, the son, that You desire, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Knowing God; March 3, 2018

Posted on March 4, 2018 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 20:44 “You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Basically everything God does is to get people to know Him. He wants them to know both His holiness and His grace, His righteousness and His love. It seems like we deliberately misunderstand some of the lessons He gives us. When He is strict we think He is vindictive, and when He is gracious we think He is indulgent and lax. None of that is true. We need to receive and obey Him for who He says He is throughout the Bible, and as He shows Himself to be in our daily lives. God has indeed revealed Himself throughout His creation, as Paul points out to the Romans. (Romans 1:20) Just recently physicists have stated that the existence of the universe itself is a miracle, because there is no reason for it to exist as it does. Something as fundamental – and to us utterly unchangeable – as the ratio of matter to antimatter is both essential and inexplicable, apart from the will of a Creator. The biggest argument against the theory of evolution is the incredible complexity of things as they are, and the mathematical impossibility of their getting that way by chance. Entropy leads to devolution, not evolution. With all of these things and many more being as they are, mankind has no excuse for ignoring God, just as Paul said. As several thoughtful scientists have discovered, the only “holy book” that lines up with the universe as we are discovering it to be is the Bible. That being the case, the only logical course is to accept the Bible as the Word of God and seek to know more about Him through what it says.

I’ll never forget the time a doctor who had been attending my English Bible class for about a year came in and said he wanted to be baptized. I was of course delighted, but I asked him why. He said, “This book was not written simply by man, and if God caused it to be written, then I had better believe it.” So true! I pray that many more would have that revelation! The fact that I’m a missionary pastor doesn’t exempt me from having blind spots. I too need to keep seeking God, striving to recognize Him in all the ways He reveals Himself to me. That’s why regular morning devotions are something I will not give up. What greater privilege is there than taking in God’s Word and allowing Him to speak to my heart? When I get quiet before Him, He shows me His hand in many of the things going on in my life, and I have peace, joy, and increasing faith and hope. I know He wants to do that with all of His children, so that’s why I keep recommending and encouraging regular devotions to all who will listen.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness toward me. Thank You for Your anointing yesterday as I recognized and used the opportunities You provided to share the message of Your grace and love with different people. I pray that Your words through me would indeed “seep into” the hearts of those who heard, to use the expression of one of the people I was speaking to. My I be increasingly effective as a witness of Christ, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Legalism; March 2, 2018

Posted on March 4, 2018 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 20:25 “I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by.”

This is an absolutely incredible verse to me. In verses 11, 13, and 21 God specifies that the person who obeys His laws will live by doing so, but here He specifies that after giving them such life-giving laws, He then gave them rules that were not like that. I can’t help but wonder if any of the latter type made it into the Bible, perhaps in Leviticus. Jesus Himself fulfilled God’s law perfectly, yet He was accused of being a lawbreaker by the Pharisees because He didn’t do things their way. Paul received considerable insight into this issue, and so is a good guide today. The whole point is not to get hung up on legalism, but rather stick to the First and Second Commandments as specified by Jesus. “Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”” (Matthew 22:37-40) If a rule doesn’t promote loving God in all His holiness and loving our neighbor as we would like to be loved, it probably isn’t in the first category God mentioned to Ezekiel. That said, tossing out laws because we don’t like them is risky business indeed. If we genuinely love God with all that we are (the First Commandment) then we will seek to be holy just as He is holy. (1 Peter 1:16) That wipes out all sorts of excuses for sin that are currently in vogue!

I don’t think I grew up in a legalistic home, though I certainly had friends who did. However, standards were clear, and I had pretty secure boundaries. I have tended to be rather anti-legalistic, but that hasn’t always worked perfectly. My physical children are well past the point of my “laying down the law” for them, but I am constantly dealing with my spiritual children. I need to be careful and faithful to give them the guidelines/boundaries they need, without being legalistic. I don’t have the wisdom to do that properly, so I’ve got to seek God’s guidance at every point. One of my biggest problems is assuming too much knowledge/background/maturity in people, since I grew up steeped in the Bible. I’ve never been fond of devotional pamphlets, yet they are exactly what some of my spiritual children need. I must not demand that people run when they can barely walk! I am not to lay down rules that fit the second category God mentioned to Ezekiel.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. Help me be the shepherd You want me to be, feeding Your sheep exactly what You know they need and nothing else, so that they may grow as You intend in every way, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Holiness; March 1, 2018

Posted on March 3, 2018 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 20:12 “Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.”

