The Fear of Death; June 18, 2023

Posted on June 19, 2023 by jgarrott

Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

In a way, this is the most remarkable thing about this story. By this point Daniel was probably what we would call elderly. He had served God faithfully all his life, and he had the calm assurance of his eternal destination. He quite possibly thought, “I’ve got to go sometime, so this is as good as any.” (I wouldn’t personally choose to go by way of being eaten by lions, but that would be better than some diseases I can think of.) In any case, he didn’t consider the threat of death to be sufficient to interfere with his relationship with God. Actually, there are people who face that choice all the time even today. I was just reading about the huge increase in the number of believers in Iran, for example, who share Christ with their friends and neighbors even though they know it can get them arrested or even killed. Daniel was remarkable, but hardly unique. The problem isn’t persecution, it’s those who bow to it, who place physical, earthly comfort ahead of eternal glory. That is particularly true in places like the US, where being a Christian has in the past been even socially advantageous, and at least expected. Today, standing up for Biblical values will get you branded as a litany of “…phobe,” and can easily cost you your job. Thinking about it, that’s pretty minor when compared to being thrown into a den of lions! Like Daniel and countless others like him, we need to “Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) As Paul reminds us, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

This conviction has only grown in my heart over the years. I have already lived more than 10 years longer than my father did, physically speaking, and my only hesitation about leaving is my wife, who would have a really hard time without me. I don’t feel like I have faced much opposition for my faith, and I am occasionally concerned that my faith is weak as a result. There are projects I would like to see to completion, but then my father was in the middle of a New Testament translation when he graduated. Nothing I have on earth is of any weight or significance compared to my Lord, and I get to spend eternity with Him! I see and hear things all the time that show how the vast majority of people are prisoners of their fear of death, and I have the liberty of the Holy Spirit. I am not to be proud, but grateful, and seek to bring as many as will repent and believe along with me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the girl who called yesterday asking the time of the service. I know nothing about her, but You know everything! I pray that You would continue to draw those You want to be part of the Body of Christ in this place, so that together we may do the work of ministry and draw many out of the darkness into Your light, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Commitment; June 17, 2023

Posted on June 18, 2023 by jgarrott

Daniel 3:17-18 “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

This story is one of the most famous in the whole Bible, and justly so. You couldn’t find a finer example of faith and commitment. We don’t know who the spokesman was for the three, but the fact that it doesn’t specify implies that they were fully agreed in their position. This position had two parts: first, faith that God was able to save them, miraculously if need be, and second, commitment that would accept martyrdom before submitting to idolatry. The second element really certified the first! This story is told to countless children in Sunday School, but I really think most of the adults telling it think of it as a myth, rather than historical fact. That is a huge loss. Various kinds of persecution are evident in America today, with Jack Philips, the Colorado baker, being a prime example. Even after the Supreme Court ruled that he couldn’t be forced to practice his craft in violation of his faith, his enemies trumped up another charge on which to attack him, and he has now been in this battle for years. His position continues to be, “I will not serve your idols of perversion, no matter what you do to me.” Sadly, many Christians have not been so strong and have compromised in countless ways. Believers need to realize that the devil is never after just “tolerance,” he insists on full submission. Just as in this story, it’s all about control. That has certainly been evident in the recent pandemic. Those following the devil don’t care who suffers or who dies, they just want control. That’s why God’s rules are so liberating: they free us from the control of evil.

The longer I live the more convinced of this I become. In the recent uproar over COVID I declined to panic. This church had “online only” services for only two weeks at the very beginning, after which point I told the people that Cathy and I were going to be doing it all anyway in order to put it online, so if they wanted to come they would be welcome – and they all showed up! I knew the science about masks being ineffective against viruses, so I have worn one only in indoor settings apart from the church where they were required. Currently I put one on only if I am entering a medical facility, where they are still very insistent. Cathy and I did finally get very minor infections in March of this year, but it was no big deal. Japan does tend to be a very controlled society. I don’t want to offend needlessly, but “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) To this point I have not faced major opposition the way Jack Philips has, but I desire that my commitment be no less firm, even to the point of martyrdom.

