Righteousness; December 5, 2023

Posted on December 6, 2023 by jgarrott

Galatians 5:5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.

This whole letter is a screed against trying to earn salvation by works, and this verse is a very interesting element of that. It says that righteousness is something we receive from the Holy Spirit by faith. I don’t think we think about it that way very often. Anyone who is honest with themselves will acknowledge that they aren’t perfectly righteous; repentance is ongoing. That’s why we “eagerly await” the righteousness that God has prepared for us in Christ. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Of course, the devil twists that glorious truth around and tells us it doesn’t matter what we do, and Paul had to counter that lie repeatedly in his letters. Just a few verses after this he said, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13) We receive righteousness as a gift, but we are to live in the righteousness we have already received.

I am often reminded of how the Lord set me free from a persistent sin through something Peter wrote. After talking about the characteristics we would expect of a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ, he then says, “But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” (2 Peter 1:9) What the Lord said to me through that verse was that if I have confessed and repented of a sin, I have been cleansed of it and it no longer has a hold on me. The more I beat myself up over something I have done, the more likely I am to do it again! That was a very liberating realization for me. At the same time, one of the things I am eagerly looking forward to about heaven is liberation from the very presence of sin. That is the ultimate righteousness that this verse refers to. I am to share this truth of imparted righteousness with all who will receive it, along with the admonition, “Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” (Philippians 3:16) The righteousness of Christ which has been imparted to us is never an excuse to wallow in sin of any sort.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s an issue that I think every believer struggles with at some point. Help me lead those in my care into the righteousness and freedom we have in Christ, for our blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Unity in Christ; December 4, 2023

Posted on December 5, 2023 by jgarrott

Galatians 3:26-28 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

I quote verse 28 every time I do marriage counseling, because it is a vitally important understanding for a healthy marriage. This is the exact opposite of what the devil does, dividing people in any way he can. “Identity politics” is an absolutely despicable lie of the devil that is threatening to destroy America at this point. That is exactly what he wants to do, because America, with all its many faults, has been a powerful force for good in the world. Thankfully, more and more people seem to be waking up to this lie, not just in America but around the world. God created us with differences for many reasons, not least of which being that He seems to really like variety. However, those differences aren’t to divide us, but to make us complementary, meeting each other’s needs and compensating for each other’s weaknesses. It is in Christ that this is brought to fulfillment, just as it says here. Any Christian with international connections has discovered that our bond in Christ transcends language, culture, and ethnicity. It is wonderful to discover that we have brothers and sisters who don’t look a thing like us! This is vital to remember right now, when so many things are being used to divide us.

This is an understanding that has always come pretty easily to me, since I grew up as a Caucasian in Japan. At the same time, I also felt discriminated against, that I never really fit in, not just a Caucasian among Asians, but as a missionary kid in a US Air Force dependents school, and then as an emotionally Japanese person in America. That has made unity in Christ very precious to me. At the moment this church has people from Japan, America, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Honduras in attendance, so we have little hope of unity apart from Christ! However, we do have Christ, and so enjoy rich fellowship. We are tasting just a little bit of heaven, where the Bible tells us, “There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9) As we stand in that awareness, we will overcome the enemy.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the unity we do enjoy here. Thank You that more and more people around the world are waking up to Your truth in many areas. There are those who refuse that truth and stand against it. Help Your children stand firm, always speaking Your truth in Your love, even if it means martyrdom, so that Your name may be acknowledged as holy and Your rule and reign be established as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Choosing Faith; December 3, 2023