This is a slightly different slant on the whole issue of a Sabbath than I am used to thinking about. In the 10 Commandments it says, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” (Exodus 20:8) However, here the Lord turns it around to say that Sabbaths are a reminder that it is God who makes people holy. I think part of the problem is that we don’t understand “make holy.” In Japanese it is written with characters that are literally, “set apart as holy,” just as many English translations render it. The concept isn’t any more familiar to Japanese than to Americans, though. If you type it into a computer phonetically, the only characters it will come up with say “biological gender,” since “holy” has the same sound as “gender.” I think the best analogy would be something like your best dishes, that you take out to use only when you have guests. Even that idea is disappearing from society, both because we are so affluent that “best” has less meaning now, and because people are so selfish they want the best for themselves anyway, rather than saving it for guests. God is saying that by setting one day a week apart as different from all the rest we are reminding ourselves that He sets us aside as different from all the rest. That idea doesn’t sound very “politically correct,” because we are quick to insist that “everyone is the same,” when simple observation tells us that isn’t true. On one level we are all totally equal before God, but on another level, how we respond to Him makes immediate and drastic differences, not only in our eternal destination but also in our daily lives here and now. Honoring one day a week as special helps us remember that it is possible to be in God’s “special group,” devoted to Him and useful for His purposes. We can’t make ourselves holy, but we can choose to receive and walk in the holiness God offers us. It is sad indeed that so few people make that choice.

This is certainly as much an issue for me as it is for anyone else. I too tend to go with the flow of society, feeling that if other people do it, it’s fine for me, not really considering what God might say about it. Growing up in a missionary home, life in general was far more “holy” than what I now understand most people experience. That said, Sundays were indeed different from other days, but were often even more busy than other days. As a pastor now I experience the same thing, and so try to set aside Mondays as days of rest. (That doesn’t always work!) The important thing for me to remember is that it is God who sets me apart as special, not because I am inherently more valuable than anyone else but because I have responded to Him in repentance and faith. I need to help the believers here accept that as God’s special people, they aren’t to be just like all their neighbors, or even like all their relatives. With the strong Japanese emphasis on the group, that can be quite a stretch for some of them. Another problem in teaching them that is that they already see me as different because of my genetic makeup, so my distinctives are seen as American rather than Christian. Maybe I should tell them to look at some of the other Americans in town! I certainly need God’s wisdom to be able to get this truth across, but nothing is impossible for Him, so I’ve got to be at peace with that.

Father, thank You for this Word this morning. It’s not something I have tried very much to teach on. I ask for clear guidance in when and how to share what You show me, so that the believers may be built up and not torn down, or even distracted from Your intended focus for them. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Heart of God; February 28, 2018

Posted on March 3, 2018 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 18:30-32 “Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offences; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offences you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”

From the perspective of the world’s religions, this is an astonishing passage. That the Creator of the universe would care so intensely about His creation seems almost bizarre. He is literally pleading for people to repent! There are a few differences in the turn of phrase between the Japanese and the English that strike me. For starters, where the NIV starts off by saying God will judge each one “according to his ways,” the Japanese says, “according to his attitude.” Even if we aren’t active in what most people would call sin, if our attitude is that it doesn’t matter, then before God that’s no different than being active in those sins. Actions certainly matter, but they originate from attitudes. That’s why God offers us a new heart and a new spirit.. What we were born with has the wrong attitude! When God speaks of death here He isn’t just talking about the heart stopping, or even brain death, but rather the utter destruction of eternal separation from Him. Understanding that, it makes perfectly good sense that He would take no pleasure in anyone’s death, since He created us for fellowship with Him. That’s why He went so far as to send His only Son to take the penalty for our rebellion against Him, so that we might live eternally with Him. (John 3:16) We have such trouble really grasping that, but once we do, it makes all the difference in the world.

