July 14, 2016

Posted on July 17, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 93:5 Your statutes stand firm;
holiness adorns your house
for endless days, O Lord.

There is real blessing to reading the Bible in two languages, even if neither one is the original, because there will always be differences in nuance. Here, where the NIV says, “holiness adorns Your house,” the Japanese says, “holy things are appropriate for Your house.” Lots of Scriptures talk about being close to God or living in His house. This one gives a strong clue as to how to do that. God Himself has told us, “Be holy, because I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44 and several more) Peter quoted that in 1 Peter 1:16, so it is by no means “a legalistic requirement that we can ignore because of the cross.” It is very true that we can’t be holy by our own strength, but what God is asking of us is the will, the choice, to be holy. If we give Him that, He will come through and enable us to live holy lives. Many people shy away from the term, saint, because it presents an image to which they know they don’t measure up. (Calling specific people in Church history, “Saint So-and-so,” certainly doesn’t help.) Reading the New Testament, it is clear that the term, saint, refers to all believers. The thing is, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Because of what God did through Jesus on the cross, all who believe are holy, so we just need to live like what we are! We are back to the question of will. Too often, for one reason or another, we choose unholiness. Sex is an excellent example. In the marital context it is marvelously holy, drawing the husband and wife together as God intended, but outside of that context it is unholy, drawing us away from God. The problem is, our flesh doesn’t know the difference! That’s why Paul talked so much about the flesh in Romans and elsewhere. (The NIV says “sinful nature,” to keep us from hating our bodies, but that misses part of the point.) If our hearts, our wills, are committed to Christ in faith, then our bodies will follow suit, and we will indeed be holy, appropriate for God’s house and fellowship with Him.

This is a major issue for me, as it is for every believer. The world, with the strong encouragement of the devil, does all it can to make us unholy, and all of us have episodes of that in our past. If we dwell on what we have done, we will lose sight of what God has made us to be in Christ. It was a major release from a besetting sin when I really grasped what Peter was talking about. “But if anyone does not have them, he is short-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” (2 Peter 1:9) We need to grasp that God’s forgiveness really does cleanse us, as though we had never sinned in the first place. That’s what 1 John 1:9 is talking about. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I knew that verse as words, but until it sank into my soul and spirit I was far more vulnerable than I had any need to be. Having experienced this myself, it is my joy and privilege to teach it to others, but I certainly can’t do that in my own wisdom and strength. However, the Holy Spirit can use me to that end, so that must be my focus, to draw as many as possible into the life that God intends for us, for our blessing and His glory.

Father, thank You for this clear Word. I had wondered what I was to speak on Sunday! Help me put this into Your outline, using the Scriptures You know will penetrate, so that Your Word will accomplish all for which You send it, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

July 13, 2015

Posted on July 15, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 92:14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green.

This is certainly an encouraging Scripture for any senior citizen! However, the previous two verses set the conditions for this condition: being righteous, planted in the house of the Lord. There are many who grow old and bitter. Any fruit they bear isn’t worth having! There are also those who grow increasingly self-centered with age. They don’t bear much good fruit either. It is indeed when we seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) that we enjoy all the benefits of being God’s children. Someone who is righteous by God’s definition will indeed be “planted” in His presence. Active participation in a local congregation is extremely likely, but this certainly isn’t limited to that. This is talking about abiding in Him continuously, drawing nourishment from His Word, that Living Water that provides the very best nutrients (as in hydroponic farming). Such a person will indeed bear the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in abundance, along with the sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15) and other fruit as well. Our bodies age, yes, but our spirits can and should continue to grow.

Currently in a battle with my kidneys, I am very aware of physical age and limitations. That said, my focus is not only on my body but on my Lord. My body can yell pretty loudly at times, but it’s not my first priority, nor my master. I am to focus on staying planted in my Lord, in His Word, so that His righteousness may be manifested in and through me. I can’t do that in my own strength, but He has demonstrated time and time again that His grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9) It is interesting that God pointed that out to Paul in the context of a physical problem. Few things cause us to focus inward more than pain, but God says, quite rightly, that even in such situations we need to abide in Him. I am in such a training time, and I need to give Him thanks and praise for this opportunity to draw closer to Him, rearranging my priorities in line with His, so that His will may be done in and through me on His schedule for His glory.

