January 19, 2017

Posted on January 22, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Timothy 1:12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

I have always looked at this verse in terms of bearing up under physical persecution, which Paul was certainly doing. However, the Lord just showed me that it applies to any suffering that comes from the enemy. If we are under attack in any way because we are serving God, we should take it as a badge of honor. The thing is, we often fail to recognize attacks for what they are, ascribing our circumstances to any of a number of things with no spiritual connection. That can blind us to what we need to do. That is especially true when the attack is psychological. God created us as emotional beings, which is not a bad thing, but we have to be careful not to be deceived by our emotions. God is faithful regardless of how we feel about things. Like Paul, we need to be convinced that God is able to keep not only our souls but the fruit we have worked for safe until the day of Christ’s return.

This is a Word I’m very much in need of right now. At the prayer meeting last night I was praying about how I am emotionally exhausted from the quantity and variety of demands on me, and this is God’s answer. In the first place, I don’t have to be embarrassed about being tired; I am certainly as dependent on the grace of God as anyone else. In the second place, this really is an attack from the enemy, who doesn’t want to see God’s plans for me and for this church succeed. It’s been quite a few years now since God told me to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, and He is allowing this as further training in doing exactly that. Last night I had word that one door I had been counting on had been closed, but with it came another possibility, and it was from an unexpected source. I need to acknowledge my own inability while resting and delighting in my Lord who can do all things.

Father, thank You for all You are allowing me to go through. Thank You for the phone call last night from the owner of the land next door. Cathy had said I needed to call him, and my reaction was to try to escape. Then, after prayer meeting we discovered a message from him on the answering machine, so I went ahead and called. This is the first time I have felt he genuinely would like to see things fall into place legally for us to be able to buy the land. That’s quite a change! Thank You. Thank You for the advice he gave me about what steps to take today toward that. Help me be faithful and diligent in following through, so that I will not be in the way of what You desire to do right here, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 18, 2017

Posted on January 22, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Timothy 5:8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

This was before the days of Social Security or “safety nets” of any kind. The Church was God’s idea for taking care of people when they couldn’t take care of themselves. When we foist it all off on government we do everyone a disservice. Back then lifestyles were much simpler than they are today, but that should serve simply as a reminder of how little we actually need. Our expectations have inflated even more than the cost of living! That said, the principle here is one that seems very little understood in the Church, much less in general society, today. The first social unit God created was the family, starting with the husband and wife. Today even that is under severe attack, and society as a whole has suffered greatly. Reading this we would tend to think Paul was guilty of hyperbole, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Failure to take care of your own family means you have placed yourself ahead of God, and that is indeed “denying the faith.” God provides abundantly, but most often He uses people in the process. If we decline to be channels of that provision, chances are good we will fail to experience it in our own lives.

This of course applies to me. My parents both passed before they reached very advanced age, but I have other family members who are in less than ideal circumstances. The situation is greatly complicated by my living on the opposite side of the globe from them! Even so, I cannot write them out of my life, so to speak, but am responsible to do whatever I can, starting with prayer. I wouldn’t even know of their situation if it weren’t for the Internet, but God knows their situation and He knows mine, and I need to be fully available and obedient. My own children are very concerned for my wife and me in our “declining years.” Thankfully, Japanese health insurance, and health care in general, is excellent, and adding together my Japanese pension with the little American Social Security I get, we could survive even without additional income. That said, I still teach and perform weddings, and look likely to be able to continue to do so for quite a while to come. However, this isn’t just about me and my family. As a pastor I am involved in many families, and we are hoping to open an assisted living facility. That would be an opportunity to show the world what the Family of God looks like, and I trust He is going to bring it to pass.

