Virtual Vitamins

John 18:23 “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?”

Two things stand out to me in this exchange. One is the incredible gentleness, self-control, and simple reasonableness of Jesus’ response to being slapped in the face. The other is how typical the action of the official who struck him was. People who run out of reasonable, logical arguments to defend their position often resort to violence of one sort or another. We see this all the time, and it’s reported in news from around the world. This is actually a major cause of wars, and on a lesser scale, we’re seeing it in US politics almost daily. The challenge for the Christian is to respond as Jesus did! It takes a special anointing of the Holy Spirit not to lash back, but that anointing comes to those who have first made the choice to receive it. This is not to say that pacifism is always the answer. Jesus Himself got notably physical when He cleared the Court of the Gentiles of those who were desecrating it. (John 2:13-17) The point is that there, Jesus was not defending Himself, He was standing up on behalf of those who were being kept from worshiping God by those consumed with greed. Sometimes strong, forceful action is called for, but we must remember that God is our defense.

I have never been particularly violent physically, but I have certainly struck out at people verbally. That too is not trusting God. I am not to be a doormat, but neither am I to be on the offense against anyone but the devil. Jesus’ example here isn’t an easy one to follow, but I must be consistent in my choice to do so, by the help of the Spirit within me. My attempts to defend myself have consistently gotten me into more trouble than I was in in the first place! It has been very difficult for me that in this culture, simply explaining your actions is often taken as making excuses. That has nearly triggered a violent reaction in me a few times! Again and always I must remember that God is my defense, and rest and trust Him in that. As Paul said, it matters very little what people think of me, because I’m living for God’s approval. (1 Corinthians 4:3-4)

Father, thank You again for Your patience toward me. Help me be patient with those around me, and with myself. Thank You for the assurance I have of Your love and protection. Help me operate in that assurance more and more, so that I won’t get defensive but will respond to people with Your love and grace, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

The last half of this verse is one of the most famous lines in all of Scripture, so much so that many people don’t know it’s from the Bible. It certainly agrees with our experience! However, most people ignore the first half of the verse, which gives the appropriate response to the human condition. It is an English pun, but true nonetheless: “Seven days makes one week. Seven days without prayer makes one weak.” Failure to pray is perhaps the most dangerous conceit, and it is certainly the most common. It betrays an attitude of not needing God, and that is the height of blind stupidity. As the Bible says repeatedly, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Failure to recognize and acknowledge the reality that we would not exist apart from the grace of God is the polar opposite of wisdom. I would say that the majority of militant atheists take that position not out of genuine conviction, but out of anger and rebellion. If God won’t do things their way, then they are going to deny that He exists! That is so childish, but they themselves would never admit it. However, the majority of people, while not atheists by religion, are practical atheists because they ignore God for all practical purposes. In English that’s an oddly significant way of putting it, because many people don’t think religion is practical. They might profess to admire the teaching of Jesus, but they think or even say that it doesn’t work out in the real world. That’s because they have never really tried it. The Bible is actually the most practical of books, because it recognizes our weakness and tells us how to apply God’s power in its place, as this verse says.

I was certainly raised with an awareness of the importance of prayer, but that doesn’t mean my life has been as characterized by prayer as it should have been. Like everyone else, I have complained about trials, when they have been God’s way of graciously pointing out to me my need of Him. I need to obey this verse! That would not eliminate all trials, but it would certainly eliminate a lot of unnecessary suffering, on my part and on the part of those I interact with. Paul’s admonition to “Pray without ceasing” is the kindest, most practical advice. However, as the Lord pointed out to me years ago, prayer isn’t just my spouting off at God, it needs to include careful listening to God as well. My life truly needs to be characterized by both sides of that.

Father, You know even better than I do how far I need to grow in this area. Thank You for Your grace and patience toward me. I get very disgusted with myself at my own failures at times, but I know that the answer is turning to You in humble repentance and obedience. Sins of omission are sometimes more frustrating than sins of commission. Help me watch, pray, and be fully obedient at all times, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Matthew 26:35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

Bravado is a common human trait, but follow-through is a different matter! Peter was the one whose courage had specifically been challenged, but we should not forget that “all the disciples said the same.” Apparently John, the youngest disciple (or so tradition tells us), was the only one brave enough to act in ways that would specifically brand him as a disciple in the hours after Jesus was arrested. That may be because he was young enough that the recklessness so common in teenagers was operative. We are all prone to say one thing and do another, just as Peter did. That’s not to say that we are deliberately hypocritical, but rather that we have an inflated sense of our own ability and strength. Humility is key! At the same time, we need to be able to say with Paul that we can do everything we are called to do, through Christ who gives us strength. (Philippians 4:13) The point is, we don’t have wisdom, strength, courage, or anything else to boast of in ourselves, but God will supply everything we need when the time comes, if we are dependent on and committed to Him.

