Human Rules; February 7, 2025

Posted on February 8, 2025 by jgarrott

Matthew 15:8-9 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.’”

I thought I would be quoting the New Testament, but this is Jesus quoting Isaiah! Frank Viola and Leonard Sweet are quite accurate in Jesus: a Theography in saying that Christ is the theme of the entire Bible, from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21. Human nature hasn’t changed, and neither has God. What this passage says is precisely how new/false religions spring up. That might seem obvious, but Isaiah, and Jesus, were talking to people who knew Yahweh, or at least knew of Him, and they had the Law of Moses. Rules are necessary for a smoothly functioning society, but we have to be very careful not to put human rules on the plane of God’s commands, much less supplant God’s commands with human rules, as the Pharisees were doing here. On a lower level, this can be illustrated by what has been going on in the US, with the Bill of Rights being supplanted by “woke” policies. Thankfully that looks like it’s being reversed, but it really got to some absurd levels. That said, we are quick to recognize when others do this sort of thing but fail to see where we are doing it ourselves. A correct relationship with God requires a fundamental humility that is all too often lacking. Even in prayer, we are quick to come to God with a list of requests that are all too often demands, rather than expressing our heart to Him and listening for how He will respond. People who put down prayer have no concept of listening to God!

As I have commented many times, I grew up in a home where prayer was as natural as breathing, and I’m deeply grateful. That would not have been possible without a fundamental commitment to obedience on the part of my parents, but that commitment underlaid everything they said and did. I have certainly strayed from that more times than I like to remember, but I seek to have that commitment as my own guiding principle. That said, I still have the tendency to place my own opinions and preferences entirely too high in my priorities, desiring what feels good to me instead of what God is saying. That is entirely foolish, because I know full well that God is love, and His every command is for my benefit. This is most often an issue for me as a pastor, where my opinions can have the weight of law at times. I’ve got to be very careful of that, especially when God uses one of the church members to correct me! I do not want to be in the position of the Pharisees to whom Jesus was speaking, nor of the people Isaiah was addressing.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You have been doing in this conference, for the physical healing Cathy and I have experienced and for how You have spoken into our hearts. May we not let these things slide or fade away, but rather live out all that You desire of us, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Speaking for God; February 6, 2025

Posted on February 7, 2025 by jgarrott

Matthew 10:19-20 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Reading this, the recent images of Trump’s cabinet nominees in their Senate confirmation hearings came to mind. They weren’t as antagonistic as what Paul experienced in Antioch after he was arrested in Jerusalem, but the image seems very similar. This doesn’t mean we aren’t to prepare to speak, but it does mean we aren’t to be anxious about it, however antagonistic the setting. For example, the closest of the cases in the Senate hearings was Pete Hegseth. He had all of the information he needed at hand, and didn’t hesitate to respond respectfully and accurately to every question. Sermons aren’t generally a cross-examination situation, but we need to be very familiar with the material the Lord has indicated we are to cover, so that He will have no trouble pulling the right words out of us as we speak. The more we’re worried about it, that shows the more we’re focused on ourselves rather than on God, and the more likely we’ll just be speaking what’s in our head rather than what God has put in our heart. Speaking as God’s representative is a huge responsibility, but He’s up to it!

As someone with Teacher gifting, speaking in front of groups has never been that big an issue for me, for which I’m grateful. However, that doesn’t mean I’ve always been sensitive and yielded to the Holy Spirit on such occasions! I admire well-crafted sermons, but I have heard beautiful sermons that had no anointing, and I don’t want to deliver any such! At the same time, I don’t want to be lazy and unprepared. That is presuming on God, and it doesn’t please Him. I am to be thoroughly familiar with the Bible, so that I won’t hesitate when the Lord indicates I’m to include something that wasn’t in my original notes, and I am to consider my audience and let the Lord show me how to speak understandably to them. Again, I am to be a good steward of the resources God has provided to me, but know that it ultimately doesn’t depend on me, but on Him. Frankly, I enjoy sharing the riches of God’s truth, and will preach “in season and out of season,” as Paul told Timothy. (2 Timothy 4:2) I’m more likely to need brakes than encouragement! The danger there is in my saying things that sound good to me, instead of what the Lord wants me to speak at that time in that situation. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way, but the Lord is faithful, and I’ve known Him to use what I thought were my mistakes for blessing, and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for speaking clearly to me yesterday about what I’m to speak on Sunday, and for enabling me to prepare those notes already. I’m a little concerned about how long it will go, since we also have a Gideons testimony that day, but that’s Your business. Help me indeed take my eyes off of myself, and off of the clock, and be fully obedient to You so that Your Word through me may accomplish everything for which You send it, (Isaiah 55:11) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Anxiety; February 5, 2025