Father, You know all the family care issues that confront me, with both blood kin and the church family. Help me receive and act on Your wisdom so that Your will may be done in each situation, not only for the good of those involved but also as a testimony to all who are watching what is going on, leading them to repentance and faith for their salvation as well, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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January 17, 2017

Posted on January 21, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Timothy 4:4-5 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

This passage clearly counters any dietary restrictions. That is clear not only from the words here but from the context of all of Paul’s letters. That said, this short passage doesn’t touch on the matter of moderation and other considerations. Paul knew nothing of nutritional science, and assorted human concoctions were centuries in the future. Gluttony is one of the traditional Seven Deadly Sins, even though that ranking is hard to justify from Scripture. That said, gluttony can certainly be physically deadly, and it is clearly a form of idolatry. Just because something isn’t bad doesn’t mean you need more of it. This passage has been applied to alcohol, and I’m sure someone has probably applied it to marijuana as well. In genuine moderation, alcohol can help the circulatory system and it serves as a relaxant, but even the Bible is loaded with cautions about over-use. Though it does not appear in the Bible, the same can be said of marijuana. The fiber has been used since prehistoric days for rope, and assorted medical benefits have been demonstrated, but with the recent huge increase in usage in America, assorted medical problems of over-use are being identified as well. One factor in that is that through selective breeding, mankind has greatly increased the intoxicating chemicals in it, rather than those that have medical benefits. It might be hard to identify the modern form as “something God created!” What we’re back to is being submitted to God, placing Him first rather than anything else. That is the best insulation against any misuse of what He has created.

This naturally applies to me as much as it does to anyone. Thankfully, I have never liked the taste of beer. For that matter, not many alcoholic drinks have tasted good to me. I also seem to be well endowed with the enzyme that breaks down ethanol, because the one time I actually tried to get drunk I didn’t succeed. That said, I know that it would be easier for me than for many people to become dependent on alcohol precisely because I can “handle it,” so that is one of several reasons I don’t drink at all. The same can be said of marijuana. Having been in the US Army in Hawaii in 1970-71 I’ve certainly been exposed to it, though not the much more potent modern varieties. Since I stopped smoking a pipe in college after I decided I liked to taste my food more than I liked to smoke, the idea of deliberately drawing any kind of smoke into my lungs has not appealed to me. (It also helped that I had an uncle on one side of the family who was a biochemist doing cancer research, and one on the other side who died of lung cancer after a life of smoking.) However, I can say that crushed marijuana seed makes a very nice seasoning for beef gravy (discovered in an Army mess hall in Hawaii). Recently the medical benefits of canabinol oil have come to my attention, and that is not the intoxicating (THC) part. That has real potential to be of personal benefit in the future. It all comes down to personal accountability before God, serving Him in such a way that those who see me will be motivated likewise to serve God, for His pleasure and glory.

Father, thank You for all that You have created. Help me be the steward of it that You intend, yielding no territory to the devil, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 16, 2017

Posted on January 21, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Timothy 2:1-2 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

This passage is appropriate at all times, but never more so than right now in America, with a highly contentious election just behind us and an inauguration coming up this week. Most of us pray for our family and friends, if we pray at all. Active Christians are likely to pray for the sick, and hopefully for those who are persecuted, but a remarkably small percentage pray for those in government. There are exceptions of course, and perhaps – hopefully – recent events have increased that number. America is getting a fresh government that looks set to undo a number of distinctly anti-Biblical policies of recent years, but it is hardly without problems. The individuals involved are deeply flawed, as are we all. Because of America’s position in the world, it is beholden on all Christians, not just American Christians, to pray for the new American government, because if that government is good, it will be easier for people all over the world to “live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” At the same time, it is vitally important that American Christians not think that the government is the root and the answer to the nation’s problems. The past 200+ years have been a unique experiment in world history, because never before has a nation had the kind of representative government that exists in America. Such a thing was a wild pipe dream in Paul’s day. As a number of observers commented in the early years of the American experiment, such a government was and is possible only when the majority of the population holds to Biblical principles and standards (whether or not they obey them on a personal level). God arranged for the massive revival known as The Great Awakening just before the Revolutionary War. Without that revival, the experiment would have collapsed within a century. America today is in need of another, even greater revival. Every believer needs to get honest before God about their own priorities and lifestyle and repent as He indicates. For example, studies show us that well over 60% of Christian men have a problem with pornography, and that is far from the only addiction that is rampant in the Church. Such repentance needs to be parallel with the prayer Paul calls for here. If America will do that, as individuals and as a nation, then the forces of evil in the world will suffer a massive defeat.