Posted on December 4, 2023 by jgarrott

Isaiah 7:9 “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

Every once in a while I really like the turn of phrase chosen by the NIV translators, and this is one of those times. The Japanese gives this as a very pedestrian, “If you don’t believe, you won’t be able to stand for long,” but I don’t think that has the same punch. The thing is, faith is always a choice. It is a gift, as Paul said, (Ephesians 2:8-9) but we have to choose to receive that gift. Sometimes we don’t recognize gifts and so fail to accept them, and sometimes we decide the gift isn’t something we want, but faith in God is a desirable thing at any time, if we have the sense to recognize it. I have seen videos of street evangelists getting rejected by people who choose to believe the lies of the devil over what is being offered to them, and it is always sad. With this verse, King Ahaz was faced with a logically frightening situation, with reports of two enemies ganging up on his little kingdom. However, Judah had a long history of being protected by God. Isaiah had just confirmed the rumors Ahaz had heard, but he also said that those plans would come to nothing. By this time Isaiah had a track record as an accurate spokesman for God, so Ahaz had every reason to trust him, but he was a very weak man and couldn’t bring himself to be bold in faith. That’s sad every time it happens. To be fair, faith often flies in the face of what our senses and our logic tell us, but as John famously wrote, “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4) The world is a mess, any way we look at it. It is only by faith that God is still God and that His plans are good and certain that we can stay on an even keel and enjoy all the blessings God pours out on us even in the middle of the mess.

I get the impression that God has perhaps given me a bigger portion of faith than He has given most people. Some people have commented to that effect. However, I have learned the lesson of this verse the hard way, which has really firmed up my decision to believe. With all the political and social turmoil of the past several years, I have had occasion to say many times that if I didn’t have faith I would have given up a long time ago. Actually, the same thing may be said about my own weaknesses. That God hasn’t squashed me or abandoned me a long time ago is amazing to me, forcing me to believe that He really does love me, just as the Bible says. I’m not surprised when painful or unpleasant things come my way, I’m grateful when they don’t come my way! I kind of shake my head at the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” We live in a fallen world, filled with the consequences of sin, our own and others’. As Jesus said so plainly, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) I choose faith, because taking heart is much more pleasant than despair!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the privilege of being involved in other people choosing faith. I pray that this morning’s service, and indeed everything I do, would draw and encourage others to repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Fresh Faith; December 2, 2023

Posted on December 3, 2023 by jgarrott

Galatians 3:2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?

It is interesting that there are essentially no new heresies; all the lies have been around since at least the 1st century, and probably since the Garden of Eden. Today there are countless earnest believers who practice performance-based religion. It’s not at all that what we do doesn’t matter, but that isn’t what sets us right with God. The devil attacks us from both sides on this issue. On the one hand he tells us we have to follow a set of rules for God to love us, and on the other hand he tells us that we can do anything we feel like, because God loves us anyway. What is so dangerous is that both of those lies are just a little bit off of the truth. We are indeed justified by faith alone, as Paul argues so strongly in this whole letter, and at the same time we are called to be holy, (1 Peter 1:14-16) and we were created to do good things that God has already planned and prepared for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) We need to keep both of those things in our minds and hearts, in full submission to God, if we are indeed going to resist the devil and have him flee from us. (James 4:7) One interesting thing to note about Galatians is that they were what we would call “Charismatic” or “Pentecostal” Christians; they evidently had and operated in the gifts of the Spirit. No branch of Christianity is immune from the lies of the devil! We all need a fundamental humility that causes us to seek and cling to Christ alone, or we will fall prey to the devil’s lies.

I have been saddened to see dear friends who seem imbedded in their religious traditions to the point of ignoring the liberty of the Spirit, (2 Corinthians 3:17) but I am just as prone to get in a rut and do “business as usual,” instead of always seeking more of my Lord. The Lord is leading me into a new season in my life, with retirement from school teaching, and I need to be fresh and ready for whatever He says to me. Traditions and habits aren’t bad in themselves, but I must not let them blind me to what the Lord is saying to me right now. I have all sorts of desires and expectations that are rooted in my flesh rather than in the Spirit of my God, and my choice must always be to follow Christ. I must never take things for granted and think that I know it all or have it all, but keep learning and growing as an obedient child of God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The devil’s attacks can be very subtle. Help me be so in tune with You that I recognize them immediately and stand against them appropriately, so that his works may be destroyed (1 John 3:8) and Your rule and reign be established, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Death and Life; December 1, 2023

