Spiritual Gifts; February 13, 2024

Posted on February 14, 2024 by jgarrott

Jude 1:20-21 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Every time I read Jude I am struck by two things. The first is that even though he was Jesus’ half-brother biologically, he doesn’t claim that, but just mentions that he was a brother of James. (v. 1) The second is the glorious doxology with which he ends his letter. Don Fran­cisco has put that beautifully to music, and I can’t read it without the music running through my head and heart. That said, I heard verse 20 here quoted very often when I was first learning about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and particularly tongues. Many of those quoting it were playing with the grammar a bit and saying that praying in the Spirit is to build us up in faith. It does that, certainly, and Paul says as much in 1 Corinthians 14:4, but if we focus on what it does for us, we miss out on a great deal. The reason I desired the gift in the first place was to be able to pray for situations where my knowledge and wisdom were lacking – which is virtually all the time! If we don’t have faith we aren’t going to pray in the Spirit, and besides, we can pray in the Spirit in our native language too! This passage is talking about what we can and should do to live the lives of blessing that God intends. This is yet another of the almost countless passages where the Japanese says, “wait expectantly.” We aren’t to be just hanging around waiting for the Rapture, we are to be active in living the lives God has laid out for us until He says, “That’s enough,” whether that is by physical death or by meeting Him in the air.

I know I have shared in the past about how I delayed my own baptism in the Holy Spirit by insisting that the gift of tongues be part of it, but a couple of months after I was baptized in the Spirit, a friend told me to pray asking God for a “prayer language,” if it would make me more useful to Him. I did, I received, and that’s been 50 years ago now. I have gone through periods in which I used the gift very little (such as when I was attending a Baptist seminary), but at this point I think it’s fair to say I use the gift daily. I am grateful for it, as for each of the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, but I know that my salvation doesn’t depend on it, or any gift.

Father, thank You for all Your spiritual gifts. Thank You for how satisfying, and at times, fun, it is to exercise them. That said, help me never use any gift of Yours strictly for myself, but rather apply it as You intend, building up the Body of Christ, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Faith; February 12, 2024

Posted on February 13, 2024 by jgarrott

1 John 5:5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

We tend to take faith very lightly. We say we believe things, but then we don’t follow through on the implications of what we claim to believe. In the 1st Century, believing that Jesus was the Son of God and claiming Him as your Lord could get you imprisoned or killed for treason against the Emperor, because the required confession was, “Caesar is Lord.” That is in no way the “easy believism” that has dominated Evangelical Christianity at least since the 20th Century. We tend to treat faith like a good-luck charm, often quoting the verse just ahead of this to justify that position. However, the victory that John speaks of here could well include martyrdom! It is when our faith causes us to put everything on the line that we experience the victory of Christ. Anything less is just playing games. When Jesus told His disciples to “be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33) he was headed for the cross! I’m reminded of the story of the missionary family in China that was captured by a robber gang over a hundred years ago. The gang was threatening to kill them if they didn’t come up with some way to get money to them, but the family’s 12-year-old daughter stood up boldly and proclaimed the Gospel to them, as well as chewing them out for doing such an ultimately cowardly thing. As it turned out, the family was indeed killed, including the daughter, but the reason we know about this incident is that at least one of the gang members was unable to forget what he had seen and heard, and later came to Christ in full repentance. That is victory!

As I am reminded frequently, I don’t feel like I have suffered much for my faith. However, there is no less of a call to faithfulness on my life. As Paul said, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2) I have been supplied with incredible grace and blessings, and how I respond to that reality will define my life. I’m reminded of James and John. James was the first of the apostles to be martyred, having his head cut off with a sword (which is a rather easy way to die). (Acts 12:2) However, John gave his life for Christ no less than his brother, just one day at a time. I really think James got the easy end of that, but God wanted John to write his Gospel and letters, and untold millions of people have been blessed as a result. My faith should cause me to seek God each day for what He wants me to do and say, and then be fully obedient. If it doesn’t do that, it can hardly be called faith.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the faith You have implanted in me through my parents and generations before them, and through personal encounters with You. May I indeed live that faith out in fulness, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Practical Love; February 11, 2024

