May 8, 2017


Deuteronomy 20:1 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.

This theme is found throughout the Bible. As has been said, “One plus God is a majority.” However, as Israel’s later history shows, we must not be presumptuous about this. If God hasn’t directed the fight, or if our motives and commitment aren’t pure, then the opposite can happen. Moses himself gave figures of one chasing a thousand and two chasing ten thousand. (Deuteronomy 32:30) I wouldn’t want to be on the losing end of that battle! Moses here says that God will be with us. That is of course the meaning of one of Jesus’ most famous titles, Immanuel. (Matthew 1:23) The thing is, just saying that God is with us doesn’t make it happen. The German Army in both world wars had “God With Us” on their belt buckles. It is important for us to do a heart check to see if we are with Him! If we are on His side, then it doesn’t matter what the odds look like, just as Moses says here.

I did a couple of years in the US Army, but by God’s grace I’ve never been in combat. However, I’ve been in plenty of spiritual battles! I know full well that my enemy is the father of all lies, (John 8:44) so when he tells me the situation is hopeless, I know that victory is assured! His biggest trick is to remind me of my past sins, to make me feel unworthy of God’s protection and blessing. My response must always be that the past is covered by the blood of the Lamb, and I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus my Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:21) I am to give the Holy Spirit full permission to call my attention to anything of which I need to repent, but once I have done that, I should rest in the assurance that no weapon formed against me will succeed. (Isaiah 54:17) That is not being cocky, it is resting in the peace of God that surpasses human understanding. (Philippians 4:7)

Father, thank You for this reminder. I don’t know what battles I may face today, but you do, I know You, and that’s enough. Help me reject all anxiety and walk in trusting obedience each step of the way, teaching others to do likewise, so that Your name may be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 7, 2017


Deuteronomy 18:15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.

Here we have God’s promise of provision of leadership. The thing is, too often people claim to be one God has raised up when they are not. The standard, expressed in verses 20-22, is both strict and severe: a prophet whose words don’t come true is false, and should be put to death. The difficulty there is that even for genuine prophets, often the fulfillment of their prophecy is many years in the future. Discernment is required in any case. Even the New Testament has many warnings against false prophets. Leadership is necessary, and God does provide all that is necessary, but counterfeits abound. As I have written recently, leadership in the Body of Christ is not something to be taken on without the direction of God. Sometimes even well-intentioned people take on roles God doesn’t intend for them, and they make a mess of things for themselves and others. We have various mistaken ideas in this area. In the first place, you don’t have to be a pastor to serve God. I don’t much like the expression, “full-time Christian service,” because every believer should be serving Christ full time, whatever their occupation. The Japanese equivalent expression is even worse. It translates to “those who have given themselves to God,” but that is certainly something every believer should do! Another misconception is that you have to go to seminary to be a pastor. Bible knowledge is good, and some seminaries are very helpful, but a diploma doesn’t equal the call of God. We must not forget that seminaries didn’t even exist for the first few centuries of the Church. We tend to like such things. There was even something of that sort back in the days of Elijah and Elisha. (2 Kings 2) However, there is no such thing as an academic test that can determine qualification to serve and/or lead in the Body of Christ, despite the existence of such tests in some denominations.

I went to seminary very reluctantly, and became a pastor with equal reluctance. I agreed to pastor a rural church in Virginia only after I got a cassette “letter” from a pastor in Japan, and realized that I needed empathy with pastors of small churches if I was going to minister to those pastors. When I arrived in Omura I didn’t really intend to pastor a congregation, but the Lord arranged that I had a flock that somebody needed to pastor, and I was it. At this point, past the age when a majority of people are retired, I have no objective evaluation of my ministry. The Lord has used me in various ways, and I am grateful, but I haven’t seen major breakthroughs, nor have I done anything to merit stoning. The Lord has given me various prophecies over the years. One of the most specific, which also happened to be medically impossible, was fulfilled in ways that the recipients couldn’t imagine at the time I spoke it. Some others, that seemed much less cryptic, have yet to be fulfilled, so I need to keep my trust in God. I don’t know how He will use me from this point, in leadership or otherwise, but I want to be completely available to Him. I certainly don’t want to take hold of anything He doesn’t intend for me.