Father, thank You for Your grace toward me. I pray for my brothers and sisters in places like Nigeria, North Korea, and many others, where standing for Christ can mean standing in front of executioners. May all of Your children be strengthened and comforted, and Your rule and reign be established everywhere, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Being Used by God; June 16, 2023

Posted on June 17, 2023 by jgarrott

Daniel 2:30 “As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

The stories in Daniel are both detailed and largely verifiable, because we have a lot of records of the Babylonian empire. Daniel’s statement here is worthy of some deep reflection. In the first place, he didn’t deny that he had greater wisdom than any of the king’s other advisors. Actually, it was evident that he did! However, his wisdom lay in the fact that he depended fully on God, and he gave God all the credit. He fit the various definitions of wisdom given in Psalms and Proverbs to a T. However, he recognized and declared that his wisdom wasn’t why God had showed him something he could not humanly have known. The purpose was to let Nebuchadnezzar know both what he had dreamed and what it meant, in such a way that he would put Daniel in a place of authority to do a lot of things God wanted to do through him. After all, there is no way for someone to know what another person has dreamed, when even that person can’t remember anything except that they had a big and powerful dream. This should be a reminder to us that first, nothing is impossible for God, and second, it doesn’t revolve around us, however much we might be involved in it. God had things He wanted to do through Daniel, and we only know a tiny fraction of them. We need to give God permission to do whatever He would like in and through us, and not even demand to know what it is or what the results will be. We don’t have to know everything, much less know it ahead of time; we only need to know the Lord, and be totally obedient to Him.

This is certainly applicable to me. Like everyone else, I tend to expect God to speak to me in ways that He has used with me before. I have mentioned from the pulpit repeatedly that God gives my wife dreams, but He doesn’t speak to me that way. Well, last night He gave me this coming Sunday’s message in a dream, complete with two Scriptures and various points. I’m grateful, but I too need to remember never to put God into any sort of box. In terms of wisdom, I was given a high IQ but have had to learn, sometimes painfully, that intelligence isn’t the same thing as wisdom. I need to learn from Daniel to depend on God for everything, as well as give Him all the credit. That might get me into trouble, just as it got Daniel thrown into the lions’ den, but He’s just as able to rescue me as He was Daniel, so my focus is to be on Him and nothing else. I am in a transition period in my life as I am preparing to retire from school teaching, and I have very little idea of what the Lord has planned for me after this. I am to trust Him with every detail, being fully responsive to Him, so that He may do in, to, and with me whatever He likes, for the sake of His kingdom and for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and thank You for the message You gave me in the night. I ask for continued guidance and anointing as I type the outline so that it will be Your message in every detail, accomplishing that for which You are sending it, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Judgment; June 15, 2023

Posted on June 16, 2023 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 22:16 “When you have been defiled in the eyes of the nations, you will know that I am the Lord.'”

Two things impress me about this verse. The first is the widely divergent ways it can be translated. The NIV gives “When you have been defiled” in the main text, but in a footnote they indicate the way the Japanese translates it: “When I have given you the land of your inheritance.” Like many ancient languages, (including Biblical Greek) Hebrew had neither punctuation nor divisions between words in written text. Thus, dividing the written syllables differently could give extremely different meanings. Actually, Japanese is the same way, if you write it in just syllables. Thus, yakuzaishi, pharmacist, becomes yakuza ishi, a gangster doctor, just by the addition of a space. That’s why Japanese depends on Chinese characters, that have distinct meaning in and of themselves, to keep it all straight. Otherwise it degrades into unintelligible nonsense. Puns are inescapable! The other thing that struck me was that the day of reconning, whatever form it took, would bring knowledge that God is the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth. The list of sins in the first part of the chapter is quite specific, and it is interesting how many of them are sexual. That really brings to mind the situation in America today. It is interesting but not surprising that those most involved in such sins are very likely to try to deny that God is indeed the Lord, because they want to deny their accountability to Him. As Paul famously made very clear, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7) As the Bible makes clear throughout, every individual will have to stand before God at the end of their time on earth, whether they had acknowledged Him previously or not, and they will receive their “inheritance” in full, whether they want it or not. The biggest miracle of the Gospel is that for those who have committed themselves to Jesus Christ in faith, God has already decided a “not guilty” verdict, and that’s what makes it the best news in the world.

