July 20, 2014

Posted on July 22, 2014 by jgarrott

Isaiah 55:10-11 “As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

I have underlined just about every word of this chapter, and most of it has been set to music, so I’m in real trouble when it comes to choosing a section to write on. However, I feel the Lord gave me a bit of fresh insight on these two verses just now, so here goes. The thing that struck me just now is that rain and snow indeed water the earth, but particularly in the case of snow, the effect is not immediate. With a gentle spring rain we see the results very quickly, as in the old proverb, “April showers bring May flowers.” In the summer, I could wish for less rain so I wouldn’t have to cut the grass so often! However, as any farmer in the Western US will tell you, winter snow pack is essential for a harvest the following autumn, even though there is quite a time separation. Spiritually speaking, we like/want “magic,” where the incantation is spoken, the wand is waved, and POOF, the effect appears. However, magic is a distorted counterfeit of what God does. Sometimes God does work quickly, as we see it, and we sometimes call that a miracle. However, far more often the effect takes more time, from our perspective at least, and we might not even recognize the cause and effect connection. We can see the connection between snow pack and rivers/ground water because it is evident in a matter of months, but what if we were insects with a lifespan measured in weeks? We have that problem with the Word of God. Years ago a phrase was popular in Christian circles: “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.” However, that settles only my response to what God said. In the eternal perspective, if God said it, that settles it, period.

Japan is certainly a testing ground for that kind of faith! No other mission field comes close in the low ratio of visible results for effort expended. However, this is where God planted me, and I am not to complain, but rather walk in faithful obedience. I am to seek results, yes, but my focus is to be on God rather than on what I see right now. I have been in love with the Word of God for many years, and I’ve got to remember the truth of this passage, even in the deep freeze of February. I cannot predict when I will see the fruit of the Word He has spoken through me, but I can rest in peace that the fruit will come. Yesterday at a wedding I performed I saw, in the eyes of the bride, real reception of the Gospel I was speaking. I don’t know when that will bear fruit, but I can rest assured that it will happen.

Father, thank You for the encouragement You have given me the past couple of days. I was, frankly, getting burned out. Forgive my shallow faith! Help me wait expectantly on You consistently, so that You may replace my strength with Yours (Isaiah 40:31) and accomplish Your will in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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

July 19, 2014

Posted on July 22, 2014 by jgarrott

Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the Lord.

This is a remarkable promise that deserves a good bit of meditation. God isn’t saying that people won’t create and try to use weapons against the people of God, He’s saying those weapons won’t work. I’m certainly reminded of the rockets that are being fired into Israeli territory even as I write, only to be shot down by the Iron Dome defense system, unless they’ve already been determined to fall harmlessly into an uninhabited area. I couldn’t begin to count the number of testimonies I’ve read of guns that have jammed when someone was trying to shoot a Christian. Just yesterday I watched a video of a missionary who was shot multiple times, but each bullet just missed a vital area, and he was able to subdue the shooter. Weapons exist and they are turned against the people of God, but we aren’t to fear them. The next line has more universal application. Everyone has experienced people saying things against them. However, in the time of judgment, the people of God will convict every lying tongue of sin (as the Japanese translation expresses it). Such words can be painful indeed, but we must remember that they aren’t final. God has the last word, and that last word is always vindication for those who believe in Christ. The Japanese translates that last part as, “This is the righteousness that they receive from Me.” Our righteousness in Christ isn’t something we have earned, it is imparted by grace through faith, so it doesn’t matter if the accusations against us have truth to them, they are nullified by the grace and righteousness of God.

Just yesterday I was talking with someone who is starting to grasp this truth. He has allowed fear of people’s opinions to cause him to withdraw. As it says in Proverbs 29:25, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” God never says that people (and demonic spirits) won’t come against us, but if our focus is on Him we experience victory. That’s what John 16:33 is all about. I’ve got to keep remembering this myself, and I’ve got to keep communicating this truth to others.

