Hope for 2009

Psalms 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. KJV

Psalms 42:11 But, O my soul, don't be discouraged (hope). Don't be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise him for all that he will do. He is my help! He is my God! TLB

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. NIV

"Hope does not disappoint us"! I love that phrase from the Bible. This is how I view the coming year. In less than 12 hours (here in Japan) the Year of 2008 will be finished forever. Cannot relive it. Cannot retrieve it! I also recall another Christian phrase I first heard many years ago. "Only what's done for Christ will last" Those prayers that were prayed, those praises that were raised, the tears that were shed, the acts of kindness and service, and the ministry that took place - none of that was lost. In fact most of that is eternal. Seeds were sown that may have already sprouted, but much much more has yet to be seen or realized.

As Oral Roberts used to say in crusades and radio programs many years ago, God is a Good God! I often used to and still do sing the old chorus from those days, All things are possible-only believe. The verse goes on to declare, God I believe!

That is my confession and my hope! God is Good! All things are possible! My part is to believe!

Yes, Lord I believe!

God bless you as you move into 2009! Do not in any circumstance give up your hope and faith in God! The best is yet to come!

Dan Corbett

"Reaching One Among Millions"

Balance

This is one of those blogs that probably needs more time in the oven. Balance is a word from the Lord that may turn out to be a key word for the New Year. Immediately upon hearing this word I went to the Bible concordance and was, at first, disappointed that I could not immediately locate a single verse that would explain this Biblical principle.

During the day I sort of stewed upon this word. During the Morning Prayer Time today I began to see quite a large number of incidents in the Bible that pointed to the fact that God wants His Children to live a "Balanced Life". It occurred to me that God is a God of Order and Balance. This is evident throughout the Bible even though I could not find one simple verse that totally embodied that principle.

As I said this is a blog that needs more time in the spiritual oven. I did feel I was supposed to bring it out for others to get a glimpse and begin to think, mediate or pray about "Spiritual Balance" in their lives. One reason this is important to me is that the past few weeks have been a balancing act between the global aspect of the Japan Prayer Network and local and personal ministry. As some of you may have noticed, local ministry has taken precedent over the JPN web site. Regular "Prayer Maintenance" has taken place daily, but writing and updating the site has been lacking along with getting out the last JPN Monthly Update.

One thought that came to me today was that God's view of "balance" is not what we sometimes think of as we "juggle" duties and responsibilities. Balance is not just a matter of activities. It is a state of spiritual, emotional and physical being. Some keep their check books "balanced" and eat a "balanced" diet, but in other aspects their lives are not "balanced" spiritually. Some of us are prone to extremes in many areas of life. I wanted to use the scripture of "moderation" but upon examining it more closely it did not convey the meaning I wanted.

I am afraid that the subject is going to be left as it if for the time being. Please ask God what He wants of you in respect to balance. It is going back into the oven for a little longer. I hope to be able, Lord willing, to present a more complete product in the near future. It might be titled, "Balance Continued". Please pray for me that it does not get left and forgotten in the back of my spiritual oven along with several other subjects the Holy Spirit has brought to me over the past several weeks. I have a feeling that when our lives are "balanced" as God intends that we will be both pleasing to Him along with being spiritually fruitful.

May God bless you and balance your life!

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions"

Merry CHRISTmas!

Just a short note to wish each one a blessed Christmas! This year has been different than others. Sharon baked nearly 1,000 cookies in addition to fruit cakes. We spent a full day driving around the city delivering those culinary gifts. We prayed they would become seeds of God's Love into the lives of each who received them.

Today we had a nice small family meal with the four of us. Tonight was a time of "coming down" from the intense past two weeks of nearly constant ministry and Christmas preparations. Sharon got on Skype and did a test video call to Okinawa. The quality was surprisingly good. We hope to get into some video conferencing first, on a personal basis and then soon with churches.

I am running far behind in getting out the past JPN Monthly Update. No excuse! Just six weeks on the road and a wonderful two weeks of personal ministry.

We need to say hello and thanks to many who have prayed for us and blessed us financially and in other ways. God has heard each prayer and seen each act of love and kindness.

May God bless you richly!

Dan & Sharon

Overwhelmed!

