Honoring God; July 29, 2022

Posted on August 2, 2022 by jgarrott

Ezra 6:20 The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their brothers the priests and for themselves.

This might seem like an inconsequential detail in the story, but it is actually quite significant. What it says to me is that they had learned their lesson quite thoroughly, and were not about to skip over any of the regulations laid out in the Pentateuch. The only problem with that was that a tendency to legalism was generated that resulted in Jesus’ day in the Pharisees, who followed all the rules but their hearts were far from God. Today we have small pockets of legalism, but most Christians seem to play pretty loosely with what the Bible lays out. The particular regulations referenced here were in relation to personal purity, and that is actively denied in much of society today. A few years ago Mike Pence was ridiculed for abiding by the “Billy Graham Rule” of not being alone in a room with a woman other than his wife. That hardly seems foolish on his part when so many leaders have been brought down by sexual issues. The priests and Levites here were taking Passover as seriously as it deserves, and were submitting to abstinence and rituals in order to give it, and the God who instituted it, proper honor. Most Christians today don’t even keep the Sabbath! I have heard Dennis Prager, who is a devout Jew, explain how he keeps the Sabbath, and it makes a lot of sense. Some Christians look down on Jews even to the point of antisemitism, but that certainly contradicts the Bible. It is quite true that they need to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah for salvation, but they represent our spiritual roots. We must never forget that Jesus and all His disciples were Jewish! Failing to honor our spiritual heritage is failing to honor God.

I’ve never had a problem with honoring the Jews, but in my personal life I have all too often failed to honor God. I have an innate resistance to legalism, but I must not let that keep me from simple obedience to what God has said. My own keeping of the Sabbath has been spotty at best, but then Jesus Himself pointed out that priests “break the Sabbath” because of their duties. Rather than specific rules and regulations, I need to be careful that my heart is submitted to God. As Peter put it, I need to “set apart Christ as Lord” in my heart. (1 Peter 3:15) We don’t often think of “setting apart,” but that is an expression meaning acknowledging something as special, as holy. I am very grateful to have a fairly intimate relationship with my Lord, but I must never take that for granted and dishonor Him by being flippant or taking things lightly.

Father, You are a far better judge of me than I am! I ask You to show me the various ways in which I need to keep growing, drawing closer to You, so that my life may indeed give You the honor and praise that You alone deserve. Thank You. Praise God!

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Emotions; July 28, 2022

Posted on August 2, 2022 by jgarrott

Ezra 3:13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

Strong emotions can indeed become hard to distinguish, and not just for outside observers. We’ve all seen people dissolve into tears of pure joy when reuniting with a loved one or receiving something strongly desired. With modern medicine we understand the output of various hormones triggered by emotions, and sometimes different emotions can trigger the same hormones. Human beings are complicated, often illogical beings! That’s why decision-making in moments of strong emotion is often very risky. The brain doesn’t operate very well in such circumstances! Emotions are a gift from God. After all, life without them would be very bland and uninteresting. Some of the most pathetic people I have seen have been inpatients at a mental hospital, so medicated for whatever “disorder” they are diagnosed as having that they look and act like zombies, alive but hardly human. We are to be grateful for emotions, even negative ones, but not let them control us. All of us, everything we are, everything we have, everything we do, is to be submitted to our Creator so that it may accomplish that for which He created it, for His glory.

I have written before about one time I was in a small prayer meeting and I was so overwhelmed with joy that I felt like I might be translated directly to heaven, because my physical body couldn’t handle it. The idea that there will be no limits to such joy in heaven is a very attractive one to me indeed! I have also experienced strong negative emotions, and in college I once actively moved toward suicide. I’m grateful for it all, because it has been proof I was alive and human. I know I will have many more emotions in this body, and I am to yield them all to my Lord. As a pastor I deal with other people’s emotions perhaps more than the average occupation, and I need wisdom and discernment to do so properly. We were recently contacted electronically by someone who was feeling suicidal, and we don’t know at this point if he acted on that or not. We can and do pray for him, asking for another opportunity to express the Father’s love to him so that he may be enabled to release his emotions, and himself, to God. The devil’s lie is that suicide is releasing yourself to God, when actually it is trying to hang onto control to the end. It is the ultimate self-centered act. I can’t change anyone’s heart, but I can point them to the One who can, and must do so with the consistency and faithfulness that only He can provide.