Father, thank You for how encouraging it was to see You working yesterday. Help me indeed keep my eyes on You, even when I can’t see the fruit of my labors in the natural, so that I won’t be discouraged but rather rest, relax, and rejoice in You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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

July 18, 2014

Posted on July 22, 2014 by jgarrott

Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

This chapter of Isaiah is perhaps the pinnacle of the “suffering servant” Messianic prophecies, yet few indeed accepted or understood it before Jesus’ resurrection. No wonder Isaiah starts out with “Who has believed what we have heard?” (That’s how the Japanese expresses it.) This actually is the cry of everyone who hears from the Lord, because when we try to share, so few seem to believe. However, it is ultimately a question of God’s revelation and man’s willingness to accept and receive. A recent study has backed up what Paul said in Romans 1:20. (For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.) The researchers said that we seem to be hard-wired to believe in Deity, to the point that avowed “atheists” are really just playing games and fooling themselves, if they are really doing even that. This agrees with what Solomon said about God having “placed eternity in the hearts of men.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) That said, it is still up to each individual whether they will believe the particulars of what God has revealed about Himself, and choose to submit themselves to Him. Actually, it is that last thing that is the sticking point: we don’t like to submit! This brings us to the strong words God spoke to Ezekiel about personal responsibility. If Ezekiel would be faithful to transmit what God spoke to him, then all responsibility would be on his hearers, but if he failed to speak, then responsibility for their destruction would rest on him. (Ezekiel 3 and Ezekiel 33) That brings us back to this verse. The answer to the question expressed in it is that we often don’t know. Some hear and forget, yes, but some hear and remember years later and believe then. A friend of mine spent all night talking to his younger brother about Christ, before leaving for another continent the next morning, and didn’t know until some time later that his brother actually had believed. Immediate feedback is nice, but we aren’t to rely on it, but rather on the One who gave us the message in the first place.

This is the story of my life. I have ministered to people from another country and seen little effect, only to find out later that they made a full commitment to Christ when they returned to their home country. Likewise, I have had someone tell me that something I said to them over 20 years earlier had completely changed their life and ministry, (he was a pastor) but I had been completely unaware of it. I am to be faithful to speak the truth in love, whatever response I see or don’t see. I was given a Word from the Lord quite a few years ago that someday I would see my spiritual children on every street corner. I haven’t seen that yet, but I couldn’t make it happen in my own strength in any case, so I am to walk in daily obedience and leave the results to God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that You know my emotional/physical/spiritual tiredness better than I do, and that Your grace is sufficient for me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You indeed, trusting You on every level, so that Your will may be done in and through me on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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

July 17, 2014

Posted on July 22, 2014 by jgarrott

Isaiah 51:1 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
and who seek the Lord:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
and to the quarry from which you were hewn.”

This verse was used in one of my seminary classes as an introduction to Church history. That is valid only so long as those studying that history are indeed pursuing righteousness and seeking the Lord. The longer and more glorious the history, the greater the risk of depending on that history rather than on the Lord who made it possible. Also, we tend to remember the high points of history and forget the low ones, idolizing those who have gone before us instead of recognizing our shared humanity. Every accomplishment of man is by the grace of God. We forget that to our peril. It is indeed good to look back occasionally to be reminded of how God has carried us and our ancestors along, but we are not to dwell on the past either. Just prior to this passage, in Isaiah 43:18, God says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” The point of this verse is to remember how God took Abraham, who was totally insignificant on the world scale at the time, and made a nation out of him. The focus is not on how great Abraham was, but on how mighty God was on his behalf. If that is our focus, then looking back over our personal and national history is a good thing. However, many people are chained to the past, feeling they can never overcome what they have done or what was done to them. They are looking to themselves, instead of “pursuing righteousness and seeking the Lord.” That leads to “the paralysis of analysis,” as it has been called. God has great plans for each of us, and He’s not limited by our weaknesses and failures, if we will only believe and trust Him.