I would sooner not face martyrdom, or at least not a painful one, if given the choice, but I know that God is more than able to bring me through whatever He brings me to. However, that certainly doesn’t insulate me completely from anxiety. I’ve not faced potentially fatal circumstances, but I think I would have less trouble with those than I do with much lesser problems! Trusting obedience isn’t just for the big, watershed moments (or those that we recognize as such), but for the everyday, step by step process of living as a child of God. As I see others make wrong choices, failing to place Christ first and proclaim Him as their Lord, I must remember that I have no high ground to stand on there, because I have done the same. At the same time, I must remember that Jesus said that if we acknowledge Him, He will acknowledge us, but that if we deny Him, He will deny us. (Matthew 10:32-33) As a pastor, I must constantly exhort and encourage the believers to stay true to the Christ we serve, in the little things of life as well as the big, so that we will not miss out on any of the blessings He has for us.

Father, thank You for the opportunities You are giving the members of this church to proclaim publicly that they are Christians, and for their joy and liberation in doing so. I have seen so many times the joy and relief when someone who had been hiding their faith from their family and others has come out with it openly. Help us all acknowledge You, not just in words, but in actions and thoughts also. Our minds are where the real battle lies! Help me lead the flock into true discipleship, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Matthew 26:11 “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.”

This statement flies in the face of liberal policies and completely violates communist dogma. (However, that dogma is lying hypocrisy in the first place, so that should come as no surprise.) Jesus was not saying that poverty is a good thing, He was simply saying that it is part of the human condition, and won’t be eliminated until the world is remade. In His earthly ministry He was roundly criticized for treating everyone equally and being more concerned with the state of their soul than the state of their bank account. In general, He tended to treat material wealth more as a liability than as an asset. We have a lot of trouble with that! He was very concerned with people’s stewardship of what they had, whether that was much or little, which would put Him firmly on the side of giving people opportunities rather than hand-outs. He was certainly compassionate, but that in no way meant He advocated irresponsibility. In this verse He makes it very clear that God must be our first priority, and everything else is to flow from that.

This is a hot topic in the world today. Disasters such as happened last month here in Japan provide an unequivocal opportunity to help people materially, and a strong case could be made for saying that the inflated salaries paid to some American executives are immoral, but the ground between requires wisdom and restraint. I was blessed to grow up with enough financial resources not to feel needy, but not with so much as to be careless with money either. Actually, that’s been my situation all my life. That’s not to say that I haven’t had some extremely tight times, but in retrospect, those times had their own blessings. As I have commented to some people, those in Northeast Japan who lost everything material are probably discovering things that are far more important than the material. I am not to be callous toward poverty, but neither am I to have a knee-jerk reaction of saying that it is intrinsically bad. “Redistributing the wealth” is generally based more on greed than real compassion!

Father, I get so disgusted with all that is going on in the world today, especially politically. Help me remember that You told me You aren’t pleased with it either, and trust You for Your solution in Your timing. Help me be the steward You want me to be of what You have placed in my hands, which certainly includes blessing others materially. May I keep You first indeed, in my thoughts, priorities, and actions, for the sake of Your kingdom and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

John 11:48 “If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

This is the clearest sort of example of what happens when your focus is on the temporal rather than the eternal. These men had just said that Jesus was performing many signs that He was the Christ. Rather than rejoicing that God had sent the Savior, they were worried about what the Romans would do about what they might see as an uprising. They clearly feared Rome more than they feared God. In other words, they were proving that they were typical human beings! It is only when we shift our frame of reference and look at things from God’s perspective that we are set free from the anxiety that plagues our lives. From our perspective, we can’t see eventual consequences even for ourselves, much less for others around us. (Actually, its easier to be objective about others’ situations that it is about our own, but our knowledge and awareness are very limited.) In this particular case, the very thing the Jewish leaders feared did happen, but not because of Jesus and His followers. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD was in response to a rebellion fomented by people who insisted on doing things the human way, rather than accepting God’s way.

I’ve certainly had my struggles with this issue, and I’m surrounded by people with the same problem. As an individual believer, I need to keep reminding myself that God’s smart and I’m not, and He will never leave me or forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5, quoting Deuteronomy and Joshua) As a pastor, I need to get this message across to the believers. This is a struggle everyone has at times, but that doesn’t mean I’m to allow people to wallow in it. However, I’ve got to be careful not to try “fixing” people in my own strength and wisdom. At best, that accomplishes nothing, and it can be deeply wounding to them. Rather, I need to pray for them and allow the Holy Spirit to use me in opening their eyes to the Father’s love and faithfulness. This will be an issue as long as I am on this earth, and I need to not get tied in knots over it. That’s actually a reflection of the same problem in me!