Posted on February 6, 2025 by jgarrott

Matthew 6:27 “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

It’s interesting that modern medical science says that anxiety actively shortens life. That certainly puts an exclamation point on what Jesus says here! I have heard it said that the ability to worry, to project potential bad events into the future, was an important survival mechanism. Those who worried about whether wild animals would come into their dwellings to eat them were more likely to survive to leave progeny than those who didn’t. However, there are certainly limits to the usefulness of such a response. We are created for faith, to trust God and be obedient to Him, whatever goes on in our lives. This isn’t a simple “don’t care” attitude; we are indeed to care deeply about what happens in our lives. However, as Jesus said so famously in verse 33, it’s a matter of priorities. If we seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, then all our needs will be met. If the things of God are an afterthought, then there’s no telling what will happen! The devil does all he can to distract us from the things of God, and he’s all too often completely successful. He doesn’t much care what he uses to that end, whether it’s things that seem good to us or things that seem bad, just so long as they aren’t the things of God, and what He’s saying to us. The issue isn’t the externals, but our attitude. Some people can be wealthy and totally dedicated to God, and some people are totally consumed by their wealth. Some people can go through great trials and come out as saints, and others are embittered by far lesser difficulties. As Paul famously said, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) We need to be situationally aware, but at the same time reject anxiety. That’s far easier to say than to do, but by the grace and help of God it’s both possible and glorious.

I am thankfully not an anxious person by personality. I think that comes from my never having reason to doubt that I was loved – which included being appropriately disciplined. I have always had the conviction that God was not capricious, doing things for no reason. With the conviction that God loved me, whether I deserved it or not, and that His plans for me were good, what did I have to be anxious about? That said, I’m as human as the next person. I have indeed had times of worrying about what was going to happen, but they have never benefited me, and I’m deeply aware of that. That has led to a tendency not to plan ahead, which hasn’t been good, but it has contributed to my overall physical health. My cortisol levels are definitely on the low side! God has been very gracious to me, but the longer I live, the more I know that it is entirely grace, and not something I have earned. Several years ago He told me to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him. I still don’t do it perfectly, but it’s a great way to live!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for getting us to this conference so successfully yesterday. Everything about the trip flowed very smoothly, and I’m grateful. I pray that all of Your plans for this conference, not just for me but for every participant, will be fulfilled as You desire and intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Standards; February 4, 2025

Posted on February 5, 2025 by jgarrott

Matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

This whole section is discarded by humanists as “impractical,” or “unrealistic.” That’s because they love their sins, and have no intention of discarding them! Jesus caps it all off with “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” in verse 48, and we just throw our hands up and say, “No way!” I think that part of Jesus’ purpose in giving all of these teachings was to show that indeed, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) We get comfortable with how we are, and fail to recognize our own need for repentance and growth. It is only when we acknowledge God’s standards that we understand how precious, indeed vital, God’s grace and mercy are, to us individually as well as to society as a whole. In the case of adultery, as this passage deals with, there is a whole industry dedicated to getting people to violate what Jesus said! And sadly, there are many who, at least for a while, are willing participants. When society is so debased, it is easy to feel “pure” and “holy” in comparison, so Jesus had to lay down God’s absolute standards. When Jesus tells us things like “Love your enemies,” (Matthew 5:43-44) our human minds recoil. However, God makes it possible. I’ll never forget the time I was crossing a large park in Fukuoka as a child with my mother. The park has a huge statue of Nichiren, the founder of one of the major sects of Japanese Buddhism. One of their offshoots is the Buddhist equivalent of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and a young man, probably from that offshoot, came up and accosted us, saying rather belligerently to my mother, “You’re a missionary, aren’t you?” She confessed to being guilty as charged, so he started in with “You missionaries demand things of us that are impossible, but we only ask of people what is possible. You tell us to love our enemies, but that’s impossible.” My mother countered with the story of a couple whose son had been shot down over Japan in WWII and was in a POW camp. Just days before the end of the war, one of the guards had shot and killed him. After this, hearing what had happened from other Americans who had been prisoners, the parents traveled to Japan to track down that guard to bring him to justice as a war criminal. In the process, they learned that he was a young teenager from Hiroshima, and had lost all his family in the atomic bombing, and had shot their son in a paroxysm of grief and desire for revenge. By the time they found him, God had so worked in their hearts that they ended up legally adopting him. As my mother said, what is humanly impossible is possible for God. Hearing this story, the young man who had accosted us had nothing more to say.

