How often I’ve quoted Habakkuk 2:14, and never fully understood the full implication of that Scripture for Christ’s Church. The Old Testament prophet looked ahead to the day when the whole earth would not just be filled with the glory of the Lord, but filled with the KNOWLEDGE of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. As the waters cover the sea is very significant, because how do the waters cover the sea? The waters cover the sea completely, that’s how. The reality that I want to point out is that the earth is already filled with the glory of the Lord (Is. 6:3; Ps. 33:5; 119:63). Then our responsibility as the Church, His body, is that the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.

God’s original plan for Israel, His chosen people, His world within the world, was to be the instrument to carry out His plan to fill the earth with the knowledge of His glory, but Moses and Israel weren’t able, in the flesh, to accomplish it. God spoke to Moses in Num. 14:21, concerning Israel’s failure as a nation to keep His covenant, and even pardoned them according to Moses’ word. Then He went on to say, “but truly, as I live all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord,” this was God’s intention from the beginning, and He had a plan to see it fulfilled. Before Moses and the children of Israel, God’s plan was for the first Adam to fill the earth with godly seed, when Adam failed God raised up Noah, a righteous man. Later, after the flood, God gave Noah the same commission He had given Adam in the garden. All failed, but Jesus and His Church will not fail. Jesus through His Church, His body over which He is the Head, will establish the Kingdom presence of God in the earth realm, until all the earth is filled with His righteousness, peace, and joy. Through a victorious Church the earth will be filled with the knowledge of His glory. Eph. 4:10; “He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.” Note in this verse He ascended in order to fill the earth, not someday later He will descend in order to do it. How does Jesus fill the earth? With His body, of which he is the head, the fullness of Him who fills everything, everywhere with Himself (Eph. 1:22-23, Amp. Bible). Then our job is to fill the earth, disciple the nations, that they may see and know the goodness, the glory of God.

Perhaps it’s time for us to consider just what is the glory of God? As a new believers Kazuko, my wife, and I were taught the glory was the cloud of God’s presence when it fills a room, or meeting hall. The Old Testament type best known by all is when the glory filled Solomon’s temple that he had just dedicated (2 Chron. 7:1-3). I remember stories of how, in the early fifties, in a little Assembly of God Church in Chickasha, OK the glory would appear over the outside of the building during their worship. On one occasion the fire department was called to put out the fire that was thought to be burning. Although that is one way to understand the glory, there is another way also to see God’s glory defined. Let’s look at Exodus 33:18, where Moses had just asked the Lord to show him His glory. The Lord’s reply will certainly shed some insight on the glory. He told Moses, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.” Remember Moses had asked the Lord to show him His glory, and what did the Lord say would pass before him? His goodness. Here God equates His goodness with His glory. “He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord” (Ps. 33: 5).

With that thought in mind how then do we His Church fill the earth with the ‘Knowledge of the glory of the Lord,’ when most of us still think the glory is found only in the ‘Cloud of His Presence’ that comes when we have a really anointed worship service, or some anointed apostle or prophet comes to town? I remember how we felt especially blessed when we got Pentecostal goose bumps. We thought that the glory had arrived, but there is so much more than just an experience when it comes to the glory of the Lord.

God’s glory is established in the earth realm as His people those who are called by His name, “bear much fruit” (Jn. 15:8). What did Jesus tell Martha when He was standing outside the tomb of Lazarus? Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God.” Every miracle Jesus performed was to give glory to the Father, and in doing so reveal to the people of Israel the KNOWLEDGE of the glory of the Lord. Jesus taught in Matt. 5:13-16, that the people of God are to be ‘salt and light.’ That we are to let our light so shine before men, “that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Maybe just maybe, instead of so many prophetic and apostolic conferences on how to be, or become an apostolic or a prophetic Church, we should have ‘Salt and Light Conferences’ on how to actually become the people of God. Oooops, sorry about that! But so much of the time as Pentecostal, Charismatic type people we neglect the practical hands on ministry to the poor, or those in the rest homes, and hospitals. After all we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Naha City Church Ministries
Jerry & Kazuko Sorrow
jkblessing@nirai.ne.jp

I know that legally Christians died, and rose again in Christ. That in him our old man is legally dead, and In Him we are New Creations, that old things have passed away and all things have become new (Romans 6:1-14; 2 Cor. 5:17). I know that in Christ I have every thing I need to live godly in Him. Yet how many who profess Christ as their Lord, have really ever experienced this New Creation life, outside of making a few faith confessions attesting to it. Too many times even though I’ve come to the narrow gate, I’ve not wanted to walk the narrow path.

It was Christ who taught us, that to put your hand to the plow and turn back would disqualify you for the Kingdom, yet in my own life many times I’ve turned back, and then it seemed had to begin my journey to completeness, in Him, all over again. Even now I find myself resisting the path He has chosen for me, and wanting to go my way, then I have to repent and say, Not my will, but Your will. It’s not an easy path, this narrow way. Perhaps many of us have been disillusioned by pastors, and seemingly great Christian leaders who have preached great Christian truths to us from the pulpit, and yet never lived up in their own lives, falling to sexual sins, or to the love of money.

Yet, Jesus told Peter not to worry about the path that John’s life would follow, but said, “You follow Me.” It was also Jesus who told His disciples concerning the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees, “do what they say, but not what they do.” This would indicate to us that we each individually have a choice to make, follow Christ or follow the crowd, or even to follow false teachers or prophets. To follow Christ is a difficult and demanding choice, that brings forth fruit that endures. To follow the crowd is easy and produces no fruit.

Yes, we know in our hearts that we died with Him, and that we are to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive in Christ, yet how many truly live in that reality? Is is because we that after we came to the gate, that we never traversed that narrow path, that denies us our way, and leads us to His likeness? We are crucified with Christ, raised up in His likeness, yet most of us are not willing to die daily to our plans and purposes, to do what we want, that we never fully come into the reality of resurrection life by submitting to Him and living life in the Spirit.