Father, thank You for emotions. Help me make the use of them that You intend and help others to do likewise, so that we may avoid the devil’s lies and walk in the abundant life that You intend, (John 10:10) for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Unity; July 27, 2022

Posted on July 31, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 30:21 The Levites and priests sang to the Lord every day, accompanied by the Lord’s instruments of praise.

The NIV tones this down a little bit, but in a footnote they do say this could be translated “resounding instruments.” The Japanese goes with that, indicating that they made a lot of noise! This was quite a 2-week barbecue party! It was indeed the first time people from the Northern tribes had joined with Judah and Benjamin to celebrate Passover at the temple in Jerusalem since the nation had been divided, as is noted in verse 26, and it was certainly unusual to let it run for two weeks. The joy was probably comparable to that experienced in 1948 when Israel was reinstated as a nation, and then in 1967 with the reunification of Jerusalem. God loves spiritual unity! The three verses of Psalm 133 are an expression of that, and of course, unity was a major theme of Jesus’ Pastoral Prayer just before His crucifixion, recorded in John 17. The thing is, there is nothing coerced about genuine unity. Many tyrants have tried to force unity, notably in the “Soviet Union,” which quickly fell apart when the pressure was removed. Putin is trying to “reunify” Ukraine with Russia by force right now, and it’s not working. God’s unity is from the inside out!

For much of my life I have been distressed by the divisions in the Body of Christ. That’s a major reason this church is organizationally independent: the minute we put up a denominational name, someone will shut us out. However, as I have told people for years, we would be in deep trouble if we were spiritually independent. Christ has only one Body, and all who are committed to Jesus as the only Savior and Lord are members of it, whatever strange ideas they may have tried to add to the mix. Disagreements among siblings don’t make them any less siblings! Growing up and living as a Caucasian in Japan has made me very aware of the fleshly obstacles to unity, but nothing is too difficult for God. We are promised that before God’s throne there will be “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language.” (Revelation 7:9) That’s the unity Jesus prayed for!

Father, thank You for the unity we can enjoy by Your Spirit even now. Thank You for the fellowship Cathy and I could have yesterday with people with whom we have disagreed theologically in the past. Thank You for the many barrier-crossing connections we have of all sorts. Help us indeed be instruments of unity in the Body of Christ, not of compromise but of humble gratitude for Your grace, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Time; July 26, 2022

Posted on July 30, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 29:36 Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.

One thing that both the Bible and experience teach us is that God’s timing and ours aren’t the same. In spite of that, we are very slow to learn the lesson! Peter famously encapsulated it as, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8) Here, Hezekiah and the people rejoiced that things went much more quickly than they had expected, but many places in the Bible quote people saying things like, “How long, O Lord?” And to be honest, we’ve all experienced exactly the same thing. Conversely, when it’s an unpleasant thing we are unhappy when it happens quickly, and relieved when it passes quickly. Time itself might be immutable, but our perception of it is entirely subjective. The thing is, time is dependent on matter, and God, being immaterial, is outside of time, so He can treat it however He likes. We really cannot grasp what that is like, because we are material beings, part of the time-space continuum, as it is called. When we are free of our physical bodies we will be freed from such constraints, but we literally can’t imagine what that will be like. The point now, while we are in our physical bodies, is to choose to trust God with everything, timing as well as everything else. Failure to do so only increases our frustration and pain, and brings no blessings.

I have long had something of a time hang up, stressing about “my time” and schedules and the like. Learning the futility of that hasn’t come easily! I still hate to be late for anything, as my students have to learn each time I get a new class. However, ministry in Japan has been a powerful lesson that I can’t hurry God. When God says it’s time, this nation can be won to Christ in an amazingly short period, but I can’t make that time happen on my schedule. My parents before me experienced exactly the same thing, and they never saw that harvest with their physical eyes. However, from their current perspective they can indeed see it, should God allow them to do so, and certainly know that joy. I am not to be impatient with God but rather walk in faithful obedience, trusting that His schedule is far better than mine. As He told me, I am to rest, relax, and rejoice!

Father, thank You for Your schedule. Thank You for all that You have planned for today, and for making it all possible. I pray that as we drive to Fukuoka that I would be anxious for nothing but follow Your directions, in driving and everything else, and that our return and everything to follow would again be on Your schedule, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Government; July 25, 2022

Posted on July 30, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 23:21 And all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword.