Father, this is a continuing issue for me, obviously. Thank You that my qualification is from You. (2 Corinthians 3:6) Help me fulfill all of Your purposes for me, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 6, 2017


Deuteronomy 18:1-2 The priests, who are Levites—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the offerings made to the Lord by fire, for that is their inheritance. They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them.

Because there is no hereditary priesthood under the New Covenant, the whole matter of the support of those who abandon other occupations to serve God and His people becomes somewhat more complicated. Even though Paul himself was largely self-supporting, he still affirmed the principle expressed here, that full time ministers were to be supported by the offerings given to God. (1 Corinthians 9:3-14, 1 Timothy 5:17-18) That said, the motive of the minister must be ministry, to God and to His people. There were people in seminary with me who looked at being a pastor as an easy way to collect a salary! In actual fact, as I have told people many times, this is one job you had better never attempt without instructions from God to do so! Because it doesn’t look like most other jobs, people both in the ministry and out of it often fail to understand it. The focus is on being between God and people, and that has tensions in both directions. Any minister who doesn’t have an active worship and devotional life is headed for ruin. Sadly, such are not unusual. The pastor may not be musical, but not entering the sanctuary until time for the sermon, skipping the praise and worship time, is a total travesty. The pastor should be the chief worshiper! Not having musical skills is no excuse to fail to offer yourself to God and acknowledge Him in the assembly. Likewise, any minister who doesn’t have an active devotional life is deceiving himself and running on empty. The work of the Lord cannot be done apart from the strength and guidance of the Lord, and that must be sought at least daily, before attempting anything else. When someone fulfills those conditions, drawing close to God so that they may assist others in drawing close to Him, then they are worthy of support from the offerings given to God, just as the Levites were.

This is very much a family tradition for me. Not only were my parents missionaries, one grandfather was a pastor and the other a seminary professor and frequent interim pastor. I didn’t grow up with the feeling of “working for a salary,” but rather of serving God and trusting Him for supply. Since arriving in Omura in 1981 I have never received as much from the church I serve as I have given to it in offerings, but God has been more than faithful. Far more than my own livelihood, I am concerned for my assistant pastor, who is likewise a “tent maker.” I am able to teach medical English on the college level, which pays very well, but he has no such specialized skills. I want this church to grow for many reasons, but one of them is so that they can pay him a decent salary! God’s plans are good and I am not to be anxious. When He has provided for me, He will provide for others who serve Him as well.

Father, this is a very practical issue that sometimes doesn’t feel very “spiritual.” Thank You that Jesus talked more about money than He did about heaven! Help me have the attitude You desire about all such things, receiving Your supply and making the use of it that You intend, so that Your name may be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 5, 2017


Deuteronomy 16:17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.

Here we have another hint as to why God tells us to give Him stuff, and specifically proportional things like a tithe. When we approach it this way, giving should be a reminder of just how much God has blessed us, and should be an occasion for gratitude. We tend to live our lives oblivious to how much God has poured out on us and for us, so being required to give a proportional offering should help us open our eyes. Sadly, we are all too likely to slip into an entitlement mentality and just complain that we don’t have more. That’s no way to enjoy what we have! One particular Internet meme has a good purpose, and that’s the one about “1st World Problems.” By contrasting the things we complain about to the problems of people in poor countries, it points out just how absurd our complaints often are. Much of the time we live like spoiled brats! By giving a tithe, for example, we should be prompted to gratitude that God has supplied 10 times that amount to us. Both psychologists and common sense tell us that “an attitude of gratitude” is a prime component of genuine happiness. Even Paul weighed in on this point. “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6)

I fall into complaining about “1st world problems” all too often, but I think I’m getting better about it. Thankfully, the lust for more stuff seems to be abating. I’m in the middle of further training in that right now. The bulb for our projector (that we use for songs in our services) burned out Sunday morning, and we had to make copies of all the songs we used. Because of the absurd cost of a replacement bulb when ordered from Japan, I located a projector with better “specs” online for less than the cost of the bulb, and ordered it. It arrived yesterday, and I spent several hours trying to get it set up. The final conclusion is that because it is designed for a “home theater,” the lens will not focus at the distance from the back of our sanctuary to the front, so it is useless to us and I will have to return it. That was disappointing to say the least, but the the Lord has allowed me to see that this is an issue of degrees of luxury, rather than anything approaching a tragedy. We do need a good projector, but in the mean time we have a good copier! God has provided abundantly in every area, and the better I realize that, the greater my gratitude and joy will be.

