Wealth; July 25, 2023

Posted on July 26, 2023 by jgarrott

Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

This is a justly famous verse, but it is actively ignored by far too many people, for the same reason given for the Pharisees disliking it: people love money! The irony is that even secular psychologists say that after a certain level wealth has no positive effect on happiness, and often has a negative effect. Happy wealthy people are all focused on things other than their wealth, as witness Elon Musk. Wealth, however it’s counted, is one of the oldest idols. From the dawn of history there have been countless people who have sacrificed everything else to gain it, but as Jesus said elsewhere, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Luke 9:25) It is in serving God that we discover the reason for our existence, and only then do we gain true peace, satisfaction, and joy. Playing with rivals to God, like wealth, never benefits us.

I’m thankful that wealth has never loomed very big in my awareness. It’s not just that I’ve never been wealthy, money has just never been that big an issue with me. I’ve certainly had times when I wanted more, but from the point when Cathy and I made the firm decision to tithe first, before any other expenses, at a time when we really didn’t have money, God has supplied every one of our needs, often in surprising and sometimes in miraculous ways. Neither Cathy nor I grew up in what would be called affluent circumstances, but neither of us grew up feeling poor. I certainly credit our parents in that. Cathy’s parents in particular had some really hard times financially, but they didn’t telegraph that to their children, and all four went to college, when that was far from universal where they lived. In my case, in post-war Japanese society you could have said we lived an affluent lifestyle, driving an American car and living in a large house with a large yard (that didn’t belong to us but to the mission board), but on missionary salaries my parents had to be very careful with expenditures, and we were taught frugality by example. All of that is not to say that I’ve never let anything get ahead of God in my priorities. I have, however, learned that serving Him meets every one of my genuine needs, because He is a loving, generous Master.

Father, thank You for the privilege of serving You, and for the true wealth that You pour out on me. I do pay attention to my bank account here, but I know on the deepest level that my account with You is far more important and valuable. May that account draw the interest that You intend, so that Your purposes may be accomplished in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Treasure; July 24, 2023

Posted on July 25, 2023 by jgarrott

Luke 12:34 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Every one of us has things we consider treasure, whether we think in those terms or not. Finances are of course common, as are houses and stocks and cars and assorted expensive things. Objectively, it’s easy to see that fixating on those things makes us emotionally and spiritually poorer. Then there are the less financially-connected things, like mementos and photographs and the like. Some of those might rise to the category of heirlooms, but we still cling even to those that don’t. Moving even further from finances, there are people, and even pets. We have great difficulty accepting emotionally that all these things are given to us for a time, but aren’t permanent. That doesn’t mean they aren’t valuable and aren’t to be treated as such, but it does mean that we are to hold all things loosely. It is only when our ultimate value, our greatest treasure, is God and His kingdom that we have lasting security, because they will never end. It is when we treasure our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ above and beyond anything and everything else that we have real stability. There are extreme examples of this in the world even today. Within the past couple of days video was released of an incident that happened a little earlier this year in India, where men of a Hindu tribal group stripped three women of a Christian tribal group naked, paraded them down the street, and then at least the youngest was led into a field and gang raped. That 20-year-old woman could be essentially destroyed, but if her heart is indeed fixed on Christ and His kingdom, she will be healed. When times are easy we don’t think about where our treasure is, and it’s very easy to let all sorts of things take the place in our heart that belongs only to God. That’s why hard times can actually be the best times, because they force us to look at what is really valuable, and reorient our priorities.

I’ve had assorted things that I’ve valued over the years, but I’m thankful that my parents weren’t materialistic and so I didn’t have a bad example here. I would say that my wife is my greatest visible treasure, but I’m very aware that physically speaking we are both quite temporary. After all, she’s already died and been sent back once! I desire that God be my highest and first priority, and indeed my morning devotion times are extremely important to me, but I still have to admit that other things impinge on that at times. I want to do God’s will, but sometimes I wish He’d lay out an easier course for me! Yesterday I got tied in knots over things I considered criticisms or even attacks, and as a result made mistakes that further inconvenienced me. That shows that I still treasure my pride, and that’s something I thought was dealt with years ago! I still have plenty of room to let go of everything and cling only to my Lord, knowing that He has firm hold of me, (Philippians 3:12) letting Him be my true treasure.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that You keep teaching me and growing me in various ways. Thank You that I’ll be guiding an American short-term missions team around Nagasaki City today. I ask for physical and emotional endurance, that I would be a blessing to them and help them focus on why they are here, so that as they go on to another area tomorrow they may be in step with what You have for them, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Perseverance; July 23, 2023