I’ve gotten caught in this trap quite a few times, in different ways. On the one hand, I have been blinded by pride in my family history, and on the other hand I have felt like I have never accomplished anything. Both sides of that are distortions from the devil. I can and should have gratitude for what God has done for, in, and through my family in the past, and be encouraged that He can do the same and more using me, but I am never to take that for granted. God is not obligated to me in any way. At the same time, I am to remember that my ancestors were as human as I am, facing different challenges perhaps, but with the same or similar character flaws. My focus in thinking about my ancestors is never to be on how great they were, but on how great and gracious God was in relation to them. Accordingly, I am not to seek recognition from men but rather approval from God. My ultimate reward, my goal, is to hear my Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Any time I lower my eyes from Jesus I put myself in danger of burnout. (Hebrews 12:3) May I indeed learn from history, both personal and otherwise, but remember that You aren’t limited by the past in any way. May I indeed pursue righteousness and seek You, and let everything else fall into place in relation to that, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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

July 16, 2014

Posted on July 17, 2014 by jgarrott

Isaiah 48:20 Leave Babylon,
flee from the Babylonians!
Announce this with shouts of joy
and proclaim it.
Send it out to the ends of the earth;
say, “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.”

When recent events have impressed on me more and more strongly that America could well be the Babylon of Revelation, this verse hit me pretty strongly. At the time it was written, it was a call to the Jews to prepare to return to Jerusalem, but what would it mean today? I do not physically live in North America, so it might not seem to be an issue for me, but I have family and loved ones there, so it would certainly seem to apply. After all, this verse mentions “the ends of the earth!” There might be a geographical component to this today, but I think emotional/mental/spiritual location is far more important. What would make the same physical location be either part of Babylon or part of the Kingdom of God is the heart attitude of the people there. I am reminded of the Foundation Science Fiction series by Isaac Asimov, in which the evil Trantorian empire and the good Foundation were physically located on the same planet, though they were diametric opposites. “Babylon” is very much what John was talking about in 1 John 2:15 when he tells us not to love “the world.” The physical universe is beautiful and not evil, but the world system is very much polluted by the devil, and when we are seduced by it we are in deep trouble. Whatever depths the US descends to, the people of God can “come out” by being true to God and living in fellowship with Him by His Spirit. Writing that, I was struck by how the homosexuals have appropriated the phrase, “come out,” to mean only what they say it means. They and those allied with them have done and are doing that to more and more phrases, and that too is an example of the “Babylonian system.” The people of God are to come out of that in their thinking and their daily living, to stand as God’s agents for His glory.

I have recently been impressed with the dangers of living in the middle of Babylonian society, even for people who actively love God. All sorts of subtle pressures come to bear, and thought patterns and lifestyles are pressed into the Babylonian mold, to a greater or lesser degree. This actually is true anywhere in the world, so every believer, me included, has to be on their guard. This problem has been around as long as mankind, and Paul addressed it head-on in Romans 12:2. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Our minds are the battleground, so we’ve got to fill them with the Word of God. As a pastor, I am not only to be careful for myself, I’ve also got to help others recognize the traps around them, to get out of the ones they’ve fallen into and avoid the many, many others. This church is to be an embassy of the Kingdom of God indeed, and we are to live as His ambassadors, even in the middle of Babylon.

Father, thank You for all You teach me by so many different methods. Help me receive all You say to me however You say it, not simply to add it to my knowledge but to put it into practice, so that Your purposes may be fulfilled for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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

July 15, 2014

Posted on July 17, 2014 by jgarrott

Isaiah 48:11 “For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this.
How can I let myself be defamed?
I will not yield my glory to another.”

