Contextual Ministry; October 2, 2023

Posted on October 3, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 13:38-39 “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.”

Here, from verse 16 on, we have a clear sample of the sort of message Paul preached to the Jews of the diaspora, that is, the Jews who lived elsewhere than in the geographic area of Israel. As he says in verse 16, he included the Gentile proselytes, those who believed in the God of Israel, because all of these people had a foundation in the Torah and the Tanach to understand that Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy. This was very different from preaching, as he later did, to total heathens who had no foundation. This is an example of contextual ministry, adapting the presentation, though not the truth of the Gospel, to the specific situation and audience. Paul himself described it this way: “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:20-22) The danger in this approach is that some people have lost sight of the Gospel in the process, calling themselves “seeker-sensitive.” We must not let go of the reality of the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. Grace is grace only when it’s necessary! Churches that never speak of sin are dangerous indeed. From Peter at Pentecost on, apostolic preaching in the New Testament pulls no punches, but lays out human depravity and the necessity of repentance before there can be any thought of salvation. Today we seem to live in fear that someone will be offended. We need to realize that the Gospel is offensive to anyone who wants to hold onto their sin, just as Jesus said. (John 3:19-21) Contextual ministry is an important tool, but we must never let that idea take precedence over the reality that we are sinners in need of a Savior.

As someone involved in cross-cultural ministry all my life, this couldn’t be more relevant. Missionaries are faced with the issue constantly. Frankly, the personal evangelism techniques I was taught in seminary in the US have been remarkably ineffective in Japan, because the average Japanese has zero foundation to hear and understand the Gospel. I know that some with the gift of evangelism have made good use of such tools as the “4 Spiritual Laws” tract, but they are an exception. I have to start with the idea of a Creator, a transcendent God to whom we are accountable, because Shinto has a multitude of gods and Buddhism is fundamentally atheistic. However, I have had some successes. God is amazingly good at meeting people where they are! I am never to give up, but rather be sensitive to Holy Spirit, listening to Him and speaking what He is saying, so that the lies of the enemy may be exposed and people be brought into the freedom of the Truth. (John 8:32)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your faithfulness to me on every level. I pray that I would be fully available to You at all times to do or say whatever You desire for whatever context I find myself in, so that Your purposes may be accomplished for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Assignments; October 1, 2023

Posted on October 2, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 13:2-3 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

Two things stand out to me about this passage. The first is that there was multiple leadership that totally ignored distinctions of race and social class, and the second is that when God chose some to go out for work elsewhere, not only did they not hesitate, they sent the best. Barnabas obviously had the most seniority, since he had originally been sent out by the Jerusalem church to check on things in Antioch, and Saul was the most on fire. Of course they were only agreeing with the Holy Spirit’s choices, but it still had to be somewhat painful for the church in Antioch. God doesn’t choose the lazy ones, the ones who barely get by. Of course, removing these two required that the other three leaders, and the church as a whole, step up and do more, but that too was for their growth. God doesn’t ignore the “lazy” ones, the ones who “barely get by,” He challenges them to move in closer to Him, to recognize and fulfill their calling in Christ. The New Testament pays a lot of attention to specific people, but the rest all have their place as well. Whether you are in the spotlight has no bearing on whether you are a child of God. We all need to recognize that we are included in God’s plans and rejoice in that fact, giving ourselves to Him however He directs, for His glory.