We call Him Lord, Lord, yet are not often willing to do as He has commanded us. 2 Cor. 3:17, if understood properly reads, “Now the Lord is that Spirit, and were the Spirit is Lord there is liberty.” What it says is Christian liberty only comes when He is Lord, over every area of our life. Therefore, even though legally we are dead, to experience our new life in Christ we must submit to His Lordship, taking up our cross daily and following Him. Paul said in speaking of the resurrection we have in Christ, “I die daily. Why else would I daily endure what I do? What advantage is that to me, if the dead do not rise?”

Yes, it’s very true that in Christ I died, and that I also am a partaker of His 1st resurrection. I am a new creation, old things have passed away, and all things have become new, in Him. But at the same time I am no longer my own, I am bought with a price. If He truly is my Lord I must stop resisting His work, or discipline, in my life. I must humbly accept the purpose to which He has called me, and not look back, counting those things left behind as nothing that I might obtain Christ.

Paul knew and understood fully the freedom He had in Christ, yet willing gave up his own self life, to become a love slave to Christ. How many times did he refer to himself as a servant, some times even as a prisoner of Christ. Paul was not ashamed of his chains, being bound to the express plan and purpose of God for his life, not yet attaining but still pressing on into the prize of the high call of God, in Christ Jesus.

Yes, legally in Christ we are dead and raised up with Him in heavenly places, we are complete in Him Who is the Head, all these great and precious promises are ours now in Christ, yet to experience them means we must daily submit to His Lordship. To experience the power of His resurrection in this lifetime we must chose which path we will take. Far to many will never experience the power of Christ in their lives, because they resist His work in our lives to to bring us to a life wholly consecrated unto Him. A life where everything we have, our money, our time, everything belongs to Him, and we just become good stewards of all that He’s given us. A life we can’t live in our own strength and ability, but only in the power of His abundant grace.

Blessings. Jerry & Kazuko Sorrow

Naha City Church Ministries
Jerry & Kazuko Sorrow
jkblessing@nirai.ne.jp

As Christians we all know that there were two trees in the garden. One, ‘The Tree of Life’ was rejected by Adam. Adam and his wife could have freely eaten of this tree. Instead they chose the tree that looked pleasant to the eyes, a tree that to the carnal nature was desirable, to make one wise. But the harsh reality was the tree that looked so pleasant and desirable, actually lead to their death, their separation from the presence of God.

I wonder if like Adam, we also had the real opportunity to gaze upon the ‘Tree of Life’ that was in the garden, would it appear desirable to us, would we choose it? We also like Adam have a choice, we can choose from either tree. Yet why do you suppose Eve was so easily deceived, why was the serpent so easily able to beguile her?

In symbolic language ‘The Tree of Life’ is the cross of Christ. In the movie “The Passion of the Christ” one of the two thieves asked Jesus, “Why are You embracing Your cross?” Many might ask persecuted Christians in China, Indonesia, or other nations the same question. To those who don’t know, who have no revelation of the cross, it would certainly have no appeal. In fact, it would not look like a ‘Tree of Life’ at all! The cross has no beauty that we should embrace it, for it does not look like life to us at all, in fact it looks and smells of death. Maybe, this is the reason Adam and Eve rejected it in the garden. Remember the only tree they were commanded not to eat from, was the one they chose. Two choices and they made the wrong one. The one they chose was desirable to look at, and the fruit looked good, but it’s fruit lead to their death, and separation from the Father.

On the other hand, to embrace the cross would surely lead us to death. Yet, in spite of the way it appeared, the fruit of the cross leads us to resurrection life, in Christ. Man’s way ends in death, God’s way to life eternal.

The way of the disciple is to “take up our cross and follow Christ.” This is not the popular path, that leads to destruction, but the narrow path that leads to life. those who choose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, really think they are the wise ones, that the way of the cross is foolish. They believe they have control over their own lives and their destiny. The one who follows Christ, knows though, that the wages of disobedience is death.

Jesus told Peter in John 21:18-19, of his eventual death, yet strangely He also commanded, “Follow Me.” Jesus, Himself had already experienced the resurrection that follows embracing the cross, and doing the Father’s will. He willing endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him. Paul also endured shame and humiliation much like Jesus endured, yet Paul did so with great joy, that he might share in Christ’s resurrection. Both Peter and Paul’s lives brought forth the fruit that only comes from embracing the cross, from choosing the narrow path, that leads to life.

Just as there were two trees in the garden, there are also two gates, or pathways, that we can choose from today. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because, narrow is the gate and difficult the way which leads to life, and there are few that find it.”

As you enter into the narrow gate, those around you might think your rather foolish, because to the world’s point of view, the cross is foolishness. For those who enter in by this gate, and do not turn back, their lives are changed from glory to glory. When they come to the end of that narrow path, they have nothing left of themselves, but they have gained Christ.

True Christian growth is not measured by how much knowledge we have, or how big our ministry is, or how many are under our covering. True Christian growth is more of Christ and less of Me. True Christian growth is revealed in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The real elder is not in age, but in maturity in Christ. The one who has decreased, and allowed Christ to increase.

“Anyone who does not take up his own cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:38-39).

Remember this is not a path you can take in your own strength, or ability, it is Grace that brings us to the gate, and it is Grace that will lead us down the path.

Quote from ‘Infinite Supply, taken from “Back To The Cross,” by Chip Brogden.

“For I determined to not know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).

