June 4, 2016

Posted on June 6, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 9:20 Let the nations know they are but men.

This brief little snippet of a prayer is actually of great importance. The thing is, mankind is all too prone to forget that they are simply human. Today we have active work on “man-machine interfaces” and “artificial intelligence,” attempting to transcend the boundaries of what it means to be human, but none of that changes the fundamental reality that we are mortal. We were created to be eternal but our physical beings are manifestly mortal, however much we try to change that or simply ignore it. We love “super heroes,” because we would like to be that way ourselves, but in the process we overlook the only true super hero who has ever lived: Jesus Christ. After His resurrection He walked through locked doors and levitated up into the sky, and even before that He walked on water and performed numerous miracles. He was fully human, but He was manifestly not just human. The thing is, we can be in Him by faith and obedience, and if we do that, we have the assurance that we will be like Him. (1 John 3:2) For that to happen, we have to first realize that apart from Him we can do nothing, (John 15:5) because in ourselves we are no more than human. Praying this prayer for the nations is actually praying God’s best for them, because He desires that everyone repent and believe for their salvation.

I have certainly had my times of superhuman fantasies, but I have come to realize that what I have in Christ is far better than anything I could imagine. There are times when I chafe at being “just human,” so I have to remember that I belong to Him who is genuinely, authentically divine. As He told Paul, His power is manifested most perfectly in our weakness, (2 Corinthians 12:9) so I need to be satisfied with that and rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, just as He has told me to. I am not to go around telling people, “You’re no more than human,” but I am to pray for God to reveal that to their spirits by His Spirit, and keep myself ready and available to share the Gospel with them when their hearts are ready.

Father, thank You for Your incredible mercy on us all. In our humanity we defy You all too often. I pray that more and more people would indeed repent and believe, receiving Your salvation and entering Your family as Your children, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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June 3, 2016

Posted on June 5, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 8:3-4 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

Modern light pollution has robbed the average person of the sense of perspective that David expresses here. There are plenty of magnificent images available on the Internet, but nothing compares to looking directly up at more stars than you could possibly count. The more we know of the vastness of the universe, courtesy of the Hubble and other such telescopes, the more awed we should be that God really does care about individual human beings. There are those who want to deny that He does, because they want to escape accountability, but when they face the end of their lives, who will they depend on? In David’s day they knew only as much as could be seen with the naked eye, but that was enough to make him and others seek their Creator. David had the huge advantage of being a descendant of Abraham, whom God had chosen as a contact person through whom to give knowledge of Himself to mankind. As a result, David knew that his Creator was holy and just and did not ask for such things as infant sacrifice. Many of the nations around him did not have that awareness, just as the devil is working to remove that awareness from modern society. America has sacrificed far more infants to Molech than the Philistines ever did! We lose a great deal when we lose the sense of wonder that the Creator of the universe would care about us. That’s why Jesus’ message, in the simplest terms, was, “Repent and believe.” (Mark 1:15) We need to repent of our self-centeredness, our ignoring God and doing our own thing, before we can believe that He does care intimately about us, despite having created the vastness of the universe. Only then can we receive the incredible gift of eternal life through His Son, and rejoice to be His children. (John 3:16, 1:12-13)

I grew up in a family that was more academic/scientific than most, since all four of my grandparents were college graduates and both my grandfathers and my father earned doctorates. National Geographic Magazine was a major part of my education, since we had back issues going back to the 1930s, and I loved to sit and read them. By the 4th grade I was reading our Encyclopedia Britannica for fun, and I entered college as a Chemistry major. The bigger blessing was that it was also a family of faith. One of my grandfathers was a pastor and the other a seminary professor, and my father was a missionary and university chancellor. I was encouraged to learn as much as I could about this magnificent universe our heavenly Father had created. I can’t think of a better intellectual and spiritual foundation for life! I am at times overwhelmed by the magnificence of God’s grace toward me. This passage really resonates for me. I can’t begin to explain why God would love us so much, but I am totally convinced that He does, and I am eternally grateful.

