Prayer; January 24, 2023

Posted on January 25, 2023 by jgarrott

Romans 15:30 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

This verse has been used by countless missionaries seeking to raise support in their sending countries, and rightly so. One of the mysteries of prayer is how we really can support one another through prayer. How or even why it works is something only God knows, but the fact that it does had been demonstrated down through the centuries. It may be something like “quantum entanglement,” where doing something to a particle in one place affects another particle in another place with no physical connection between them at all. Research is being done in such areas as instant communication that isn’t limited by such niceties as the speed of light. Be that as it may, the fact remains that prayer makes a difference. The power is God’s, but we are somehow involved. That’s part of the mystery! There is no demonstrable ratio of effort to effect, but where the NIV says “join me in my struggle,” the Japanese expresses it as “apply your full strength.” That said, it’s certainly not physical strength. There have been countless examples of people who were physically very weak but spiritually very powerful. “Applying your full strength” doesn’t mean lifting barbells! As in so many areas of life, success comes from taking our eyes off of ourselves and fixing them on the One who is all powerful, all knowing, and all loving. The better we do that, the more Jesus’ words will be fulfilled through us: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” (John 15:7) That is true power in prayer.

I have experienced this very clearly from the receiving end. When we came to Omura in 1981 we had no sending church or agency, but there was a church that prayed for us regularly. However, the pastor got mired in the devil’s lies and eventually the church dissolved. As the problems were escalating we were aware that something was wrong even without being told. We learned some of the details only much later, but we could tell there was “a disturbance in the force,” as Star Wars put it. After the church dissolved we were still here, but it was like I had forgotten why we were here, and the church became almost a hobby, peripheral to my life. God was still supporting and providing for us, but it seemed almost meaningless. God used one of His servants to rebuke me rather strongly, just at the time we were heading for the US in support of our younger daughter entering college. In the US we were led to attend a church that had a number of “home groups” that met regularly, and one of those took us in with great warmth, and we were nurtured spiritually. After four months we returned to Omura, but that group kept praying for us faithfully, and we prospered spiritually. That group has since “aged out,” with most of the members now in heaven, but in the interval the Internet sprang up, and now we have people across the world who pray for us. We couldn’t be more grateful! Having been on the receiving end I try to pray for others, but feel I could do much more.

Father, thank You for the mystery of prayer. Thank You that it works, and also that we don’t know how it works, because if we did, we’d try to manipulate You. (I think we often try to, anyway). Help me be more faithful in prayer, allowing Your gracious blessings to flow through me just as I have received so many, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Bible; January 23, 2023

Posted on January 24, 2023 by jgarrott

Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Some Christians, sadly enough, ignore the Old Testament, when there are incalculable riches in it. On the other hand, most Jews ignore the New Testament, when it is the culmination of the prophecies of the Old and expresses clearly God’s plan of salvation. From our standpoint, Paul wrote longer ago than the Old Testament prophets wrote from the standpoint of people in Paul’s day, so “what was written in the past” applies to all of the Bible. Genuinely inspired things have been written in the centuries since then, and continue to be written today, but it is of immense value to us to have the whole canon of Scripture, agreed on by many and chosen through rigorous tests. We tend to respond individually to different parts of the Bible, with some being more touched by one book than another. Martin Luther called James “a book of straw,” and my mother would have happily left out Leviticus, but God can and does use every bit of it for the purposes Paul mentions here. Some people love the stories in the Bible and some are bored by all the history, but as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us.” (1 Corinthians 10:11) Instructing his spiritual son Timothy, he wrote, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) And that was written when Paul was facing his imminent martyrdom, and would no longer be able to teach Timothy directly. God knew what He was doing when He caused the Bible to be written and the canon settled, and we do well to take full advantage of it.

As I have written before, I first read all the way through the Bible by the time I was 10, and at least for the past 50 years I have been reading it every day. I still get new insights out of it, or at least things I don’t remember the Lord saying to me in the past. God speaks to His children in many ways, and a couple of times I have heard Him in what seemed to be an audible voice, though I don’t think others could have heard it. However, I hear Him most consistently when I read the Bible every morning. I certainly need endurance (the Japanese says “patience”) and encouragement, and God is faithful to supply them through the Bible. Sometimes He tells me things that aren’t explicitly written in that form, but I never have trouble confirming those things through what is written. A good example is His instructions to me to “Rest. Relax. Rejoice.” I had no trouble at all finding Scriptures to back that up when I preached it as a message! I am to be listening constantly, but also be aware that the devil is a liar and he is always trying to trip me up, so when something comes into my mind I’ve got to confirm it with the Bible before I go living it out. It is no accident that John, the “beloved disciple,” (John 21:20) started out his Gospel by saying that Christ is the Word of God. There are reasons both in the Greek language and in the philosophy of the day for him to have done that, but the longer I live and the more I read the Bible, the truer I know that is.

Father, thank You that I grew up in a home that knew and revered the Bible. Thank You that I can never exhaust the Bible. Help me make it more and more an essential part of me so that I may do Your will and bear Your fruit, (John 15:7-8) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Kingdom Values; January 22. 2023

Posted on January 23, 2023 by jgarrott

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

We have sung the chorus based on this and verse 19 in this church for many years, and it got to be a bit of a joke because we liked having meals together so much! The point, however, is that our focus is not to be on physical things but on spiritual. This is very much in line with Jesus’ famous statement: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) We are certainly in the world, but we are not of it, again as Jesus said. (John 17:14, 16) The thing is, few people around us have that perspective, so what we do with physical things has a big impact on them. This whole chapter is about looking out for less mature believers, so that our use of the physical won’t get in the way of their appropriation of the spiritual. Our lives should exemplify righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, thereby drawing those around us to desire and seek those things for themselves. When we make a big deal of the physical it can interfere with our own appreciation of the spiritual as well as keep others from realizing that the spiritual even matters. That’s what the devil wants, and we certainly don’t want to boost him!

Of course this applies to me as much as it does to anyone else. I am to be a good steward of the physical things God has provided, starting with my body, but my focus is to be on God and His kingdom, which as Paul says here, means righteousness, peace, and joy. I certainly desire and enjoy those things! At the same time, my body can be pretty demanding. I have certainly been known to get “hangry” at times! Particularly when fasting, either by choice or by circumstances, I need to be careful to reflect the values of the Kingdom that Paul mentions here.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The world can consider me a rather strange bird when I operate by these principles! Help me indeed walk in step with Your Spirit, in Your kingdom even while in this world, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Overcoming Evil; January 21, 2023

Posted on January 22, 2023 by jgarrott

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This verse encapsulates the very dense collection of good advice from verse 9 onward. If everyone lived by these principles, this would be a wonderful world indeed! This also seems very timely, as I’m sure it has in every year since it was written, because human nature is still the same. If we all had our heads on straight, we wouldn’t need to be told these things! Considering this verse specifically, sometimes it feels like we are drowning in a sea of filth. I won’t even describe a new “reality tv” program I just read about! Thankfully, the tide seems to be turning a bit, with people burning out over all the lies, particularly as more and more things are being uncovered and brought out into the open. The thing is, those on the side of truth and righteousness have got to remember that it is only by the grace of God that they are any different from those they currently oppose. If we aren’t careful, pride will open us up to the deceptions of the devil and we will be worse than they. (1 Corinthians 10:12) The only way to be obedient to this verse is through grateful humility. We aren’t inherently wiser or better than anyone else. I have always liked the Japanese expression, “Acorns comparing height.” When God is our standard, differences from person to person become meaningless. It is only by opening our hearts to the One who is the source of all good, all wisdom, all righteousness, that we can be any of those things. However, if we do open ourselves up to Him, He will flow through us in ways that will astonish even us!

I am certainly preaching to myself here. I allowed pride to take me to a very dangerous point indeed, but God in His mercy brought me back from the edge. I am very aware of the sea of evil around me, so I’ve got to stay grounded on the Rock, Christ Jesus. Choosing to allow God’s goodness to flow through me has got to be consistent, but I must never take it for granted. I can accomplish nothing good on my own, (John 15:5) but God can do anything at all through me, if I am yielded to Him. I need to remember that in Christ, and only in Christ, I am righteous, and as James said, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16) That is how I will overcome evil with good.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for protecting us through the full day yesterday. Thank You especially for the meeting You orchestrated at lunch yesterday. I pray that our interaction with that couple would draw them into active discipleship indeed, for their blessing and for Your glory. I pray that every activity of today would likewise accomplish Your purposes, overcoming evil with Your good, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Glory of God; January 20, 2023