Naturally, this applies to me as much as it does to anyone. Growing up in a missionary family, I was very aware that God has different tasks for different people. On visits to the US I ran into people I was very glad were not on the mission field in Japan! However, God had ways in which He wanted to use them where they were. Right now I am feeling more and more strongly that God is going to be taking me away from this congregation, not to live but to minister elsewhere on repeated short-term trips. That’s going to require that the believers step up and do things they have been leaving for me to do. A week from today will be a taste of that, as Cathy and I will be in Tokyo and they will have a service as usual, including a meal after the service, when meals have been very much Cathy’s territory. I don’t know what all will go on, but I know that it will be good, even if there are seeming “disasters” in the process. I have allowed this church to be largely centered on me, which is simply wrong. I am in strong agreement that being centered on Jesus is essential for any church, and for the Church as a whole, but I haven’t acted like it sufficiently. I haven’t been good at delegation, at genuinely trusting people with responsibilities, and that has hobbled this church. I think God is taking me away from the church for its sake, as much as for any other reason. I delight to share the Word, but others need to recognize that God speaks to them as well, and step up to share what He has said. I won’t stop talking wherever I am!

Father, thank You for this timely Word. Help me do exactly what You intend and nothing else, allowing others to do what You have for them, so that the Body as a whole may be built up, for the blessing of all involved and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Christian; September 30, 2023

Posted on October 1, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 11:26 The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

This is indeed an inflection point in history, because words matter. There has been a good bit of discussion over why they started being called Christians at this point, and indeed, just what “Christian” meant at that point. The Japanese Bible says “person/people of Christ,” which seems straightforward enough, but in English I’ve heard people insist that the Greek would be better translated “little Christs.” To me, the best explanation is simply that they were constantly talking about Christ, so the name was applied to them. In northern Japan there is a grave that the locals say is that of Christ, that he came there, married a Japanese woman, and eventually died. By far the most logical explanation for that is that he was a Nestorian believer from China, who talked about Christ so much that the name was applied to him. Thinking of all of that, how much do we talk about Christ? Several years ago I heard it expressed this way: “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” “Cultural Christians” are an issue around the world. Even in Japan religion is often seen as a family affair, so you are whatever your parents are. That makes youthful rebellion an excellent time to evangelize, because people are much more open to abandoning their parents’ religion. In any case, most people today seem unlikely to talk about their faith, whatever it is. In contrast, adherents of the “religion” of transgenderism can’t seem to stop talking about it! When those who are deceived by the devil are so vocal, what’s with those who know the truth? The love and grace of God through Jesus Christ should be our main, consistent, topic of conversation.

I’m talking to myself here. As I have written before, the evidence I had that God had indeed been true to His Word and baptized me in His Spirit was that I was talking to a total stranger about Jesus. Since I desire to be filled constantly with the Spirit, I need to let that be an indicator of my spiritual health. I will talk your ears off about just about anything, since I have broad interests and fairly broad know­ledge. I need to be less of a “walking encyclopedia” and more of a “fountain of life!” For that to happen, my thoughts need to be filled ever more with Christ, because just like Jesus said, “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34) While we were in seminary my wife drew a cartoon figure that was filled with words like fear, joy, pride, kindness, and the like. The caption was, “Whatever you are full of will spill out when you are bumped.” (We currently have that framed and on our wall.) I want to be so full of Christ that He will “spill out” consistently and abundantly, giving real meaning to the title, Christian.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me consciously choose to think and speak of Christ until it becomes fully automatic, informing people of Your grace and love and drawing them to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Acceptance; September 29, 2023

Posted on September 30, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 11:15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning.”

There was a very specific reason God sent His Spirit on Cornelius and his household in exactly the same way He did on the 120 believers at Pentecost, and that was to show the Jewish believers that Gentiles were just as much heirs of salvation as they were. We all have a persistent tendency to think more of ourselves by thinking less of others, and God consistently says that’s wrong. There are conditions to salvation, certainly, but immutable characteristics, like ethnicity or gender, aren’t among them. (The devil is currently making a mess by insisting that gender isn’t immutable, but that’s another discussion.) God does reward our faithfulness, (Hebrews 10:35, 2 John 1:8) but our acceptance as His children comes from the moment we believe, and is a pure manifestation of His grace. (Ephesians 2:8-10) We need to treat others as God has treated us. Sometimes they need to earn our trust, but we should accept them as they are, and ask God to change them as necessary. After all, He’s still changing us! We aren’t to set up false conditions, but let God’s love flow through us even as it has flowed to us.