Posted on July 24, 2023 by jgarrott

Luke 8:15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

One word in this very familiar story jumps out at me right now: persevering. That’s actually an essential life skill, but it’s certainly not popular. We like everything to be instant, from fast food to cell phone communication. The level of convenience that has come with technological advances has spoiled us, and we are the poorer for it. On the eternal scale our time on earth is certainly brief, but it can seem very long when we are slogging through it. God has a purpose in everything, and He knows that we need time to mature. He doesn’t want a heaven full of spoiled brats! I find myself repeatedly saying that God doesn’t pick on us, because as true as it is, from our perspective it doesn’t always seem that way. We have a lot of lessons to learn to become the mature children that God desires, and sometimes we can be slow to learn! Persevering is essential if we are to receive that ultimate accolade, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)

Perseverance is perhaps one of my few good points. We’ve been in Omura for almost 42 years, and we haven’t given up. As I tell people, I don’t know if I’m faithful, stubborn, or just too lazy to pack up and start over somewhere else. Japan is notorious for being a difficult field of evangelism. Patches of good soil, to go with this parable, seem few and far between. However, that’s no excuse, when God has expressly sent me here to the land of my birth. God has given me an enormous store of seed, having been steeped in the Bible from my birth, and I’m to be faithful to keep scattering it however, whenever, and wherever the Lord gives opportunity, praying and trusting Him for the harvest in His right time, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for those who are indeed producing a good crop, however few they might seem. Thank You for the fruit You have given me. Thank You for pointing out to me this morning that some of it is in ways I hadn’t been thinking about. I pray that I would be fruitful indeed, for as long as You keep me here, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Forgiveness of Sin; July 22, 2023

Posted on July 24, 2023 by jgarrott

Luke 7:50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Jesus was famous for telling people their faith had brought them physical healing, but here He expressly says that faith has brought forgiveness. In the case of the paralytic lowered to Him through a hole in the roof, He said that the man’s friends’ faith had brought him forgiveness. I’m preaching tomorrow on The Results of Faith, but the greatest result has got to be eternal salvation. We tend to focus on the temporal, on miracles of healing or provision or the like, when all of those things are only temporary. We even tend to define “being saved” that way: saved from this, that, or the other temporal disaster. We forget that our sins have destined us for eternal disaster, and the only salvation from that is repentance and faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. This particular story of Jesus invites the misinterpretation that Paul dealt with in Romans. Since the devil can’t deny the truth of what Jesus said about much forgiveness producing much love, he tells us that we should sin much so that we can be forgiven much and so love much. As Paul said, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2) The secret to salvation isn’t sinning so we can be forgiven, it’s realizing we’ve already sinned, and thus need to be forgiven. The secret to loving God intensely and personally lies in honestly recognizing the countless ways we have sinned against God, and believing that “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) The magnificence of God’s forgiveness isn’t something we can earn, but is rather to be received in overwhelming gratitude, as this woman experienced.

If I were to try to make a list of all the things for which I’ve been forgiven, not only would I be here all day and longer, there’s no way I could remember them all. One of the many glorious things about God’s forgiveness is that when something is forgiven, it’s gone, period. It’s possible we will have to live with some of the consequences for a while, but the sin itself is gone. Over 20 years ago when I was dealing with a particular “besetting sin” I was liberated by something Peter said. “If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” (2 Peter 1:8-9) The Lord showed me that if I dwell on past sins, that makes me all the more likely to commit them again. I’ve got to remember that when I’m forgiven, my slate is as clean as if I’d never sinned in the first place. I’m never to make excuses for sin, but rather be quick to recognize it, ask for and receive God’s forgiveness, and love Him all the more for it.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Tomorrow’s message on the results of faith seems impossibly huge. Help me speak only what people are ready to hear and receive, and not dull their hearts with an overflow of words. May we all be sensitive to Your Spirit and allow You to touch, cleanse, and heal us as we need, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Faith for All; July 21, 2023

Posted on July 22, 2023 by jgarrott

Luke 7:9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”

When Matthew recorded this incident in chapter 8 he was simply relying on his own recollections. Luke, on the other hand, had not been present at the time and was a very conscientious, diligent researcher, and he probably interviewed multiple people to get his account. Luke, as a Gentile himself, was impressed with the centurion’s humility in sending others to speak to Jesus rather than going himself. That makes Jesus’ statement here all the more striking, because Jesus praised the faith of the Gentile centurion, specifically in contrast to the faith He had encountered among the Jews. It is perhaps natural that Luke would note this, but it’s also important that Jesus was clearly fulfilling what the Lord had said through Isaiah: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6) That’s the passage Paul and Barnabas quoted when resisting the Jews who were jealous of their preaching to Gentiles in Antioch. (Acts 13:46-48) Saving faith is not limited to those with a genetic connection to Abraham! At the same time, we must remember that it is certainly not excluded from physical descendants of Abraham. After all, Jesus, His 12 disciples, and indeed the whole earliest Church were as Jewish as could be. Ephesians 2:8-9 applies to absolutely everyone, with no favoritism.