Father, it’s easy to see when others aren’t trusting You and seeing things from Your perspective, and yet I turn around and do the same thing. Help me be faithful in prayer and intercession, but not try to carry people myself. As I told someone at Prayer Meeting last night, doing that simply guarantees my collapse! Help me be faithful, while letting You carry the weight. May we as a church grow daily in seeing things from Your perspective and releasing them to You, so that we will be unencumbered and available for You to use us however You desire, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Immediately after Jesus’ baptism, we have this declaration of who He was and why He came into the world. We don’t know how much John had already talked with his disciples about how God was going to send an atoning sacrifice into the world, but we know from verses 35-37 that simply repeating the statement in this verse was enough to make two of them leave John and follow Jesus, and those two were later named among the 12 apostles. It is no accident that one of those two was John the son of Zebedee, who would later write Revelation, which has a great deal to say about the Lamb of God. Jesus of course knew what He was doing before He resided in Mary’s womb, but even as a human being He knew, right from the start of His public ministry, that He was here to die. He talked about it repeatedly with His disciples over the next three and a half years, but that still didn’t make it easy when the time came. In this season leading up to our commemoration of His cross and resurrection, it is valuable to think deeply and often about the level of love that would bring Him to do such a thing on our behalf.

The problem with being totally familiar with a story is losing the impact of it. On top of that, Easter today is chocolate bunnies and colored eggs and fancy clothes, at least for the Western world. The devil would certainly like for us to forget what Easter is all about, because it was his greatest defeat. I need to allow the Holy Spirit to refresh my understanding and my spirit to appreciate all that was accomplished in those days. As a pastor, and particularly a pastor in a country without a Christian tradition, I need to communicate the glory of it all to those who have ears to hear. The scourging and crucifixion were absolute agony for Jesus, but they were deliverance, healing, forgiveness, and life itself for all who will believe, and I need to communicate that as effectively as possible.

Father, I do ask Your anointing to communicate Your love, not just at this time but especially at this time. May we as a church rejoice in that love this coming Sunday, and then on Easter Sunday may we be joined by many who will perhaps be hearing the message for the first time, so that more and more may receive all that Christ paid for in that process, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

This is a justly famous verse, but it still calls for reflection as to exactly what it means, and the implications for individual believers and churches. It is of course God’s open invitation to mankind for salvation. The Bride, as the preceding chapters make clear, is the Church as a whole, and of course the Spirit is God’s Holy Spirit. The important thing to notice and pay attention to is the next category: All those who have heard and recognized the invitation are to repeat it. If we fail to repeat the invitation, then we have failed to hear it correctly in the first place. Churches and believers that aren’t actively involved in expressing God’s invitation to those who haven’t accepted it cannot be said to be fully in the will of God. That’s not to say that we are to be driven by a sense of duty, evangelizing through gritted teeth. That would be counter productive! It is to say that anyone who is satisfied with just their own salvation has sadly misunderstood the love and grace of God. However, not everyone is going to accept the invitation. The Japanese has an advantage over the English in clarity in the second half of the verse, not from any problem with the translation but simply because of grammar and word order. What the Japanese says is, “Let him who desires the water of life receive it without cost.” The problem is, some people don’t want the water of life! They are so attached to their sin that they prefer it to life. Many would like to drink the water of life if they could do so without letting go of their sin, but when presented with the either/or choice, they choose their sin. That is heartbreaking, but it doesn’t change the responsibility of those who have accepted the invitation to continue to extend it, so that as many as will may be saved.

This is of course a driving motivation in my life, and I am happy to say that it is increasingly so. As a pastor, I am not only to extend the invitation, I am to encourage and train the believers in doing so. This is an area in which I have a lot of room for growth! I talk about it a lot, and the core members are starting to catch on, but all too few really believe that God can and will use them to lead people to salvation. I’m not to give up! Recently the Lord has spoken very clearly on this point through me, and He will continue to do so. I am to expect God to use me, and encourage the believers to do likewise.

Father, thank You indeed for what You are doing in this church. May all of Your plans for us be fulfilled, on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You that I start teaching another year of classes today at college. Thank You for the impact You have allowed me to have on my students over the years. I pray that with this new group, that many will choose to receive the water of life, starting a massive shift in the school as a whole, for the salvation of many, not just in the school but throughout the nation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Revelation 21:23-24 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.