Acceptance has been a big issue in my life, as it is for many. I grew up as a Caucasian in Japan and went to school as a Missionary Kid on a US Air Force base. That didn’t make acceptance easy! I am what is called a TCK, a “third culture kid,” someone who synthesized my own culture from those of my parents and my environment. I have more in common with a Swiss man who grew up in South America (whom I know on Facebook) than with the majority of people I deal with every day. It is painful when Japanese don’t accept me as Japanese, even when I’ve lived here longer than they have, and it is healing when brothers and sisters in Christ of various nations accept me as one of their own. I have learned the reality of Paul’s statement, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20) And I am never to let my own wounds keep me from accepting another person for whom Christ died.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the healing You have given me, and for the privilege of tasting the rejection that Jesus experienced. (John 1:10-11) May I be Your agent in every detail of my life, so that people may be accepted into Your family by faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Methods; September 28, 2023

Posted on September 29, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

This makes it very clear that even after Pentecost it wasn’t, and still isn’t, necessary for hands to be laid on people for them to receive the Holy Spirit. There are examples of Him coming on people both with and without the laying on of hands throughout Acts, as well as Paul’s references to laying hands on people in his letters. I think the point is to remember that God isn’t limited; He can do things however He likes. Our place is to keep ourselves available so that His will may be done, whether He chooses to use us or not. I have known people who were very uptight about this sort of thing, but God’s not! I think the more we try to put the things of God into formulas, the further away from Him we become. I wonder if Peter was irritated that people didn’t wait for him to finish talking before they started praising God in Tongues? It’s possible, but I rather doubt it because God had beaten it into Peter that He was in charge, not Peter. We need to remember that same lesson, and simply pray earnestly that God’s name would be acknowledged as holy and His rule and reign be established as His will is done, in, by, and around us, for His glory.

I’ve seen God work in a variety of ways and I’ve heard testimonies of many more, but I still tend to expect Him to work in ways that I’ve seen before. How foolish! I think that God actively likes variety, to keep us from trying to reduce Him to a formula. I earnestly desire to be used by God to empower His children, especially in Japan, but I’ve had to come to the place of desiring the empowerment more than I desire to be used in the process. Frankly, I think that makes it more likely that I will be used, but that’s entirely up to Him. Various things about my daily life and schedule are changing, and I need to focus on being sensitive and obedient, whether God wants me to speak or be silent, act or just pray. His plans are always good and perfect, and my joy is in seeing them come to pass.

Father, thank You indeed for Your plans. Thank You for desiring the Japanese people for Yourself, for Your family, Your kingdom. I do pray that the darkness that has bound this nation for so long would be shattered, and Your children be set free to be all that You created them to be, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Healing; September 27, 2023

Posted on September 28, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 9:34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up.

Peter had quite a track record of healing by this point, famously including the man at the gate Beautiful (Acts 3) and people being healed when his shadow fell on them (Acts 5). That kind of experience naturally builds faith! The thing about Peter was that his past track record had showed him he could do nothing right by himself. It was his total dependence on God that made him available for God to use him in miraculous ways. This particular healing has a lot in com­mon with the one in Acts 3, but Peter’s only precedent for raising Dorcas from the dead, in the verses following this, was having been present when Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus, as recorded in Mark 5 and Luke 8. However, he had been present in the Upper Room when Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12) We may not have Peter’s track record, but Jesus’ statement is as true for us as it was for Peter. We pray for healing, but do we expect people to be healed? We forget that in many if not most of the healings recorded in the Bible, the operative agent was a command rather than a prayer. Sometimes the command is to the disease to leave, but more often it is to the afflicted person to receive their healing, as here. I don’t think we act like that very often! The difficult point comes in our awareness of authority. We have no authority in ourselves to command disease, injury, and death to leave, but Jesus has given believers the right to speak and act in His name, and as He declared just before His ascension, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. (Matthew 28:18) Our faith is not to be in our ability to do anything, but in His ability to do anything at all, even using us.