Wow! I didn’t expect to write that this morning, though I got a bit of a hint of it when I quoted this passage in the message yesterday. I am not a resident of America, but prayer knows no boundaries, and personal holiness is called for in every human being. I have been more emotionally involved in American politics the past few years than ever before in my life, and that has impacted my prayers, though not enough. There are many areas in which I need to grow in prayer! I need to continue to be careful of my own lifestyle and priorities and I need to be sacrificial in my prayer life, spending the time called for to exercise the authority of the Name of Jesus as He intends. Yesterday I spoke on “Kings and Priests,” from 1 Peter 2:9. I need to lead by example in fulfilling those roles, so that more and more would do likewise, for God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this strong Word. Keep me from going on and leaving it behind, as though having recorded it I have fulfilled it. Help me live out the truth You speak to and through me, so that Your name may be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, right here on earth as it is in heaven, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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January 15, 2017

Posted on January 17, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.

This is a very succinct but potent blessing/prayer. The more we know and grasp God’s love, the more we will be lifted out of the swamp of this world’s values and temptations. However, that can be a “long row to hoe,” as the old expression has it. That’s why we need Christ’s patient endurance. Jesus may have been on the earth physically less than 34 years, but He still put up with a great deal. As it says in Hebrews, that’s why He can intercede for us so accurately. (Hebrews 4:15) Life in Christ has joy and peace and many other good things that can be had no other way, but even so, sometimes we just have to “grin and bear it,” to use another old expression. Jesus Himself famously said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) We miss out on a great deal when we fail to hang in through to the end. The movie of Shusaku Endo’s book, Silence, which is about Christian persecution in Japan, has just come out. The novel is historically based, but to me the whole story is tragic in ways a non-believer can’t understand. The persecution in Japan was the most successful, from the standpoint of the persecutors, of any persecution in Christian history, because it drove the believers so far underground that for many, their faith became unrecognizable from a Biblical perspective. Everywhere else, persecution has caused the Church to grow as it has stripped away all the nonessentials. I can’t be sure, but my impression is that the difference in Japan was that people saw salvation from too much of a temporal perspective. There were certainly many who valued Christ more than their physical lives, but too many saw things the way a major character in Silence did. According to the story, a missionary priest apostasized in an effort to spare his flock from physical suffering. Endo saw that as very noble, but to me it is tragic. That priest, and too many of the Japanese, didn’t believe that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) It indeed takes a great deal of faith to see being tortured to death as “light and momentary,” but from an eternal perspective, that’s what it is. Jesus chose to see His own crucifixion that way, and Paul is here praying that his readers would be able to do the same.

I’ve done my share of grousing about transient circumstances, so I have no high horse from which to look down on others about this. I too need more of the love of God and the patient endurance of Christ! I know without question that God makes available everything we need, whether it’s material, emotional, or spiritual, but we have to be open and available to receive it. God seldom supplies very much ahead of time, because if He did, we’d tend to think what we hold was ours and not His, and so forget our dependence on Him. This whole issue of endurance under persecution reminds me of the tradition of Peter’s martyrdom. We are told that, not only did he consider himself unworthy to die in exactly the same way as Jesus, and so at his request was crucified upside down, he also had to endure seeing his wife crucified before he was. To me, that would be the greater torture. It is said that he cried out to her, “Remember Jesus!” He was not about to place anyone’s physical situation above or ahead of their eternal salvation. I need to maintain that perspective myself, exercising patient endurance because I know the love of God.

Father, I’ve let some really minor things make me irritable recently. Forgive me. Thank You for making it clear to me what I’ve been doing. Help me indeed exercise the patient endurance of Christ so that Your love may flow through me unhindered to all around me, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 14, 2017

Posted on January 16, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

I don’t remember now how many years ago it was, or who was the speaker, but I’ll never forget having it pointed out that this verse records an answer to prayer. In 1 Thessalonians 3:12 it says, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” Paul was writing to the very same people, so here he is pointing out that God had answered his prayer for them. Recording answers to prayer can be an important aid in strengthening our faith. Not too often, but sometimes I go back and read devotional notes from even years ago, and I’m always touched by the faithfulness of God. If our memories were better, we’d have a stronger grasp of just how faithful He is. Actually the term, “answers,” isn’t entirely accurate. What we mean when we use it is, “affirmative answers.” Sometimes God’s answer is, “No, that’s not in your best interest at this time.” We don’t like that answer! The key to getting more affirmative answers is getting our hearts in line with God in the first place. David understood that when he wrote, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4) That’s what Jesus was talking about when He spoke of our being in Him and praying in His name. (John 15:7, 16:23-24) When we ask God for things in line with our relationship with Him and in keeping with the character of Christ in us, then the response is going to be affirmative every time. That said, we need to remember the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prayed earnestly to avoid the cross and all it meant, but His even stronger desire was that God’s perfect plan be accomplished, whatever that meant. (Matthew 26:39) Sometimes God’s plans look horrible for us in the short term, but the end result is always blessing and glory. (Jeremiah 29:11)

When I look back over the 60+ years since I was baptized there are literally countless examples of affirmative answers to prayer, but there are also many examples of negative answers. I am more grateful for some of those negative answers than for some of the affirmative ones! From all of that I have gained an assurance that God is listening, and for that I am hugely grateful. I talk about prayer fairly frequently in this church and I try to encourage people to pray, and I am mystified that so little prayer actually seems to take place. There are those who absolutely panic when asked to pray in public. There is a very real factor of not wanting to be embarrassed, especially in Japanese culture, but that being a factor shows a fundamental lack of understanding of prayer. I obviously can’t get it across by my wisdom and persuasiveness, so I’ve got to depend on the Holy Spirit. A few days ago the Lord was indicating that it would be helpful for me to study Paul’s pastoral prayers, but I haven’t done that yet. Often God’s answers to our prayers depend on our follow-through. I am not to bemoan anything or accuse anyone, but examine my own heart and life, seeking to be fully faithful and obedient to my Lord.

Father, You’ve been shining a light on some of my shortcomings recently. Thank You. Help me not gloss over any of that, but allow You to grow and shape me as You know needs to be done, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 13, 2017

Posted on January 16, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

This whole last section of 1 Thessalonians is loaded with “sound bite” teachings which are widely known and loved. However, just because something can be said compactly doesn’t mean it’s easy to do, and these three verses are certainly illustrations of that. They have been set to music multiple times, but just singing them doesn’t mean we are necessarily doing them. They call for two things: our will, and the power of the Holy Spirit. There are circumstances in which it is easy to be joyful, but there are also circumstances in which it is humanly impossible. Jesus famously spoke to that when He said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) We can be joyful when we are fully focused on Christ and what He has done for us. If we are focused entirely on the world around us, joy will be sporadic and entirely circumstantial. Praying continually sounds good, but the world is loaded with distractions, and few people really pray very much at all. We “run out of things to pray for,” when actually every detail of our lives and the world around us is a fit subject for prayer. Again it’s a matter of focus. There’s an old hymn that says, Did You Think to Pray? The problem is, all too often we don’t. And then there’s the matter of giving thanks. The NIV says, “in all circumstances,” and the Japanese says, “about everything.” We need to be careful to note that this doesn’t say to give thanks for everything. We aren’t to be thankful that the Islamic State is teaching young children to saw through the necks of living prisoners, for example. However, even there we can be thankful that God is still God; His justice will ultimately prevail, and the eternal destiny of anyone isn’t dependent on how they die. The Lord told me personally that He’s not pleased with many things in the world today, and we can be thankful for that fact in and of itself. It all boils down to faith and trust. If it is God’s will for us, as Paul says, then we are to apply ourselves to obedience.

This is remarkably close to home at the moment. All sorts of things are pressing in on me, and if I fail to pray and give thanks, I allow the devil to steal my joy. That benefits no one! Just thinking about everything involved in setting up an assisted living facility, not just the construction but particularly the red tape, and then everything involved in actually running it, is enough to make me want to run and hide. However, that accomplishes nothing. I need to put feet to these extremely familiar words and choose to do what God desires of me in Christ Jesus. Frustration and resentment simply tear me down, and they have repercussions for those around me as well. I am to rest, relax, and rejoice in my Lord, choosing to accept the faith and trust that He offers me, so that His plans may be fulfilled in and through me for His glory.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. It’s not like I didn’t know it, but I need help in staying on track. Help me indeed put into practice Your truth that is in me, so that I and those around me may be set free from the traps of the enemy, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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January 12, 2017

Posted on January 15, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 3:8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.

This verse uses a phrase that is a standard part of Japanese but doesn’t exist as an English idiom, so the English doesn’t seem as natural as the Japanese. The NIV renders it as “we really live,” but the meaning is more like, “we have a reason to live,” or “we get satisfaction from living.” The point is, pastoral ministry can be a thankless task (which is an English idiom that doesn’t exist in Japanese). I don’t think anything energizes a pastor more than for those under his care to grow spiritually, becoming true disciples of Jesus Christ. That’s what Paul is talking about here. Baptizing people is a joy, but even some of those fall away. The proof of the pudding (to use another idiom) is in how they live out their commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord. The best gift a church member can give their pastor is to get into the Word and live it out, in prayer, praise, and proclamation. Even one such spiritual child can make a great deal of labor worthwhile.

I’m certainly talking about myself with this one! Ministry in Japan doesn’t produce the numbers that ministry does almost anywhere else in the world, but when even a few believers really take hold of the truths in the Word and stand on them it makes it all worth it, just as Paul says in this verse. Few things are as distressing to me as when someone I have worked for and with falls away, even for a time, and that has happened far more times than I like to think about. My “payback” comes through those who center in on Christ and serve Him with their whole hearts. The interesting thing is, sometimes those are the same people! Sometimes people fall away for a while and then come back, and having tasted what it’s like to turn their back on God they never want to do it again. Those people are who give me hope in dealing with those who haven’t waked up yet. Pastoral ministry is a constant struggle for spiritual maturity, in myself first of all but certainly in those to whom I minister. God is the judge of my level of maturity, but it certainly gives me a thrill when I see evidence of maturity in my spiritual children.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You indeed for those who are pressing in for more of You. Help me remember that I can’t force anyone to grow, and trying to do so wears me out and makes them mad. Continue to grow me in prayer and love, so that my words may stimulate, encourage, and heal, rather than wound. Help me remember that all these people are Your children far more than they are mine – even my physical children. Help me release each one to You fully, while being Your agent to nourish and guide them, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 11, 2017

Posted on January 14, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 1:3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