Posted on January 21, 2023 by jgarrott

Romans 5:2 And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Doing this bilingually can get awkward at times, because Greek has no punctuation, and the sentence structure is often very different between the English and Japanese translations. Sometimes that can give fresh insight, but there’s nothing particularly eye-opening here. That said, this whole passage, from verse 1 through 11, is justly famous. Verses 3-5 are often quoted to give comfort in trials, and rightly so. However, it is this snippet of verse 2 that says just what we are hoping for. Countless studies, not to mention personal experience, show that hope is essential for human life. A hopeless existence isn’t much worth living, and is often a factor in suicides. However, an amorphous hope – maybe things will be OK – isn’t much better. What is expressed here is the highest hope: the glory of God. We really have very little grasp of how great that is. In the first place, very few people have been given a glimpse of that glory, the way Isaiah was in his vision of God in the temple. (Isaiah 6) On top of that we have Jesus’ statements about glory in His High Priestly Prayer in John 17, and the things He said about our being in Him and He in the Father and God in us in the Upper Room Discourse in John 13-16. Paul summed all that up in writing to the Colossians: “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) If we are in Christ and Christ is in us, then we share in His glory. That really is something to get happy about!

A close friend spoke on Hope at the interdenominational prayer meeting two days ago, focusing on verse 5 of this passage. His younger son is named Hope, and he talked about how, of his three children, that son seems to be the least active in his faith, and how he still has hope that son will come into active discipleship. His honesty was very moving. That said, we have various hopes that may or may not be fulfilled, particularly in this life. That’s why it’s so meaningful that we can have this ultimate hope of the glory of God. I am often disappointed, as I was in my students’ performance on a test I gave recently, but I am not to let that sort of thing distract me from the supreme hope that I have, of total fellowship with my Lord in all His glory. To be honest, “glory” itself doesn’t seem that attractive to me, at least in my current conception of it, but the idea of complete unity with my Lord is enormously attractive, and that will certainly be glorious. As I have written recently, the awareness that I serve a risen Savior should enable me to get through any trial, and the hope that is mentioned here should enable me to do it with joy.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The devil keeps trying to distract me, and sometimes I let him get away with it. Help me stay focused on You, Your faithfulness and Your gracious love toward me, so that I may indeed be unshakable, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Supernatural Response; January 19, 2023

Posted on January 20, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

The picture here is clear. Luke specifies in verse 23 that they had been “severely” flogged, and their feet were in stocks. They doubtless had too much pain and too little comfort to sleep, so what did they do? They prayed and sang praises! No wonder the other prisoners were listening to them! This was, frankly, a supernatural response by Paul and Silas to their circumstances, but at the same time it was their choice. As came out in the reading two days ago, it was a matter of focus. Rather than focusing on their pain and discomfort, they chose to focus on the Lord, who had loved them enough to die for them and, by rising from the grave, had given them assurance of eternal salvation. That shift in focus was enough to enable them to act in a way that certainly didn’t seem natural to the other prisoners at the very least! The events were dramatic enough that they brought the salvation of the jailer and his household by faith, as the following verses tell. I wouldn’t be surprised if the other prisoners likewise committed to this God that Paul and Silas followed. The thing is, people are watching us whether we are aware of it or not. When we choose to cling to Christ and praise Him as Paul and Silas did, they will be deeply impressed and want to know why and how, as Peter wrote about in his first letter. (1 Peter 3:15) That is the most effective evangelism!

This is close to home not because of my own suffering, but that of my wife.  She has a list of physical difficulties that would cause most people to give up, but she has certainly not done that, and it seems that my response to her situation has been impressive to some people as well. We are being given training in focus, in letting Jesus be Lord regardless of our circumstances. That frankly isn’t always easy even for me, when I’m not the one experiencing the pain. However, as Paul famously wrote, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) Responding to circumstances the way Paul and Silas did is indeed supernatural, but that’s what God’s all about! I am not to be anxious about how I will respond to the next trial, because God’s already got it covered. As He has told me, I am to rest, relax, and rejoice, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. You know how far I still have to go in this! Help me keep making progress, pressing in further to You, allowing You to transform me into the likeness of Your Son, (2 Corinthians 3:18) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Death; January 18, 2023

Posted on January 19, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 14:19-20 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

This is an experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone, but it was a pivotal one for Paul. I’m sure it was what he was referring to in the first part of 2 Corinthians 12, where he saw heaven and heard things directly from the Lord. Such “near-death experiences,” as they are called, aren’t something we can orchestrate, but there is a growing body of evidence showing that they are real. For example, there are numerous cases of people coming back and reporting things that they could not have known, much less seen physically, relating to their “death.” The majority of the reports we hear are from people who had good experiences, whether they get as far as heaven or not, but there are some cases of people who saw hell, and, not to be flippant, it scared the hell out of them, driving them to devout faith. There are some scientists who concede that this body of evidence points clearly to the soul being distinct from the body and existing after physical death, but there are some who still try to insist that all of these things arise from such things as oxygen deprivation in the brain. They are so stubborn in their rejection of a Creator to whom we are accountable! Those who have had such experiences rarely if ever take such a stance. Theology aside, the logical response would seem to be to act as if there is a Creator, because that would have no negative eternal consequences, but the reverse would be disastrous by definition.

All of this is close to home for me because my wife had a near-death experience in February, 1975. She had been hanging up laundry outside and her chest started to hurt, so she asked me to finish the job and she went in to lie down. I won’t go into all the details she reported to me later, because it was her experience and not mine, but it certainly erased all her fear of death. Since then, her concerns relating to death have all been in terms of those she would leave behind, and not for herself. Having lived with her all these years, I have no question that her experience was real. Accordingly, I too live in the assurance that our time here is passing but our fellowship with the Lord is for eternity. Having already outlived my father by over 10 years, I look forward to that eternity but at the same time desire to accomplish every purpose the Lord has for me in this life. Like my wife, I too am concerned for those I will leave behind, but at the same time, I know that God is more than able to take care of them. It seems logical to me, and to some close friends with whom I’ve discussed it, that I would have an easier time than my wife if the other went first, but that’s in God’s hands. However He has planned it, I know I have nothing, really, to worry about.

Father, thank You for this assurance. I encounter few people who really have it. Help me so live that others will receive faith through me, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Focus; January 17, 2023

Posted on January 18, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Barnabas and those who received their message had just experienced good things and bad things. Many people had believed the Gospel and been saved, and jealous opposition had kicked up to the point that Paul and Barnabas left town. At this point, both Paul and Barnabas and those who had believed had a choice: rejoice at God’s blessings, or be down because of the opposition. They chose to rejoice! We are all faced with the same sort of choices all the time. There is no life without problems, and there is no one to whom God is not gracious. At issue is our focus, where we choose to fix our attention. This past Sunday I spoke on how no one could take away the apostles’ joy once they had seen their risen Lord and understood that since He had conquered death, everything else was less than that and they had absolutely nothing to worry about. Of the people in this immediate story, only Paul had seen Jesus, and that was in a vision. Like us, they had to accept God’s plan of salvation by faith. They did that, and they were filled not only with joy but with the Holy Spirit. We sometimes desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit and forget to be joyful. That shows our focus is off! When our spiritual gaze is fixed on the King of kings, the Lord of lords who loves us, then all the ”slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” don’t matter a hill of beans! And that awareness opens us up to be filled and used by the Holy Spirit. That’s not to say that we are to be naïve or stupid, but it is to say that we aren’t to despair and think that God doesn’t have a way out of whatever mess we find ourselves in.

I think I am further along in this than many people I encounter, but that doesn’t mean I’m fully there yet. I get down too! I too need to be reminded to lift my eyes to my loving Lord, recognizing and rejoicing in His gracious love and responding with the obedience that comes from my loving Him. (John 14:15) The devil tries to trick me into focusing on things of this world, either my flesh or negative things in general, and he never lets up. I am indeed to submit to God and resist the devil, just as James told us. (James 4:7) I’m not to be a Pollyanna, always smiles and ignoring evil, but I am also never to forget that in Christ I have already overcome anything and everything the devil can throw at me. (Romans 8:37) Joy and the Holy Spirit are always available to me, and I am to choose to receive them.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the various ways You are growing me. Help me use every moment of today to do Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Divine Appointments; January 16, 2023

Posted on January 17, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 8:35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

It struck me as I read this that Philip was doing exactly what Peter admonished us all to do in his first letter: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15) It was very convenient for Philip that the eunuch was reading a Messianic passage, but if he hadn’t been emotionally and mentally prepared, it still might have been difficult to go into a full Gospel presentation. (Actually, Isaiah 53 is one of the clearest Messianic passages in the whole Old Testament.) The thing is, God sets up appointments for us to be His agents, but we need to be ready for them. We never know how important they might be. As a result of this encounter, this eunuch went home and spread the Gospel, resulting in a body of believers that has continued for the 2000 years since. That was a pretty important “chance encounter!” The thing is, it wasn’t chance at all; Philip was just sensitive and submitted enough to the Holy Spirit to leave Samaria, where his ministry had sparked a revival and he was doubtless getting a lot of love, (Acts 8:5-8) and go to a place where there were very few people at all. Then, he recognized his opportunity/appointment, took advantage of it, and the rest is history. We should greet each day with anticipation, asking God to help us recognize the appointments He has for us, and for the wisdom and anointing to take full advantage of them. Such things probably won’t happen every day, but every day we need to be storing more of God’s Word in our hearts and minds so that we will be prepared for the appointments when they appear, just as Peter said. When God speaks into our heart we need to receive it for ourselves, and at the same time realize that it probably isn’t just for us, but also for others with whom we are to share it. If we will do that we will indeed be ready for the appointments God has lined up for us.