“Religion seeks to reform a man; the cross seeks to crucify him. Religion may fail to bring about the desired result, but the Cross never fails to achieve it’s end. Mankind will pursue morality, virtue, spirituality, even perform religious works and good deeds, in order to avoid death on a Cross. But there are no wounds, no scars, no evidence of having ever died and been made alive unto God. Either a man has never died, or he has died and been raised again. You cannot fake a resurrection.

The cross is the means by which God reduces us to Christ, that we may be raised to new life. What cannot be accomplished in a lifetime of self-effort is easily accomplished in God through the Cross. We may take many shortcuts along the way and attempt to escape the inevitable, but the day we cease striving and meekly accept the Cross we find everything is done for us. In fact, death by crucifixion cannot be accomplished by suicide. We cannot crucify ourselves. The instrument of our death is chosen for us, as well as the manner in which it is carried out, the timing and the duration of the execution-all is controlled by Another. There is nothing to be done, for we must submit to the Unseen Hand and cast ourselves completely upon Him.”

Blessings. Jerry & Kazuko Sorrow

Naha City Church Ministries
Jerry & Kazuko Sorrow
jkblessing@nirai.ne.jp

So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest.

Hebrews 3:11

The Bible clearly teaches there is a rest for the people of God, then why did God say that the generation Moses lead out of Egypt would not enter His rest? Why would God be so angry with this generation, that He would swear in His wrath they would not enter in?

In Hebrews 2:1, the writer tells his readers, “We must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.” Isn’t it interesting how we can see and experience the power, and the goodness of God, yet so easily we can also drift away? How often did the Children of Israel murmur and complain after experiencing all the great miracles, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna, water from the rock, all the wondrous works of God they had previously witnessed in Egypt? Yet, they still limited God with their doubt and unbelief? The whole book of Hebrews is written to a generation of Jewish believers who were on the very brink of turning back to the Old Testament Jewish religious system they had come out of. They had suffered so much during that first transitional generation, most of their persecution up to that time had been from their own countrymen. The generation was rapidly coming to an end, and the temple in Jerusalem was still standing. The prophecy of Jesus, for that generation in Matthew 24:34, had not yet been fulfilled, as He had promised . As a result these Jewish Christians were growing weary in well doing, and ready to turn back. So the writer is exhorting them, don’t leave the rest that is in Christ, don’t be like the generation Moses lead out into the wilderness. “Strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,” don’t turn back. He exhorts, them throughout Hebrews, that Christ is the Greater One. What they had left was good in it’s time, but it was now obsolete, growing old, and ready to vanish away, that Christ had replaced it with the New Covenant in His Blood. He had come to take away the First and establish the Second (Hebrews 8:13; 10:9). Legally the New Covenant had begun at the cross, but the temple still stood, and even Jewish Christians were still offering sacrifices and following the Law, instead of living by grace. This would all change at the end of this first transitional generation, in 70 AD. Herod’s temple would be torn down, and the Old Covenant system of worship would be brought to an abrupt end. Revealing to both the Jews and the Gentile world that God would no longer honor the Old, that in Christ the New was established.

The writer of Hebrews is telling them “Hang in there, the temple may still be standing, but it’s not over yet. This generation isn’t over yet, and God’s word will prevail! In these last days (of the Old Covenant Age) God has spoken to us through His Son, LISTEN TO HIM! Don’t be deceived by what you see with your eyes, or hear with your ears. Stop listening to so many voices, LISTEN TO HIM! Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone turns back My soul has no pleasure in him. If anyone puts his hand to the plow and looks back, he is not fit for the Kingdom” (Hebrews 10:38; Luke 9:62).

The Old Testament generation of Moses had seen so much, more than most of us could ever imagine, yet they were persuaded more by their own vain imaginations than they were by God’s Word, His promise to them of a place of rest. So that God in His wrath swore, that of the whole generation, only Caleb and Joshua would enter into the land He had promised them (Numbers 14:30). Hebrews 3:18-19, puts it simply, because they did not obey God. the writer of Hebrews goes on to say, He would not allow them to enter into His rest, because of their unbelief. Anytime we disobey it’s because we don’t believe. If we believed we’d obey. Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his classic book “The Cost of Discipleship” put it this way, “Only those who believe obey. Only those who obey believe.”

Today many Christians are also on the brink of turning back. The same word that was good for that first generation is still valid for us today. “God has spoken to us, through His son, Hear Him!” The promise still remains for those who believe. For the works of God were finished before the foundations of the world. God has entered into His rest, we also can enter in with Him. Consider this, Adam was created at the end of the sixth day, before he could do anything, he entered into the seventh day, God’s Day of rest. Before Adam could name the animals, till the soil, or do anything at all in the garden, first he had to enter God’s rest. This is true for us as believers, before God will allow us to work in His garden, first He requires us to enter His rest. For us to enter God’s rest we must realize that it’s not in a day, God’s rest is in His Son. On Okinawa there are many Seventh Day Adventist, who still believe we must keep the Sabbath, their rest is in a day. For us who see the truth, we recognize Jesus is our Sabbath, our rest is not in a day, but in a Man. For us to fully enter in is then to stop trying and let Him accomplish through us whatsoever He desires. It becomes an issue of grace, not our good works. Grace empowers us, good works without grace simply wear us out. Hebrews 12:2728, speaks of a shaking that has come and is coming again. This shaking will remove ALL that is not of the Kingdom. Those that find their rest in Him, who have dug deep and built upon the Rock ,which is Christ, they will stand. Now notice verse 28, “Since we are receiving a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” I don’t know how you read that verse but to me it says without grace we cannot acceptably serve God. Meaning God doesn’t accept anything I do for the Kingdom that is done outside the realm of His grace. Whatever I do in my ability won’t be able to stand the shaking that is to come, and is even now shaking the Church and the nations.