Posted on December 2, 2023 by jgarrott

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

This is rightly one of the most famous verses in the New Testament, but it was good to read it again just now in full context. There are some who take Paul’s opposition to Peter, expressed earlier in the chapter, as a sign of Paul’s pride, but this makes it absolutely clear that his opposition was in order to defend the essential principle that salvation is by faith alone. It’s true that Paul was still a little defensive about being an apostle who had not walked with Jesus before His crucifixion, as comes out in the very first part of the chapter, but that is simply evidence that, like all of us, Paul was a work in progress, as he himself stated so firmly in Philippians 3:12-14. The point we need to remember that our life itself doesn’t belong to us; we have been bought and paid for by the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The better we realize that spiritually speaking we are already dead, the better we will be protected against the tricks and lies of the devil. That’s what Paul expounded on in Romans 6. We aren’t talking zombies here, but rather glorious reality. I have read many testimonies of “near-death experiences,” and something expressed in a lot of them is, “I felt more alive than I have ever been.” The more we grasp that in Christ we are already dead, the more we can walk in His life that is far more, and far better, than anything we can experience in the flesh.

At 75, my anticipation of being through with my current body is growing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the life of Christ right now. Actually, I do enjoy it a great deal, as various people have commented about me, but I need to remember that it is no better than a shadow of what awaits me. As Frank Viola and others have pointed out, I am not to run from the cross but to it and embrace it, just as the youngest of the 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki did. And as Luke made clear, Jesus said I have to do that daily. (Luke 9:23) Crosses aren’t fun, but I have a lot of stubborn areas in my life that are still kicking, and an extra nail or two is very necessary! At the same time, I need to remember that from God’s perspective this verse is already accomplished fact, and so rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, just as He has told me to do.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that I seem to be dealing with the busyness of the season somewhat better than in some years. (I pray that statement isn’t premature!) Thank You for reminding me just now that I need to get the Advent candles today, since we’ll be lighting the first one on Sunday. Help me deal with each thing in turn, not panicking over all that is coming but letting You carry me through, so that my delight in You may be an example to draw others to delight in You as well, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Possibility; November 30, 2023

Posted on December 1, 2023 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 13:8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.

I felt the Lord was directing me to write on this verse, but I wasn’t sure why. Then I read it in the Japanese, where it says, “We can do nothing in rebellion against the truth, but if it’s for the truth, we can do anything.” That puts a different spin on it! I am naturally reminded of Philippians 4:13. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” When we are genuinely on the side of God and His truth, then everything becomes possible. I could be here all day affirming from Scripture things that God desires, and that He desires of each individual, but the point isn’t just to affirm things as objective fact, but to follow through and act on them. (James 1:22) Paul was literally writing the Bible as he went, allowing God’s truth to flow through his words, and he needed the assurance of the truth in this verse. Some would call that conceit, but as my grandmother once told my father, it isn’t conceit if it’s true. It of course requires great humility to operate in this without wrecking on the rocks of pride, and God kept doing things to keep Paul humble. In the chapter just before this, Paul famously recorded one of those. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) The point is always to keep our focus off of ourselves and on our Lord, as it says in Hebrews. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) If we will do that, then indeed everything will become possible.

A Brazilian missionary in the Nagoya area designed T-shirts in English and Japanese about revival in Japan, with  the word, “Impossible,” prominently displayed, with the “Im” crossed out. I’m sure he was inspired by God, because it works equally well in Japanese. I like those shirts very much, since I delight in plays on words, but I need to keep living like I believe the message. Following my father, next year will mark a 90 year history of my family’s ministry in Japan, and we haven’t seen revival break out yet. That doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t! God is freeing me from my school commitments in another month, and I will be the speaker at a small conference in February. I certainly don’t know the details of God’s plan, but I do know that “With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) I am never to think that I could do anything on my own, but I am to have complete assurance that God can do anything at all through me.