I have certainly done my share of ignoring God’s standards, justifying myself, and it is dangerous indeed. However, I have also learned, with Paul, that “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) God’s standards aren’t impossible, or even unrealistic, when we abide in Christ. At the same time, likewise with Paul, I know that it’s “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (Philippians 3:12) Repentance is essential as a continuing practice, leading us into spiritual growth. My goal, after all, is the perfection of Jesus Christ my Lord!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the conference we’re leaving for this morning. I pray that these four days would be all that You intend them to be, opening the minds and hearts of all the participants, so that individually and collectively we may be transformed more and more into the likeness of Your Son, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Presence; February 3, 2025

Posted on February 4, 2025 by jgarrott

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

This chapter has various physical descriptions of heaven, the New Jerusalem, but I feel like they are all allegorical, and to me of no great significance. This, however, is the kicker: eternity will be totally with God. Everything else is largely incidental. We tend to get impressed with such things as this huge cube of a city (how do people navigate vertically?) but as many people have discovered even in this life, the physical is meaningless without the spiritual. The longer I live with my Lord, the less important the physical seems to me. The next verse is important too, talking about the elimination of the negatives of life on this earth, but I don’t see how it could be otherwise, because it would be washed away by the overwhelming reality of God’s presence. We imagine all sorts of things about heaven, and the reports of people with Near Death Experiences garner a lot of interest. However, the salient point is that we will be with God and He will be with us. The amazing thing is that we can taste that to a small extent here and now. Anointed worship is indeed the closest thing to heaven!

My feelings on this matter are perhaps most influenced by an experience I had around 30 years ago. I was in a small prayer meeting with three brothers in Christ – a Japanese, a German, and an American – and we had been worshiping the Lord together when the joy and presence of the Lord came on me so strongly that I literally said to Him, in my heart, “Lord, if You have anything more for me to do here, You had better let up a little, because one more drop and My body will give up.” My wife had a Near Death Experience around 50 years ago, and her description of that is certainly inviting, but even that doesn’t compare to the pure, unimpeded Presence of the Lord. I do enjoy life in the here-and-now, but never more than when I am aware that I am walking through it with my Lord. As I wrote yesterday, it all depends on my focus. There is no room for pride or ambition or lust of any sort in His presence, and that presence is more wonderful than anything those things can give me. They are all illusions; God alone is real. I have much more to do here before He lets me enjoy Him totally, and I must not take any of it lightly. I am to delight in His blessings while being faithful in the tasks He gives me, for His glory alone.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all that is going on around me. Yesterday was a good day, and I’m grateful. May I recognize Your plans for each moment of today and fulfill my part in them faithfully, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Integrity; February 2, 2025

Posted on February 3, 2025 by jgarrott

1 John 2:4-5 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him.

John was not politically correct, any more than Jesus was. He spoke and wrote the truth in love, regardless of whether people might be offended. These days, calling someone a liar is a big no-no! However, consistent with the whole rest of the Bible, John says the proof of the pudding is in the eating; how you act either validates or invalidates your words. This is the point James makes in his whole letter, which made Martin Luther call it a “book of straw,” because he was fixated on “by faith alone.” However, genuine faith will act, and as John says here, those who genuinely know God will be obedient to Him. This is why Jesus clashed so strongly with the Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses: they focused on the right words, without having congruent actions. (Matthew 23:3) Confessing that Jesus is your Lord, on the basis of believing that He died for you and rose again, is indeed the basis of salvation, (Romans 10:9) but if that is indeed true, then you will start acting like it from that point forward. The problem is, none of us follow through perfectly, which is why repentance is an ongoing necessity. The devil loves to tell us, “You did that, so you’re not a real Christian.” (After all, Satan means “accuser.”) However, that’s usually just another of his lies. It is when we settle into habitual sin and it doesn’t bother us that we’re in real trouble. That doesn’t mean at all that we’re to excuse our sins. They nailed Jesus to the cross. How could we excuse them? However, as John famously wrote in this very letter, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) We are works in progress, but if our commitment is real, we can trust the Master Craftsman to complete the job, as Paul wrote to the Philippians (Philippians 1:6) and as he claimed for himself. (2 Timothy 1:12)

I am very regularly confronted with my own imperfection. However, just this morning the Lord pointed out to me that the more I focus on myself and all my imperfections, the more down I get. But, the more I focus on Him, the happier I get! I have no doubts about my own salvation, but I find I long more and more for the day of its completion, when I stand unspotted before my Lord. I’m not at all to give up on life here and now; indeed it is filled with blessings. That said, I get tired of all the hassles of it all. That’s why the Lord had to remind me this morning to focus on Him! I am to remember at all times that His plans are good, and rest, relax, and rejoice in Him.