Psalms 61
1 O God, listen to me! Hear my prayer! 2 For wherever I am, though far away at the ends of the earth, I will cry to you for help. When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering Rock of safety. 3 For you are my refuge, a high tower where my enemies can never reach me. 4 I shall live forever in your tabernacle; oh, to be safe beneath the shelter of your wings! 5 For you have heard my vows, O God, to praise you every day, and you have given me the blessings you reserve for those who reverence your name. 6 You will give me added years of life, as rich and full as those of many generations, all packed into one. 7 And I shall live before the Lord forever. Oh, send your loving-kindness and truth to guard and watch over me, 8 and I will praise your name continually, fulfilling my vow of praising you each day. TLB

This is a good time to throw ourselves on the Lord! Many things can cause us to be overwhelmed. It may be the small things of life that slowly add up until we are covered up and cannot see our way out. It could be illness or financial crises due to the recent global economic woes. It does not matter which category we may fall under, God is still our help in "Times Like These".

Call Him up right now! You will find His line is not busy. You will not be put "On Hold" as happens so often today when we seek help by telephone. He is an ever present help in our times of need. If fact, it is possible in a relatively short period of time to move from being "overwhelmed" by the troubles of the world over to the Hallelujah side in which we can become "overwhelmed" by God's Goodness and Powerful Holy Presence.

Go ahead and praise Him for the answer even before you can see it coming. God is good all the time!

God bless you as you Pray and Praise!

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions"

No Place Like Home!

Praise God!
There were 11 flights in nearly six weeks of travel. God had me from the West Coast to the East Coast of the USA. Also from the North to the South. It was a privilege to worship with several different ethic groups of believers. The crowds varied greatly in numbers, but God's Spirit was present in each case.

I would like to thank all those who helped in so many different ways. There was assistance with transportation, scheduling of meetings, providing a warm bed to sleep in and lots of good food. Unfortunately, there was probably too much good food. Now I am going to need to move toward a planned weight loss program. I would appreciate your prayers in that area too.

We would like to thank all those who invested in the ministry of outreach to Japan and the Japan Prayer Network. We cannot determine accurately just how many people around the world are praying for the JPN and LDW ministries. We sincerely seek your ongoing prayers and support as we endeavor to share God's Love with the wonderful people of Japan. I found today that the nations visiting the JPN site have now reached 81! For this miracle we praise God!

It seems that the First Phase of Japan Prayer Network has been fulfilled. In the midst of travel and busy schedules in the USA, a close friend said, "What is next"? It took me by surprise. The past two years have been so focused and fulfilling, I hadn't noticed how quickly the time passed. The goals we envisioned two years ago have mainly all be reached and surpassed by the Grace of God!

Now it is time to seek God afresh to hear His Voice as He directs us deeper into uncharted waters of ministry. We humbly ask your prayers for us in this area of our lives. I hope and trust we will be able to stay in close touch as we partner together in "Reaching One Among Millions"!

God bless you richly!

Dan Corbett

On the road again!

Wow!
Travel can make one tired! It has been a month now. God is Good! He is Faithful to His Word!
He has had me from the Pacific Coast to the East Coast. From the south to the north. We have ministered in a Korean church, Indian church, ethnically mixed churches and several different denominations. The personal relationships and connections have been wonderful. We have shared God's Love in church meetings, on airplanes, in airports, stores, homes, restaurants and hospitals. We found many who love God and others who are hungry and seeking the truth. What a privilege to both know God and to make Him known.

We had the unique opportunity of praying and giving thanks at the nation's Capitol for the US government. We made a stop at what many call the cradle of Pentecostalism and had prayer for the churches, ministers and believers of the Pentecostal movement. This is a significant time of the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God's children all over the world.

Sharon has ministered from Southeast Asia to Northeast Asia traveling north to Tokyo this week. As mentioned on the JPN web site, in July the Holy Spirit spoke to me that Sept 1, 2008 to Sept 1, 2009 would be significant in: 1. Our ministry 2. The Kingdom of God 3. The nations of the world. Oh yes, He also said, "fasten your seat belt". That Word has proven to be true in every aspect. It has helped to be made aware in advance that a time of turmoil and rapid changes was coming. We cannot change what is happening in the world, but it is comforting to know that God is with us and is willing to let us in on some of His Plans for the world to a small degree.

It has been made very clear that we are not to fear and that this is a golden opportunity to sow and plant into His Kingdom. We are assured that the seasons of sowing and harvest will continue as long as the earth endures (Gen 8:22). As His children in a sin darkened world our small candles of His Love are shining more brightly than ever before.

What do you say, Let's let our lights shine! Keep on keeping on! Keep on the firing line! Keep on praising God in the good times and the bad! Let's keep looking up for our redemption draweth nigh!

May God bless you if you are at home or on the road. Some day soon our paths will cross and I hope that will be in Heaven around the Throne of God!