Father, thank You for the various lessons You teach us. Help me appropriate them better, so I won’t need so many “refresher courses!” Thank You indeed that I was able to order the projector and have it delivered in the middle of a holiday period. I do ask for wisdom in the return process, and particularly in locating something that will genuinely meet our needs. In the mean time, help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as you have told me to do, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 4, 2017


Deuteronomy 15:4, 11 However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you.
There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed towards your brothers and towards the poor and needy in your land.

At first glance this seems very contradictory. The thing is, verse 4 is followed by verse 5, which says that the blessings are dependent on obedience. Taken that way, verse 11 then becomes a recognition that there will always be those who suffer the consequences of disobedience. Where that gets tricky, however, is that we suffer from the disobedience of others, as well as our own. Sometimes people are in dire straits through no fault of their own. We are not to be holier-than-thou and decline to help people because “they had it coming to them.”At the same time, genuine love gives a hand up rather than a handout. Work requirements for able-bodied people to receive welfare are far more loving than teaching dependence. Even Paul had to be strict on this point. “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat.’” (2 Thessalonians 3:10) That is not aimed at those who cannot work, but at those who choose not to when they are able. Entitlement reform is a huge issue in America right now. They would certainly do well to go with the Biblical pattern!

I’ve encountered all sorts of people needing and/or asking for help of all sorts. It is far easier to be generous toward someone if they haven’t made asking for help a lifestyle! Often divine wisdom is called for to know the difference between a hand up and a handout. One particular homeless man who has come here makes me really want to help him. He doesn’t ask for money, but rather for work to do. The first time he came I did pay him for his work (as well as feed him) but the second time he came he only wanted food, saying that he didn’t make good use of money, and his work was heartfelt and diligent. I would be very interested in helping him get a job, but the places that hire people who don’t have a regular address are often involved in crime, and he’s been stung by that before. I can only pray for him, and ask for God’s wisdom any time he shows up. There are of course many other people around me with needs of all sorts. I am to hold myself ready and available for however God wants to use me to meet those needs, but not run around doing things on my own. It is indeed “more blessed to give than to receive,” (Acts 20:35) but I am not to give without wisdom, because that can do real harm in the long run.

Father, I am bombarded with pleas for money from a wide variety of organizations. I tend to turn them all off! Help me understand the purpose for which you have given me everything I have, so that I may make the use of it that You intend, blessing others and above all giving You glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 3, 2017


Deuteronomy 14:28-29 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

It is fascinating that social welfare is specified in the Law of Moses. It’s also fascinating that the provision for it was to come from what had been specified as to be given to God. As I keep being reminded, God is never at a loss for supply, financial or otherwise. He tells us to give to Him because it is to our benefit that we do so, but God Himself has no need of what we give. He therefore specifies what is to be done with what we have given to Him, and it includes not only the operation of the Church but also supplying the needs of those who cannot supply for themselves. In God’s economy, the government has no business being involved in social welfare; it is to be done by believers as unto the Lord. I am reminded of Jesus’ famous parable of the sheep and the goats, in which he specified, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) We are never to think that we are “buying God’s blessings” when we help the poor, but we are to look at opportunities to help the poor as opportunities to serve God. In America today, welfare payments have been used systematically to destroy the family structure of Blacks in particular, destroying motivation and the sense of self-worth. That should be sufficient evidence right there to get the government out of the whole process. It would take at least a generation to correct, but thankfully one of the people newly in charge of the government program is a man who overcame the government system in a big way in his own life, and he is a committed Christian to boot. The situation is indeed horrible, but there is hope.

I have personally benefited from government welfare programs, so I’m not speaking from a high horse. Medicaid paid just about all of the expenses when our younger daughter was born, and I am grateful. However, it would have been much better if there had been an active program in our church at the time to deal with such things. I have been involved in “God’s supply chain” in various ways over the years, and it is always a blessing to me to be able to do that. At the same time I know full well that wisdom is called for: cash is seldom the right answer in meeting needs. I have supplied food, clothing, and bus and train tickets, but seldom cash (though it has happened). I am to seek God for whom to help how, so that my good intentions won’t end up reinforcing destructive behavior. I am not to give just to feel good about myself, but as unto God as He directs.