Father, thank You for these reminders. I certainly need them from time to time. I have much less tolerance for busyness than I once had. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You regardless of what is going on around me and the part I am to have in it, so that Your will may be done in and through me on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Walking in the Light; February 1, 2025

Posted on February 2, 2025 by jgarrott

1 John 1:6-7 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

This is in many ways a culmination of the months we have been reading passages connected with light. It does no good to talk about it if you aren’t walking in it! There are all kinds of darkness, and all kinds of light. Recently my wife and I have encountered a prophecy over the Internet about “3 days of darkness.” This is obviously something supernatural/spiritual, and it seems to me to be calculated to generate fear and/or anxiety in believers. As it says in the verse ahead of this, there is no darkness at all in God, so we are to rest in the assurance of our life in Christ. There are indeed incredibly dark things in the world, but we aren’t to fear them, but rather resist them. As a song from over 40 years ago says, “Don’t try to drive the darkness out; you just turn on the light.” We are called to be light, not on our own but as reflectors of the light of Christ. I personally like the image of fiber optics, which of course didn’t exist in Biblical times, which transmit light so accurately and effectively that detailed information can be contained in the light. That’s what we are to be in relation to Christ Jesus our Lord. In shining with His light, we are to transmit His truth to people so that they may be set free. (John 8:32) As this passage says, walking in His light enables fellowship, with Him and with one another. When two parties have no fellowship, there is darkness in at least one and probably both. When fellowship is cut off, we need to examine ourselves honestly to identify places of darkness, and if we find them, we need to repent immediately and welcome God’s light, however embarrassing it might be.

This morning I am sharply aware that my wife and I are under spiritual attack, in a variety of ways. That makes this reading very timely! We are to allow God’s light to flood us, submitting fully to Him so that we may firmly resist the devil. (James 4:7) There are a number of things we need to do, and we are not to let the devil confuse us or make us anxious, but faithfully take the next step in each project as the Lord directs. Stress tends to make me irritable, and that certainly interferes with fellowship. It’s been many years since the Lord told me personally to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, but I’m still learning how to do that! I certainly do not want to say I walk in the light and then fail to do so! Times like this are training, and I am to be grateful for them, giving God the glory.

Father, thank You for this very timely reminder. Help me stand firm against all the lies of the devil and walk boldly in Your light, doing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Legacy; January 31, 2025

Posted on February 1, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Peter 1:15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

Peter and Paul both were informed by the Holy Spirit that their martyrdom was close, and they responded similarly. Paul had already written the many letters that form half of the New Testament, so he just wrote to Timothy, his dearest son in the faith. Peter had only written one letter that remains at this point, and he did that with the help of Silvanus, who corrected his Greek very beautifully. Here, he had no such help, and the Greek is frankly of poor quality, exposing his Galilean fisherman roots, but he didn’t let such embarrassment hold him back. His overriding concern was that his spiritual children continue in pure faith, just as it was for Paul. Today we have the New Testament fully available, so there isn’t as much urgency in that area, but there are still a lot of heresies and bad actors running around, so we should do all we can to confirm a strong Biblical foundation in those we lead. Just yesterday I watched an interview by Nick Freitas of a woman who had an almost unbelievable experience with a heretical pastor who actively worked to “deconstruct” the faith of believers. I find it fascinating that Nick, who is technically a politician at this point, is so active in ministry in various ways. I’m a big admirer! Since there are such people as that pastor, we do need to be careful that God’s truth is firmly planted in those to whom we minister. We don’t have to write books, but in this Information Age there are all sorts of ways to communicate. The point is that truth needs to be communicated to be applied, and we aren’t going to be around forever to keep reminding people, so we should seek to leave a lasting legacy of faith.

I’ve been publishing this blog since October of 2015, and I now have over 1000 people who receive it daily – whether or not they read it! At 76, I am much more aware of my own time limitations than I was when I was younger, naturally enough, but I have great assurance of the power of the Holy Spirit to seal the truth in the hearts of believers. I’ve made a start on my own autobiography, as a record of God’s grace, but I have let myself be distracted. I still have areas of self-discipline in which I need to grow! As my father recognized 60 years ago, I have a gift for words, and I need to exercise that more faithfully so that more people may receive God’s truth for their blessing. At the same time, I must remain careful that I don’t go spouting off on my own, because that benefits no one. God’s Word is true, but anything that is just mine is worthless.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your incredible faithfulness, even when I am less than faithful. Help me follow through with each thing You show me to do, so that what remains may be Your works, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Who We Are in Christ; January 30, 2025