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions!

Give Thanks

1 Chron 16:8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. 9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. 10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. 11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. KJV

Ps 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. KJV

1 Thess 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
KJV

Walking Through Valleys

Ps 23:4 Even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way. TLB

Ps 84:5 Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. 6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains! 7 They will grow constantly in strength, and each of them is invited to meet with the Lord in Zion. TLB

There are many kinds of valleys in life. I really did not want to write this blog. Presently I am staying in the home of a widow while she is away. This couple were friends for more than 40 years. His death has been hard to understand or accept. I thought of the valley that widows must walk through. Each of us realize that we all will die or leave the earth in the rapture. How lonely a valley can get.

When in a valley we have few choices. It is difficult or impossible to change directions. We either walk forward or attempt to turn around and go back. We cannot turn back the clock of time, we just have to walk forward on the path that is before us. Some may get stubborn and sit down in the middle of the path refusing to move in any direction. We all have heard the expression of being a "sitting duck". This is true of Christians who refuse to obey God and follow the path He has laid out before them.

I thought about the dark lonely valley of sickness and disease. That one can be extremely long and difficult. We feel totally alone and isolated. We may be surrounded by family and friends, but they just don't seem to understand our pain. That feeling makes this valley particularly difficult.

There is the valley of rejection and abandonment. This one can come to people of all ages of life. This can be true for young children, teenagers, young adults, middle agers, and seniors. It comes from divorce and broken relationships and broken homes.

One sad thing about valleys is that they are so narrow that it is difficult for a companion to walk beside us. There are so many twists and turns that you cannot see those who are on the same path, but walking either behind or in front of you.

The writer Psalms, David, knew what he was writing about. He experienced rejection as a child who was not even in the running with his brothers in the issue of being anointed by the prophet Samuel. He rose to incredible heights and fell to the lowest valleys of life and family. But he was aware of the fact that God was with him! His Presence was indisputable. So it is with us today.

We have no choice about the valleys we are walking in. We do need to be aware of the fact that God is with us. He has not left us. He has not abandoned us. He is with us in pain and problems. We need to cultivate an "attitude of gratitude". We can praise and worship God in the darkest night and in the midst of the most intense pain and loneliness. We also can love and support those around us who are in the middle of deep valleys. We can love them and encourage them and be available in any way possible to help bring some comfort and cheer.

God bless you as you walk with Him!

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions"

Talk Less & Pray More!

I hope this is not offensive to others. It is not intended that way. Today was a special day having the privilege of ministering in three Korean church services today. The times were 8:00am, 11:00am and then 8:00pm. Growing up our home church used to "take prayer requests" in nearly every service. This session could take from 5-15 minutes. The problem was that we only spend 3 minutes in prayer. I know that length of time is not representative of the effectiveness of a prayer. There are some very brief prayers recorded in the Bible.

My point is that most of us spend a lot of time talking about our problems, needs and situations in the world. We do it in person, by the phone, in email, in chat rooms and etc. It seems it is possible to talk "about" God without spending much time talking "to" God.

The evening prayer service was great. We had very good Korean food followed by a lot of good conversation. Then the food was put away and we got into the "prayer service". Some time was spent in singing, but about 90 minutes were spent in prayer - directed and intense prayers. The pastor only took about 5-7 minutes for a sermon and about another 10 minutes for testimonies. I had preached about Seed Time and Harvest earlier in the day. It seemed that a significant amount of time was spent tonight in "Sowing in Prayer". The pastor taught how that there are "prayer vials or bowls" in Heaven and that they are filled by our prayers. When they are full angels mix incense and fire from the Altar of God and then miracles and answers are realized in the earth.

One writer stated, "What goes up must come down". This can be applied to our prayers that are offered in faith according to the Word and Will of God.

It was a blessed day. It was a privilege to be among good Christian people who really love God. So, I am thinking that in the future, I will try to spend more time in prayer and less time talking about problems and situations that need to be solved.

May God bless you as you pray!

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions"

God is still in office!

Hi!
Isn't it cool that God can't be voted out of office and does not have to be reelected? I am so glad that He visited me in an old farm house 55 years ago and sent me an invitation to be a life long friend. He truly has been a friend that stuck "closer than a brother". I have three wonderful brothers, but most of our lives we have been thousands of miles apart. God is always with me. He never leaves me. He never gets too busy. He is my best friend.

In these troubled times it is important to have a few things that we are really sure of. "This one thing I know" is a phrase that will help us through this day, this crisis, this problem and then take us through to Heaven to be with God and those who have gone on before us for eternity.