This of course is the Gospel I proclaim. I do so in a culture that has no foundation of belief in a singular God, the Creator, so the obstacles are countless, but God still loves each Japanese person as much as He loves anyone from a “Christian” nation. I have realized just within this past year how shaky even the majority of Israelites were on the monotheism that Americans tend to take for granted, so my thinking about the Japanese has shifted somewhat. Absolute monotheism is certainly desirable, but perhaps not necessary for salvation. What matters is a wholehearted commitment to Jesus as Lord, whether you believe any other gods exist or not. When that is in place, the Holy Spirit will take care of everything else. I am reminded of what a brother in the Lord told me just recently, of how his mother was a strong Christian, but she still was respectful to some of the roadside idols. Last night I was on the phone with someone who is struggling with faith. His mental capacity is limited, and the devil lies to him regularly (as he does to most of us). The Lord gave me words that seemed to cut through the fog, and this passage assures me that God wants that man to live eternally with Him, and by His grace he will.

Father, thank You for Your absolutely incredible love and grace. Help me respond to You more and more fully, expressing Your love and grace more and more effectively to those around me so that they too may fulfill the purpose for which You created them, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Heart Transplant; February 27, 2018

Posted on March 1, 2018 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 11:19-20 “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.”

What a magnificent promise! Religion in general is people trying to get close to God by their own efforts, and every one of those is doomed to failure. However, God’s solution isn’t reform, it’s rebirth, or as it’s expressed here, a heart transplant. When we try to clean ourselves up, we are focused on ourselves, which is why it never works. It’s not that our actions don’t matter, but rather that God is so much greater that our actions become insignificant in comparison. We are indeed to follow God’s rules, which were given for our benefit in the first place, but we can’t do it right in our own strength and wisdom, so we must depend on God to do it in and through us. Frankly, that tramples all over human pride, and that’s why so many people refuse the offer. Repentance is essential, but God provides the necessary strength and wisdom. To go to a physical heart transplant analogy, the surgical team does the actual work, but the patient has to first agree to submit to the surgery and then, after the surgery, they have to apply themselves to the necessary rehabilitation, not to mention switching to a healthier lifestyle than they had before. Going back to the spiritual, repentance and faith are recognizing that you need a new heart and trusting that God can and will give you one. After the “surgery,” you need to take in the necessary “nutrients,” (reading the Bible) and doing the rehab (living in active fellowship with other believers). Any of a number of physical diseases can necessitate a heart transplant, but sin, rooted in pride, is the cause of our needing a spiritual transplant. Just as a physical transplant requires a donor, Jesus died for us so that we could receive His heart. That He has done so is the essence (heart) of the Gospel.

I had never thought of how many parallels there are between salvation and a physical heart transplant before. Taking it a little further, I am certainly not the Surgeon, but I have the privilege of being on the surgical team. At least I can serve as a “patient counselor” to encourage people to go ahead with the surgery. Extending that a little further, I’m an example of a successful transplant, so I need to be open to telling people what it’s like so they won’t be afraid, and also to going through rehab with them so they won’t give up. Just as there are setbacks sometimes in physical rehab, all of us suffer spiritual setbacks at times. I’m to tell people, “You can do this. The Surgeon did a perfect job!” I also need to remind them of a Japanese proverb: “There’s strength in perseverance.” Too many Christians get “dunked and dropped.” I need to help them learn how to walk out what God has done in them.

Father, thank You for this very clear illustration of the Gospel. Guide me in getting it into sermon notes so that I may share it effectively. May Your Word through me indeed draw many people to accept the heart transplant You offer them, and may I then walk alongside them in the “rehab” they need to make them strong indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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