Father, this is a bit scary for me, when I have struggled with pride so much over the course of my life. I don’t want to fall into that! Help me take my eyes off of myself so thoroughly that I won’t get in Your way for however You want to use me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Warfare; November 29, 2023

Posted on November 30, 2023 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

This is a well-known passage, but far too many people ignore it, or at least badly misunderstand it. One thing I notice is that where the NIV says “the world” in the first sentence, the Japanese sticks with the Greek in saying, “the flesh.” I understand the decision of the NIV translators, but at the same time I think it’s important to connect all of this to our physical bodies. Of course, “the flesh” isn’t limited to our actual bones and muscles, but rather includes the emotions and motives that are so tied to our physical being. The point is, striking out when we are hurt is not effective spiritual warfare, and is generally counterproductive. As Frank Viola and others have pointed out, an important part of being submitted as a disciple of Christ is giving up the right to be offended. “I’m offended” is currently seen as justification for all sorts of things, when for the disciple it’s no justification at all. Fighting to defend yourself, rather than standing up for the truth of God, is ultimately self-defeating. That’s not to say that we are to be doormats, but it is to say that personal offense will sabotage our spiritual warfare. After all, James said “Submit yourselves, then, to God,” before he said, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) If we try to do spiritual warfare in the flesh, we are defeated before we start.

This is easy for me to say, but I’ve learned the hard way that putting it into practice isn’t so simple. The flesh is very good at taking over! I am very aware that the major struggles of my life are spiritual, but my flesh keeps rearing up and trying to take control. If I am to be effective as God’s agent, I’ve got to be fully submitted to Him. As it says in verse five here, the battle largely takes place in minds and hearts – my own as well as those of the people around me. It takes very little perception to realize that there are lots of “pretensions setting themselves up against the knowledge of God” running around in the world today, and I’ve got to be firm and loving in standing against all such lies. I can’t rely on my own “wisdom” or “gifting” if I’m to have any sort of success, but God is more than able to use me to defeat anything at all, if I will be fully submitted and available to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It is by turns amusing, sad, and even disgusting to see what some people are saying today, in virtually every area of life. Help me not hate any individual, but rather speak Your truth in Your love so that Your Spirit will be free to work through me to accomplish Your will for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Stewardship; November 28, 2023

Posted on November 29, 2023 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 8:12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

This passage is remarkable in explaining the whole concept of giving. Sadly, we are surrounded by a cacophony of voices begging for donations, to the point that it tends to turn us off to them all. That is sad because some of them are worthy indeed, but we would have to be exceedingly rich financially to respond to even a fraction of them. At this point, politicians are some of the most insistent, which can be particularly irritating even when we like them as candidates. On top of that, some of the pleas that on the surface seem noble are in fact no more than scams, with only a fraction of the funds collected going to the purported cause. It all calls for spiritual discernment as well as a healthy dose of common sense. There is a motivational gift/personality type of Giving, (Romans 12:8) and such people are particularly in need of discernment and common sense or they will be bled dry in no time. I have known people who needed specific interventions to keep them from giving to the point of damaging themselves and those around them. Whereas that might bring to mind the second verse in this chapter, (Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.) they can easily become patsies for the unscrupulous. We are all called to stewardship of what the Lord places in our hands, and not just finances. Some people give so much of their time that they destroy their own health! Accurate stewardship calls for faith that God is our ultimate Source, (Genesis 22:14, James 1:17) as well as total submission to Him as to what to do with what He has provided.

I am very aware of the tensions involved with money in the Church. I have consistently been turned off by preachers who were constantly begging for money. Many people feel that’s all that churches do! From the beginning of this church we have avoided “passing the plate,” but rather have had a designated offering box where people could be anonymous in their giving. I agree that giving is a part of worship, but at one point I yielded to such arguments and we tried “passing the plate” for a few months. Our intake dropped noticeably! On the other side, I have testified many times of how faithful the Lord has been to meet our financial needs since Cathy and I committed to consistent tithing, and that’s been for over 50 years now. For the past several years we have increased that to 15%, and our bank balance continues to grow! I try to let God be in charge of both our income and our expenses, and I find that He’s a much more generous accountant than I am!

Father, the whole matter of finances has tripped up so many people, both inside and outside the Church. Help me not only be a good steward myself, but lead those in my care to be likewise, so that Your plans for what You put in our hands may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Meditation; November 27, 2023

Posted on November 28, 2023 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Logically speaking, the more we understand God’s promises to us, the more we will respond to Him in full obedience, living as He desires and no other way. Unfortunately, most humans aren’t very logical! We hang onto things that do us no good and we fail to take up the things God offers us in their place. The simple act of regular morning devotions is an excellent case in point. We choose late-night TV programs over getting up in the morning to spend time with God. Likewise, we choose the vocabulary and speaking patterns of the world over letting God use our mouths to bless people and draw them to Him. The problem, I think, is how much we let God’s Word penetrate into the depths of our being. Most people don’t have much idea of how to meditate on Scripture. “Meditation” is something of a new-age buzzword, but it makes all the difference in the world – and in eternity – what you meditate on, if you really understand meditation in the first place. The thing is, we really aren’t very bright, whatever our IQ might be. The Bible isn’t really that complicated, but we need to take it in over and over and over again for it to penetrate and overcome the lies to which we have become accustomed. After all, the devil is “a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) That, incidentally, is one reason why it is so very helpful to get the Word into children before the world system fills their minds and hearts with junk. We are seeing overwhelming evidence of the latter these days. However, adults won’t be very successful in getting Biblical principles into children if they aren’t living by them themselves. We need to start by examining our own priorities under the guidance of Holy Spirit, and then ask His help in living out our adjusted priorities. That’s what Biblical meditation is all about: not examining the Word, but letting the Word examine us. If we will do that, we will discover that God’s promises are trustworthy indeed, as they are fulfilled in every area of our lives.

I had the huge advantage of being raised in a home of faith and obedience to God, but I don’t recall ever being taught how to meditate on the Word. We were a very musical family, and I really think good hymns came closest to meditation for me. I remember one time, when I was no more than junior high school age, that I sat on my bed and the lyrics of Just as I am ran through my mind and heart, and I had deep fellowship with God. Even though I got horribly mired in spiritual pride after that, that experience convinces me that I was indeed a genuine Christian, even from my baptism at seven. Today I have far more actual Scripture in me, but Christian songs are still a very valuable part of my relationship with God. Some “ear worms” can be huge blessings!

Father, thank You for what You are teaching me about meditating on Your truth, whether it is Scripture or Scripturally sound music. The Messiah enabled me to memorize a lot of Scripture! Help me keep growing in living out Your word and not deceiving myself, (James 1:22) so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Joy and Thanks; November 26, 2023

Posted on November 27, 2023 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

This church is having our Thanksgiving celebration today, and there is nothing for which we should be more thankful than what this verse says. This chapter is absolutely loaded with truths that should shape our perception of ourselves and of the world around us. We have to believe them for that to happen, so as it says in verse seven, we live by faith, not by sight. When we have that faith, everything falls into place and we understand that, though we live in a fallen world, God has a perfect plan of redemption and we don’t need to be anxious about anything. With that assurance, we can indeed be ambassadors for Christ, as it says in verse twenty. We aren’t worthy to receive any of this, but in a totally one-sided action, expressed in this verse, God made us worthy by proxy, so to speak, so that we can walk in everything God the Father has provided through His Son and His Spirit. The better we grasp that, the more we will overflow with joy and gratitude.

This is a very timely reminder for me, since temporal factors have been pushing to make me dread all the busyness of today. Whatever my body is doing, my spirit should be rejoicing in the truths of this chapter. I’m the one who complies these Bible-reading lists, but I am frequently touched by how very timely the readings are – which proves that I can be led by God, both consciously and unconsciously. That’s another thing to be grateful and happy about! Today is a day with many opportunities for God to display His love and grace, and my job is to not get in His way. My body will indeed be busy, but I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him through every moment of it all, so that all present may be touched by His Spirit for His glory.

Father, thank You for Your timeliness, and for using even me to bless me with this Scripture today. May I delight to be a channel of Your blessings to each person with whom I interact today, not being demanding or impatient but allowing Your love to flow freely, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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