I realized even as a young child that some people seemed to make distinctions on the basis of race or nationality, and I found it strange. Of course I don’t remember it directly, but around the time I was born a speaker came to Fukuoka from America, and my father had the job of interpreting for him. It turned out the man was horribly racist, putting Japan down in countless ways that my father wanted no part of. God gave him wisdom and he interpreted accurately, but ended every statement with “so he says,” making it very clear he didn’t agree. The Japanese congregation understood what was going on and loved my father all the more for it. Of course, I too am a Gentile, but I have always taken pride in having been born the same year as the current nation of Israel, and for reasons known only to God, we were adopted into the Messianic fellowship in seminary, associating with Jews who had discovered Jesus. Right now I am a Gentile ministering to other Gentiles in Japan, with a profound awareness that every human being is equally loved by God, and they need to repent of having ignored or rejected Him and believe that Jesus died for their sins and rose from the dead to give them a living hope. As someone who has received that grace myself, how can I do less?

Father thank You for this reminder. Help me be increasingly effective in communicating the good news of Your grace and love to all who will receive it, whatever their designations or descriptions, so that Your house may be full, (Luke 14:23) for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Blessings of Faith; July 20, 2023

Posted on July 21, 2023 by jgarrott

Luke 1:45 “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

Being so familiar with this passage, the Lord indicated which verse I would be writing on before I ever read it! This is a beautiful counterpoint to yesterday’s passage, where Zechariah had to endure the consequences of his failure to believe what Gabriel had told him. Mary, in contrast, believed fully that what Gabriel had told her would happen even as he had said. The Japanese translation here makes Elizabeth’s words as emphatic as possible, with terms like “believed completely” and “positively fulfilled.” Mary’s faith was indeed remarkable, and she was rewarded for it. She certainly had great heartache, as Simeon later warned her, (Luke 2:35) seeing her oldest child scourged and crucified, but in balance, she had the greatest privilege ever granted a woman, of carrying and bearing the Son of God. She was also in the group in the upper room when the Holy Spirit was poured out, (Acts 1:14, 2:1) so she didn’t miss out on that, either. All in all, she was rewarded handsomely for her faith. Today, Catholic veneration of Mary sometimes crosses over into idolatry I think, which certainly doesn’t please her to whatever degree she is aware of it, but Elizabeth’s words to her at this juncture were accurate indeed.

This is brought to life in my awareness at this point because one of my spiritual children and his wife had their first child just a week ago, and I talked with them both last night by phone. Birth always includes a touch of the miraculous. That said, the point in this verse is the reward for faith. This can get complicated to talk about, because faith itself is a gift, (Ephesians 2:8-9) but we still have to choose to accept it and exercise it. Mary made that choice definitively in Luke 1:38, and she and all mankind have been immeasurably blessed in consequence. I too have been given faith, but I too must choose to let it indwell me fully and put it to work. I have daily, sometimes almost constant, challenges to my faith. I’m not to rebel at or resent those challenges, but rather rejoice that God’s grace is sufficient for me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I am to remember that life in this body will always have challenges, (John 16:33) but rejoice that I can get through them all because of Christ in me. (Philippians 4:13)

Father, thank You for yesterday and all it held. Thank You for the blessed time of fellowship with one of the members here, getting to know him better and building up the Body of Christ. The week ahead has fairly major things every day on my schedule. Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You through it all, doing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Consequences of Unbelief; July 19, 2023

Posted on July 20, 2023 by jgarrott

Luke 1:20 “And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”