Posted on February 12, 2024 by jgarrott

1 John 4:20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

Theology can seem abstract and theoretical, but the Bible is intensely practical. John, known as “the apostle of love,” really lays it out in his letters. Having walked with Jesus for over three years in the flesh and then living with His Spirit for the rest of his life, he knew what he was talking about. One of the few things we know about his background is that he had at least one brother, James, and that Jesus gave them the nickname, “sons of thunder.” (Mark 3:17) That seems to indicate they weren’t so loving when Jesus got to them! However, even though Jesus had to call them down for wanting to call divine retribution on a town that had rejected them, (Luke 9:54-55) John, probably the youngest of the disciples, became Jesus’ pet, so to speak, to the point that he felt free to lean back against Jesus to ask him a question. (John 13:23-25) John had indeed seen Jesus with his physical eyes, but comparatively very few people had had that privilege, so this verse is very pointed. John was familiar with the teaching of the Gnostics, a heretical group that taught that the spiritual was everything and that the physical didn’t matter, and he countered their teaching explicitly in the first chapter of his Gospel. John was very aware of the importance of the spiritual, but he also knew that the physical was where we live, and its connection with the spiritual was inescapable. We too need to be practical in our faith, saying the right things but consistently going beyond words to apply God’s truth in our lives. We too need to love our brother so that we may experience the love of God.

This is particularly pointed for me, because I have had a lot of Bible knowledge from a young age, but am still learning how to apply it in daily situations. John is the person in the New Testament, apart from Jesus, that I would most like to be like. That’s a little ironic, because several people have said I’m very like Paul! However, I grew up surrounded by love, expressed to me by my parents and siblings but understood to come from God. At the tender age of five I went to my mother one time and said, “Mommy, I really, really love you, but I don’t love you nearly as much as I love Jesus.” What a privilege to be raised in a home that made me feel that way at such an age! That said, I have certainly experienced that some people aren’t easy to love. That reminds me that sometimes God has to exercise His divine omnipotence in order to love me! At this point I indeed love God more than I love my own physical life, so I need to be careful to let His love flow through me to those around me, particularly to those who seem less than lovable.

Father, thank You for loving me in spite of my many faults and lapses. Help me indeed love those around me regardless of their faults and lapses, knowing that we are all totally dependent on Your grace. Thank You. Praise God!

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Opposition; February 10, 2024

Posted on February 12, 2024 by jgarrott

1 John 3:13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

This one little verse jumped out at me as I read just now. It seems to me that many American Christians are shocked at the opposition they are encountering. Those who hold to Biblical principles and lifestyle are called every name in the book, and often encounter legal opposi­tion as well. Those who are shocked are forgetting that Jesus Himself said, “Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” (John 15:20) In 2 Corinthians 4:4 Paul refers to the devil as “the god of this world.” It is the least surprising thing of all that the world system hates everything about the kingdom of God! Recently that has come more out into the open than it has ever been before, in my awareness. Just listening to the pronouncements of the World Economic Forum will turn your stomach! We aren’t to be surprised and we really aren’t to be upset, because opposition from such quarters means that we are on the side of Christ! It can certainly be unpleasant, but as James said, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds.” (James 1:2) It seems to me that American Christians in particular act spoiled and entitled, not reacting well either to opposition or to correction. That’s no way to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ! As Paul admonished Timothy, “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:3) There is a video on the Internet of an Admiral giving a commencement address, probably at Annapolis, in which he describes the Seal Team training he himself went through. There are Christian believers in various places around the world who go through no less for their faith, and it gives them a deep appreciation for what their faith means. We should do no less ourselves, because as Paul said, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

As I have commented before, I feel like I have suffered very little for my faith, which occasionally gives me pause! The worst I have encountered has been verbal, and I recognize that just reflects the moral and spiritual poverty of the speaker. I am not to accept as enemies those who consider me an enemy, but rather pray for them as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. I have long loved John 16:33. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” As a pastor I am to encourage and comfort believers with those words, so that we won’t be worn down by opposition but rather rejoice to be in Christ.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the magnificent conference from which we just returned. You are doing wonderful things, but the devil isn’t going to just roll over. May we be emotionally and spiritually prepared, so that opposition will just increase our joy, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Pride; February 9, 2024

Posted on February 11, 2024 by jgarrott

2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours.