Father, there are so many things that are “above my pay grade,” but nothing that is above Yours. Help me listen obediently to You, regardless of what society or my flesh tell me, so that I may be Your agent to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and set people free to enter Your kingdom, Your family, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 2, 2017


Deuteronomy 12:28 Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God.

We are back to the purpose of God’s regulations. As John said, His commands aren’t burdensome (1 John 5:3) because they are given in love, for our good. That said, the difference between the English and the Japanese here makes it clear that the Hebrew uses the word shalom. That has about the same gamut of meanings as the Hawaiian word aloha, which can make it very difficult to translate since the nuance depends on context. The NIV renders this as “go well with you,” while the Japanese renders it as “you may be happy.” Language can be a really tricky thing. Even between people who speak the same language, choice of words can either generate misunderstanding or clear it up. Differences in language use between men and women are justly famous, and have caused many conflicts. It isn’t that one is more correct than the other, it’s simply that they’re different. Whether we are reading the Bible or simply talking with another person, we do well to ask the Holy Spirit to show us the meaning behind the words, so that God’s truth may prevail.

I was talking about this with a gentleman yesterday who is past 90, having been a musician and an educator all his life. He was talking about differences in dialect from one region of Japan to another, and he is fascinated by my use of language because I am bilingual. I had to tell him that I’m just as capable of generating misunderstanding as he is! God has given me a gift of language, but I must not take it for granted. I talk freely in either language, but I must remember that Jesus said I will be held accountable for every careless word I’ve spoken. (Matthew 12:36) I would personally assume that would include every careless word I’ve written as well. With today’s electronic communication that’s increasingly an issue. I don’t do Twitter, but I see lots of people getting into trouble over what they’ve written in that! The Bible has a lot to say about words and the power of the tongue. I am to strive to use words as God intends, to accomplish His purposes and nothing less, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word. Help me receive Your words accurately to do them, and not confuse hearing with obedience. Help me not feel that because I’ve said something it’s true. That applies only to what You say! May I be a good steward of the words You supply, so that they may indeed accomplish that for which You send them, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 1, 2017


Deuteronomy 12:7 There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

We sometimes forget that church is to be a joyful place, and gathering before the Lord a joyous occasion. There are indeed times when we need to weep before the Lord in repentance, but those should be the exception rather than the rule. We are to be respectful before the Lord, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t to have fun. We often forget that apart from the burnt offerings, the majority of the animal sacrifices specified in the Books of Moses were actually eaten by the worshipers. That’s why it specifies which part of the animal was to be given to the Levites. Following that logic, it’s not inappropriate that churches should be nice places, benefiting those who have given offerings. However, if the motive for giving becomes your own comfort or pleasure, that’s not really an offering to the Lord. It is important to remember that God supplies everything, so our tithes and offerings are tools to help us remember where it all comes from and to express our gratitude. We are indeed to use church funds for all sorts of projects, starting with missions and evangelism and extending to all sorts of benevolences, but we are to do it with joy, and not as a grinding obligation. Some people indeed give that way, and God is hardly pleased with that. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Yesterday we had a barbecue after the church service, and I think it was entirely appropriate that we did so. It’s easier to get people to come for a barbecue than for a lecture! I need to be careful that I don’t come across as stern and demanding, because like it or not, people’s image of God is going to be colored by what they see in me. The Lord has told me personally to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him. Anything else is disobedience! I am to present the righteousness of God and call people to repentance and faith, but I must never forget that the result of genuine repentance and faith is “inexpressible and glorious joy.” (1 Peter 1:8) Taking God lightly and for granted leads to the sort of admonition James was prompted to give. “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:8-10) Rejoicing before the Lord is never to be flippant, but based on an awareness of who He is and what He has done for us.

Father, I didn’t know where this was headed when I started, but then that’s true of all of life. Help me focus on You as You desire and intend, so that all of Your good purposes for me may be fulfilled, with joy for many and glory for You. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 30, 2017


Deuteronomy 11:26-28 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.