The power of habit and expectation is remarkable. It always feels strange to read part of “the Christmas Story” other than at the end of the year, even though Jesus was probably not born in December and all these things took months to transpire ahead of His birth anyway. The interesting thing about that is that this particular passage is about that very issue. What Gabriel told Zechariah was so far out of his usual categories that he couldn’t accept it. That’s very similar to being unable to hear what the Lord is saying through “the Christmas Story” in July, simply because it’s July. As this verse says, there are consequences to that sort of thing. In this particular instance, God used Zechariah’s muteness as a powerful testimony to him, his wife Elizabeth, and all around them, particularly at the time of John’s birth. God wasn’t being mean to him, but He wanted him to learn to accept what he was being told. In this case, the consequences of unbelief were nine months of silence, but they can run a wide gamut. We can miss various blessings by failing to believe, but the extreme example is those who miss eternal salvation by failing to believe. Jesus said very clearly, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:18) Eternal, unending destruction is the ultimate consequence of unbelief. We love John 3:16, but few people want to read on through verse 21. There are many who claim God is being “unfair” in this, but as Paul pointed out, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 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.” (Romans 1:18-20) There is no excuse not to believe in a Creator at the very least. If we have that firmly in place, then the Gospel is good news indeed, and is easy to receive with joy. It is those who don’t want to acknowledge their Creator because of the accountability that entails who have the most trouble hearing and believing the Word of Christ.

I have had the part about God the Father and His Son Jesus “under my belt” for a long time, but it wasn’t until later that I understood and believed about Holy Spirit. I have no issues with those “biggest ticket” items at this point, but I still have trouble with assorted little things. I’ll still be growing in faith until (to quote It Is Well With My Soul) my faith becomes sight. I look forward to that day and have no fear of it, but until then I’m to keep growing! I don’t want to miss any of the countless blessings God has planned for me by failing to believe Him and obey. That last line is important, because as James pointed out, real faith works. (James 2:17) I want to live out my faith in every detail, for the glory of the One in whom I believe.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Little things like physical issues can and do test our faith. Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me to do, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Working With Jesus; July 18, 2023

Posted on July 19, 2023 by jgarrott

Mark 16:20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

The ending of the Gospel of Mark has various problems. It is universally agreed that the book as a whole is Peter’s recollections, recorded by Mark, but it would appear that he stopped very abruptly at 16:8, which leaves us without any encounters with Jesus Himself after His resurrection, but just the angel telling the women that Jesus had risen. It just occurred to me that it could be that Peter’s personal encounter with Jesus at this point was just too intense and personal for him to talk about. (1 Corinthians 15:5) However, that was just too abrupt for some early copyist, and verses 9-20 were added. That said, with the sole exception of drinking poison, (verse 18) everything mentioned is either in other Gospels or in Acts. Sadly, some groups have used the things mentioned to “prove” their faith, which is a direct violation of God’s command, as even Jesus quoted to the devil. (Luke 4:12) That most famously includes the “snake handlers” of eastern Kentucky, but it also includes some Pentecostal groups who hold that you aren’t really saved if you don’t have the gift of tongues. (verse 17) This is just another kind of legalism, which delights only the devil. All of that said, I believe this verse 20 is anointed by God and worth having all the other difficulties. I love that it says, “The Lord worked with them.” We aren’t on our own! Just as He said in the Great Commission, (Matthew 28:18-20) Jesus is with us always, to the end of the age. Paul, though he encountered Jesus only after the resurrection in non-physical ways, was very aware of this, and mentioned it in several of his letters. And since Jesus is as much alive today as He was when He told Thomas to touch him, (John 20:24-31) He is just as available to work with us as He was with Peter and John at the Beautiful Gate. (Acts 3) We have a real danger of reading the Bible and thinking, “That was back then.” This addendum to Mark was written perhaps a hundred or more years after the resurrection, but God was still confirming His Word through believers, and He does it even today.

When I was first introduced to the Charismatic Movement back in the ‘70s I heard this part of Mark quoted a lot. Coming from a line of Bible scholars, that bothered me a lot! There were plenty of other more direct sources that could have been quoted, but some people just seemed to like this part. That doesn’t mean that the things mentioned here are invalid. I’ve never knowingly drunk poison, but when I was a child I had a pet yama kagashi snake, which I have learned only in recent years is actually poisonous! (I thought mamushi were the only poisonous snakes in Japan, as did my parents, so we treated it like a garter snake.) It never bit me, and actually liked to be inside my shirt while I did my homework, enjoying my body warmth. That had nothing to do with faith! I have experienced supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit and seen people healed when I laid hands on them and prayed. I have experienced that Jesus does indeed work with us and confirm His Word, and I want to see that more and more, so that more and more people may repent and believe for their own salvation.