I have prayed for healing for people many times, but I haven’t done much commanding. I have seen people healed, but nothing as dramatic as the stories in this chapter. I have desired that God confirm His Word through me by signs and wonders, but I haven’t seen that much. I think that I have persistently thought that I was going to do these things! My track record has certainly taught me that I can’t do them, though it has taught me that God can and will speak through me. I need to remember that, and allow Him to speak healing and other miracles through me as He desires, so that people may repent and believe for their salvation.

Father, thank You for this clear Word. It is very pointed, when Cathy has so many medical issues. I do know that healing isn’t always Your best, just as You told Paul, (2 Corinthians 12:9) but I also know that looking at myself and my abilities will block me from being available to You. Help me be so fixed on Jesus that His words in the Upper Room may be fulfilled indeed, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Spiritual Maturity; September 26, 2023

Posted on September 27, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

I and many others have always been amused by this verse, because it states that once they got Saul out of town, everything got much better. We think of him as Paul, the Greek name he used after he started on his missionary journeys, and he indeed ended up writing half the New Testament, but at this point he definitely lacked spiritual maturity. He certainly had youthful vigor, which he had displayed before his encounter with the risen Lord by persecuting the Church, and as soon as he recovered from his blindness and weakness after that encounter he turned around 180 degrees and started preaching that Jesus was the Son of God. (verse 20) However, he was obviously confrontational and argumentative, just as he had been as a persecutor, and people couldn’t hear what he was saying because of how he said it. He hadn’t yet learned how to speak the truth in love, as he later wrote the Ephesians, (Ephesians 4:15) and was effectively a “noisy gong or a clanging cymbal,” as he wrote the Corinthians. (1 Corinthians 13:1) I’m reminded of the term, sophomore, which means literally, “wise fool.” It implies having knowledge without the maturity to apply it correctly. We all go through that, sometimes for brief periods and sometimes for much longer. We all need to strive for spiritual maturity, as Paul was writing in the Ephesians passage just quoted. Any parent loves their children even when they are infants, but they desire that they grow emotionally and mentally as well as physically, and if the parents know Christ they want their children to grow spiritually as well. None of us grow at equal speeds in all areas, and sometimes we injure people by demanding that they display the same growth in one area as they have in another. We need to be patient, as God is with us, but never give up on the push for spiritual maturity, for ourselves and for our loved ones.

This is closer to home than I like to think about sometimes. My intellectual growth was very rapid, and physically, at one point I grew 6 inches (15 cm.) in one year. However, my decision-making didn’t keep up! I became spiritually stunted, trapped in pride, and it wasn’t until I was already a husband and father that the Lord brought me up short and showed me my condition. I’d say my spiritual growth really started from that point. At 75 people expect maturity from me, but I’m mature enough to know I’m not perfectly mature! I have more growing to do, and will continue to need to grow as long as I am in this body, just as Paul realized. (Philippians 3:12-14) As a pastor, I am to coach other believers in their spiritual journey, and am to seek to encourage them in growth. That’s a major reason we all need each other! I am not to dictate or place myself on a pedestal, but I am not to be afraid to urge people to imitate me, just as Paul did. (1 Corinthians 4:16) At the same time I must remember that everyone is gifted differently, and not look for exact copies.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The subject is very deep, and I’m still growing! Help me indeed grow as You desire, and encourage others to do likewise, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Ananias; September 25, 2023

Posted on September 26, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 9:17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord–Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here–has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