Of course, I face that end-of-life moment just like everyone else. I am extremely grateful that I have known the Gospel from childhood and have submitted myself to its conditions. That’s far from saying I have lived a sinless life; I am as dependent on the grace of God as anyone else. However, I know that grace is there, and I have received it in countless ways, though not yet in the final, full measure. I have committed my life to letting others know that grace is available, and it is a huge joy when someone repents and believes. I am to pray for them and keep speaking the truth in love to them, leaving the decision of commitment between them and God, because I can save no one in my own strength or wisdom.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the news the other day that someone I ministered to several years ago wants to be baptized by me. That came as a shock, but a very happy one. I pray that You would take every word You speak through me and bring it to fruition in Your time, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Salvation; June 14, 2023

Posted on June 15, 2023 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 39:18 “‘I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.'”

Ebed-Melech the Cushite, to whom this was addressed, was a person with no genetic connection to Abraham, far from his ancestral home, who had quite possibly been a slave before he had risen in the ranks because of his ability. However, he knew truth when he heard it, character when he saw it, and he had rescued Jeremiah from a potentially deadly situation. (Jeremiah 38:7-13) The Lord knew his heart and why he had been kind to Jeremiah, and this verse expresses the response to that. Lots of people are never recorded by name in the Bible, and few of those recorded have entirely favorable things said about them, but Ebed-Melech made the cut. That he would not be slaughtered might seem like a small consolation, but many were not so fortunate, as verse six makes clear. In the final analysis we don’t know people’s hearts the way God does, so His judgments are always just and righteous. The New Testament is very, very clear that we are saved by grace through faith, and not by “merit points” earned by “checking boxes.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) We are to proclaim the message of God’s love and salvation and invite people to “Repent and believe the good news,” (Mark 1:15) but God is the One who saves people, and indeed, knows who is saved and who is not. We often don’t know who cries out to the Lord before it’s too late. What we can do is give them the information to be able to do so if that is their heart, as was evidently the case with Ebed-Melech.

I have committed my life to sharing the Gospel with the Japanese, but I cannot say definitively who has been saved through that. Recently my wife has been compiling a list, with pictures, of all the people who have been associated with this church over the past 42 years. Some of those were Christians before we met them, some were baptized here, and some were never baptized, despite fairly close association. I keep coming back to something Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” (John 13:20) I do not know all that means, how far it extends. Ebed-Melech was saved in a temporal sense because he trusted the Lord enough to rescue His prophet. That makes me think I’ll see him in heaven. Many people have been kind to us, and some specifically because we represented Christ. And Jesus said they will not “lose their reward.” (Mark 9:41) what that means, I have to leave in His hands.

Father, the whole question of salvation is in many ways “above my pay grade,” as the saying goes. Help me in no way dilute the message, wandering into universalism, but keep me also from putting people into boxes. May I be a faithful steward of Your Word, allowing You to do through me whatever You please, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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Rebellion Against God; June 13, 2023

Posted on June 14, 2023 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 29:32 “This is what the Lord says: ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellion against me.'”

Speaking against what God is saying has consequences, not only for the individual but for their descendants. I was seeing a headline just yesterday about churches that are having “pride” events this month. I didn’t read the article, but just the headline made me quite sad. It’s one thing when secular organizations spout the devil’s lies, but it’s quite another when supposedly Christian organizations do so. America, and specifically the Church in America, is going to have scars for a long time. The devil in his craftiness is making us think that standing up for Biblical standards is being “hateful,” when it is no more hateful than telling someone not to take heroin because it will do them in. The groundwork for all of this was laid by convincing the average person that there was no absolute truth, that everything was subjective. Try telling a nuclear physicist that! Regardless, we are at the place of speaking of “your truth” and “my truth,” instead of God’s truth. Whether we realize it or not, that is preaching rebellion against God, and just as Shemaiah was punished, so will we be, if we parrot the devil’s lies.

I am grateful to have been raised before the current level of nonsense, but even my own children have been influenced by it. I didn’t imagine that such a rejection of absolute standards would become so widespread, so I didn’t prepare my children sufficiently to stand against it. However, I have seen other cases where people went very far afield and still returned to the Lord, much as the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable, and my own children have not lost their faith. I am not to despair, but keep speaking God’s truth in love to all who will receive it. After all, when that truth penetrates, it sets people free. (John 8:32)

Father, thank You for Your grace. We all need it! I pray that I would be an effective communicator of Your truth, Your holiness, Your love and Your grace, so that many may receive it, repent, and believe for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Prosperity; June 12, 2023

Posted on June 13, 2023 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 29:7 “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

Most people think they want peace and prosperity, but a lot of them don’t act like it. Some people seem to always want to be some­where other than where they are. This verse is a word from the Lord through Jeremiah, but it also seems like common sense – which is all too uncommon! There are cities all over the world that are hell-holes or worse, but the residents don’t take the initiative to clean things up – including their elected leadership. Chicago is a case in point. They recently got rid of a failed, leftist mayor, only to elect someone whose policies are even more destructive. However, the principle in this verse applies to virtually every situation in which we find ourselves. You could replace “city” with “company” or “church” or even “family” and this verse would be equally applicable. God can guide and change even bad leaders, if we pray for them. We aren’t to be “complaint generators,” but rather change agents, and the first step to doing that right is always prayer. Our own plans almost always come with unintended consequences, so we need to pray and listen to what the Lord says to do. As verse 11 of this chapter famously says, God’s plans for us are good, so we need to seek Him for what they are and then apply ourselves to whatever part we have in their fulfillment.

Of course this applies to me as much as it does to anyone else. I’ve been the pastor of this church for 39 years, but I’ve also done secular “tentmaking” for income. I feel like I could have done better about praying for those organizations that employed me, but I don’t think I’ve worked for their downfall. I’m happy to say that I have prayed for this city, and that it has indeed prospered in the years I have lived here. I pray also for the nation of Japan, and rejoice when it does well in various areas. During this period we have had lots of people who have left the church because of school and job changes, but we have also had some who have nursed irritations and then simply left, rather than following this verse. I’m to forgive them fully and pray for them, because the Body of Christ is far greater and more important than this one local church.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the prosperity that I feel You have granted. May I work and pray for more, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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False Prophets; June 11, 2023

Posted on June 12, 2023 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 28:15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies.”

We don’t think much about false prophets, but they certainly exist among us. We also don’t think much about how things were in the time of Jeremiah, with multiple prophets competing for attention. We ourselves would probably be somewhat dismissive of someone who was wearing a yoke on his neck, as Jeremiah obviously was. (verse 10) Even so, we need discernment as to who is speaking for the Lord and who is not, just as much as the people back then did. This has been a continuing issue for all of history, as Paul wrote, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3) People want to hear what they want to hear, and dismiss all other voices. A major problem today is that channels of communication are being controlled so that many people never have an opportunity to hear the truth, and so are controlled by lies. However, God is still working, and lies are being uncovered at a great rate. Some might protest that politics aren’t spiritual, but the issue over which Jeremiah and Hananiah clashed was certainly political. God cares about everything, and He desires truth to prevail everywhere.

Only in recent years have I become more interested in politics, and at the same time I know that our dependence must be on the Lord, and not on any human instrument. My awareness of the lies that are pushed on the general population has greatly heightened in the recent health scare. Those lies are still being uncovered, and various “experts” are still claiming they are true. The thing is, today we don’t need to depend on specific “prophets,” because God has made His Spirit available to all who will receive Him in repentance and faith. Every believer needs to submit the things they are told to the Lord and ask Him to show them which are true and which are not. Above all, we are not to be controlled by fear of anything other than the Lord Himself. The devil and those submitted to him love fear and use it as a weapon to attack and control others. As James said, I’ve got to submit to God alone, not to fear, and resist the devil, and teach others to do likewise. (James 4:7)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your plans for this morning’s service. I pray that each of us who share will speak Your truth indeed, defeating the lies of the enemy and building up our hearers, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Depending on God; June 10, 2023

Posted on June 11, 2023 by jgarrott

Jer 17:5 This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.

The section from here through verse 14 doesn’t seem to fit what we expect when we think of Jeremiah. It’s kind of like it got misplaced from Psalms! However, it’s another indication that God says the same things to different people at different times. The fact that this seems so similar to Psalm 1 is no accident, because it is true, and God’s truth doesn’t change, whatever people say about it. This verse echoes many that talk about trusting in princes and the like, but it hit me slightly differently. We aren’t in trouble only when we trust in other people, we are in trouble when we trust our own flesh, our “natural abilities” as it were. The reason is that trusting in anything other than God deflects our attention away from the God who created us and gave us whatever abilities we might have. It is when we are most aware that we can’t go it alone that we are most likely to be close to our Creator. That’s precisely why God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) It is not uncommon for people with severe medical circumstances to be deeply in love with Jesus and spiritually intimate with Him to a remarkable degree. That is certainly true of Aldo McPherson, who helped write a book I just finished. He was severely injured in a traffic accident, but his experience of heaven while he was clinically dead did not end there, to the point that he meets with Jesus frequently, in dreams and in times of private worship. He has no reason whatsoever to trust in his flesh, and his trust in the Lord is truly awe-inspiring. When, or even whether, he will join his mother in speaking to large groups is up to the Lord, but his faith has been an example and inspiration to her, and to many others. This verse speaks of a curse, but being deprived of such fellowship with the Lord when it is actually available is a curse in itself.

I know I have been deeply challenged and motivated by reading that book, but the test comes in how much I let that change the way I think, speak, and live. I have a horrible track record of trusting in my flesh, particularly because there were so many things I could do, but advancing age is thankfully putting a damper on that. I need to be grateful when God enables me to do anything, and not complain when I find I can’t do something. I’m not to discount the abilities God has given me, but I must maintain sharp focus on the reality that it all comes from Him and is not generated by me. I am finishing up my school teaching this year, but there are many other things the Lord has for me to do. I need to create a mid-term test to be given next week and I need to start working on choosing the pictures to use in my August photo exhibit. I also need wisdom and skill in cropping and post-processing pictures as called for. I have some new tools for that that I need to learn well how to use. I know that God has already provided everything necessary for whatever He wants me to do, but I’ve got to be humble enough before Him to recognize His provision and apply it as He intends, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for how You continue to grow me. Thank You for Your patience with me. I would have given up on me a long time ago! May I indeed depend totally on You and not on myself or anything else, so that Your strength may indeed be manifested in my weakness, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Accountability; June 9, 2023

Posted on June 10, 2023 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 12:17 “But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.

Verse five of this chapter is justly famous as the Lord’s caution to Jeremiah about his being upset about what was happening or not happening to the unfaithful people around him, and I almost wrote on it. However, this verse struck me just now as being applicable to all the non-Jewish nations of the world today. The deciding point is whether any nation will listen to what God has said to mankind and choose to be obedient to Him. Jeremiah was upset about individuals around him who seemed to be prospering in their hypocrisy, and God is pointing out that not just individuals but whole nations are accountable for how they respond to Him. Like Jeremiah, we can be tempted to think that evil people and evil nations have it easier than we do, but God is pointing out that it’s all a matter of perspective. As Jesus pointed out, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) It’s not that things in this life are insignificant, but they certainly pale in comparison to eternity, on any scale. We are to seek for God’s rule and reign to be established in the here and now, (Matthew 6:33) but we must remember that our lifespan is essentially a blink on the scale of eternity. As I quote frequently, Paul had it right: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Envy has never been very big for me, and I’m grateful. I am indeed disturbed when people seem to get away with horrible stuff, and I desire that justice be done, but I think I am always aware that no one ultimately gets away with anything, because God is aware of it all, and He is perfectly holy and just. I remember the story of the horrible murderer who ran away after the crime into the Arizona desert. When his body was found days later, having died of thirst and exposure, the sheriff wrote on the legal record, “Remanded to a higher court.” I know, with great peace and joy, that those who have trusted in Christ as their righteousness have their slates wiped clean by His blood, but that is never to be an excuse for me to copy the unrighteous people around me. I desire above all to be found faithful, for the glory of my Lord.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for getting us back home safely last night, and for all You have said and done in these days. Help me be a good steward of all that You have allowed me to experience, so that I will keep growing as Your servant and Your child, for the blessing of those around me and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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