Father, there really are no words to express my gratitude. Thank You that when I am before Your throne, words will no longer be an issue. Help me live out my gratitude in full obedience right here and right now, so that all that You desire in, for, and of me will be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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June 2, 2016

Posted on June 4, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 7:9 O righteous God,
who searches minds and hearts,
bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure.

For once I prefer the turn of phrase in the NIV to that in the Japanese. The Japanese puts the statement that God searches minds and hearts after the request, but I personally think it’s much more appropriate to make requests on the basis of what we know to be God’s character. This particular request is one that has been made from the earliest days, obviously enough. The thing is, until the Judgment, we are in the period of the free exercise of human will, and that means evil people work evil. There are obviously limits, but they are mostly in the natural consequences of evil itself. As long as evil people don’t fear those consequences, they will keep doing evil. It doesn’t take too much depth of perception to see that everywhere in the world today. The thing is, even with that going on, God enables people whose hearts are right before Him to stand firm. It’s all a matter of what we’re standing on, as Jesus pointed out so memorably in His parable of the people who built houses on rock and on sand. (Matthew 7:24-27) We aren’t going to get away from the presence of evil in this life, but if we are standing on Christ and His Word, in full submission and obedience, then evil has no control over us. (James 4:7) However, we must do so in full sincerity, because God indeed searches minds and hearts, and He knows our motives better than we do. It is certainly not wrong to take action against evil, as Jesus showed when He cleansed the temple, but trying to do so in our own strength simply sets us up for total failure. When we are submitted and available to God, then He will use us to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

I have never been more aware of the evil in the world than I am right now, and sometimes I get pretty stirred up about it. I need to remember that my anger will not bring about God’s righteousness. (James 1:20) I am to speak the truth in love and walk in it myself, never fearing what could be done to me (Luke 12:4) but allowing God to work His will through me, for the blessing of others and for His glory.

Father, it gets to the point that I don’t want to know the news sometimes. Help me always focus more on You than on whatever the devil is doing at the moment. It is sad indeed to see how many people are so severely deceived, but I can’t grab them and shake them to their senses, however much I might want to do so. Help me be faithful in prayer, remembering Your grace toward me and allowing that grace to flow through me to them, so that they may perhaps turn and repent, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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June 1, 2016

Posted on June 4, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 3:5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

Sleep is something we tend to take completely for granted, until we can’t sleep. When we can’t sleep, that’s all we can think about! Sleep is actually a basic need, and enforced sleeplessness causes permanent damage. That was documented over 50 years ago when a radio announcer, as a publicity stunt, decided to go a matter of weeks without sleep and asked people to help him do so, with no idea at all of the dangers. He ended up completely psychotic, and actually died not long after, if I recall correctly. Sleep deprivation has been used as a torture technique in trying to gain information or compliance from prisoners, and it can be quite devastating. David had no idea of any of that, but he knew the blessing of sleep, and that it was a gift from God. Anxiety is the biggest cause of insomnia, and at the point David wrote this he had plenty of reason for it, with his own son after him, seeking to depose him as king. Under such circumstances he might reasonably fear being killed as he slept, which is why this verse is so meaningful. He made the choice to trust God, and was rewarded with restful sleep. We might not have reason to fear being killed in our sleep, but we certainly can learn from David’s example, and receive the restful sleep God has for us.

I’ve had times of insomnia, and I’ve found that far and away the best way to overcome it is choosing to focus on gratitude. If I lie in bed thanking God in my mind for all that He has done for me, before long I am asleep. The song, O Lord, You Have Been Good, is a particular favorite, and since I translated it into Japanese, I let it play in my mind in both languages, to very good effect. (Actually, I do that often when I am out walking also, and I don’t go to sleep then!) I give that advice to various people who are struggling with insomnia, and when they take it, I get reports of real relief. However, some people can’t seem to get the idea into their hearts, and they depend on sleeping pills, with all the assorted risks. That’s sad, but all I can do is speak the truth in love and pray for them. Of course, physical factors like pain can certainly interfere with sleep, so I must not be simplistic, but for myself and others, trusting God will benefit any situation.

Father, thank You for a good night’s sleep last night. Thank You also that I was able to lie down yesterday afternoon, when I was falling asleep at the computer. I got pretty irritated with students who were falling asleep in class yesterday morning. Help me extend Your grace to them in love. May I be an open channel of Your grace to others so that I may enjoy it fully myself, not just in the area of sleep but in all areas, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

OLordYou

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May 31, 2016

Posted on June 1, 2016 by jgarrott

Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.

It’s interesting, but this bit of wisdom would be deemed “unspiritual” in some circles. “If God said to do it, then do it, whatever anyone says,” would be the response of some. That is true enough, but unless you are close enough to the Lord to take dictation, you had better consider carefully how and when to do whatever it is you feel He is directing. This is where input from others is very helpful. I have seen people get into all sorts of trouble over personal prophecy, even when the prophetic word was perhaps right on, but they didn’t take time to consider what the Lord’s timing might be or how He wanted them to do whatever it was He had said to them. And that’s not even touching on whether or not the “Word” was genuine or not! God will indeed enable us to do whatever He tells us to do, but pride is as always a huge trap. If you think, “I’ve heard from God, so I don’t need to listen to anyone else,” you are asking for trouble. Of course, who you listen to is of great importance. Get spiritual advice from people who have demonstrated they are close to the Lord! The devil will always supply naysayers; I’m not at all saying we should listen to them. However, even Mary hurried off to talk with Elizabeth after hearing from Gabriel. I don’t think we’re closer to God than she was! In her case, when was never in question, but how had a lot of options, and I’m sure the two women prayed over both their pregnancies a great deal. In large-scale projects there are a lot of regulations that must be met, with licenses, authorizations and the like. Failing to investigate those can cause needless roadblocks. Frankly, those don’t feel very spiritual, but they are part of “rendering unto Caesar,” and they must not be overlooked. There, too, prayer is essential, because God – and sometimes only God – can cut through red tape. If God said to do something, it will happen, and we must not let go of that assurance, but we must do so with all humility and respect, so that He will receive all the glory.

This is intensely personal right now, because it looks like the Lord is giving us the land next to the church building, and we feel He is telling us to build a group home for seniors on it. All sorts of things seem to be falling into place for that, but acting in presumption will guarantee failure. In the first place the very idea seems absurd for a congregation whose average attendance for fiscal 2015 was 9.5! However, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27) We aren’t to look at our own strength and give up, but neither are we to ignore all the issues that have to be dealt with. Not only do all the permits and certifications have to be cleared, we have to have a pricing structure that will allow us to pay staff reasonably. We want Christian staff, certainly, but we aren’t to ask them to work for nothing. The community is going to be watching our every move. If we are humble and obedient to God, with the wisdom that comes from fearing Him only, then this will be a powerful magnet to draw people into His kingdom. If not, then it will be a colossal failure that will convince people that Christians are idealistic fools. He will always have the perfect answer for every issue, but we have got to be humble enough to hear Him, however and through whomever He speaks to us.

Father, it is easy to get excited and/or overwhelmed at what it looks like You are doing. Help us rejoice in You without getting so excited we overlook the steps You have for us to take. This is certainly a long-term project once it is established; keep us from rushing the preparation. However, keep us also from holding back when You open doors. May we recognize Your provision and receive it, not only financially and materially but also in wisdom. May we be effective witnesses for our Lord, on all levels, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 30, 2016

Posted on May 31, 2016 by jgarrott

Proverbs 15:8 The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

Right here we have a clear put-down of the practice of “indulgences” that triggered the Protestant Reformation. If a person’s heart is not right before God, then no motions they might go through would be pleasing to Him. How much more absurd is it to think He could be bribed! We forget that God is never at a loss about anything. Materially, He created everything, so there is literally nothing we could offer to Him that He didn’t create in the first place. In terms of acts of service, we owe it all to Him anyway, so what’s the big deal? Even Jesus dismissed that idea. “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” (Luke 17:10) That seems harsh to us only because we are all too comfortable with various forms of bribery, and we don’t like it when bribery doesn’t work. God sees through to our motives, and He delights in those whose hearts are committed to Him. The weakest, most un-influential person actually has as much to offer God as the most wealthy ruler: their heart, their devotion. I will never forget something that happened when I was 10 years old. We were in the US that year, and attended a pretty large church. One of the influential board members dropped dead of a heart attack. There was a man with cerebral palsy who volunteered as a greeter every Sunday, whose name was John (I never knew his family name). He went to the pastor (whose name was also John) crying, saying “Why couldn’t I have been the one taken? I can’t do anything for the Lord, and he could do so much.” The next Sunday the pastor reported that to the congregation, and said, very rightly, I feel, that John the greeter did far more in God’s eyes than most of the people in the church, because his heart was totally given to God, and he did all he could. I still can’t remember that without tearing up.

I thank God for that experience and memory, because it burned into my heart the truth of this verse. My life hasn’t been so accomplishful that the world would take notice, but I do seek to love and serve my Lord, and He is the judge of how well I do that. To go back to what Jesus said, I don’t know how well I have even done my duty. However, I know that my Lord is incredibly merciful and gracious, and I cast myself on Him. Right now it looks like the Lord is opening up some real possibilities for this church. I must not let myself be consumed by all the activities to the point that I lose my simple devotion to my Lord. No activity, no achievement, is as pleasing to God as childlike faith and obedience. I am not to draw back from anything the Lord leads me into, but loving Him must come ahead of doing things for Him.

Father, thank You for this very timely Word. Some people’s minds were blown yesterday when they learned what You might be opening up to us. Help us all look to You in faith and trust, not depending on any human instrument but knowing that nothing is impossible for You. May we flow perfectly with Your Spirit to do Your will, so that Your Name may be hallowed and Your kingdom come to this city, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 29, 2016

Posted on May 31, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 143:2 Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.

David grew a lot spiritually over the years. In places like 2 Samuel 22:25 (and in several Psalms) he essentially bragged about his own righteousness, but here he acknowledges what Paul said so famously: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) This is by far the more mature position, because pride has no place before God. The thing is, we are righteous before God if we confess our sins to Him and trust in the completed work of Christ on the cross, (1 John 1:9) but that is the only way we can be clean. Being the liar that he is, the devil tries to deceive us in one direction or the other, either with moral conceit or with thinking we are hopeless. Both of those are indeed lies. There are many forms of perfection we can look forward to in heaven: perfect health, perfect knowledge, perfect joy, and this one, perfect righteousness. That said, we experience those momentarily if at all on this earth. We do receive perfect righteousness when we repent before God in faith, just as John said, but in our weakness we are going to sin again in some way in very short order. That’s why it is essential that we walk in humility and trust, keeping our repentance up to date, because unrepented sin is a cancer that eats into us and makes us vulnerable to more and more.

This applies to me as much as it does to anyone. There are those who look at me and can’t imagine I would be anything but righteous, but that shows they don’t really know me and they don’t really understand righteousness. I wish I could say I abide in Christ totally, 24/7/365, but I’m as human as anyone else. By God’s grace I’ve had a lot of practice in recognizing sin and repenting of it, but that process is going to continue until the day I take off this body. The reason the Gospel is such good news is that it doesn’t depend on us; all we have to do is repent and believe. (Mark 1:15) I have been charged with communicating the Gospel, so I must not think that I don’t need it myself.

Father, thank You for Your truly amazing grace. May I be an open, effective channel of that grace, drawing many to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 28, 2016

Posted on May 29, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 142:7 Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.

The Japanese gives the more literal translation of “Lead my soul out of prison.” In a sense that is a figure of speech indicating David himself, but many, many people are in bondage even though there are no physical restraints on them. On one level that is common knowledge, but on another level it is almost universally ignored. We speak of people being “caught in addiction,” but even the addicted don’t like to admit they are bound. We speak of “destructive lifestyles,” but those in them think they are maximizing their fun. It comes down to our immense capacity for self-deception, aided and encouraged by the devil. James 1:22 is famous on the subject of self-deception, but Paul spoke of a veil preventing understanding (2 Corinthians 3:14) and said the devil blinds people so they can’t perceive God’s truth. (2 Corinthians 4:4) That can be frustrating to the point of despair for those who see the truth and are trying to lead others into it, but they stubbornly refuse. We have to remember several things about that. First, we must remember that we personally can’t save anyone; only God can do that. Second, we must remember that we have been given the Holy Spirit, so it’s not a hopeless task. (1 John 4:4) Third, we must remember that it is ultimately that person’s decision, and we are not responsible for what they decide. We are responsible to speak the truth in love to let them know what is available to them, and we are responsible to be demonstrations of what life in Christ is all about, but we are not responsible for their decision. Many earnest Christians beat themselves up over their friends and loved ones who will not walk out of their prisons even though Christ has opened the door. We are to care, because God cares, but we have to respect their free will, just as God does.

This is the story of my life! Japan has been called “the graveyard of missionaries” precisely because of the low rate of return for effort invested. It’s easy to get discouraged! However, I need to rejoice in those who do choose to walk out of prison, but even more, rejoice in my Lord who loves me and who loves the people to whom I minister, whether they receive His love or not. I’ve got to remember that He desires their salvation even more than I do. I can have a long, informed discussion of the barriers to the Gospel in Japan, but ultimately I have to confess that I really don’t know why God hasn’t torn those barriers down yet. I am to be faithful in prayer and faithful in witness, so that whatever else is said, I may not be in the way of what God wants to do in this nation.

Father, I really identify with my father having cried out to You, prostrated on the floor, “Lord, if I am what is in the way of revival in Japan, then take me out of the way!” I am reduced to praying that Your name be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, but that’s not really a bad place to be. Help me be satisfied with that, letting my pride be washed away completely, so that You may receive all the glory as Your plans are fulfilled. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 27, 2016

Posted on May 29, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 141:3-4 Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.

I had always thought of verse 3 as expressing the desire not to speak wrongly, but in context I see that it’s a matter of eating instead. You might even say this is a dieter’s prayer! We don’t know the specific things David is referring to here. In those days obesity was certainly not thought of as sinful, so it’s possible he ‘s talking about meat sacrificed to idols, or simply non-kosher food. It’s also possible he wasn’t talking about food at all, but just speaking metaphorically. In any case, his desire is not to participate with those who ignore God. Today, however, when obesity is such a major problem in the US, it is not inappropriate to take these verses at face value. The Bible does not speak well of gluttony, and in Church history it was considered one of the “7 deadly sins.” (That may have been because few people had the luxury of eating too much, so this helped poor people feel righteous.) Today, many churches would provide a good excuse for one little child’s misunderstanding of Silent Night: “round John Virgin.” When we are overweight, we are less nimble, less active, less available for whatever the Lord wants us to do. With all the negative health effects of over eating, it is certainly not good stewardship of the bodies God has given us. The flip side of that is that it is easy to become so obsessed with our bodies that it’s a form of idolatry. Satan doesn’t much care what we worship, so long as it’s not the true God! When our hearts are genuinely focused on God first and foremost, He will guide us into accurate stewardship of all that is physical, including our bodies. We all know people who are constantly on one diet or another. If our focus is on taking in the Word of God and then exercising that Word in our daily lives, then food issues will cease to be a problem.