Father, thank You for what You are allowing me to go through. Thank You that what the devil intends for evil, You will use for great good. I have a lot on my schedule the next three days. Help me recognize what is of You and what is not, and rest, relax, and rejoice in You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

July 12, 2016

Posted on July 14, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 89:1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love for ever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

At first glance this Psalm seems out of place in a series on the theme of prayer, but the last part of it, from verse 38 on, is something of an accusation of desertion and a request that God come through on His promises. That said, the praise and worship of the first part of the Psalm are justly well known and loved. This first verse has been set to music a number of times and is a very admirable faith declaration, especially for times when circumstances seem less than ideal. It is when things don’t look good around us that our words and our music become a “sacrifice” of praise. (Hebrews 13:15) It’s easy to sing praise songs and get happy when things are going the way we would like, but not nearly so easy when they aren’t! That’s why it’s significant that this verse speaks of God’s love and faithfulness. (The Japanese says “grace/blessings and faithfulness.) Those are God’s unchanging qualities, and we must never forget that, especially when things around us seem to be in a whirlwind of change. It is interestingly true that when our faith wavers, declaring our faith out loud is one of the most effective ways of strengthening it. Paul said that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) That is true even we are the ones speaking out what we are hearing! That’s why it’s so important to acknowledge circumstances but still declare that God is greater than those circumstances.

I just had a somewhat intense practicum in this very point. After taking my wife to see her cardiologist for a regular appointment, I started feeling stranger and stranger in my abdomen and decided I needed to go see my urologist. On the way there I had a sudden taste of salty saliva, which is often a precursor to nausea, and I was thankful his office wasn’t far. As he was doing a sonogram of my bladder, etc., I suddenly had to call for a basin, and over the course of the visit it became very clear exactly what I had eaten for breakfast. The trigger was the intensity of my pain, because the tests confirmed that I had a uretral calculus (kidney stone). After an injection and with other medications in hand I drove home, (which wasn’t the wisest course, but the Lord got me home safely) canceled all my appointments for the day, and went to bed. I won’t go into further details, but I am extremely relieved that I don’t have symptoms this morning! The thing is, while I was lying in bed hoping for the pain meds to kick in, I was letting praise songs run through my mind. “O Lord, You have been good; You have been faithful to all generations.” The pain I was experiencing didn’t cancel God’s faithfulness. This is something I have been learning to do more and more over the years, and it is certainly the best way I know to get through anything. All we experience on this earth is essentially momentary, however long and drawn out it might feel to us in the middle of it. God’s love and faithfulness are absolute and eternal, and we need to remember that.

Father thank You for the past 24 hours, though they weren’t fun at the time. Help me not take others’ difficulties lightly, but still point them to You and remind them of Who and what You are, so that they may not wallow in their pain but receive the blessings You intend for them, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

July 11, 2016

Posted on July 14, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 85:13 Righteousness goes before him
and prepares the way for his steps.

The first seven verses of this Psalm are a prayer for restoration, and the last six seem to be a record of what the Psalmist heard the Lord say to him in response. In any case, this last verse is a word of Divine wisdom that we would all do well to take to heart. That is, if we want the Lord to show up in a good way in our lives, living right is the way to invite Him. Grace is still grace; we can never be good enough on our own. However, rebellion against God, refusing to live as He has said so clearly in His Word, is no way to walk with Him. This is totally simple and logical, and yet countless people live however they want and then complain that God doesn’t bless them! This is not a matter of earning God’s favor, it’s a matter of not quenching or grieving the Holy Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19, Ephesians 4:30) Looking at the world around us, it’s no wonder so few people have clear assurance of God’s presence and love; it’s because they are totally compromised with the world and live no differently than those who don’t pretend to know God. If your day centers on a pornographic “fix,” for example, you can’t expect the joy of the Lord. We make all sorts of excuses and say things like, “Whatever works for you,” but the Bible is quite clear as to the sort of lifestyle that pleases God. If we want God’s best, then our focus needs to be on His kingdom and His righteousness, just as Jesus said. (Matthew 6:33)

This is something I have learned more and more deeply over the years. I spent entirely too long in pride and presumption, assuming for any number of reasons that God would bless me, all the while my heart was completely self-centered. That didn’t work very well! He was still incredibly gracious, but I didn’t enjoy His best, even though it was available to me. I certainly can’t claim perfect righteousness now (except positionally in Christ) but my hunger is indeed for God and His kingdom, and that is a powerful check on my attitudes and actions. I know without question that I can do nothing good apart from Christ, (John 15:5) so my focus is first to abide in Him, and only then to do anything else. As a pastor I try to communicate this lifestyle to others, but some of them seem as blind and stubborn as I once was! I am to pray for them and speak the truth in love as the Lord gives opportunity, and trust the Holy Spirit to change their hearts as He did mine.