This is practically a direct quote of Isaiah 60, though in greatly condensed form. One of the glories of Scripture is how the same truths keep reappearing, woven in as a beautiful tapestry. It is no wonder that people have become Christians simply on the basis of the Bible’s amazing internal consistency. Those who wish to discredit it (because they don’t want to obey it) point out seeming contradictions, but objective reading in the total context dissolves those problems. If we approach the Bible antagonistically, we will get little good out of it. However, if we approach it as God’s love letter to us, His banquet table to feed our souls, then the delights never end. Reading the Bible as a duty is such a waste! Reading it as a privilege and a blessing brings the very presence of God into our lives.

I keep coming back to how blessed I am to have grown up in a family that loved God and loved the Bible, for generations going back, even. It is indeed a joy to share the riches of the Word with others, and especially so when they catch fire and start digging into it, feeding on it themselves. I am to be gentle but insistent in teaching the believers to place God first in priority by placing the Bible first in their daily schedule. We need the nourishment to start each day! Many say they can’t get up in time to have devotions before the rest of the day begins, but that’s all a matter of what time they go to bed at night. The devil tricks us into thinking that late nights are a treat, when early mornings with God and His Word are a far better one!

Father, as I rejoice over Your abundant grace toward me, keep me from putting down or looking down on those who haven’t yet learned to appropriate the blessings You have for them. Help me teach, admonish, and encourage with all gentleness, love, and authority, so that the believers may grow strong as Your disciples, in turn going on to raise up others, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Revelation 8:3-4 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand.

Prayers themselves are an offering to God. This is something that is sometimes included in the language of prayer, in my experience more frequently in Japanese than in English, but I wonder how much understanding there is of it. I know that frankly, I have very little understanding. Prayer is an incredible privilege, but at the same time it is a mystery. What impact could the words of frail, foolish human beings have on the omniscient, omnipotent Creator of the universe? However, it is clear both from Scripture and experience that prayer does have an impact. This is a major factor in prayer with fasting. God doesn’t need our prayers, and more than He needs the food we forgo eating, but He receives them as an offering, the “fruit of our lips,” as it says in Hebrews 13:15. That verse specifically speaks of praise, but all genuine prayer is an acknowledgment of who God is, and as such is holy and acceptable in His sight. Everything from joyful prayer to anguished prayer is acceptable on God’s altar, which should be sufficient reason in itself for all God’s children to pray frequently and fervently.

I started by saying that I have little understanding of prayer as a sacrifice to God, but He has opened my mind and heart as I have written. I have delighted in prayer, but I need to be even more active in it. This is the best push I’ve ever had for “filling in the gaps” in my day with prayer. I won’t be vulnerable to temptation when I’m actively praying! I’ve been given the gift of tongues, so I can be praying when my mind needs to be occupied with something else. I already do that when driving, but I need to do it much more. Prayer without ceasing is an effective way to keep all of me on the altar, submitted and committed to God.

Father, thank You for this revelation from Revelation this morning. Help me do far more than just add it to my knowledge base, so to speak. Help me put it into practice indeed. The opposition to what You are doing in this church is ramping up, and I need to be fully active in obedience to You. I pray for physical and spiritual protection for each member of this body, that each one may make it safely through the trials they experience and grow strong in faith and obedience to You. May we as a church offer the sacrifices You desire, in full love and commitment, for Your purposes to be accomplished in and through us for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

The simple fact of the matter is, we commit sins. The glory of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for our sins, died on the cross and risen again so that we might be proclaimed righteous. However, that is no excuse to sin again, because we are called to righteousness and holiness. Willful sin cuts us off from fellowship with God, so we lose the benefits Christ died to secure for us. That’s not to say that we lose our salvation, but that we lose the peace, joy, and power that are ours in Christ alone. As John said in verse 9 of the first chapter, when we realize that we have sinned, immediate confession and repentance are called for. If we do that, we are indeed cleansed and clad again in the righteousness of Christ. Anyone whose heart is genuinely committed to God isn’t going to be looking for excuses to sin, but rather will be seeking to please God in every way. Saying that Jesus is our lawyer, as this verse does, doesn’t at all give us any reason to be careless about our obedience to God.

This is central to the whole issue of grace, both for me and for all to whom I minister. Legalism is a major pitfall, but so is cheap grace, as Bonhoeffer so clearly put it. I am not to think, or let my sheep think, that the assurance of God’s forgiveness is any kind of reason to be lax in commitment and obedience to God. At times it seems almost contradictory, but that is because of the limitations of our human understanding. I need to walk in forgiveness, forgiving those around me so that nothing will hinder God’s forgiveness of me.

Father, the issue of forgiving others can be a difficult one. People who hurt me directly can be difficult to forgive emotionally, but at least I understand clearly that I need to forgive them. People around me who are clearly not being obedient to You, but the impact on me is minimal, are a different issue. I need You to illuminate John 20:23 to me. May I be an instrument of Your forgiveness, both in my own life and in the world, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!