Posted on January 31, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

I almost wrote on a different part of this chapter, but this verse is just too glorious to pass up! This has been very memorably set to music, and I learned it that way many years ago. When I translated it into Japanese I changed the “you” to “we,” making it a faith declaration, and I think it serves that purpose very well. This is the assurance God wants us to have. It isn’t conceit, because the operative agent is God, not man. When we know who and what God has made and called us to be, all sorts of things change. All the trials of this world shrink greatly in perspective, because we know the glory for which we are being prepared. As Paul famously said, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) This doesn’t mean we look down on others, but rather that we seek to lift them up to the place God has prepared for us all. “Doom and gloom” disappear from our vocabulary, and we eagerly look forward to the next thing God has for us. The scale is different in many respects, but I think what is happening in the US right now is a good illustration. Conservative patriots have a fresh hope, a fresh optimism, and the mood is contagious. In many respects it feels like awaking from a nightmare, and some people are downright giddy. That has its risks, but it has been many years since a national leader has used the term, manifest destiny, in a speech. There are some who despise that way of thinking, but an objective look at the past 250 years of world history shows that the US is indeed unique in a number of ways, and most of them are good. For one thing, the US has sent out more missionaries by far than any other nation. As big as all that is, it is minor compared to what Peter is saying here, and the better we grasp that reality, the more useful we will be to God in establishing His kingdom.

Several years ago I participated in a round table for The Christian Newspaper here in Japan. I think my most important contribution was the statement that when Japanese Christians wake up to who and what they are in Christ, not only the nation, but the whole world will be transformed. I think it’s much like world politics started changing once Donald Trump was elected, even before the inauguration. We have spiritual authority, not on our own but because of who we are in Christ, and the better we exercise that authority, the more God’s will will be done in this earth. I am never to be cocky, but I am never to back down. As James said, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) I am to remember who and what I am in Christ and teach others who they are as well, so that the devil’s schemes may be defeated and God’s will be done, for His glory alone.

Father, thank You for this reminder. As many times as You’ve spoken this to me, I still tend to forget it in practical terms. I ask for Your anointing as I prepare the message notes for Sunday, so that the believers may likewise be encouraged to stand up as who You have created them to be, for their great blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Change; January 29, 2025

Posted on January 30, 2025 by jgarrott

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Every part of James is packed with extremely practical, even hard-hitting, truth, so it’s hard to choose what to write on. However, that can be said for a lot of the Bible, because after all, it’s God’s Word to us! This particular verse is a reminder to be grateful. I’m reminded of a refrigerator magnet we had at one point that said, “Happiness is seeing a beautiful sunset and knowing whom to thank.” The Japanese translation of this verse inserts something I don’t remember seeing in English translations. It specifies that the “shifting shadows” are because of the movements in the heavens, ie. the sun and the moon. God created the light, and the things that give us light, but He Himself does not change, the way we see things change on the physical plane. The physical world changes, no matter how solid and permanent it might seem. Sometimes we see news items of natural landmarks disappearing, because the very forces that created them work to their destruction. There was a cliffside that looked so much like a man’s face that it became a symbol of the state of New Hampshire, but a few years ago that cliffside collapsed, so the “face” exists only in photographs and on car license plates. That’s a good reminder that as He told Malachi, only God doesn’t change. (Malachi 3:6) In the physical world, it has understandably been said that “The only constant is change.” We can’t stop time and entropy. That’s why all the hoopla over “climate change” is such a scam. Everything in the physical world is constantly changing, so we need to fix our hopes and our affections on the only One who doesn’t change. Thankfully, He is incredibly loving and gracious, and delights to give us good things. We just need to remember where they came from!

Once again I am reminded to be grateful for the upbringing I had. My parents were very aware that every good thing came from God, and they raised their children to know it as well. There is a constant tension between knowing that God provides everything good and knowing that we aren’t to be passive. Perhaps the ultimate example of that is expressed very famously by Paul: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) God has provided eternal salvation for us, the ultimate “perfect gift,” but He doesn’t expect us to just sit around, but rather do the good works that He has prepared for us to do. I have some tension with a close friend, because I tend to focus on “God will provide,” and he focuses on “We need to plan and act.” This church has never really set a budget, because we don’t know in advance what God will provide when, and that drives my friend up the wall. I do need to listen to him, but at the same time never forget that God is the One who provides, and so keep my focus on Him.

Father, this is an area where I need to keep growing. Help me grow particularly in hearing You, so that I will indeed do all the good works that You have prepared for me to do, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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