I’m sure you’ll ask, “What do you mean by stop trying and let Him?” This Christian life is really not up to us, but totally and completely up to Him. When we see that, cease from our labors and enter into His rest, then the burden is no longer on us, but completely on Him. When we learn that simple lesson, then God can fully begin to use us. Remember Christianity does not begin with a big DO, but with a big DONE. It’s not what we can do for God, it’s what He has already done for us, in Christ. We simply by faith accept this New Testament truth. This is the reality of Jesus’ words in Matthew 11: 28, “Come into Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Religion, and religious activity, offers us no rest, but in Christ alone, can we find our rest.

For us to cease from our labors has nothing to do with laziness, or simply laying around being a couch potato. First we must accept the fact that we can do nothing without Him (John 15:5). Anything we try to do in our own strength and ability separates us from the Vine, and causes us to become unprofitable branches. These are the areas in our life the Lord wants to deal with. God really wants us to slow down, cease from our busy bee activities and find more time to minister to Him. There is where our true strength lies, this is the sign of Christian maturity. We all know by heart the story of Mary and Martha. Mary chose the good part sitting at the Master’s feet, and Martha got busy preparing Jesus a meal He didn’t order. Later it was Mary who anointed Jesus for His burial (John 12:7), and it was also Mary who was the first to see Him after His resurrection. Mary was the one sent to tell the others He’d been resurrected (John 20:11-18). There’s something about sitting at His feet and listening to Him that prepares us for spiritual service. Notice how the disciples themselves didn’t understand the death and burial that was to come. It was Mary who had simply set at His feet who anointed Jesus for His burial. We don’t have to go to lots of conferences and get anointed with special holy oil, everything we need pertaining to life and godliness is ours, in Him. We don’t need more love, more power, we are already complete in Him (Colossians 2:9-10). What we really need is revelation of the width, the length, the depth, and the height of His love which passes all our human understanding: that we might be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:18-19). This fullness comes by revelation of what we’ve already received IN HIM!

If we could but understand John 3:16, God the Father’s gift to us was not eternal life. God the Father’s gift is Christ. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” It’s only when we receive the gift that eternal life becomes our portion. Everything God has for us is already freely given in Christ. We can’t earn it, we surely can’t pay for it. Consider Simon the Sorcerer wanting to purchase the power of God. It’s not to be bought it’s freely given. We’re already blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

It would certainly help us to learn the lesson of being seated with with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). We all know this verse and many times we quote it, but do we really understand it? If we did we’d see our world, our circumstances, everything from God’s eyes, from a heavenly perspective, and not from our earthly tunnel vision. This put quite simply is our place of rest. Imagine yourself as seated in a chair. You’ve taken all the weight off your legs and put it on the chair. Who is supporting you? The chair of course. If we can see that, then Who is supporting us when we’re seated in Christ Jesus? Of course we have to answer Jesus. Yes, it’s true there is a place in Ephesians where we walk out this Christian life, but like Adam who was born on the sixth day and rested on the seventh before he could work in the garden. We too must learn first to rest in Him before we can fully walk worthy of the calling with which we were called (Ephesians 4:1).

Our choice then is simple, believe and enter in. This is the abiding place where we abide in Him and His word abides in us. Where we’ve decreased, and He’s increased. Where we learn that our weakness is the best thing we have going for us, for when we’re weak He’s strong. Paul put it simply, “I glory in my weakness that the power of Christ might rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). These are is the keys to power in the Kingdom of God, yet I’ve never heard them taught in a spiritual warfare teaching.

If we can but grasp some of these simple Christian truths it would certainly simplify the Christian life. Perhaps that’s why Paul prayed the prayers in Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21, over the church at Ephesus. Perhaps this is the essence of apostolic prayers for the Church, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ might give to us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the eyes of our understanding be enlightened; that we may know the what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Amen.” True apostolic ministry is never to cover the saints, but to release them into the calling which they were called.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. To Him be the glory in the Church by Christ Jesus, to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Your servants in Japan. Jerry & Kazuko Sorrow

Naha City Church Ministries
Jerry & Kazuko Sorrow
jkblessing@nirai.ne.jp

In Luke 13:1-5, Jesus said twice to the religious folks He was talking to,

Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

In their understanding they had equated bad things, accidents, sickness, being born blind etc., as being the result of sin in a persons life. But the message of the Bible is that all have sinned, therefore all most repent. Many in the Church today have that same kind of thinking. We are quick to judge others, even to the point of saying when things aren’t going well in a person’s life, like sickness or financial problems, they must be in sin or their faith is weak. I knew one American pastor whose Japanese wife was suffering from cancer. She was a woman of faith believing for God to heal her, but he was devastated after she died by the remarks of many sincere Christians who told him, “her faith was too small, if her faith had been greater she would have lived.” I’m sure all of know stories such as this one.

In John 9:1, His own disciples asked Jesus about the man who had been born blind, “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” Jesus’ answer went against all the legalistic teaching of the day. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” Many times we, or those around us, are going through things, circumstances, trials, etc., that have a God ordained purpose. God may be using a circumstance, yes, even sickness, to accomplish something in a persons life. Why? The reason Jesus gave concerning the man born blind, was so that the works of God, maybe better said, “the goodness of God,” might be revealed in him. It is also very true that God is taking the circumstances of our lives and working them for our good, to the point that we are conformed into the image of God’s Dear Son (Romans 8:28-29). Whatever we may be going through God’s goodness is being revealed to us and through us, as we are being conformed into the glorious image of His Son.

Remember the story of the woman caught in adultery? The religious leaders brought her to Jesus, testing Him. Under the law both she and the man she was caught with were subject to be stoned. But Jesus told the religious ones, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” and beginning with the oldest to the youngest they all left, convicted of their own sins. Many believe this was Mary who set at Jesus’ feet and later anointed Him for His burial. This adulterous sinner, who under the law deserved to die, perceived much more than even His own disciples who did not yet understand the events that lay ahead for their Master. She was also able to see and understand the love of the Father through the kindness of Jesus toward her. Religious people, judge and kill us, Jesus comes to set us free. Because she had been forgiven much, she also loved much.