Father, Thank You for this reminder. Thank You that You don’t leave us as orphans. (John 14:18) May I so live that Holy Spirit always feels welcome, working fully in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Timing; July 17, 2023

Posted on July 18, 2023 by jgarrott

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

This is a very famous verse, and in my experience one of the most quoted from the whole Gospel of Mark. I do like it very much, but I think the context is extremely important. The story of Jesus cursing the fig tree (the incident that precipitated this statement) is told in Matthew, as we read on July 5th. However, Matthew’s telling gives the impression the tree withered while they watched, whereas Mark gives the important detail that it wasn’t until the next day that they saw it had withered. That brings up the extremely important subject of timing. We are in the flow of time and experience it on a linear scale, but God is outside of time and is aware of everything at once. That’s why he told Moses His name was I AM. (Exodus 3:14) That fact needs to be in our awareness anytime we read the Bible. Peter nailed it when he wrote, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9) I touched on this on the 5th, because it’s absolutely inescapable when talking about God’s promises. However, it also applies to our own perception of ourselves. Paul dealt with the issue constantly, writing things like, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11) In the very next chapter he talks about his own struggles with sin, but it is with the awareness that it’s all a matter of perspective. After all, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) We might not be experiencing that as reality at the moment, but from God’s perspective it’s already accomplished. That’s why it’s important that Jesus said, “believe that you have received it.” We need to surrender our time perception to Him, to walk in all that He has already done for us.


This is an issue I deal with constantly, as actually every believer does, whether or not they are aware of it. God is absolutely faithful and true to His promises, but it doesn’t always look that way to my flesh. Physical/medical issues are a case in point. Right now I seem to be in the throes of a summer cold, which is no fun, but at the same time, “the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) That’s all the more acute for my wife, who has Parkinson’s Disease and a number of other medical issues. We know that we aren’t to be presumptuous, and that “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) Various Biblical figures had medical issues, and when Paul asked for healing from one, he was bluntly told, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) We are to rest in the assurance that in Christ everything is already accomplished, whatever our temporal perception might be, and rejoice in Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for the cold that is really putting a point on it. I ask for wisdom in cooperating with Your healing, and faith to indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in the process, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Doing the Impossible; July 16, 2023

Posted on July 17, 2023 by jgarrott

Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

There are other passages that express this truth in one form or another, spoken by God to Jeremiah, (Jeremiah 32:27) and the angel Gabriel to Mary, (Luke 1:37) and here it is spoken by Jesus. You’d think we would get the message! However, we have a strong tendency to view everything in terms of what we can or could do. In a sense, we are remaking God in our image, instead of remembering that we are made in His. (Genesis 1:27) That can create all sorts of problems. Most basically, it really stunts our faith, because we know from a lifetime of experience that there are many things we can’t do. I think that’s why a childlike faith is so powerful. Little children are very aware of their own limitations, but they don’t know that their daddy is limited, and when that is appropriately transferred to Father God, it can be powerful indeed. The specific “impossibility” Jesus is speaking of here is salvation. In a sense it is the ultimate example, because we can’t even save ourselves, much less someone else. However, God has made it possible for anyone to be saved, if they will “repent and believe the good news,” as Jesus put it at the start of His ministry. (Mark 1:15) In this situation the disciples were amazed, because from their social framework and expectation, it was the wealthy who were able to “dot all the Is and cross all the Ts,” and they had a legalistic view of things. Jesus’ biggest fights were with the legalists! It’s also worth noting that it says Jesus loved the young man who triggered this discussion, (verse 21) but that didn’t keep Him from telling him something that essentially drove him away. Accurate, Godly love doesn’t draw back from the hard stuff, but always speak the truth no matter how unwelcome it might be. Jesus knew the miracle that needed to take place in that young man’s heart, and He also knew that it wasn’t too difficult a miracle for His Father. We aren’t to draw back from difficult situations or pretend they don’t exist, but we must remember that nothing is too difficult for our heavenly Father, to use the terminology He did with Jeremiah.

This is especially meaningful for me because the major purpose and goal of my life is the salvation of souls, and it seems to happen all too seldom around me. I could name any number of people with whom I’ve shared the Gospel who have made no overt move to accept it. “With man it is impossible, but nothing is impossible with God.” I’ve got to keep remembering that and never give up hope, speaking the truth in love and making the most of every opportunity I’m given, and leaving the results up to my Lord. His plans, His will, are good, and I am to walk in peace in that assurance.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all that You are doing in this church, in individuals and in our interaction as a whole. May we respond to You fully, exactly as You desire, so that we may be Your agents for Your name to be acknowledged as holy and Your rule and reign be established as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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