I don’t think I’ve ever written on this verse before, which indicates that the Lord is giving me fresh revelation! Peter is one apostle who deeply understood grace. He knew that the righteousness he had was not his own doing, but was from Jesus Christ his Lord. In a way this verse is saying the same thing Paul famously said in Ephesians 2:8-9, because he is saying that our faith is not from our own effort, but from the righteousness of Christ. We so want to take credit for things in some way, but Peter is saying that our saving faith itself is because of Jesus, and not anything we have cooked up. That’s really taking it “down to the bare metal,” as is said in automotive restoration work. Peter’s famous sin was denying he knew Jesus three times during Jesus’ trial, but we know from Galatians 2 that he slipped up at other times too, and those after he had been used and recognized as a major apostle. Peter knew that his righteousness was not his own, but that of Christ our Lord. Pride can be incredibly destructive, but God has a way of dealing with it in each of us, seldom the same in any two individuals but generally very effective. Proud Christians haven’t been paying attention!

As I have written many times, God dealt massively with my pride in 1972, but it has reared up many times since. I’m a total basket case without Christ! The devil is so devious, he works to make me proud of being humble! I laugh to think about it, but it’s no joke. That’s not to say I’m worthless, because Jesus died for me, and that makes me incredibly valuable. Neither am I to deny the gifting that God has placed in me, because I’m to be a steward of those gifts to fulfill the purposes God had in mind when He gave them to me. However, I’ve got to remember, on every level, that it’s all because of God and not because of me. That should crank my gratitude up to 10! This conference has been magnificent, and indications are that we could well see explosive growth in the church from this point. That is all the more reason to be on my guard against pride, because I didn’t engineer any of this. I’ll be the speaker at another conference in less than two weeks. Particularly if God shows up in power, I’ve got to remember that it’s all Him and not me. The better I remember that, the more likely it is to happen! I am to focus on being faithful, listening intently and obeying immediately, so that I may be out of the way for God to do everything, and exactly, that He wants to do for His glory and for the Body of Christ.

Father, thank You indeed for this conference and for all You have done in it, not just in and for me but in and for every participant. I pray that this would mark a genuine inflection point in the life of the Body of Christ in this nation, resulting in strongholds being torn down and multitudes being set free to repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Pastors; February 8, 2024

Posted on February 11, 2024 by jgarrott

1 Peter 5:2-3 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

It has struck me in these first two days of the conference that, where­as various denominational groups across Japan are bemoaning the lack of pastors in their churches, this group has been talking about starting hundreds and thousands of new congregations. The difference is in the definition of what a pastor is. The vast majority of Christian organizations define the office of pastor largely in terms of formal education, forgetting that there were no Christian seminaries for at least the first two centuries of the Church. When we focus on the human organization, we lose sight of the Body of Christ, the con­gregation of God. The terms translated as “church” in both Hebrew and Greek simply mean assembly, congregation. They indicate the people, not the organization, much less the building. The theme of this conference is “Return to our Roots.” Getting back to God’s definition of His Church is an important part of that. As was pointed out yesterday, we need to remember the purpose of everything we do, and that is the salvation of souls. Planting congregations is admirable, but that isn’t the end goal. Lots of things can be good, but they are no more than tools toward the ultimate purpose. Peter is here addressing the sort of people Paul went around appointing in the groups of people who believed as he traveled from place to place. Some of them were probably not happy with the appointment, as Peter refers to here. Ultimately, every pastor must be chosen and appointed by God, but even those in that situation don’t always enjoy it. It is certainly not something to get puffed up over. Some people indeed twist it into a way to get money or a path to personal power. When that happens, it’s tragic. (Actually, such pastors are probably not chosen by God, but the temptation can be there even for those who are.) Every person in church leadership, on whatever level, must remember that it is God’s church, and they are His servants and the servants of their flock, even as Peter says here.

This discussion gives me a bit of a twinge, because I didn’t really want to be a pastor when I came to Omura. I enjoyed teaching the Bible, and I still do, but the mess of interpersonal relationships didn’t appeal to me. I had experienced that in the US, and I wanted to focus on what I enjoyed! I don’t think I’ve ever viewed ministry as a “money pit,” and I’m not much tempted by personal power, but the whole question of willingness has been an issue at times. At this point in my life I’m faced with the question of succession, since I am 75. The more I look at the growth of the believers in the church, the less I’m worried about that! That drives some people with a more denominational background up the wall, but I know God is in charge, and all I have to do is listen obediently to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for this conference. Thank You that Marc Estes, the main speaker, was a high school dropout when You got to Him, and now he’s not only the pastor of a large church, he’s the president of a Bible College, with no academic degrees whatsoever to his name! Help me see people, myself included, as You do, and value them and treat them accordingly, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Evangelism; February 7, 2024

Posted on February 10, 2024 by jgarrott

1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

This is a verse I have loved for a long time and have written on many times, but it still echoes in my heart. This is not about evangelistic programs or grand schemes, it’s about living as a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ and all that means. If we are living in love with Jesus, our lives will be different enough that people will notice, and they are likely to ask us about it. The world has much to destroy hope, which makes genuine hope all the more attractive. We aren’t to try to pretend that we have no problems. That is as false as a 3 dollar bill, and that hypocrisy quickly becomes evident to all who know us in the least. It’s also denying Jesus’ statement that in this world we do have problems, period. (John 16:33) However, regardless of our problems, we have hope, and that is what makes us different from those who don’t know Christ. Reading the New Testament I see no sign of “special meetings” and the like to “grow the Church.” The Church indeed grew, but it wasn’t by human design. God’s plan for church growth is for His children to live and act as His children. That will be irresistible to those whose hearts are hungry for life.

This verse struck me this morning because we are at a church conference. The main speaker is a man with a moving testimony who depends on God and not on himself, which is excellent. At the same time, he is the pastor of a large church in America, and that greatly impacts what he says and how he says it. Last night we were challenged to examine how we see God and how we see ourselves, and to dream and pray big. That’s very good, but specific examples he gave of “dreaming and praying big” rang hollow to me, because they tended toward external things, like finances and numbers. I do need to lift my eyes to my omnipotent Creator and understand how much He loves me and that He’s included me in His plans, but at the same time I want to ask Him for His dreams for me, and not cook them up on my own. We have been given a massive vision and I pray for the salvation of the whole nation, but I want it to happen God’s way, and not limit Him by my imagination.

Father, thank You for getting us here safely yesterday, and for all the things that have happened since our arrival. I pray that I would be open and available to You on every level, to hear what You are saying to me here, through sessions or through private conversations, and to be Your instrument in blessing others as well. Thank You. Praise God”

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Freedom; February 6, 2024

Posted on February 10, 2024 by jgarrott

1 Peter 2:16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

We forget, when reading the Bible, that slavery was an unquestioned part of society in those days. We also forget that slavery had nothing to do with race. As has been pointed out by several people I’ve read recently, the very word, slave, comes from Slav, the people of eastern Europe. Various kinds of slavery existed back then, and indeed, do today, even though today it is illegal. The “free men” in this verse means very simply, not slaves. Thus, the only external human authority would be the government. However, where the NIV says “servants of God” here, the Japanese sticks with the Greek and says “slaves of God.” From verse 18 Peter specifically addresses those who had human masters, but the point is that God is our Master, so we are to live to please Him. Actually, Paul touched on this subject quite a few times. One of the clearest is, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13) Again he said, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) The freedom we have in Christ is above and beyond anything this world can control, but we must always exercise it in obedience to the law of love. (Romans 13) Jamie Buckingham was persuaded at one point that he had the freedom to indulge in alcohol, and he did for a while. However, before long he realized that not only did he not need it, other people watching him might well be influenced to drink as well, and they might not have the emotional or even biological ability to limit their drinking to appropriate levels, so he quit. That attitude is being obedient to this verse.