That "transition day" seems to be drawing closer as the prophecies of end times are being fulfilled daily as we read or watch the news. It is exciting to know a huge revival is swelling up to sweep this world right in the face of some many global problems and troubles.

Keep looking up! Live in the Word. Read it! Claim it! Speak it!

God bless you! Let's celebrate that God is still on His Throne!

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions"

I don't know about tomorrow!

This phrase came to mind after talking to a number of people concerned about the future of the USA and the global economy. The media made it clear that they were in favor of the present outcome of the election, yet the stock market fell due to worry about the future.

Does anyone really believe that just one human being, in any nation, is going to solve all the various problems mankind is facing today? Man just can't go it alone. Jesus made it clear in John 15 that we will only be successful if we stay connected with the "Vine". Who is the vine? He is Jesus Christ! It is sad and amazing to read all the blogs and comments about elections and economy. Very few even bother to speak from a Biblical perspective.

Today I woke up feeling refreshed after nearly 30 hours of flying and waiting. The sun looked so bright and clear. The leaves were all changing into a rainbow of colors. No matter what the news said my heart was filled with hope and joy. As I pondered what brought about this outburst of joy and positive outlook. All seemed to be centered about God and what He said in His Word. That He is in control of this planet and all who live on it.

As the day wore on and I spoke mainly to Christians who interpreted the last few days global events I found myself struggling to maintain that joy that was waiting when I awoke. The Bible says that God will keep us in perfect peace if our minds are "stayed" on Him. I want to keep my mind and spirit filled with God's Word and to walk in His Love throughout my day.

I pray for you that God will fill your heart with His Joy and Peace. We don't know about tomorrow, but we do know Who is holding our hand. He created all of this and is still in control.

God bless you as you walk with Him today and commit your tomorrow into His Hands also.

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions"

Night Watch

It is 3:30am in Japan. This is a wonderful time to be alone with the Lord in prayer.

Ps 63:6 I lie awake at night thinking of you- 7 of how much you have helped me-and how I rejoice through the night beneath the protecting shadow of your wings. TLB

Ps 102:7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. KJV

Ps 119:148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. 149 Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your laws. NIV

Hab 2:2:1 I will climb my watchtower now and wait to see what answer God will give to my complaint. 2 And the Lord said to me, "Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear, so that anyone can read it at a glance and rush to tell the others. 3 But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day! TLB

Matt 24:42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
NIV

When we visited the USA in years past and would drive long distances late at night, there was a Christian radio program called, Songs in the Night. The host had a deep and quiet voice sharing inspiring thoughts about God. I guess that is how I am feeling tonight waiting in His Presence.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a few minutes with me. I pray that God gives you a song in the night also. If you are up rejoicing in His Love or not able to sleep, or struggling with a problem, or keeping watch over a sick loved one. You are not alone. He is with you. He promised to never leave or forsake us. One day we will be with Him, no more separations between us and God or those who we love.

God bless you in your night watches.

Dan

Packing for Travel

That's right! Packing for a trip to Singapore. At least, that is what Sharon is doing right now. Clothes hanging everywhere. Packs of Japanese snack foods and some small gifts to take to the minister's family in Singapore.

I followed this routine for nearly 20 years ranging all over the Asian region. I am not sure if anyone every really "gets used to it". There would be times of positive anticipation of seeing old friends and the excitement of knowing God was going to do great things in ministry. Other times there was some concern about safety and nearly a dread that church problems were going to have to be dealt with on arrival.

There were always surprises! Political uprisings, elections, bad weather and etc. There were many good surprises. There were "chance" meetings on trains, airplanes, taxis and such. When I wanted a quick summary of the economy, weather, or political climate I would ask English speaking taxi drivers. They seemed to know what was going on in their city or nation.

Those who know Sharon, please remember this trip in prayer. She will have a busy schedule while there.

God bless!

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions"

Welcome to JPN Watchman Blog

Praise God!

Welcome to the new JPN Watchman blog. Over the past 19 months I have been working on the Japan Prayer Network web site. There has been a need for a truly dedicated "blog". Hopefully that is what this will be.

Please check back often. On the JPN web site I maintained a daily feature called JPN Lite Bytes without the full functionality of a blog.

Without apology our heart and focus is on reaching the wonderful people of Japan with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. An important part of that process is to raise up a network of intercessors to pray for the people, nation, government, believers, churches, ministers and missionaries on daily basis.

May God bless you richly!

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions"