Joy and Faithfulness; December 25, 2022

Posted on December 26, 2022 by jgarrott

Luke 2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

There’s a little chorus, part of a longer cantata, that sets the first part of this verse to music, and I can’t read this without that running through my head. There are two things that stand out to me about this verse. The first is that the shepherds were overjoyed that everything was exactly as the angel had said, capping an overall miraculous experience. I can only imagine their level of joy, but I would think that anyone with even a little bit of spiritual sensitivity would react much the same way. The other thing, however, is that they returned, they went back to what they had been doing, as was their responsibility. Encounters with God are supposed to change us, but they seldom erase our other responsibilities. Everything God does has a purpose, and we need to be looking out for what that purpose is, to better participate in its fulfillment. Frankly, there is joy in doing and being what God intends. The shepherds doubtless remembered and talked about their encounter with the angels for the rest of their lives, and that was something God intended, to give other people faith and hope. However, God also intended that they be faithful shepherds of the flocks entrusted to them, to keep them from harm and deliver them to the temple as called for. God doesn’t want us to be “so heavenly minded we’re no earthly good,” as has been said. We are to rejoice, and we are to be faithful. If we do that, God will be pleased and glorified.

This certainly applies to me. As I was driving around this morning to bless the churches in our city, the Lord pointed out to me that if I really trusted Him fully, I wouldn’t get so tied in knots over the busyness of Christmas. Last night was a good case in point. It was a very busy event with a lot of people, and that’s not my forte. However, the Lord anointed me and carried me along, and things went very well indeed. We did have non-Christians present, one of whom I have no idea how he knew about the service, and both of them seemed very impressed and moved by what they saw and experienced here. One said he would be back this morning, and I need to trust God with that as well. I have learned the hard way that I can’t convince anyone of the truth of the Gospel in my own wisdom, but God can indeed, and wants to, use my words to get the job done. I’m not to be uptight about anything, but allow the Holy Spirit to carry me along and speak and act through me, so that God’s will may be done on His schedule for His glory.

Father, thank You indeed for all You did last night. Thank You also for carrying us through the family Christmas time we had in the morning. I pray that all of Your purposes for today may be fulfilled, that we may recognize Your schedule and follow it with joy, for the blessing of all involved and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Poverty; December 24, 2022

Posted on December 25, 2022 by jgarrott

Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

We seldom think about the poverty of the Holy Family, but it’s undeniable from the accounts. As Paul said, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9) Americans have very little empathy for that. What is considered “the poverty line” in the US today would have been unimaginable luxury for most of human history. Getting used to luxury can be very dangerous spiritually, as America certainly demonstrates today. Right now, “peak Christmas” is equal to “peak materialism” for many people, which is why the current economic situation produces such angst. Jesus had a good bit to say about this in His ministry, telling us to “store up treasures in heaven.” (Matthew 6:20) He didn’t ignore physical needs, but told us, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:32-33) On the spiritual level, which is what really counts, Joseph and Mary were far more “wealthy” than Herod in his castle. Actually, from our viewpoint, there was far less gap in their “creature comforts” than we would imagine, since Herod didn’t have hot and cold running water, or a whole list of other things we take completely for granted. As many studies have shown, gratitude is the key to happiness, and far too many people have forgotten how to be grateful.

Of course this applies to me as well. Over the course of my life I have had times when we weren’t sure how we could pay the rent, put gas in the car, and put food on the table. We even had a car repossessed! However, God met our genuine needs, and I am deeply grateful. At this point our bank account looks healthier than I think it has ever been, at precisely a point when I feel that is less important than I ever have! I would be happy for those I care about to have this same attitude, but lecturing or feeling “holier-than-thou” would certainly be counter-productive. As a teacher and a pastor I am in a position of influence, and I need to be careful that my influence points people to their Creator, to trust and rely on Him in grateful stewardship. I don’t have the wisdom to do that properly, but He will provide that too as I ask Him, (James 1:5) so I’m not to be anxious. As He has told me, I’m to rest, relax, and rejoice, whatever my bank account looks like!

Father, thank You for this reminder. I feel like a bit of a Grinch, being so anti-materialistic at Christmas. May my words and my actions build people up and not tear them down, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Names; December 23, 2022

Posted on December 24, 2022 by jgarrott

Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” –which means, “God with us.”

I don’t know that Jesus was ever addressed as Immanuel while He walked this earth, (though it’s not impossible) but He has certainly been referred to as that many times since then. His given name of Yeshua, specified by the angel in verse 21, was likewise meaningful: Yahweh is Salvation. Whereas it is true that “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” names have been expected to be descriptive in many cultures, even though they aren’t much so in current culture. God Himself is given various names in the Old Testament, and they are all meaningfully descriptive. The biggest issue for us is how we perceive and relate to the One we call Jesus. It is when we grasp that He is indeed God With Us, that Yahweh is indeed our salvation, that we open our hearts to acknowledge and obey Him as Lord. Every Christian has done that to some degree, but none of us have done it perfectly, because of our very human limitations. That’s why my father’s catch phrase, “Give all you know of yourself to all you know of Christ,” is important not just for the initial moment of commitment and salvation, but throughout our time on earth. Anyone who thinks they know themselves perfectly is mistaken, and Christ, being part of the infinite Godhead, is by definition beyond the power of our human brains to comprehend fully. Life by its definition includes growth, and as long as we are alive we are to keep growing in our self-knowledge and our knowledge of the One who gave Himself to be born as a human baby and then die to take the penalty for our sins.

Names have been something of an issue for me all my life. When I was an infant, someone hearing that my name was Jackson Max­field Garrott commented, “That’s a mighty big name for such a small baby.” My mother’s response? “He’ll grow.” Each of my names is meaningful in my family. My father’s father was Ernest Perry Jackson Garrott. Since they wanted to name me for him (having given one of my mother’s father’s names to my older brother) they asked him which of those names he liked best. I could easily have been Ernest, or Perry! I like to think he chose Jackson because it means “son of an apprentice/disciple.” My father was certainly a disciple of Jesus Christ! Maxfield was his mother’s maiden name, as well as his own middle name (and the one he used, going by Max). I like Jackson because it is clearly humble, not even claiming to be a disciple but simply the son of one. My highest dream is to hear the words spoken by the master in Jesus’s parable: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21) I have more to learn of myself, and much more to learn of Christ, and my prayer is that I keep learning.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do indeed learn more all the time, of myself and of my Lord. Thank You for Your grace to enable me to do that. May I do with that knowledge what You desire, to be an effective, useful servant indeed, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Interpreting and Applying the Bible; December 22, 2022

Posted on December 23, 2022 by jgarrott

Micah 5:4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely,
for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.

This passage as a whole is famous because it’s the one the “experts in the Law,” referenced when King Herod asked where the Messiah was to be born. (Matthew 2:3-6) The shocking thing is that, knowing this accurate prophecy, those religious leaders didn’t seek out the Messiah themselves, when the Magi had come saying they had seen His star in the east. They had become political, interested in preserving their entrenched power, and were actually on Herod’s side in wanting to get any such “disturbing influence” out of the way. This verse describes a very different order of things than what those religious leaders were depending on. We tend to like things to stay as we are used to them, even when the new might be far better. The first line of the next verse brings out the difficulties of Bible translation, and thus interpretation of what it means. The NIV says, “And He will be their peace,” which sounds beautiful and meaningful as part of the description of the Messiah. However, the Japanese says, “Peace will come about in the following way.” That was downright jarring in contrast when I read it just now. I’m no Hebrew scholar, but I do know that Hebrew is written essentially in all consonants, with little “punctuation marks” to indicate the vowels, so minor differences can change the meaning drastically. I am moved by what the NIV says here, but I can see that the Japanese might well be what was originally written. This shows that any time we read the Bible we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit, because He knows what He caused to be written!

I grew up in a home that was steeped in the Bible. My father had gotten his Master’s degree in Biblical Hebrew and his Doctorate in Biblical Greek, and he taught both of those languages in Japanese. The Bible was deeply revered in our home, but there was full understanding that no translation had a monopoly on accuracy, so we needed to seek what the Author had intended for any passage. My personal struggle was very similar to that of the religious leaders who talked with Herod. It wasn’t that I had power and authority particularly, but that I was so familiar with the words that I failed to apply them. I have long maintained that James 1:22 was written expressly for me: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Knowing the words, and even being able to compare different translations the way I have just done, means nothing if I’m not applying what is said. I do need to seek the Lord as to the meaning of each passage, but even more, I need to seek Him for how I am to apply that in my life. Only then will it indeed be “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s very appropriate when I am “burned out on Christmas.” The words are still true, they are still glorious, and I need to let them fill and operate through me, so that I may be an effective conduit of Your grace and mercy to others. I ask for fresh anointing today and tomorrow as I tell the Christmas story to my school classes. I ask You to give them ears and hearts to hear, and I ask You to speak freely through me, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Grasping; December 21, 2022

Posted on December 22, 2022 by jgarrott

Philippians 2:6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.

We grasp, or grasp at, many things, but Jesus, our ultimate Example, didn’t do that. The things mentioned in this passage are worthy of deep and repeated meditation, because we can imitate them only by the grace and power of God. Much is made of identity these days, in various ways. People say they “identify” as this that or the other, often rejecting objective facts and even biology. Jesus didn’t claim He was other than God, but He released his identity as God in order to become a human being like us and take the penalty for our sin. When He went that far for us, how can we hold back anything from Him? God provides us with many things at our creation, from physical life itself to various abilities and supplies, so to speak, to enable us to fulfill His purposes for us. However, all those things are from Him, and we are no more than stewards. As Paul famously said, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2) We aren’t to treat what God has provided lightly, much less throw it away, but we are to hold it all with open hands, allowing God to take anything from us at any time. That is emotionally very difficult! Grasping seems to be part of our nature, as is shown by the very moving pictures of preborn infants grasping a finger of the surgeon operating on them in utero. In that case it is very tender and sweet, but it can become problematic later on. It is said that monkeys can be caught by placing a desirable treat in a jar with a mouth just big enough to get an empty hand into it. A monkey will stick his hand in and grasp the treat, and then be tethered to the jar because they won’t let go of the treat in order to remove their hand, thereby losing at least their freedom and perhaps their life. We aren’t much better! We need to remember and believe that what God has prepared for us is ultimately so much better than anything on this earth, so that we will happily let go of anything temporal in order to better receive it.

I have known this as theory and objective fact for many years, but I keep getting lessons in it. I’ve never been athletic, but I have generally had good freedom of movement. From just three days ago my left knee has been acting up, making stairs painful. It’s giving me empathy for the pain my wife has been experiencing, both pre- and post-surgery! Likewise, it can be very frustrating to discover I can’t do something, mentally or otherwise, that I used to be able to do easily. I’m not to abandon such abilities, but neither am I to grasp them, making them part of my identity, which I am very prone to do. Everything I have has a purpose in God’s plan, and that is far more important than whatever I might think to do with it. I am not to grasp anything except my Lord, and thankfully, He has grasped me and won’t let go. (Philippians 3:12)

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for enabling me to put into words what You are walking me through. Help me indeed be the steward You want me to be, using all You have provided as You intend, fulfilling Your purposes on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Fear of the Lord; December 20, 2022

Posted on December 21, 2022 by jgarrott

Isaiah 11:3-4 And he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

We aren’t used to a ruler being a supreme judge, but that’s the context here. Democracy in any form was unknown when Isaiah was writing, and monarchs were indeed absolute within their kingdoms. We have trouble thinking of even Jesus as absolute! However, the description given here should give us peace and even joy. Christ as King will indeed judge correctly, as only He knows the thoughts and intents of our heart. The first line of this, that He will delight in the fear of the Lord, shows how little we understand the fear of the Lord. We can’t imagine delighting in fearing anything! This isn’t a terror, but a deep respect and full obedience. Sadly, the description here is in sharp contrast to the vast majority of political leaders today. If they had any fear of the Lord they wouldn’t pull half of the stunts they do! What we see is indeed a swamp of creatures devouring each other and the people they supposedly serve, all for the sake of perceived personal gain. This doesn’t mean Christians are to abandon the political sphere, but rather that they are to apply this standard to all their political decisions. We do need to remember that no one is perfect but Jesus, least of all us, but we must never abandon this ideal. Anything less is to be held up to this standard – including our own actions and motivations.

Raised in the home that I was, I learned to love the Lord from a very early age. The fear of the Lord has developed more and more over the years. I wish I could say it has been perfected in me, but that is hardly true. I still respond to what I see and hear physically over what I perceive spiritually, showing my spiritual immaturity. It is easy to look at politicians, for example, and point fingers, but I’ve got to remember that my own thoughts and actions are my first responsibility. The thing is, being self-centered isn’t the way to do that. It is only as I focus on the Lord, rather than on myself, that I can fear, obey, and love Him properly. There are a number of things about the busyness of this season that I don’t like, but focusing on my feelings will only make me more miserable and cause me to respond poorly to the people around me. I keep coming back to what the Lord told me, years ago now: I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him. Only that will result in a life that is pleasing and honoring to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I’ve got another week of frenetic schedule, but You will get me through it. I pray that I would be so centered on You that in my every interaction, those with whom I interact would be blessed and drawn to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Our Perception of Christ; December 19, 2022

Posted on December 20, 2022 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Just yesterday in Children’s Church I was talking about how nobody could see God before Jesus was born, but His birth changed that. Some people, Jehovah’s Witnesses and others, try to claim that this verse means Jesus wasn’t actually God, but was a created being. His physical body was created through the miraculous action of the Holy Spirit on Mary’s ovum, but He Himself existed before anything material did, as the following verse makes clear. I like the way the Japanese expresses this verse. In Japanese, there are two ways to indicate birth, one with the character used in “obstetrics” and the other with the character that means “life” or “alive.” The second of those is used here, making this come out as, “He was alive before everything that is created.” (We use that character in the name of this church, Shinsei no Sato, which means literally, “Home of New Life.”) Paul may possibly have seen Jesus during His ministry, but we have no record of that. What we do know is that Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, and he was forever changed by that encounter. (Acts 9) His knowledge and perception of Christ continued to deepen from that moment, leading to total commitment and martyrdom, with such things as this passage written along the way. Shortly before his martyrdom he wrote to his spiritual son Timothy, “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:9-12) How we perceive Christ makes all the difference in the world, both in this life and for eternity.

I’ve never had a visual revelation of Christ, but He has spoken to me many times in many ways. The question, for me and for everyone else, is how I have responded. If my commitment, my loving obedience, is less than perfect, then I haven’t perceived Him sufficiently. However, as Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Cor 13:12) I have to be at peace with my current incomplete perception of my Lord and be satisfied that I will one day stand before Him, and everything incomplete will be washed away by the glory of His presence. I am to keep pressing in to know more of Him as long as I am in this body, but know that my current limitations are no eternal obstacle.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the musical setting You gave me for this passage, over 43 years ago now. Help me indeed perceive as much as I need to of You, Your Son, Your Spirit, and respond appropriately, being and doing exactly what You want of me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Rest; December 18, 2022

Posted on December 19, 2022 by jgarrott

Hebrews 4:9-11 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

Rest is a vital topic for just about everyone. Our bodies and minds require it, but we don’t seem to be very good at getting it properly. One thing that we often miss is that there’s no such thing as rest if it has­n’t been preceded by productive activity. We confuse rest with inaction, and that makes for all sorts of problems. Rest isn’t the same as leisure! We need a sense of accomplishment in order to rest properly. Obviously, God being omnipotent, didn’t “need” to rest after Creation, but the Bible records that He did so anyway. (Genesis 2:2) Even that is putting it into terms we can identify with, because for God, who is outside of time, “before” and “after” are relatively meaningless terms. That said, we’re back to what this passage is talking about. When we get frantic, thinking we have to do everything, we are abandoning faith in God who has already accomplished it all. I’ve always thought it was ironic that this passage talks about “making every effort” (traditionally, “labor”) to enter into God’s rest. That seems to be a direct violation of what we think of as rest! The thing is, we want to take credit for what we get done, when it is God who enables every good work we do or ever could do. It has become something of a cliché, but we need to “make every effort” to “let go and let God.” Emotionally speaking, that can sometimes take a lot of effort! God wants accomplishment and satisfaction for us, but we will achieve that only by recognizing that the Source of all power and accomplishment is our Creator God, who loved us so much that He gave His Son to take the penalty for our sin.

I honestly think I understand this better than a lot of people, but I still struggle with it. I’ve learned that inactivity does not bring peace or satisfaction, but I’ve also learned that being frantic totally wears me out. This time of year is always a trial for me, because there are so many demands on my time. I need to receive each thing as a gift from my Father, neither complaining nor trying to escape – and I’m tempted to do both! As I have said repeatedly to the congregation, this is an excellent opportunity to share the Gospel with people who are likely to be more receptive than at perhaps any other time of year. I must not duck any appointment the Lord sets up for me, but “always be prepared to give an explanation for the hope that is within me.” (1 Peter 3:15) Then I will indeed be able to rest, relax, and rejoice, just as the Lord has told me to do.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s certainly timely! Thank You for the experience last night of being able to rest only after I had done something that You had for me to do. Help me be faithful in everything, so that all of Your purposes may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Priesthood; December 17, 2022

Posted on December 18, 2022 by jgarrott

Hebrews 7:24-25 But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Only in Hebrews do we find such an exposition of Jesus’ priesthood, and that is one of many reasons the book is such a valuable part of the Bible. The writer (I personally think it was Apollos, but I could be wrong) was obviously very well versed in the Old Testament, and as a result the book is one of the best commentaries on the Old Testament. The Aaronic priesthood was central to Judaism in those days, before the destruction of the temple and the forced scattering of the Jewish people. That destruction had not yet happened at the point the book was written, so it was extremely timely that it deals with the fact that Jesus was the culmination and completion of the whole concept of the priesthood. Under Jesus our Great High Priest, every believer is to be a priest before God, as Peter famously pointed out. (1 Peter 2:5, 9) We must remember that authority flows from the top down. If we are not submitted to Christ, we have no authority on our own. However, if we are submitted, rightly relating to Him in holy fellowship, then His authority indeed flows through us, and we are able to “make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:18-20) It’s important to note that a major function of the High Priest, and priests in general, is intercession. If we aren’t praying for people, seeking to draw them to God and asking God to forgive them, then we aren’t functioning as priests under Christ. Going back to Peter, this isn’t limited to formal clergy. Some groups retain the title of priest and some don’t, but even those who claim the doctrine of the priesthood of the believer mainly give it just lip service. That is unfortunate indeed. Again referring to Peter, we would all like to be kings, but we try to weasel out of being priests! We’ve got to remember that our priesthood is in Christ, not on our own, and He is interceding for us, as it says here.

As a pastor, duly educated and ordained, I am lumped into the “priest” category by most people, but one of the driving forces in my ministry is the conviction that every believer is to be a priest, acting as God’s agent and interceding for the people around them. I have had definitely spotty results in raising up such believers! A more helpful term has been that of disciple. The Coaching teaching I’ve been receiving for the past few years points out that ministers shouldn’t be asking each other how many members they have, but rather how many disciples. There are a few mature disciples in this congregation and others are growing, but every one of us, me included, has more room to grow. I need to maintain my own relationship to my High Priest in order to nurture the believers around me in their own priesthood, so that the Body of Christ may be built up.

Father, thank You for what You have done and what You are doing in this congregation. Help us keep growing as Your priests, drawing more and more into Your family, Your kingdom, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Spiritual Growth; December 16, 2022

Posted on December 17, 2022 by jgarrott

Hebrews 5:8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.

This verse reinforces the humanity of Jesus. Even for Him, total obedience to the Father didn’t come automatically! This doesn’t answer such questions as “the age of accountability,” but it makes clear that the junk we go through isn’t meaningless. I’m reminded of some of the things I was put through in Basic Training in the Army. They may have strengthened my muscles or improved my reflexes, but above and beyond that they taught me to obey orders and work with the group. Such lessons aren’t learned instantaneously. The Japanese in this verse specifies, “the many things He suffered.” Just as in the Army, faster learning means less suffering! We indeed go through a lot, but we don’t have it any worse than Jesus did. When we encounter suffering, the natural tendency is to say, “Why?” This verse should help us say, “Thank You, Lord, for this further training.”

As a family, we are in the middle of a practicum in this. My son-in-law and grandsons were supposed to arrive in Omura last night, but a late arrival in Narita and delays in immigration and customs made them miss their flight from Haneda. They had a lot of exhaustion and we all had a lot of stress, but as a result they are experiencing a capsule hotel in Haneda, which is a uniquely Japanese thing I have never experienced! On a more serious note, my wife is struggling with recovery from her third major back surgery, and is often frustrated at what she cannot do, when she is so used to being active in helping others. That too has unique blessings, even if we don’t perceive them all at the moment. The longer I live, the more I realize that God wastes nothing, but indeed, as Paul said, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) I need to rest in that assurance, and encourage those around me to do the same.

Father, thank You for this reminder. You’d think I wouldn’t need it, after all these years! Thank You for Your patience with me, and with all of us. Help us all keep growing, to, as Paul said, “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) Thank You. Praise God!

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