This is very close to home. I have had countless divine appointments, some of which I recognized at the time and some I didn’t. I joke that I prove I’m a preacher by preaching every time I open my mouth, but I really feel every believer should expect that. I must not take myself and my pronouncements too seriously, but at the same time I must remember that God does use human vessels, and He can even use me. Those appointments might not all seem to be “spiritual.” The other day He used me to tell one of Cathy’s therapists (a former student of mine) that his wife is his first priority. I think it caught him off guard, and I pray he will remember and apply it. For over a year now the Lord has been indicating in various ways to both Cathy and me that major changes are coming in the ministry He has for me. I still have little idea what that means, but I am to hold myself ready, no matter how small the “appointment” might seem. I want to spend all of my time every day doing What God desires and intends for me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for how You are working in and around me. Thank You that I was able to make a start on the clutter surrounding the computer I’m working on right now. Help me follow through with that, and deal properly with my study as well. If Your changes for me involve a new residence, I really need to be working! Thank You that my schedule is as open as it is for the next couple of months. Help me indeed do what You desire of me each moment of that time, not being anxious but resting, relaxing, and rejoicing in You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Signs and Wonders; January 15, 2023

Posted on January 16, 2023 by jgarrott

Acts 8:7-8 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city.

Healing, deliverance, and other miracles do produce great joy, as well as opposition. Crowds gathered to Jesus for precisely this reason, and the Pharisees hated Him for it. “Signs and wonders” are mentioned throughout the Bible, starting with what God did to bring the Jews out of Egypt and continuing throughout the New Testament as well. The whole point of the miraculous, the “supernatural,” is to show people that God isn’t limited to what we can explain in scientific terms. One of the basic tenets of science is repeatability. Some people have tried to reduce deliverance and healing to a system or formula, but all too often that ends up with people trying to control God. That doesn’t work by definition! God even seems to delight in switching things around to confound us. I remember one story of a Christian camp counselor who thought the whole Pentecostal/Char­ismatic movement was fake, and to prove it, in one meeting he called children up who had medical issues and, copying things he’d seen on TV, put his hands on their heads and said, “In Jesus’ name, be healed!” To his great astonishment, many of them were! Obviously, the faith involved was that of the children, and not of the adult. That said, we’re back to the whole issue of trying to control God. Joni Eareckson Tada is a case in point She couldn’t be faulted for lack of faith, but her spinal injury hasn’t been healed. Sometimes God’s answer is, as He told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Supernatural manifestations are for the purpose of opening people up to the reality of God, so that they may repent of their unbelief and disobedience and choose to follow Him. Sometimes God does supernatural things as blessings for His children, but He is always more interested in our character than our comfort, as even Paul discovered. We are to expect God to do supernatural things and not be shocked when He does, but we aren’t to try to ground our faith in such manifestations.

I have believed in miracles for a long time, having seen a few up close, but they haven’t occurred at what seemed like “convenient” times or ways. I have prayed for people and seen them healed, but I have prayed for many more who did not seem to be healed. One of the sad events of our ministry here in Omura was a young man who really seemed to be on fire for the Lord, but when his father wasn’t healed of cancer, he threw it all out the window. He didn’t take into account that when his father was diagnosed the doctors said he had six months, but he lived for three years after that. I still pray for the son, and it’s been over 30 years. My own wife has numerous medical issues, and I pray for her frequently. Sometimes I see distinct improvements in the immediate situation, and sometimes not. I am reminded of Joni and Paul! I am not to draw back from praying for healing, deliverance, and other miracles, but I need to submit such prayers fully to the Holy Spirit. I am not to deprive God of glory if He wants to use me in such ministry.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Keep me from drawing back out of a fear of man, of looking foolish. I’m foolish by definition! May I be your agent however You want to use me, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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