Father, You know who came to mind as I wrote that. I do pray that Your Spirit would work powerfully in each of us, and all of us collectively, so that we may be transformed into the healthy part of the Body of Christ that You intend us to be, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

July 10, 2016

Posted on July 11, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 83:18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

This Psalmist was focused on human enemies, but the prayer in this verse, at least, is valid in every application. From the beginning of mankind the devil has been out to convince people that there are other gods than Yahweh, because his hunger is for the worship that belongs to God alone. He is behind every push in that direction, every false religion, including faux atheism that substitutes man for God. This Psalm seems a bit violent, but it is essentially saying, “Show who You are, Lord, because they seem to have no idea.” Today that would apply even to many nominal Christians! The majority of Americans polled have lost the concept of absolute truth, and that is part of this whole picture. The phrase, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it,” has very sincere roots, but too many people take it to mean that if they don’t believe it, it’s not settled. It would be more accurately expressed as, “God said it, that settles it, so I’d better believe it.” “Tolerance” has been elevated to some sort of “highest good” status, to the point of complete idiocy. Those who demand it most vehemently are in fact completely intolerant of anyone who doesn’t toe their particular line. It is not unreasonable to ask God to knock some sense into people’s heads, even with the awareness that some of those heads might crack! A genuinely New Testament faith doesn’t force itself on anyone, but it is absolutely uncompromising about truth. That’s not to say that there isn’t room for some disagreement, but we must not let anything but God have that highest place in our hearts and lives.

Looking at what I have just written, I realize that I will immediately be branded a bigot by a lot of people, even some I am close to, either by blood or association. I am also aware that, as C. S. Lewis pointed out, it is certain that when we get before God’s throne we will each of us discover that we were wrong somewhere. I am not to be holier-than-thou; I am not to look down my nose at anyone. That said, I am never to compromise the truth of God, but insist on it in love. Those who, either by choice or simply by being deceived, serve the devil will accuse me of everything in the book, but I must not be moved. I am to pray with the Psalmist that God would demonstrate that He alone is God over all creation.

Father, I know that it breaks Your heart much more than it breaks mine that so many people are wallowing in rebellion and deception. However, I also know that none of this surprises You. Help me walk in simple, faithful obedience at all times, whatever is going on around me, so that I may not get in Your way but rather be fully useful to You, so that Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

July 9, 2016

Posted on July 11, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 79:9-10 Help us, O God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name’s sake.
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”

This is another Psalm from after the destruction of the temple, but it is a step up from Psalm 74, because along with being horrified at the destruction, it asks for forgiveness. Also, it bases that request not on any personal merit, but on God Himself and the honor of His Name. I am reminded of what James had to say. “You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:2-3) Both why and how we ask are important. God desires to give us good things, but if we are totally self-centered about it all, we block a great deal of the good He has for us. If we are asking to make us feel good, or important, or better than someone else, the chances that he will grant our request are pretty slim. If we are genuinely asking for the sake of His kingdom and His righteousness, (Matthew 6:33) He is more than delighted to supply more than we could imagine, though He will do it in His way on His schedule. The Psalmist here is both humble and focused on God, but it would be 70 years before the return from captivity, and more years still before the temple was rebuilt. We need to pray with faith, but then leave the schedule in God’s hands. He understands timing better than we do, because He created time and He sees the end from the beginning.

This is certainly spot-on for me right now. Last night’s concert had seven present – and three of those were the performers! However, there was sweet fellowship, and we will see what God accomplished in that time. It is frustrating, humanly speaking, that so many people had specifically told us they were coming, and yet didn’t show up. So far three of those have expressed legitimate reasons, along with apologies, but that doesn’t account for the rest. Similarly, the land next door, for which we have been praying for 18 years, has had the house demolished and bids are going in for dealing with the trees that need to be removed, but we do not have human assurance that the owner will wait for us to come up with the funds to purchase the land, because as it stands right now, those funds won’t be available until September of 2017. This is certainly a test of faith! We need to be careful that our prayers are on the basis of who God is and for the sake of His kingdom and His righteousness, and not simply to make things easier for us or otherwise make us feel good.

Father, thank You for the lessons You teach us, and for Your plans that are far better than anything we could come up with. Help us indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, being faithful to do what You desire of us, when and how You direct us, leaving the results in Your hands so that You may receive all the glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

July 8, 2016

Posted on July 10, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 77:11-12 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.

The Psalmist’s inspiration here is a good idea regardless of your situation, whether good or bad. Despair cannot coexist with a right appreciation of God, and joy is multiplied and purified when we are looking at Him. In our humanity we are entirely prone to focus only on what our senses and our intellect tell us, but that is a mistake any way you look at it. We are finite, weak and foolish, but God is infinite, omnipotent, and omniscient. On top of that, He is love! The Bible tells us these things, but often we have trouble believing them. Rather than focusing on what might seem like abstract teaching and commands, it is often helpful to focus on specific things God has done, and that’s what the Psalmist is talking about here. The ultimate thing that God has done, which the Psalmist didn’t even know about when he wrote, is sending His Son to die for our sins and be resurrected as a demonstration of the victory His cross gives us over death, both physical and spiritual. That honestly doesn’t seem as magnificent as it really is unless we recognize our own sinfulness and need of salvation. It is when we realize that we were headed full tilt for hell, by our own choices and actions, that we understand and rejoice in the magnificence of God’s grace. It is no accident that Amazing Grace was written by a former slave trader. It is certainly not a good idea to run around sinning to try to get a better handle on grace. Paul ran into that distortion himself, and dealt with it in Romans 6:1-4. We need to realize that even if we have never done anything that society would condemn, any rebellion against God, any violation of His holy laws, is sufficient cause for our damnation. We don’t like to admit that, but acknowledging it is the key to understanding and receiving the fullness of God’s grace.

I am one who wallowed in the idiocy of spiritual and intellectual conceit. Somehow I thought I deserved all the blessings that had been poured out on me, that I deserved to go to heaven. How blind and foolish, and yet how typical. People don’t want to admit that hell is real because they certainly don’t want to admit that they deserve to go there. I seek to lead people to repentance and faith, but so often they stubbornly refuse to admit that they need to repent, and there can be no salvation without repentance. I deal with depression and assorted other psychological problems in many people, and there too the ultimate answer is a right appreciation of what God has done in Christ Jesus. I cannot rely on my own wisdom and persuasiveness to get this across to people, because I have demonstrated very thoroughly that doesn’t work. I’ve got to seek the help of the Holy Spirit and rely on Him, because He is the One who convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment. (John 16:7-11)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how this fits in with the message You have already been giving me for this Sunday. Help me remember all that You have done for, in, and through me in the past so that I will have joyful expectation of what You will do this time. Help me likewise expect great things of You for today, as we have a concert scheduled but a typhoon coming through. I pray that in every detail Your perfect will may be accomplished, so that the Body of Christ may be built up in every way, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

July 7, 2016

Posted on July 10, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 76:12 He breaks the spirit of rulers;
he is feared by the kings of the earth.

The Japanese renders this as, “The Lord brings the life of rulers to an end.” The thing is, no amount of wealth or political power can enable you to escape death. Those who arrange the death of their enemies are desperately trying to ignore the reality that they also are mortal. I think a lot of people today don’t fear God, but they still fear death. They don’t realize, or they don’t accept, that God is the final arbiter of life and death, both in the temporal realm and eternally. That is why both murder and suicide are so wrong: they claim for a person what is God’s to decide. This whole issue is why the cross and resurrection of Jesus are both so huge. Without the cross, our sins would not be dealt with, and we would have no hope of eternal fellowship with God. Without the resurrection, we would be unable to believe in the eternal life that was provided through the cross. The thing is, those who won’t accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ don’t have the hope of eternal life, and that’s what makes death so fearsome.

Just yesterday I was talking with someone who is a very active, alert 91-year-old. She knows about Jesus and says she loves Him, but she has not committed to His Lordship, and she fears death. As healthy as she is at this point she can reasonably expect to live a few more years, but she has no hope beyond that, and she acknowledges that. I have the challenge and privilege of sharing the Gospel with her so that the truth may set her free from the many decades of lies that have kept her from salvation. I do not have the wisdom or ability for that task in myself, but God can accomplish it through me, and I need to rest in that awareness. Japan as a whole is in a number of ways a society of death. Suicide is famously accepted, and Japanese Buddhism revolves almost entirely around death, teaching people they must pray to their ancestors and guard the “ancestral tablets” in their home altars. As a Japanese has pointed out to me, since, if your home altar is getting too full of such tablets a priest will come and ceremonially dispose of them for you, what difference does it make to have the tablets in the first place? My 91-year-old friend said yesterday that her current task in life is to guard those ancestral tablets, but that no one will do it after she’s gone. That is absolutely pathetic! I need to share the reality of life in Christ with her by the power of the Holy Spirit so that she may let go of the lies in which she has trusted and receive the glorious truth of God’s grace and love.

Father, there is so much going on around me that I am emotionally exhausted. Help me indeed wait in hope on You, so that Your strength may replace mine that is no strength at all. (Isaiah 40:31) As You have told me so many times, may I indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, allowing You to carry me along by Your Spirit, so that all of Your purposes for me may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

July 6, 2016

Posted on July 7, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 75:6-7 No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt a man.
But it is God who judges:
He brings one down, he exalts another.