Jesus’ words in John 9:39, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” This speaks to us much more of spiritual blindness than it does physical blindness. When the Pharisees asked Jesus, “Are we blind too?” His answer seems at first seems rather puzzling, just what did He really mean? “If you were blind you would have no sin; but now you say, We see, Therefore your sin remains.”

Was this to say that the man born blind had no sin? No, because Scripture teaches “that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The religious leaders had themselves also sinned, but in their self-righteous state they had become blind to their own condition, and could only see others through their own religious grid. Jesus taught that those who had been given much that much would also be required of them. These were the teachers, versed in the Word of God, but who lived in the letter of the Word and not the Spirit. The greater sin was in their spiritual blindness, the Promised One, the Consolation of Israel was in their midst, and their spiritual blindness caused them to miss their visitation. (Literally to miss their salvation).

What does the Lord really require from us? Isaiah 58:6-14; gives us a strong clue, but let’s look for our study look at Micah 6:8. “He has shown you O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you, But to do justly, to love mercy. And to walk humbly with your God.” How many times have we, who were saved from our sins, judged others who are still living in sin. Many times we forget the goodness God showed us, while we judge and condemn others? Maybe judging a drunk on the street, or a barmaid’s too short skirt, or here in Japan the micro minis the school girls wear. So easily forgetting the lifestyles the Lord has brought some of us from. If we’d be honest probably all of us are, or had in the past have been guilty of the same things, or maybe much worse. It would shake up most churches to have hookers off the streets come to services in their halter tops and hot pants. At Street Church in Dallas, Texas many years ago, it was common practice. The people there accepted them just as they were, because many of them had been delivered from the same lifestyle!

The Barren Fig Tree: (Luke 13:6-9)

Most Bible scholars I believe would agree that the barren fig tree in Matthew, Mark, and here in Luke’s Gospel represents the barren state, or nature, of the nation of Israel. Jesus came seeking fruit and found none. For three years He went throughout the nation and found it unproductive. Outwardly you could see the leaves of religion, but only outward signs, there was no real fruit. Jesus spoke of the religious leaders as whitewashed tombs, looking good outwardly, but inside full of rottenness and corruption. In Matthew 21:19, Jesus cursed a fig tree that bore no fruit and said, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away. There are implications to this that we will not touch on here, but must scholars whose works I’ve read, would agree this tree speaks to us of the barrenness of the nation during the ministry of Christ.

What was the fruit Jesus was seeking? Perhaps what Isaiah wrote in chapter 58, concerning the fast that God had called, or perhaps the verse we read earlier from Micah 6:8, would give us a clue. He was looking for a nation, the people of God, who would “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God.”

We can see the true state of religion in Christ’s day in Luke 13: 10-17, where Jesus had just healed the daughter of Abraham, the woman who satan had kept bound for eighteen years. The attitude of the ruler of the synagogue said it all, when he answered with indignation because Jesus had healed this woman on the Sabbath. “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and NOT ON THE SABBATH.” Jesus was anointed to set the captives free, but who had really bound her? Satan uses religion just as much as sickness or disease to keep people bound. Who really had the demon in this story, the woman who had been bound up in a religious system the last eighteen years. A religion that saw her illness as a sign of sin. Or was it the ruler of the synagogue who had kept her and many just like her bound up in religious traditions, and hypocrisy?

Perhaps many of us need to evaluate how we view those who are in sickness, poverty, or perhaps have only recently been saved and may still be struggling with old lifestyles, mindsets that have not yet been renewed. It would be good for us to remember where God’s goodness brought us from and not be so quick to judge others who don’t quite live up to our religious expectations. We know how to get them saved but many times after we get them saved, then we teach them to become just like we are, and judge them when they don’t live up to our self imposed standards. The religious leaders of Israel, the Scribes and Pharisees, would travel far and wide to find just one Gentile that they could make proselytes, and once they had won them, they would make them just as religious as they were. Matthew. 23:15 says “make them twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”

Our responsibility is not just to convert them,but by God’s word and our example,teach them to live righteous, victorious, Kingdom lives. But how often instead do we get them bound up in religion, teaching them our traditions, and not the teachings of Christ? We give them God’s Word on Sundays and let them see us fight and argue with our wives during the week.We tell them one thing when we ourselves are not living it! Jesus told His own disciples do what the Scribes and Pharisees say, just don’t copy their lifestyles. “For they say and do not do.” Paul told His followers to be imitators of him as he was of Christ (Matthew 23:1-2; 1 Corinthians 11:1).

I have heard estimates that 75% of the Christians in Japan suffer from mental illness, including many pastors. But this not only happens in Japan we read just today were 70% of pastors in America suffer from depression, and 40% have affairs! Why, I ask? Far too many, pastors included, have been taught religion and works, but have never learned Christ. They know the Word they just don’t practice it. They’ve been taught about Him, but they’ve never learned to know Him. They are preached to by pastors every week, but never trained, built up in Christ, and released into their callings. They become spiritually constipated they have the life of Christ in them but never learn how to release what they have. The Church becomes their escape hatch from life in the world which they have not been equipped to handle. They are bound in religion, with no life. So again I ask, who really had the demon in Luke 13:10-17, the woman who had been bound by religion for the past eighteen years, or the ruler of the synagogue who had kept many bound in religious traditions and hypocrisy?

It would be very easy when viewing the needs of Japanese society, and perhaps very religious sounding, to say they “just need Jesus,” say a short prayer and then to leave it at that. Our usual strategy is to pray and then wait for them to come to our services so they can hear the Gospel. The truth is the Gospel has been preached in Japan for many years, but outwardly you can’t see much if any real impact the Gospel has had. This is true especially since most of the time the Gospel is preached, or contained within the walls of the Church. Many, maybe most, don’t witness outside the four walls because of the fear of rejection. Plus many are still bound up with family altars and ancestor worship in an effort to keep peace in the family. In one church we know of the pastor had told the flock not to talk about Jesus to their neighbors for fear of offending them. (The good news here is that now they are once again evangelizing outside the four walls). So the Word is preached but only to those who already know it, and then in a very controlled setting. Don’t misunderstand me not all churches in Japan are this way but many are, there are churches now that are really learning to reach out to their communities, and have broken away from dead formalistic religion, and truly desire to see Christ’s Church raised up.

In saying what I’m going to say I don’t want to take away the importance of teaching and some of the wonderful anointed teaching ministries we have in the Body of Christ today. But I really find it interesting to note the people who followed Jesus, and those He chose to hang out with during His earthly ministry. There were unlearned fishermen, harlots, tax collectors, perish the thought, sinners! Most of these folks would never consider going to a church meeting because they know they probably would not feel welcome, and more than likely would not understand the language spoken there. They surely weren’t highly educated, and would probably have a hard time setting in on some of our teaching meetings in todays church. The religious leaders saw the disciples as ignorant and unlearned men, but took note that they had been with Jesus. Sometimes, I know it has been true in my own life, we place a greater emphasis on learning than we do on knowing the One we’re learning about! Moses knew the God he served but the children of Israel only knew of Him. These disciples of Christ who had walked with Jesus during His earthly ministry imparted to their followers not only what they had heard from Him, but also what they had received from time in His presence. On the other hand the religious leaders knew a lot about God, but themselves never knew Him. The disciples who had been with Christ could therefore impart life, the religious leaders death, because life outside of Christ is death. The truth is we can only impart what we have, if don’t have we can’t give it.

We have to impart much more than just sound doctrine to those we minister to. We’re just not pointing them to this movement or that movement, to this stream or to that stream, we have to point them to Christ. They may not all be great theologians but if we’ve imparted Christ’s life to them then we’ve been successful. I really don’t think when we come to the Throne of Judgment Jesus will say, “Well done, Jerry you certainly had great theology.” I’m really hoping to hear, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” Bob Jones, in his testimony, wrote that when he had a death (out of body) experience and was taken to heaven that he heard Jesus ask people just one question, “Did you learn to love?” Jesus never commanded we quote verses by memory, or that we all be able to have great teaching ministries. He did command us to Love God first and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We are to communicate that love by not only word but deed. Not just to be hearers of the word, but doers also.

If the life of Christ has really been imparted to believers, they will minister. If they never open their mouth their life will be a witness. We’ve all been filled with the Spirit as New Testament believers but how many of us have really been released in our ministry gifts and callings. The life of Christ in a person can only be fully released when that person has stopped struggling with the self life and let Christ have the preeminence. John the Baptist probably said it the best in John 3:30, “He must increase but I must decrease.” This is the breaking of the alabaster flask in Mark 14:3. The flask is like our lives that must be broken before the sweet fragrance of Christ can be released. The holy anointing oil of Exodus 30:22, was a picture looking ahead the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives, it was a sweet fragrant aroma. All of our lives should be like that alabaster flask, broken with the sweet fragrance of Christ manifested to all we come in contact with (2 Cor. 2:14-15).

What our flocks need most, even more than greater knowledge, is more brokenness on the part of our leaders that we might see and experience the life of Christ manifested through them. We’ve focused too long on the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit, as exciting and as wonderful as they are. We filled our flocks with the newest and greatest revelations. We’ve all been to the best conferences and can all give personal words of prophecy. We have the best singers, and our worship leaders know how to really get us pumped up on Sunday mornings. Our sound equipment is the very best, and our musicians are just little short of professional. We have great lighting so everyone can see the pastor or guest speaker on Sunday mornings.The question is why aren’t we reaching our neighborhoods and cities for Christ? Why do we have so many streams, when the Lord desires us to be a river? We’ve pursued spiritual gifts and desired love, we’ve turned 1 Cor. 14:1, around. To put it bluntly we got it all backwards. We sought for the things of God, but missed the Father’s heart. We’ve long pursued the gifts but the Giver of the gifts is knocking at the door of our heart, desiring to dine with us.

Have we learned to love? Have we really taken Jesus seriously when He said, “this is My commandment, that you love one another?” If we don’t love one another, how hard then will it be to really love those outside the Church, or at least what we call the Church? Do we understand that IF we don’t love the brothers that the world will never know we’re His disciples? We desire more and more revelation, and we’ll leave one Church for another if someone seems to have a new revelation or teaching, but we’ve never learned to love the brothers. John said, “He who loves God must love his brother also (1 John 4:21). I cannot condemn others and say I’m there, that I’ve arrived. I recognize my own shortcomings and say, “I’m guilty Lord.” Before we can fully reveal the love of Christ to the nations, they must see that love revealed in us, and throughout His Body.

How do we really feel in our heart when we see the young man with red spiked hair and nose rings? Or maybe the homeless man going through garbage cans? Our reality check may not just be the first thought that comes to our mind, but how do we try to show them love? Not just preach to them, but really show them love, that we care about them just like they are? Too many times we turn our eyes so that we don’t see them, instead of a smile or a nod to show them we acknowledge that they even exist. How many times I’ve committed about that haircut, or how silly that outfit looks, with out stopping to ask myself, what is the condition of their heart? Do I then really love and care about that person? These are the ones Jesus would go to first, before He would ever enter the door of our religious establishments, He would go to the same kinds of outcasts and sinners He went to the first time. The sad part is that if He came to our town we might just be to busy having Church that we, like Israel, just might miss His visitation.

What does the Lord really require of us? Regular Sunday morning attendance, a daily devotional, an hour of prayer a day, things that take our time and require a sacrifice on our part? Jesus told the Pharisees to go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” Probably His point of reference was this verse, “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). David a man after God’s own heart recognized this truth in Psalms 51:16-17, he expressed the same understanding. God is not just looking for our sacrifice of time or money, He’s seeking the depths of our hearts, and showing us what’s there (He already knows).

We all have to start somewhere. Jesus taught to love your neighbor as you love yourself, so we all might ask ourselves who is the one, or ones, closest to me? With me it’s my wife Kazuko. Kazuko and I apply the principal Christ gave His disciples in Acts 1:8, first to Jerusalem the ones closest to us, then to Samaria our immediate neighbors, and then to the ends of the earth in our desire to share with others the love of Christ. If I can’t express Christ type love to my own wife. If all I can do is take her for granted expecting her to meet my needs, but never caring about hers, then how can I ever express love to those outside my family? We all have to start somewhere, let’s check our hearts. How is our home life, once we’ve asked the Lord for an abundance of grace to deal with our own personal lives, then it’s time to take the love of Christ first to our Samaria, and then to the utter most parts of the world.

How many pastors have you heard of who apparently loved the flock, giving all his time, all his efforts to serve them, but sadly neglected his own family? Far too many of these pastors eventually lose the ones most meaningful to them, because they neglect this simple principle. How easy it is to take our loved ones for granted as we busily do the Lord’s work. Yet, is it not the Lord’s work also to meet the needs of his own household as much as it is to meet the needs of others. How many pastors that are so busy taking care of their flocks know that Paul told the elders at Ephesus that they were to take heed for each other, meaning the other elders in the city, even before their ministry to the flock (Acts 20:28). When the elders are taking heed of each other, there is a safety net, a balance that helps individual pastors from getting out of balance. In one situation I knew of back in the early 90′s where there was a plurality of elders laboring together they were able to help one traveling evangelist keep his family together. He was focusing more on going and ministry and with all his focus on ministry was neglecting his own family. He had a tremendous ministry going to the nations. Yet,they literally set him down until he could get his own family situation in order. Because of their submission to each other and the respect they had gained through relationship, he submitted to their wisdom. His marriage was saved and he was eventually able to go back out with a new perspective of ministry.

May the Lord not only give us His perspective of the lost ones around us, but of our own families as well. Both our spiritual family the Body of Christ, but our natural families as well. May we more fully come into the understanding of the love of Christ that passes all human knowledge, that we in turn can share that love with those around us, no matter what their lifestyle, or circumstances might be. May we in Christ, learn what the Father really desires from His own, “to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.”

One of the things that has continued to concern me recently is the tendency of many, in the Church, to operate out of and Old Testament works mentality, instead of as Paul directed us, to live the Christian life the same we started it, by grace through faith (Col. 2:6; Eph.2:8). Did we receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are, we the Church, so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are we now being made perfect in the flesh? What many well meaning Pastors do, without realizing the consequences, is keep their people bound in Old Testament types and shadows, which although good for instruction, is not what we are to base our New Testament Christian walk on, unless of course we want to live under the law, and reject the Spirit of Grace.

While reading Ezekiel 18 just the other morning again I was reminded that I am no longer held accountable for my father’s sins, or for the sins of my ancestors. I don’t have to repent for them, nor am I under a curse because of them, because under the New Covenant in His Blood I am only held accountable for my own sins, my own actions. The Lord told the prophet in Ezekiel 18:2-3, that no longer would they use the following proverb in Israel.

“The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge.”

We find the Lord in Jeremiah 31:29-34; telling the prophet the same thing. He spoke to Ezekiel, saying “But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.” In both cases the prophets are of course looking ahead to ‘Messiah’s Day’ and the New Covenant. But somehow we still use Old covenant passages, such as Deuteronomy 5:9-10, as our standard for deliverance and inner healing meetings. These were very real and certainly very true in the Old covenant economy under the law, but certainly in light of of the revelation God gave Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and the New Testament revelation given to us of Christ, we certainly should not be living under those curses today. “For as many as are under the works of the law are under the curse,” and “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’).” We are no longer under the law, but grace if we are in Christ. “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). What Paul is saying in Romans 6, is that sin does have power, but when your under grace the power of sin is broken. Sin has power but grace has the greater power.

Does that mean that we don’t pick up bad traits, wrong thought processes, bad habits, etc. from our upbringing, or from our sinful past? Certainly we do. But Jesus came to break the curse, to loose us from all the bonds that have enslaved us. He became a curse for us that we might be healed, and all the bondage that we were under is broken in Him. He came to destroy the works of the devil, in Him we have been delivered from the kingdom of sin and darkness and translated into the Kingdom of God’s Dear Son.

We must embrace Him totally for what He’s done for us, and receive Him as our All in All. Fully repenting from all of our old lifestyles, being baptized for the remission of sin, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. These were the very things that Peter commanded on the Day of Pentecost, when those who heard his first apostolic address, asked, “What must we do?” These are the keys of the Kingdom, the basis by which all new birth must come to be a valid New Testament salvation experience. Remember these keys were not Peter’s suggestion, but a command. Most of us, myself included did not have a valid experience when we first accepted Christ. I for one, spent many years dwelling in the wilderness, not having full deliverance from old patterns and lifestyles, because my mind was not renewed to the things of God. I never had the victory that was already mine in Christ. All this was as a result of improper birthing into the Kingdom, as well as not having five fold, ascension gifts teaching in my life.