Moses did all he could to be as clear as possible. The thing is, though, that God’s truth has to be written on our hearts, and then we have to choose to obey it. Transmission of information about God and what He has said to us is vital, but information by itself accomplishes very little. What matters is what we do with the information we have received. I am reminded of how much information the US had about what Japan was doing before the Pearl Harbor attack, and how that information was largely ignored. People in “Christian” nations generally know the outline of the Gospel at least, but far too few of them apply it to themselves in their daily lives. There is a Japanese phrase in this passage which occurs many times throughout the Bible that translates as “hear and obey,” or “obey hearing.” The thing is, we can’t obey until we have heard, but just hearing isn’t the same as obedience. One problem for the Jews was their pride in having the Law of God, without applying that law to their lives and from their hearts. Many Christians are exactly the same way. The Bible is a valued decoration, but little more. Moses here speaks of a curse for disobedience. It’s not that “God will get you for that,” but that failure to follow God has its automatic consequences, and explaining those as a curse is a clear way to help us understand them. It’s precisely because God is love that He wants us to follow the way that will lead to the greatest blessing for us.

As someone who grew up immersed in the Bible, this couldn’t be more applicable. All of my life I’ve struggled with applying consistently the truth I know. As Jesus said, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:17) As a pastor I struggle with training people to apply the truth that I share with them. One pitfall of having Teacher gifting is that I tend to feel subconsciously that all I should have to do is shovel truth on people for them to receive it and be transformed, but that is seldom the case. I should know that from my own experience! I need to grow in walking alongside people to help them apply the truth that will indeed set them free, to the degree they receive it and make it part of themselves. (John 8:32) Just telling them the truth doesn’t make them know it. Intellectual assent isn’t the same thing as obedience.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the video You led me to last night of the young man who spoke so powerfully of his struggles with doubt after having been raised in church. Thank You for the victory You led him to, for your grace toward him and toward me. My path hasn’t been the same as his, but I’ve been in as much, if not more, danger. Help me remember that each person is unique, but Your grace is sufficient for us all. May I never stop speaking Your truth in love, living it out so that others too may do so, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 29, 2017


Deuteronomy 11:2 Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm.

We tend to forget that other people haven’t experienced God in the same way we have. God loves and deals with each person equally, but that takes a different form with each individual. We tend to gather with those who have had similar experiences of God and then wonder why others don’t join us. The answer is often that they haven’t experienced God the same way we have. That’s the whole point of testifying of our experiences. We have the Biblical record of what God has done with mankind (which Moses was just starting to write) but for the average person it seems distant and unconnected to them. That’s why the most effective evangelism is simply one person sharing with another what they have actually experienced of God. Precisely because it is effective, the devil does all he can to keep it from happening. Making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20) starts with being witnesses (Acts 1:8). Sometimes we think our experience of God is too insignificant to be worth sharing, but that is a deception of the devil. A small percentage of people have dramatic experiences with God that awe everyone that hears about them, but even they often hesitate to share. The vast majority of Christians have only had smaller, less dramatic experiences, but that’s the kind of life most people live, so sharing such experiences is all the more persuasive. If we think, “I could never testify because I’ve never been saved from drug addiction,” or whatever, then we will deprive others of the opportunity to encounter God who loves them regardless of what they have or haven’t done.

My own life experiences have been unusual, from the viewpoint of most of the people around me, precisely because I’ve been steeped in faith from before my birth. That’s pretty hard for a Japanese who has never entered a church building to relate to! That, coupled with my Teacher gifting, has tended to make me focus on sharing Biblical truth exclusively. Biblical truth is great, but if I don’t connect it to where people are in their daily lives, it simply isn’t going to penetrate. I have tried to encourage believers to share more, but they look at me and think they could never do it the way I do, and so they don’t want to try. My point is, my way isn’t the most effective for drawing people into the family of God! An exegesis of Paul’s theology might be appropriate for a believers’ Bible study, but it’s hardly effective evangelism! Tomorrow will be a service of singing and testimonies, with no “sermon” as such. We don’t expect many, if any, non-believers to be present, but I hope to use the CD I will make of the service to share with several people. My prayer is that this will mark a break-through in this church, with the believers realizing that what God has done for and with them is significant, and He wants to use them to draw others to Himself.

Father, the feeling that You really are taking us to a new level in Your plan is exciting. Help me not get in the way or try to control what is going on, but keep me also from being passive, failing to apply myself in the ways You indicate. May we change, may I change, in the ways You know are needed, so that we may be the powerful, effective part of the Body of Christ that You intend us to be, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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