I came to the same conclusion as Jamie pretty early on in my life in regards to alcohol. I seem to be well supplied with the enzyme to break down ethanol, but that’s not the point; my drinking wouldn’t be loving to those around me, so I abstain. However, this principle goes far beyond alcohol. I know someone who at one point in their rebellion against their Christian upbringing threw out everything in the Bible except one verse: “‘Everything is permissible’ – but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’ – but not everything is constructive.” (1 Corinthians 10:23) They have since returned to a fully dedicated Christian life, but they learned the hard way that indulging the flesh is indeed negative. I don’t need to go through the same things to learn that lesson! I have learned that John was spot on: “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3) Every one of God’s commands are for our benefit, so being His slave is a joyful thing indeed!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed live in the freedom of Your Spirit, while fully submitted to You. Human words don’t handle that very well, but I ask You to do it in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Living as Christians; February 5, 2024

Posted on February 6, 2024 by jgarrott

1 Peter 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.”

How we live makes a difference. In yesterday’s message I talked about how most Christians today live no differently than their unbelieving neighbors, which actually tends to call their faith into doubt. In many places in the world – and now even in parts of America – Christians are accused of all sorts of things. The currently popular accusations in the US are homophobia, transphobia, and racism, with various other pejoratives thrown in for good measure. We should take all that as a badge of honor, actually, because as they say, it shows we are “over the target;” our words and actions are making them uncomfortable. People who are actively rebelling against God have every reason to be uncomfortable! However, we are not to speak and act for the purpose of making them uncomfortable. That would reduce us to their level. We are always to speak the truth in love, whatever the consequences. As this verse says, it is our lifestyle that will validate our words, as they will have to acknowledge when they are confronted by God. (That, incidentally, is what it means by “glorify God on the day He visits us.”) It’s hard to argue with a life well lived!

This is of course the way I need to live. Society in every country puts pressure on us to “go along to get along,” but that is seldom the way of righteousness. I’m not to be different, much less argumentative, just for the sake of being different, but I am to keep Jesus as my standard, and nothing less. I well remember once being in a bar with my employer and being chewed out by another patron because I was drinking a soft drink. He said my not drinking alcohol made him and other drinkers feel bad! I’d say that was his problem. In my over 42 years in this city I’d say I have a pretty solid reputation, and it’s not a bad one, for which I praise God. I have never felt attacked for being a Christian, other than some disapproval for declining to burn incense at Buddhist funerals, so I have had it much easier than many of my brothers and sisters around the world. However, that’s no reason to slough off in my living as a demonstration of the grace and love of God. I am to so live that the people around me will know more of God because of watching me.

Father, it’s an extremely high calling You’ve given us. Help me, help all of the believers here, not back off from that, but live boldly as Your children, demonstrating Your truth for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Holiness; February 4, 2024

Posted on February 5, 2024 by jgarrott

1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, “Be holy, because I am holy”

The devil, and because of him human society, is dead set against holiness, to the point that the desire and effort to be holy is seen as somehow perverted. That is of course the opposite of how God created us, but the Bible also says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20) This isn’t a new phenomenon! We have been deceived into thinking holiness is out of reach, and so isn’t worth the struggle. Historically, “saint” is a term reserved for only very special people, when the New Testament consistently refers to all believers as saints. We are saints by definition! Of course, in our human weakness we can’t live up to that on our own, but as Paul said, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24) The point is to not be satisfied with anything less, but repent immediately when the Holy Spirit points out our sins to us, so that we may consistently move toward our role model, Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Just yesterday I was seeing articles about the normalization of perversion in society, and it is sickening. We have long had expressions like “goody two-shoes” and others that imply that goodness is unnatural, but that too is a lie of the devil. We are imperfect, but we are created for fellowship with our Creator, which requires that we be holy as He is, just as Peter says here. We need to be grateful that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) If we are cleansed, that means we are holy!

Of course this applies to me, just as it does to everyone. I could not begin to even calculate how many times I have acted in an unholy manner, and I have had to learn that when God says I’m forgiven, I’m really forgiven. At the same time, I’ve also had to learn that everything God created is good, and when used as God intended, is holy and pure. The devil hates the marital relationship because it is a picture of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:25-28), and so does everything he can to misrepresent and disturb the various facets of that. I’ve had almost 55 years of learning the beauty and purity of it, if it is received as God intended. And it’s fun! Just because something is fun doesn’t mean it’s unholy. That’s another frequent lie of the devil. As a pastor I need to be an example of enjoyable holiness, if you will. I don’t have the wisdom to do it on my own, but God can do it through me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed be holy, but not holier-than-thou, down to earth and yet pure, countering the lies of the devil by living out Your truth, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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