That brings up another point that we see on the Day of Pentecost that is not often taught on, but these first believers were not only properly birthed into the Kingdom, but immediately found placement in the Church, the Body of Christ. They sat daily under the apostles doctrine, until the day came after Steven’s death, that persecution came upon the Church. Due to the persecution they went out, first to Samaria, then to the uttermost parts of the world as they knew it, teaching the Gospel just as it had been taught to them, while sitting at the feet of the apostles in Jerusalem. Until eventually it was said of them, “Those who have turned the world upside down, have come here too” (Acts 17:6).

A key to their success then was not only proper birthing, but also proper placement in the body, these new Christians had set under the apostles doctrine. The very men that Jesus choose to follow Him, were their teachers. These Apostles of the Lamb, these men Jesus had chosen, probably had just as many, if not more, hangups than most. For three and a half years they had followed Christ, sitting daily with Him, eating, drinking, sharing His hardships, sleeping alongside Him at night, totally absorbed in not only His teaching, but also His lifestyle. Daily they were being washed by the water of the Word, until in John 15:3, Jesus was able to tell them, “You are clean by the word I spoke to you.” Here I want to emphasize, that it is the Word that cleans, look at John 17:7, where in Jesus’ prayer He asks the Father, “Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word is truth.” We don’t see deliverance and inner healing meetings as part of the New Testament pattern, but we do see the saints in Jerusalem in one accord, in the temple, breaking bread (probably sharing communion) from house to house. These early believers were being washed, cleansed daily by the washing of the water of the word, through the apostle’s teaching. We see much the same pattern in Ephesus as Paul taught daily for two years in the School of the Tyrant. Interesting to note that while Paul was teaching all of Asia was also hearing the Gospel message.

Today in our Pentecostal and charismatic assemblies people flock from all different types of backgrounds, some very legalistic, others from very social, liberal backgrounds. Many come for the excitement in our meetings, because they’re bored with where they’ve been. Few if any have been properly birthed in Zion. some have never been baptized, others having never received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit since they believed. Some thinking they’re Christians because they were born into a so-called Christian family, and sprinkled with holy water when they were babies. Many in our assemblies have only said a little Jesus prayer, never having fully repented, and on and on we could go. These folks, like most of us more mature saints, have wandered around in the wilderness, some for years, never having heard the Good News that in Christ they are already free, thinking that some day when this (miserable) life is over I’ll fly away. Most of us didn’t know, and they still don’t know, that we are to reign as kings and priest in this life, now! Not in the sweet-by-and-by.

When we get saved there should be a major deliverance in our lives when we enter into the waters of baptism. When we come up out of the water we should emerge, like Jesus, filled with the Spirit, but also speaking in tongues and prophesying, much like the twelve Paul baptized in Ephesus, in Acts 19:6. The new creation kicks in at that point in our salvation experience, not after we’ve been through new believers class, and a few months of close watch to make sure we’re really saved, before they’re willing to baptize us. Most of us have wandered for years with wilderness thinking, and no amount of deliverance, or inner healing will help us, until the gates of hell that is in our minds is broken, by the revelation of WHO H E IS, that He is in us, and we are in Him, and that without Him, we can do nothing. When our minds are renewed to these present truths, then we’ll learn that transformed minds produce transformed saints. There are no short cuts, no easy way, it’s the same for all, we must put our lives on the altar which is Christ, being not conformed to the world and it’s thinking, but being transformed by the renewing of our minds that we might prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. The perfect will of God for all of our lives is that we be conformed into the image of His Son, that is why all things that happen to us in this life work together for our good. God is using the circumstance in our lives, both good and bad, to perfect us not to destroy us (Rom. 8:28-29).

I am not saying we should never cast out demons, or have deliverance when it is necessary. We’re always going to have high maintenance believers, who are going to need all the spiritual help we can give them. But even if we cast devils out of these believers, or even minister inner healing until the cows come home, if they don’t renew their thinking, change won’t come into their lives, and in the end they will probably end up worse than before. And Yes, Christians can be influenced by demons, and we need to deal with that, but surely it should not be on an every week basis, as it is with many here in Japan, who go from this deliverance ministry to that, seeking some kind of normal life.

Especially when we know that righteous, peace, and joy are the norms, for normal Christian living. If we’ll renew our minds to the reality of His empowering presence in our lives, the need for these deliverance meetings will become fewer and farther between.

Am I saying these meetings are a waste of time? NO! Not entirely, if we’ll teach those being delivered who they are in Christ and the victory they already have in Him. If we disciple them and teach them Kingdom living, OK. But if we just have deliverance and no discipleship, then they’ll come back worse than before. Thank God, that He meets us where we are. He is so gracious to us, that even when our understanding falls short of Biblical truths, He still blesses us where we’re at. But there is a better way, and when we learn that all deliverance comes in Him, through Him, and was completely accomplish at the cross and resurrection event, then we’re going to be held accountable for that knowledge. God wants us to grow up, in Christ. There is no seven step formula for holiness, or three point sermon that will set us free, until we get the revelation that in Him we are free, we will remain in our bondages. We are to simply rest in His completed work. No way in our striving, our efforts can we ever attain to the perfection that is in Christ. but we can through developing our relationship with Him come to the understanding that the Perfect One dwells within me. I in and of myself can never be like Christ, but I can rest from my labor, my efforts, and let Christ be Christ through me.

Paul’s words in 1 Cor. 15:10, were basically this, “I am what I am, I do what I do by the grace of God.” Paul labored more than all the other apostles, yet he said, “Not I but the grace of God which was with me.”

We are to live out our Christian lives exactly the same way we came in, “by grace through faith.” We were saved by grace through faith, and everyday we are to live by grace through faith, not our effort, so we can’t boast of our accomplishments. It’s all in Christ, it’s all about Him.

Blessings from Naha. Jerry & Kazuko Sorrow

Naha City Church Ministries
Jerry & Kazuko Sorrow
jkblessing@nirai.ne.jp