I have never been severely overweight, which I consider something of a miracle, when my wife is as good a cook as she is. However, the same genes that have blessed my girth (or lack of it) have given me a tendency to high LDL cholesterol. Since my father, who was never badly overweight, died of heart issues at 64, I realized that good stewardship of my body included exercise. (That was not an awareness my father seemed to have, though he was not sedentary.) I’ve been fast-walking 5 km 2~3 times a week for a few years now, and I really appreciate the benefits. The biggest issue in getting started was time, because it has to be intentional. However, when I pray and worship as I walk, the time is sweet indeed. Since I grew up with a strong “clean your plate” environment, I try to be careful how much I put on my plate in the first place. I do enjoy tasty food! I need to be grateful for the abundance of God’s blessings but not misuse any of them. I need to let God be in charge of every detail of my life, and not think that anything is irrelevant.

Father, this is such a personal issue that it’s hard to deal with as a pastor. Thank you that it’s not a major issue in this church. Keep me from being holier-than-thou about anything, but specifically about this. May I encourage all the believers to be good stewards of their bodies, their abilities, and their resources, so that Your purposes for all those things may be fulfilled, for the blessing of all involved and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 26, 2016

Posted on May 27, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

This line is justly famous, or perhaps not famous enough. Far too many Christians fail to see their connection to the physical descendants of Abraham, and some even harbor enmity toward them. That is tragic, and is a work of the devil. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, dealt with this issue a great deal in several of his letters, most extensively in Romans 9 through 11. As he knew from personal experience, physical descendants of Abraham need to repent and believe in order to be saved, just as Gentiles do, but that in no way negates the unique place of the Jewish people in God’s plan of the ages. I would not judge someone’s salvation by their attitude toward the Jews and the nation of Israel, but I would certainly evaluate their ability to hear the heart of God that way. People who fail to honor Israel forget that Jesus was a Jew! What follows this command in this Psalm is an example of how to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Not only are there things to pray for, but motives are touched on as well. We are to pray blessing on Jerusalem, and by extension the Jewish nation and people, for the sake of our brothers and friends, and for the sake of the house of the Lord. That covers both the First and the Second Commandments, as Jesus listed them. (Matthew 22:37-40) That’s because, for David and his descendants at any rate, the house of the Lord was the manifestation of His presence, so loving His house was essentially the same as loving Him. (I could branch off at this point into our being the house of the Lord, [1 Corinthians 6:19] but that would be quite a digression.) What many Gentile Christians have trouble with is grasping that Jews are our brothers and friends. Brothers don’t always do what we might want them to do, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are our brothers! Anyone who truly seeks the heart of God is going to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. That certainly includes the Jewish people recognizing and acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah, but it is not limited to that. They need physical peace in order to have the opportunity to believe!

I could obviously go on at quite a length about this, because I feel strongly about it and because I am convinced the entirety of the Bible backs it up. At the same time, I have not been active in any “support Israel” groups. Frankly, I’m not sure why not. I do know that I am convinced that God’s plan includes the Jewish people, so any time I pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,” I am aware that I am praying for the peace of Jerusalem. I minister in Japan, and I have said many times that the Japanese sense of racial/national identity is most comparable to that of the Jews, in strength and in various other ways. I have had the immense privilege of interpreting for Benjamin Berger here in Japan. It was a joy indeed to be a channel for the good news of the Messiah to come from a Levite to the Japanese people. I don’t know what part God has for me to play in His plan of the ages, and I have never even been to Israel, but like Paul, I know that the Jews will certainly not be left out when God brings everything to consummation.

Father, this surprised me a little. You have kept me aware of this issue over the years, but it’s not usually in the forefront of my thoughts. May I be available at all times for however You want to use me, whether in words or in action, so that indeed, Your Name may be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done perfectly, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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