It is currently politically incorrect to ascribe anything to the direct action of God. Even natural disasters are now chalked up to “man-made climate disruption.” If this passage is any indication, that’s asking for more! Science has indeed discovered the mechanisms by which God does a lot of things, but in the process a lot of people have thrown God out of the equation altogether. What foolishness! When in recent years anyone even hinted that Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Sandy, not to mention the 9/11 terrorist attack, had been allowed by God to bring the US to repentance, they were immediately attacked and derided. In fact, however, even the current administration, that is literally hell-bent on destroying America as she once was, was allowed because that’s what the actions and attitudes of so many Americans have asked for. Repentance is the only real solution. America is facing a crossroad, but it is neither political nor economic, it is spiritual. As it is today, America is Babylon in the Revelation to John, destroyed in a day because she polluted the earth with her whoredoms. That word doesn’t logically take plural form, but the US has played the whore in multiple ways, so much that even rules of grammar don’t seem to apply. We see physical pollution of air and water and understand that it’s a bad thing, but we fail to understand, or even recognize, spiritual pollution. We urgently need to remember the words of Paul: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7)

This is a soapbox I could stand on for a long time! However, I’ve got to remember that I’ve been complicit in the slide, swallowing “entertainment” inspired by hell. I’ve got to remember, and do, what Paul said so memorably in Romans 12:2. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The 1st Century wasn’t any more righteous as a whole than the 21st, but the believers knew who they were, and they literally chose to die rather than conform to their world. I’ve got to remember to keep Christ first in every aspect of my life, “leisure” as well as work, family, and everything else, and I’ve got to exhort others to do likewise. It’s no longer politically correct to admonish others, even your own children, but the Bible makes it clear that’s an important part of living as a child of God. (Colossians 3:16) I’m not to be “holier-than-thou,” but I am to be holy, and I’m to exhort and encourage others to do likewise.

Father, You know the things I’ve done that the devil tries to use to keep me from drawing others to holiness. Help me remember that when they are confessed and repented of, they are truly forgiven and are blotted out of my record. (Psalm 51:1, 9) May I live as Your child, Your agent all the time, and not just occasionally, so that Your will may be done in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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

July 14, 2014

Posted on July 15, 2014 by jgarrott

Isaiah 46:10-11 “I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.
From the east I summon a bird of prey;
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that will I bring about;
what I have planned, that will I do.”

Every once in a while God has to remind us just who He is. We are so quick to start thinking He is like we are! Here He is pointing out the prophecies He has spoken through various people. These aren’t like Nostradamus, who gained fame for predicting things far in the future that never came to pass, but rather a wide variety of things, many of which have indeed come to pass exactly as He said them, though not necessarily in the way people at the time understood them. The failure of the Pharisees to see how Jesus did fulfill so many Messianic prophecies was a distinct factor in their failing to accept Him for who He was. From our perspective the match seems obvious, but their preconceptions got in the way. When so many prophecies in the Bible have indeed been fulfilled, it would only be logical to expect the rest to be fulfilled as well! I have never been a fan of trying to see where we are on some prophetic time line that someone has laid out, because we are no freer from preconceptions than the Pharisees were, but we should have a sense of anticipation of what God is going to do, and the faith to believe that what is going on is part of what He is doing. When we try to dictate the timing of prophetic fulfillment we get into deep trouble, as so many have demonstrated in the 2000 years since Jesus’ ascension.

I have been saddened to see some preachers I liked and respected spend hours and hours haranguing their congregations over a particular prophetic time line, but perhaps in reaction, I have failed to teach this congregation to be looking forward to the fulfillment of prophecy. There have been private teaching moments, such as yesterday when someone asked me if there was a solution to the Israel/ Palestinian problem. My answer was, “Christ’s return.” When we have a Biblical world view, a Biblical framework to our thinking and understanding of world events, then lots of things become much clearer. The answers we get that way are seldom “politically correct,” but they make a LOT more sense than anything else. I need to be giving this congregation a better background in how God has predicted and then fulfilled, again and again throughout history, so that they may have more peace about what is happening now and more anticipation of how God is going to use even what is happening now to fulfill His purposes. The Left Behind series of books contains a lot of fanciful imagining of how prophecies might be fulfilled, and it adheres to a particular time line that is debatable at best, but it does give a degree of anticipation that what God has said is going to be fulfilled, and that is valuable indeed.