I have always been impressed with the faith of Ananias in this story. He had every reason to be very scared of Saul, but he trusted Jesus more than he feared Saul. I’m guessing that he had experienced the Lord showing him things previously that had turned out to be true. Otherwise, like most of us, he would probably have chalked his vision up to his imagination, or to whatever he had eaten for supper. Obviously the Lord spoke more to him after verse 16 and before this verse, because he had clearly been shown that Jesus had directly appeared to Saul on the way to Damascus. It also jumps out at me that he addressed Saul as “Brother.” That may have been purely a social convention, as it is in some cultures, but still it took faith for him to use that term with someone who was notorious for persecuting believers. The thing is, Saul was not so unique as we sometimes think. Just yesterday I watched a video from Jews for Jesus where someone was interviewed who had previously hated Jesus, and though Jewish, was actively pursuing Zen Buddhism, but had a transformative encounter with the Lord and now is in active and fruitful ministry. In it he said he could imagine Jesus saying, “I want that one,” simply because he had been so vehement in his opposition to Christ. And the trigger for his transformation was a presentation of the Gospel by a girl who was high on LSD at the time! We put people into boxes and write them off all the time, forgetting that nothing is impossible for God. Ananias obviously had the faith to overcome that tendency, and the world has been transformed as a result. It’s hard to imagine how different history would have been had Ananias not been obedient to the Lord. We need to seek to be just as available.

I don’t have a track record of dreams from the Lord, but my wife does. Over 20 years ago the Lord gave her a series of three dreams about a traffic accident, which she had not long after the dreams. Had she not been obedient to what she had been shown in the dreams, a man would have died and she would have been charged with his death. That has made her rather sensitive to such things! We will be making a trip to Tokyo in a couple of weeks, and when we got our plane tickets, we noticed that evening that hers was made out with her middle name, rather than her given name. (Japanese don’t use middle names, and generally give the family name first, so how to write or express our names is a recurring issue.) The thing is, a little while back she had a dream of not being allowed to board the same plane I was riding because of precisely the issue of how her name was on her ticket! Of course we went back the next day to try to get the ticket changed, but the airline wouldn’t do it, and assured us there would be no problem, since she had various forms of ID that have her full name. Naturally she’s a bit uptight about it, after having had the dream, so she will be taking her passport along with everything else, even though it’s a domestic flight. That’s not nearly as serious an issue as what Ananias faced, but it is still a matter of paying attention when the Lord shows you something. I tend to hear from the Lord as I read the Bible, particularly in my morning devotions, like right now. Recently He’s been giving me more messages than I currently have opportunity to preach, and I’m feeling more and more strongly that He’s going to give me a lot more opportunities! I’m not to run around trying to fulfill that on my own, but I’m to hold myself ready at all times, so that I can make the most of every opportunity the Lord gives me.

P: Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for a wife who listens to You. Help us both listen attentively and accurately, not in fear but in anticipation of what You are going to do around and through us. May we flow with Your Spirit in every detail, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Isaiah; September 24, 2023

Posted on September 25, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 8:35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

God gave Philip a very easy assignment here, because the passage in question is from Isaiah 53. I enjoy watching Internet videos of Jews who have discovered that Jesus is the Messiah they have heard about, and I’ve completely lost count of how many had their eyes opened by Isaiah 53. I would imagine that some Rabbis are downright afraid of it! As I write frequently, I have high admiration and respect for Dennis Prager, who is writing an extensive commentary on the Torah, the five books of Moses. If he would put that much thought and effort into Isaiah, I don’t see how he could fail to become Messianic! I’m sure it is no accident that Isaiah was the only complete book of the Old Testament that was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Scholars are agreed that those scrolls were probably hidden by the Essenes, and also that John the Baptist was probably in that community, so John was fully primed for the Messiah to come in the way that He did. The biggest shock to John was probably that Jesus was a relative of his! The thing is, as several of the Jews in the videos I have watched have testified, the Messiah is found throughout the Old Testament, both the Torah and the Tanach (which is the rest of the Old Testament, after the Books of Moses). Christians today tend to forget that all the sermons of the 1st Century, at least, quoted only the Old Testament! The Old Testament is the foundation for the New, and the New Testament explains and gives meaning to the Old. Christians who never read anything but the New testament (and I’ve met a few) are depriving themselves of great spiritual riches.