I’m sure I’ve written on this verse multiple times before, because it hits so many important points – faith, love, hope. The thing is, faith is going to work. Paul himself famously proclaimed that we are saved by faith and not by works, (Ephesians 2:8-9) but faith is not passive; if we believe, then we are going to act accordingly. It is said that Blondin, a famous French tightrope walker of the late 19th Century, was one of the first to walk across Niagara Falls. As part of his performance he pushed a wheelbarrow across. He then asked the assembled crowd if they thought he could do it again with a person riding in the wheelbarrow. There was an affirmative roar, but then he asked for volunteers! True faith will “get in the wheelbarrow,” so to speak. Faith will act, but love will go so far as to labor. We even have the expression, “a labor of love.” Paul made it very clear in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is the purest motivation for labor; without it, that labor means very little. But then we come down to the nitty gritty matter of just hanging in there. Endurance is celebrated in some sports events, but it is very necessary for the simple matter of living in this world. Jesus said very clearly, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) We cannot “tough it out” without hope, but when our hope is fixed on Christ we can get through anything. 1 Corinthians 13:13 puts these three in different order, but it rightly says that they are what remain when everything else is swept away. With them we can stand strong and be effective. Without them, we are done for.

This is certainly applicable! I need to be careful my faith isn’t merely academic, but active. I need to let love motivate me to give my all. I need to remember that no matter how dark or difficult the moment, in Christ I am going to get through to the other side, and by His grace that other side is glorious. The past month and a half has been another training period, but the Lord has taken me through many such in the past, and I will go through many more. I am to rejoice that He considers me worth working on and with, and keep my heart open to receive His lessons and do as He indicates, so that His kingdom may come as His will is done in this earth.

Father, thank You for Your truly amazing grace. Thank You that as I drove home yesterday, when I fell asleep in the tunnel on the expressway we drifted over so gradually that when we hit the side we didn’t even stop, but just scraped the van up a bit. That certainly woke me up! Thank You for the reminder both that we exist only by Your grace, and that the schemes of the devil will not succeed against us. Today I will go to the Prefectural Office again about our plans for an assisted living facility. I pray that their reception will be as You want it to be and that we will be able to move forward on Your schedule, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 10, 2017

Posted on January 14, 2017 by jgarrott

Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

Here we have a description of a true pastor. Epaphras was physically separated from his flock, but he was still laboring for them in one of the most important ways. Every pastor prays for their flock, but not all do so accurately or consistently. Too often “the squeaky wheel gets the grease,” and people are prayed for only as they become problematical to the pastor. This is a major problem with “needy” Christians. Everyone has needs, but some people make a business of it, demanding attention at every turn. That not only wears the pastor out, it distracts him from pastoring the whole flock. It is quite true that Jesus told the parable of the 99 sheep vs. the one that wandered, but that’s not the same as a sheep that demands attention. Every pastor needs to seek the Lord for His ministry priorities, understanding that he can’t do the job on his own, much less meet every need for every individual. What he can do is labor in prayer, just as Epaphras did, so that the Holy Spirit will have free rein to do in each individual and in the flock as a whole exactly what the Father knows is needed. That doesn’t mean that other physical action isn’t called for, but it is to say that prayer is the foundation and the most important facet of pastoral ministry.

Ouch! It’s always interesting when the Holy Spirit stomps on my toes through what I write! I pray a lot, but my prayers tend to be the “squeaky wheel” type, focusing on the crisis of the moment rather than laying groundwork for what God wants to do in each life. I need to be deliberate and intentional in my prayers, not just going on the whim or crisis of the moment. I enjoy prayer, but I need to learn better how to labor at it rather than take it as automatic or some sort of side issue. The daily morning prayer times we’ve been having for the past few weeks have been very good, and I need to make the most of them. I’m on deck for tomorrow morning, and I need to be open ahead of time for what the Lord wants to say and do through me so that we may all continue to grow in prayer.

Father, thank You for this clear Word. Thank You for this time at this conference. In a number of ways it has been disappointing to the point of being frustrating, but You have been working nonetheless. Thank You for the tract You have prompted me to write. Help me follow through with that as You intend, to reap the results that You intend. Thank You for what You’ve said to me this morning about prayer. Help me be faithful about that as well, and not just slip back into my old ways. May I keep pressing forward for more of You, so that You may be manifested more and more in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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