Father, I need Your wisdom as to how to impart anticipation to this congregation. I could also use more anticipation myself! Help me see You and see Your Word first, and then through that lens see the world and events around me, so that I may walk in obedience as Your agent in my every interaction, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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

July 13, 2014

Posted on July 15, 2014 by jgarrott

Isaiah 45:21-22 “And there is no God apart from me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none but me.
Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.”

Once again we have a very powerful statement of the Creator’s call to everyone He has created. Atheists and polytheists alike are sadly deceived. Until recently, America has not had much direct contact with non-Christian religions, but that has changed remarkably in recent years. The problem is that nominal Christians have had no intellectual or spiritual defense against the lies of other religions (or against the lies of some who pretend to be Christian) and they have descended into a relativistic swamp with no signposts. Recent surveys have shown that a disturbingly high percentage of Americans believe there is no absolute truth. That sort of relativism has pervaded Japanese society for a long time, to the point that there is a Japanese proverb that says, “Even the head of a sardine can be an object of worship.” Here, God is calling out to mankind, who is wandering in this relativistic fog, “Here I am! I do exist, and I will save you if you come to Me.” It is certainly indicative of His character that He would bother to do so. Of course, the ultimate indication of that character is that He sent His Son, to live our life with us and die our death for us, and this passage makes it clear that He did it for everyone, “to the ends of the earth.”

God called and appointed me as a herald of this good news, and that’s why I’m here ministering in Japan. The reception rate has been sadly low, but there have been those who have received and believed, and for that I am deeply grateful. I cannot force anyone to repent and believe, but I can and must issue the invitation. I have been doing so in Omura now for nearly 33 years. I keep seeing signs that people have been moved by what they have seen in and heard through me, yet the great harvest I have prayed for still hasn’t come. I must not give up, because as this passage says, there is no other salvation. I am to keep proclaiming the Gospel and living as a demonstration of it, standing in prayer against the lies of the devil that blind people from the truth, so that in God’s time His salvation will indeed be poured out on these people, for His glory.

Father, I really understand my own father crying out to You that if he was what was in the way of revival in Japan, to take him out of the way. He didn’t see the great harvest, and so far neither have I, but You have spoken to my heart that it is coming. Thank You for the interactions just in the past few days with people to whom we witnessed years ago, and for the evidence that they haven’t forgotten, and are drawn. I do pray that everything holding them back would be broken, that there would be a steady and growing influx of people into Your family, Your kingdom, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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

July 12, 2014

Posted on July 13, 2014 by jgarrott

Isaiah 45:5-6 I am the Lord, and there is no other;
apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
though you have not acknowledged me,
so that from the rising of the sun
to the place of its setting
men may know there is none besides me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other.

This chapter is quite remarkable in that it mentions Cyrus of Persia by name. This has led many Bible scholars to conclude that the Book of Isaiah was written by two different people, since the person who wrote the first several chapters was certainly not alive when Cyrus came on the scene, and there does seem to be a slight stylistic shift in it as well. That doesn’t bother me either way, because God is certainly able to supply a name prophetically, and the voice of His Spirit is evident throughout the book. Whether this particular passage was written long before Cyrus was born or after he appeared on the world scene, either way it says something very important, which is that God can and does use non-believers for His purposes and His glory. The reason this point is so important is that otherwise, man and the devil would effectively be more powerful than God, which is certainly not the case. God used Jeremiah in making a very powerful statement in this area. In Jeremiah 32 we have the story of one of Jeremiah’s cousins selling him a piece of land in their hometown of Anathoth, even though Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonians and Anathoth was doubtless overrun with Babylonian troops. Jeremiah himself thought the idea was absurd, but the Lord spoke the famous words in verse 27. “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” We forget that so easily! We want to be able to manipulate God’s power to make things turn out the way we want them to and when that doesn’t happen, we think that God’s power is insufficient. How foolish! God can and does work miracles, but the biggest problem is that we can’t see the long-term effects of anything, so we don’t have the wisdom that would be called for. We are called to trust and obey, acting as God directs with the full assurance that the final result will be glorious, whatever things might look like in the short term.