This is something we see and yet have a hard time accepting, and at the same time it is something of a mystery. People who are manifestly evil, such as Hitler, rise up and do a great deal of damage before they are brought down. “Back room politics” have gotten quite a few people elected to high office. At the same time, God is still sovereign; nothing can happen without His permission. He created mankind with free will, and most of the time He allows that to play out. The current political situation in America is an excellent case in point. We tend to focus on who seems to be at the top of the heap, but God sees everything that is going on. We draw back from saying that things are “judgments of God,” but the Bible isn’t so politically correct as to hesitate to say that. When unsavory people seem to rise, we need to examine the conditions that allowed that to happen. In America today, the level of ignorance is at times astounding, and the level of morality is too often abysmal. Under such circumstances, what rises isn’t cream, it’s scum; our leaders are a reflection of ourselves. As Franklin Graham and others are pointing out, what America needs is repentance. Daniel is an excellent example in this area, because even though he was personally righteous, he repented of the sins of his nation, his people, and didn’t claim those sins had nothing to do with him. Christians in America have been blind and passive for too long, allowing themselves to be polluted by the rising tide of filth instead of seeking God and His righteousness. As some are pointing out today, if the pulpits were pure, the people would be challenged to righteousness and the nation would be healthy, instead of diseased almost beyond recognition.

The situation in America has been very much in my awareness over the past few years. If I didn’t have children and grandchildren there I perhaps wouldn’t feel it so sharply. However, I must not let other people’s sins blind me to my own; the moral climate around the world is such that no Christian should let their guard down. This is hardly a new problem, and the whole Bible has a lot to say about it. I find the issue raised almost every time I read the Bible! I am to walk in personal purity and faithfulness, never thinking I am above it all, because such conceit lays me wide open to the devil. I am to speak the truth in love at all times, speaking into lives and situations as the Lord gives opportunity, and making full use of those opportunities. (Colossians 4:5)

Father, I get so tied in knots over things at times. You have told me to rest, relax, and rejoice, yet I deviate from that all too often. Help me remember always that You are God, Jesus is Lord, and the Holy Spirit in me is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) May I be an open, available channel of Your grace for however and to whomever You choose to use me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

July 5, 2016

Posted on July 7, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 74:12 But you, O God, are my king from of old;
you bring salvation upon the earth.

It is clear that the Psalms are not arranged in chronological sequence, because this one was obviously late, after the destruction of the temple. In that context it seems a little odd to me that the Levite who wrote this started off with “Why?” Israel and Judah had been flagrantly unfaithful to God, and God had been clear from the days of Moses what would happen if they did that. That said, the writer did turn to God, and that’s the best course in any situation. We don’t see the repentance here that was probably called for, but neither do we see rejection of God, spitting in His face because things happen to be rough. Sadly, that reaction is all too common! Humility before God is always a good idea, and indeed is essential. The Psalmist does make this personal, saying “my King.” Perhaps his personal devotion to God had blinded him to the rampant idolatry in the land. I think that is an issue in America today. Those who personally love God are unaware of how low the nation as a whole has sunk, morally and ethically. It is past time for the people of God to wake up, stand up, and speak up. One of the saddest things about the current political situation is that so many people who claim the name of Christian are actively supporting either a pathological liar who worships power or an immoral egotist who worships himself. Sad days indeed. Those who do know God and love Him need to be active participants in society, being salt and light and so bringing preservation and truth. (Matthew 5:13-16) There must be humility, but there must also be active faithfulness.

I was never particularly political until about nine years ago, when political options became really obvious. Things seem to have escalated rapidly since then, but the foundation for the decay was laid many years ago. Living in Japan, I don’t have many options for participation, but I am certainly to be active in prayer. In terms of speaking up, I am to proclaim God’s truth and righteousness rather than be on any particular political soap box, but I am not to shy away from stating God’s truth even if it might trigger rejection, even from people I care about. I wish I could say that all of my relatives, even, were active in their pursuit of God, but that’s not the case. I am to pray, and recognize the opportunities God provides for me to speak His truth in love, so that the Holy Spirit may take my words and use them to open eyes that are tight shut.

Father, looking back I can see how easily I was influenced by the filth in the world, so I have no place of moral superiority to talk down to anyone. Help me rather speak as a recipient of Your grace, not failing to speak truth because of my own need to apply that truth more consistently. May Your Name indeed be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your children choose to do Your will in their daily lives, even as all do in heaven. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment