Jesus’ Sacrifice; April 4, 2023

Posted on April 5, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 26:53 “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”

This is a verse I always reference when I’m telling the story of the crucifixion. I don’t think we often consider the degree of self-control necessary for Jesus to go through with what happened over the next several hours. It’s one thing to endure abuse when you are totally helpless, but it’s another thing entirely when you actually have the power to change everything with a word. That particular factor in what Jesus did for us is something I don’t think we often consider. Jesus took the insults, the physical and verbal abuse, because of His love for us and His love for the Father. His love for us was involved because we were why it was necessary, and His love for the Father was involved because this was sheer obedience, following through with the Father’s plan of salvation for mankind. We tend to stylize Passion Week and dress it up, so to speak, going all the way to bunnies and colored eggs and chocolates, when actually it was a raw, ugly exercise in sheer obedience. Just two days ago I wrote about obedience, and as in everything else, Jesus is our ultimate example. We can approach what He did only to the point that we allow His Spirit to fill and flow through us. I remind myself from time to time that everything Jesus did on this earth He did by the power of the Holy Spirit, and not by His unique power as the Son. Here, He was declining to use His authority as the Son to command legions of angels and was instead taking our position as a weak, finite human being, so that through His sacrifice we might receive the eternal life of sonship.

I tell others about this often enough, but I need to meditate on it more myself. Obedience isn’t casual, and it is certainly not just a word. I don’t have the authority to call legions of angels, so that isn’t an issue. However, I do have the opportunity for sacrificial obedience at times. I’ve never been confronted with all Jesus went through for me, so that’s all the more reason not to complain at anything I am asked to do. I like “the easy way out” as much as anyone, so I’ve got to be on my guard against the devil’s lying excuses for disobedience. I can’t get it right consistently on my own, but as Paul said, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank you that my “normal” schedule is kicking in full blast from today, with school classes and the like. Help me not “fall into ruts,” but rather approach everything as a fresh opportunity from You, acting as Your agent toward my students and everyone else, so that Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Pride and Humility; April 3, 2023

Posted on April 4, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 26:33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

As is almost always the case, Peter’s biggest problem was pride. As it says in verse 35, all the disciples were protesting that they would never abandon Jesus, but Peter explicitly puts himself above the others. I feel sure that’s why the Lord arranged the special circumstances of the rooster crowing, to drive it home to Peter that he had no special status from which to look down on anyone else. That makes it all the more ironic that the Catholics have raised Peter to such a supreme status. As Jesus emphasized repeatedly, His kingdom isn’t a matter of status. He said it flat out when James’ and John’s mother came to him for special favors (Matthew 20:20-28), and then He drove the point home when He washed His disciples’ feet. (John 13:1-17) Everyone has moments when they do better than the person next to them, but they also have moments when they do worse. As Paul pointed out, “When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” (2 Corinthians 10:12) And, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12) I had never noticed before just now that the only difference in those two references is the single digit of 2 Corinthians and 1 Corinthians! I would hesitate to call that significant, but it is interesting nonetheless. We are indeed to seek to be the best we can be, but our competition is ourselves, not anyone else. Peter thought he would do better than the others, and the Lord had to set him very firmly in his place.

As I am reminded frequently, I have certainly had my struggles with pride, and I’m sadly sure I’m not through yet. I have been greatly blessed throughout my life, from genetics to environment to all of it. The only appropriate response would have been humble gratitude, but I wasn’t always grateful and I certainly wasn’t always humble. Thankfully, God has been incredibly patient with me, repeating lessons as many times as I needed them and putting up with some incredible nonsense. I don’t currently worry about betraying my Lord, not because I don’t think I’m capable of it, but because I know I can’t rely on my own strength, so I rely on His. At this point in my life I seem to be a model for many, but that’s simply because I’ve hung in there, mistakes and all. If God could do it for me, He can do it for anybody! My goal is simply that God would find me faithful, because His is the only evaluation that counts.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You have brought me through, including this recent bout of COVID. Thank You that we are liberated from quarantine. I ask for wisdom in how we are to use each moment of today, and indeed, this rather packed week, so that Your purposes may be accomplished in and through us on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Obedience; April 2, 2023

Posted on April 3, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 21:6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.

This one little verse carries a lot of significance we might overlook. We have no idea which two disciples were sent. Quite probably whey were two we know next to nothing about, in contrast to the few with which we are familiar. The two things we do know about them from this verse are, one, they were disciples, and two, they were obedient. I can think of no finer commendation of anyone! They were disciples of Jesus Christ, having left everything to wander around the countryside following Him. On top of that, when He told them to do something, they did it, period. In contrast, we hesitate to leave anything, even our personal electronics, to follow Jesus! And when He tells us to do something, we are all too likely to make excuses and claim we didn’t really hear Him. We claim we love Him, but He said very clearly, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15) It’s sometimes amazing how easily we trip up on that! The devil, liar that he is, does all he can to convince us that Jesus’ commands are restrictive, out to “steal all the fun,” when nothing could be farther from the truth. John encapsulated it in his first letter: “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.” (1 John 5:3-4) Jesus’ commands are to enable us to participate in His victory over the world! Thinking about it logically, it is an incredible privilege to know His commands, and to be enabled to obey them by His Spirit. That should be our goal and our joy, as His disciples.

Of course this applies to me. I’ve had my times of ignoring God, and even of directly disobeying Him. I can hardly say I’m proud of them, but I need to be honest. I desire to be counted as a disciple, but for that to be accurate, obedience is key. He has taken me through all sorts of training exercises, plenty of which I’ve had to repeat because I didn’t get it right the first time. I’ve got nothing to complain about, because as it notes in Hebrews, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11) I want the righteousness and peace, so I should rejoice in the training! The thing is, Jesus is totally worth obeying. Our flesh and the world try to tell us all sorts of things are important, when saints down through the centuries have realized that ultimately, the only thing of importance is a right relationship with our Creator. I’ve got to keep that in focus, and walk in the obedience of love.

Father, thank You for teaching me to love Jesus from a very young age. Help me never lose that first love, but walk as Your obedient child, Your disciple, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Understanding; April 1, 2023

Posted on April 2, 2023 by jgarrott

Matthew 20:18-19 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

I have no trouble believing that these words of Jesus simply didn’t penetrate into the disciples’ understanding at this point. It was only after the resurrection that the Holy Spirit brought them to mind and they could put them into context. (John 14:26) Every good teacher knows that framework has to be laid before more genuine learning can take place. Jesus wanted it to be on record what was going to happen so as to give the Holy Spirit something to remind them of later, but He certainly wasn’t surprised, and possibly not even disappointed, when they turned around and started jockeying around for position and status in His kingdom. From our perspective, James’ and John’s mother coming up to ask for status for her sons at this point was ironic in the extreme! However, that didn’t keep Jesus from entrusting His mother to John from the cross. (John 19:26-27) God knows our weaknesses and our failures and He loves and uses us anyway. We aren’t to berate ourselves over being slow to learn, but at the same time we are to keep seeking to learn more, and better. As I tell people all the time, God accepts us as we are, but He doesn’t leave us as we are, and neither should we. When we don’t understand things, we need to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes He will give revelation, but sometimes He will simply show us what we are to do even though we don’t understand it. I think our faith grows more with the latter, even though we would generally prefer the former!

I have always liked to know and understand stuff, and God has equipped me pretty well in that area. However, I have had to learn that obedience is far more important than knowledge and understanding. The flip side of that is that I have also had to learn that just because something seems simple to me doesn’t mean someone else can understand it. When my major gifting is Teacher, I have the emotional expectation that just putting the facts out there should be sufficient, when it seldom is. My study of Coaching over the past few years has been very helpful in that understanding. I’ve got to keep remembering that any amount of human knowledge and intellect, when compared to that of God, is less than that of an ant compared to Einstein. I am to be grateful for whatever I am given, but never proud.

Father, thank You indeed for so graciously allowing Your children to discover things about the world in which You have placed us, as well as about ourselves and even about You. Help me always be open to the understanding You want to give me, and useful to You in helping others understand things as well, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Creator; March 31, 2023

Posted on April 1, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalm 33:8-9 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

In reading the Old Testament, and really the Bible in general, we keep being reminded that society in those days was far from monotheistic. The surrounding nations didn’t much mind that the Jews had Yahweh, they just couldn’t understand why the Jews kept insisting that He was the only God. There were, and indeed still are, all sorts of “creation myths” floating around, but the Psalmist here very simply states, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” (Psalm 33:6) Scientists today are largely agreed that the universe as we know it started with a “singularity” and expanded from there: in other words, a moment of creation. However, some of them tie themselves in knots trying to explain how that moment came to be without a Creator, because as soon as they acknowledge they are created beings, they have to admit their own accountability to Him. It is so much simpler to understand and accept that “In the beginning, God.…” (Genesis 1:1) Most people aren’t all caught up in astrophysics, but we all equally need to understand that we are created beings, accountable to our Creator whether we want to be or not. What is most remarkable about the Bible narrative is not the fact of a Creator – that could be logically deduced – but the repeated statements that God loves His creation. He didn’t create us to be slaves, much less robots, but children. Incredibly, He chooses to be called Father! In fact, as the most famous verse in the whole Bible proclaims, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Once we grasp the depth of His love for us, then accountability ceases to be a terror and an obligation, but rather a blessing and a privilege.

I was blessed to be raised in a home where the Creator was familiar and unquestioned, but that home was in Japan, “the land of 8 million gods,” not to mention Buddhism that is fundamentally atheistic. I was certainly exposed to a variety of ideas! My pride led me into all sorts of stupidity, but the idea that I was ultimately accountable to a loving Creator never left me, and I am deeply grateful. Now, I continue to minister in Japan, and it is exciting to get hints of God being about to do something magnificent here. Recently I have been surprised – and delighted – that God is calling various people specifically to Nagasaki Prefecture. Just yesterday I was talking online with a young woman from Australia who has had a call on her life since she was 14, I think she said, and over the years God clarified that to Japan. Right now she’s in a different part of the country, but is increasingly convinced that after she returns to Australia this summer to get a missionary visa, Nagasaki is where she is to serve. And she is just the latest of several! My point is to keep remembering that my Lord, being the Creator, can do anything at all, and keep myself in readiness for however He might want to use me, in His timing and for His glory.

Father, thank You for this encouraging reminder. Thank You for all that You are doing. There are numbers of “mission schools” across this nation. I pray that You would pour a spirit of revival out on each one of them, so that the vision you gave generations of missionaries and Japanese believers would be fulfilled, for a massive harvest in Your kingdom, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Prophecy; March 30, 2023

Posted on March 31, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.

This Psalm has several dearly loved verses. I am especially fond of verse 7, with its mention of “songs of deliverance.” However, that is a confession by David of his faith in God, and here and in the next verse we have God’s response. As I noted recently, it’s not unusual in David’s Psalms for there to be a sudden change in speaker, where God directly answers what David is saying, and David recorded it. We need to have the expectation of that sort of thing when we pray, but we seldom do. After all, speaking God’s words for Him is what prophecy is all about, and under the New Covenant, all of God’s children are enabled to do it, whether they have the office of Prophet in the Body or not. Some people find the idea of prophecy scary, but that shows they don’t have a clear understanding of their heavenly Father. Where the NIV in this verse says “instruct you,” the Japanese says, “give you satori,” that is, deep understanding. The Buddhists don’t have exclusive rights to that term! God constantly desires to teach us, grow us, give us understanding. We need to believe and trust Him for that and always keep our ears open to Him, even when He wants to speak to us through our own mouth.

I couldn’t begin to count how many times God has spoken through me, and even to me through my own words, and I am deeply grateful. As a pastor, I deeply desire that each of the church members have that experience as well. We all have a problem with self-image. On the one hand we think we can go it alone without God, and on the other hand we think we are too weak and sinful for God to use us. Both of those are completely false! I have been used in spite of my flaws, and I have been blessed by God through others in spite of their flaws. I don’t want people putting me on a pedestal because “I’m close to God,” but at the same time I do want them to be willing to hear God through me. That’s why I’m so pleased when people really take up this SOAP method of devotions, because it teaches them that God speaks to them, too, and that is an assurance every believer needs.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how healing is progressing for both Cathy and me. There is a lot to be done in the 10 days before Easter, and there is a real temptation to panic. Help Cathy and me do what we can do when we can do it and not be anxious about anything else. May this Easter season be a time of drawing many to our risen Lord, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Waiting in Hope; March 29, 2023

Posted on March 30, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalm 31:24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the Lord.

This Psalm’s biggest claim to fame is the first line of verse 5, “Into your hands I commit my spirit,” which Jesus either quoted or simply echoed from the cross. (Luke 23:46) Likewise, verse 19 has been very nicely set to music. In general, the Psalm seesaws between despair and faith, making it all the more significant that it closes with this admonition to faith. It contains yet another example of a point of translation in which I greatly prefer the Japanese to the English. Scattered throughout the Old Testament are places that are sometimes rendered as “wait” and sometimes as “hope,” but in Japanese are consistently given as “wait in hope.” Why that option doesn’t seem to occur to English translators is a bit of a mystery to me. Maybe English-language culture isn’t that patient! Regardless, it’s an important part of faith. We may have complete assurance that God is going to do something, but we’ve got to release the timing into His hands and wait for Him. Modern society isn’t very helpful in that regard, because everything seems to focus on instant gratification. Any wise parent knows that giving children what they want the moment they want it all the time is no way to build character, and God is the perfect Father. As has been said many times, He is more interested in our character than our comfort. He’s preparing us for eternity with Him, and I know for sure I wouldn’t want to be surrounded by a bunch of spoiled brats for eternity! We need to trust God for His good intentions, His perfect power, and His precise timing, and not stress out over any of those factors. As the writer to the Hebrews points out, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11)

We are in yet another practicum in this area, with my wife and me being diagnosed with COVID on Monday, after symptoms started on Friday. We canceled Sunday’s service simply because we weren’t up to it, suspecting the cause but not having it confirmed until the next day. Since then the course has hardly been pleasant, but not dire, and both of us now have temperatures in the “normal” range. We were told on Monday that we should self-quarantine through Friday, but on Tuesday I thought that was optimistic. Now, I think it’s probably spot on, at least as far as our being contagious to others. We’ve lost count of how many friends who have offered to “do anything” for us. It’s nice to know we are loved! Regardless of how we feel, physically or emotionally, we need to remember that God is still God, He loves us far better than we love ourselves, and His plans are going to be worked out for our blessing and His glory – on His schedule.

Father, thank You that by Your grace I am more patient than I once was, but I still have room to grow. Help me indeed wait in hope on You, in perfect peace, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Relying on God; March 28, 2023

Posted on March 29, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.

It is interesting to note in several of David’s Psalms that the Lord seems to answer his prayer, his complaint. In this Psalm that’s at verse 5, when he is given assurance of the just fate of his enemies. He acknowledges that with gratitude in verse 6, and then we have this beautiful testimony. Where the NIV says “trusts in him,” the Japanese renders it as “depends on him.” Sometimes we say, and even think, we are trusting in God but our actions say otherwise. We tend to want a “Plan B.” This isn’t to say we aren’t to make full use of the resources God puts at our disposal, but it is a cautionary note that we not look at those resources and forget who provided them to us. It is when we depend first on God that we indeed receive the help that we need.

Parts of this Psalm feel very close to home at the moment. Yesterday my wife and I both tested positive for COVID, and as various friends have testified, it’s not much fun. I feel like mine has peaked already (I certainly hope so) but Cathy’s is progressing more slowly. Physically, we’re pretty miserable. However, the Lord provided us with a close friend to drive us to the doctor, wait with us, and then bring us home, and I feel like the medications we were given are making a difference. At the moment Cathy can, and does, praise God on the piano, but if I were to try to sing it would be just a croak – and I’m not talking about the deep bass tricks I used to do while studying Voice in college. However I feel physically, I am assured that God is my strength and my shield, my “fortress of salvation” as it says in the next verse. I am not to let this pull me down emotionally or spiritually, but rather praise God for this further lesson in His faithfulness, His all-sufficient grace. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Father, thank You for this assurance, and for Your supply in so many areas. Thank You that our quarantine is only to Friday. This is rearranging various things on our schedule, but You know what needs to happen when, and I trust You and thank You for that. May I not only cooperate with Your healing, but also use the time to do whatever You desire of me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Priorities; March 27, 2023

Posted on March 28, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.

This Psalm has several famous, dearly loved passages. A personal favorite is verse 8, that says, “My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.” However, that is essentially a condensation of this verse. A right relationship with God starts in the heart, as a matter of priorities. Many people claim to love God, but they can’t be bothered to come to Prayer Meeting, or for that matter, tithe. One of Jesus’ famous parables applies here: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46) Are we willing to give up everything material that we have in order to have a right relationship with God? That’s a painful question for most people, particularly in affluent countries like the US and Japan. In my experience, God doesn’t call many people to a life of deliberate poverty. So the issue is our willingness. Whether we have a lot or a little, if we value things above our relationship with God, we are in trouble.

Growing up in a missionary family, we were never awash in material goods, but God supplied our needs. In the 54 years Cathy and I have been married we have had some genuinely tight times, but again, God supplied our needs, sometimes in downright miraculous fashion. Since living in Omura we have had medical issues that, had we been in the US, could have bankrupted us, but because of the Japanese health insurance system we were never close to that. God knew what He was doing when He sent us to Japan! This morning we will go to the clinic that handles our physical therapy, and Cathy will be evaluated for a “handicapped card,” that will allow the two of us to take public transportation for the price of one – something to be greatly desired since we plan to attend a Pastors Conference in Shizuoka Prefecture in June. While she’s doing that, I will have a PCR test, since I’ve been running a fever of up to 102.5 Fahrenheit. (It’s down from that this morning.) Whatever the results of any of that, we know that our God. Is gracious and loving and we have nothing to worry about.

Father, thank You for all that You allow us to experience. Thank You that there is absolutely nothing that You can’t turn around for good, whatever it looks like at the moment. As You have told me to do, help us indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Depending on God; March 26, 2023

Posted on March 27, 2023 by jgarrott

Psalm 25:4-5 Show me your ways, O Lord,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

This Psalm is interesting in that David repeatedly refers to “the sins of his youth,” all the while asking the Lord to guide him. Awareness of our frailty is a good thing! As Paul said, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12) Humility is always the best policy! It is well known how badly David blew it with Bathsheba and Uria, but this gives the impression of having been written before that. That’s a reminder that we’ve got to keep our repentance up-to-date. God allow all sorts of things in our lives to remind us that we’re dependent on Him. (John 15:5) If we walk in humble obedience, we will receive abundant blessings.

As I have written about repeatedly, God graciously allowed me to break my wrist the last part of January. Since about two days ago I’ve been having a sore throat and coughing, and generally feeling rotten. The broken wrist wasn’t contagious, but whatever I have now could well be. (Temperature’s over 101) Accordingly, we didn’t go to the wake of a good friend of mine last night, but asked another friend to convey our feelings to the widow and their son and daughter-in-law. The question right now is how much I am to do or not do in the service. Off hand, I can only remember one time that I didn’t preach because I was sick. However, I have been saying and thinking that I’m certainly not the only one who can hear from the Lord in this church. I need to keep my spiritual ears open and discard all pride, so that God will may be done for His glory.

Father, thank You for this rather pointed reminder. Help me be, do, and say exactly what You desire, whatever that means for me personally. Thank You. Praise God!

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