When asked which Old Testament character I’d like to be, I always come up with Isaiah, even though tradition tells us he was martyred by being sawed in two. His book is incredibly rich, and so incredibly prophetic that even my seminary professor grandfather thought it had to have been written by two different men at different times. Whereas that isn’t impossible, that theory discounts to a degree the revelation of God. I don’t like to focus much on predictive prophecy, though I must not ignore it, but I prefer to focus on what God is saying for right now. Isaiah did plenty of both! I am not to shy away from giving predictive prophecy, if that is what God is saying, but I don’t want to say anything, from the pulpit in particular, that God is not saying. I have experienced giving a predictive prophecy that, though I didn’t know it at the time, seemed humanly, medically, impossible, but God fulfilled it in His own way not long after, and the people to whom it was spoken expressed deep appreciation for it. I desire to be God’s spokesman, which may be why I like Isaiah so much! He has given me a gift for words, but my use of that gift has not always been in submission and obedience to Him. I’ve only published one book to this point, though I’m working on my autobiography, but when I feel Christ’s return is imminent, I wonder who will read them. My blog currently has over 1,000 subscribers, both to the blog itself and through Facebook, so I am to be faithful for their sake, as well as for whoever might read my words in the future. If God has martyrdom in His plans for me, as He did for Isaiah, that’s His business. My business is to be true to Him, for as long as He keeps me here and for eternity.

Father, thank You for the countless saints who have gone before, as encouragement on every level. Help me be fully faithful so that all who know me or know of me may likewise be encouraged to cling close to You, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Spirit of God; September 23, 2023

Posted on September 24, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 8:15-17 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

I couldn’t begin to say how many times I’ve heard this passage quoted by Pentecostals or Charismatics in talking about a “second blessing” of receiving the Holy Spirit after salvation. It is certainly a major influence on the practice of laying hands on people for various spiritual reasons. Where this all gets tied in knots is the whole matter of whether the gift of Tongues is the “initial evidence” of having been baptized in the Holy Spirit. I personally think the far more important point is that every believer needs to be baptized in and filled with the Holy Spirit. After all, Jesus told His disciples, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) In other words, “You can’t do it without Holy Spirit, so make sure He’s in you before you try anything.” We are so prone to think we can do things on our own! God isn’t stingy, so we don’t have to beg, but we do need to desire and be open. A close friend of mine was almost defiant when he was prayed for in a Charismatic prayer meeting, and God baptized him anyway! The proof that it was real has been in decades of ministry. There have been spiritual gifts, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, and there hasn’t been perfection, but there has been fruit, and I am sure God is pleased with him. The point is that if we are receiving Jesus as our Lord, we need His Spirit as our strength and guide. Anything less is certainly asking for failure.

As I have written at length before, I was baptized at age seven, and I think it was real. However, without the consistent, clear guidance of the Spirit, I quickly veered off into pride, and it wasn’t until I was 24 that the Lord said, “That’s about enough of that,” and called me to account. However, it was almost two more years before I opened myself to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit by faith. I’ve learned the hard way the futility of trying to do things without listening to and being empowered by Holy Spirit, so now I try to focus on doing what He told me: rest, relax, and rejoice in Him. Titles blur in talking about this sort of thing because as Jesus talked and prayed about in the Upper Room Discourse, God is in me and I am in Christ, but all of it is by the Spirit of God/Christ, who is certainly Holy. As Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) Human language isn’t up to straightening it all out, but God can and does reveal it to our spirits, if we are open to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your patience with me, with the many times I’ve ignored Your Spirit. Help me neither quench nor grieve Him, but rather allow Him to fill me and flow through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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