When I have tried to share this truth with people in the past, they have often come back at me with, “But how can I hear what God is saying to me?” I’ve had my own struggles with spiritual deafness, but God is the best ENT! I can say without hesitation that the more obedient we are to what we think we hear God saying, even if we sometimes hear Him incorrectly, then the sharper our spiritual hearing will become. Of course, a very important factor is in becoming as familiar as possible with what God has already said in the Bible, because He will not contradict Himself. That’s the best defense against the devil and all his lying spirits, who certainly try to mislead us. We can be sure God is not going to direct us to kill our children, for example, though such deluded people have been in the news within the past few years. I don’t have a perfect track record of obedience to God by any means, but by His grace I’m getting better, and I am deeply grateful.

Father, thank You again for Your grace and mercy toward me. Help me continue to hear You better and better (whatever my physical hearing is doing) so that I may obey You more and more fully, doing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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

July 11, 2014

Posted on July 13, 2014 by jgarrott

Isaiah 42:6-7 I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

This verse is unquestionably Messianic, but believers today must realize it is also talking about them, because they are in Christ. It is the task and the privilege of those who have already come from darkness to light to lead others into the light as well. There is one word in the Japanese translation of this verse that strikes me, and that is where it says “I have gripped your hand.” This isn’t just a casual thing; He isn’t going to let go! There are times when we might not be aware of His hand on ours, but that doesn’t mean He’s let go. This passage is one of many that should encourage us to world missions. I grew up with the hymn, “Send the Light,” which is all about that, and this passage provides foundation for it. It’s interesting that it goes from opening blind eyes to leading out prisoners, those who sit in dungeons. (The NIV simply says “release.”) People have to have their spiritual eyes open to see that they are in prison in the first place, and then to see the way out. When you’ve been blindfolded for a long time and then the blindfold is suddenly removed, things seem too bright at first, and you really need someone to take you by the hand so you won’t run into things. That’s the job of more mature believers toward new believers. Charles Dickens was very perceptive and observant when he wrote, in A Tale of Two Cities, of the old man who, even when he was released, was uneasy and wanted the familiar environment of his cell. Some people are so comfortable in their sins that even when the way is clearly open for their escape, they won’t take it. Believers aren’t responsible for that, but they are responsible to be light in the darkness and lead out all who indeed will come.

Being a child of missionaries and a grandson of a missions professor, the responsibility and privilege of world missions has been an unquestionable fact for me all my life. I first stated that I was going to be a missionary when I was 10, visiting the grave of David Livingston in Westminster Abbey, but I departed considerably from that path for quite a few years after that. From my current perspective I am deeply grateful for God bringing me back on track. I am well aware that God doesn’t call everyone to minister somewhere other than their passport/birth country, but I am absolutely convinced that every believer is called to be a light to someone, and indeed many “someones.” As a pastor my task is discipleship, but being a witness is inseparable from being a disciple. It is a continuing frustration that so many have such trouble believing that God could use them to lead someone else to Him, and that He wants to do so. Personal evangelism is admittedly difficult in Japan for many reasons, but we need an infusion of faith that nothing is too difficult for God, and He wants to do it through us.

Father, thank You for Your patience and faithfulness toward me. Help me exercise that same patience and faithfulness toward the people in my care, that they may be matured, trained, and equipped as You desire and intend, to bring in a mighty harvest in Your kingdom, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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