This whole story reads like a movie script, as dramatic as anyone could ask for. The potential parallels with current American politics are huge, but I’ll restrain myself from naming names. The background here was that Athaliah had been the “Queen Dowager,” having killed off her male descendants and instituted Baal worship instead of proper worship of Yahweh. However, Jehoiada the high priest had managed to secrete Athaliah’s grandson Joash as an infant, and he made this move when Joash turned seven. From Athaliah’s perspective this coup was indeed treason, as she loudly proclaimed, but from the people’s perspective it was a return to right government. The fact that they rejoiced to destroy the temple of Baal is very telling, as is the fact that everything calmed down once Athaliah was dead. America has had more than its share of riots over the past two years, but they weren’t for the purpose of what went on in this chapter. America still has the framework for good government, so there is hope for restoration, particularly as so many people are waking up to what has really been going on. The recent reversal of Roe v. Wade was a major move toward the destruction of the “temple of Baal” in America, but there’s a lot more to go. America needs a lot of prayer, certainly, but it also needs people to stand up and take action, as did the “captains of hundreds” and the like in this story. We need to do all we can to avoid violence, but at the same time remember that violence will be directed against us, both physically and legally. What must not be forgotten is that God is still God, and no situation is beyond His reach.

As I have mentioned several times, I wasn’t in the least political for much of my life, but the events of recent years have grabbed my attention. Simply being angry accomplishes nothing good. (James 1:20) At the same time, good people doing nothing allows evil to flourish. As has been astutely commented, politics is downstream of culture. What needs most to change is people’s hearts. Living in Japan I have little direct impact on the US, but I am very much in the business of dealing with people’s hearts. I am to pray the first and last parts of the Lord’s Prayer consistently and sincerely, both for America and for the rest of the world, and I am to keep myself available as an instrument to that end.

Father, thank You for the reminder that nothing in human hearts is new. Help me trust You fully and follow You explicitly, so that I may be an agent of Your rule and reign being established in the earth as Your will is done, so that You alone may be acknowledged as holy. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Spiritual Warfare; July 24, 2022

Posted on July 29, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 20:22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

This has long been one of my favorite stories in the Old Testament, as I’m sure it is for many others as well. It beautifully illustrates the important principle that praising God is spiritual warfare. That’s something we have trouble grasping, because it doesn’t fit our materialistic mindset, but it was also demonstrated at the famous battle of Jericho, when “the walls came a tumbling down” at the shouts and the trumpets of the Israelites. We really don’t understand the dynamics of the spiritual realm very well. Praising God acknowledges His reality, His Lordship, and sometimes that acknowledgement is all that is needed to solve even seemingly insurmountable problems. When we focus on the problems, they only get bigger and bigger in our minds and hearts. When we focus on God, they shrink down in perspective, because indeed, nothing is too difficult for the Creator of the universe, who spoke it all into being.

It wasn’t long after I was exposed to the Charismatic Movement that I started hearing of praise as spiritual warfare, and this story was Exhibit A in that teaching. I’m not to be simplistic about it all, but at the same time I can certainly see that focusing on the issues, and my ability or inability to deal with them, cuts God out of the picture entirely. I am not to deny that the issues exist, but I must remember that they are no big deal for God. I have experienced many times that praising God is a marvelous weapon against temptation, for example. Many, many things are a matter of focus. When I am committed to praise and worship, I take myself out of the way of what God wants to do and I allow Him to use me however He pleases. In the night we received a text indicating a friend is feeling suicidal. I can’t touch him directly, but God certainly can, and distance is no issue for God. If I am focused on “Oh, poor guy,” then I’m not trusting God to meet him where he is. It’s been a few hours since he sent his text, but the fact that he sent it shows that he receives hope through us, and God can and will use that to set him free. We have been involved with suicidal people before. In one case they followed through, but we weren’t fully aware of that situation. In others, we have been instrumental in leading them out of that pit. God is more than able, and focusing on Him in praise before we see the answer releases more spiritual power than we realize.

Father, thank You for Your perfect plan. You knew what was going to happen when You caused this Scripture to fall on this day in the reading list, and when You had Cathy tell me I was to speak on The Worship of Praise today. I pray that my words and my actions, not only in the message but in every detail, would accomplish Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Rewards; July 23, 2022

Posted on July 29, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 15:7 “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

I once heard a very moving message on this passage, but the speaker focused particularly on verse two, talking about what a simple prophecy it was, but how it had motivated Asa to do great things for the Lord. That’s true enough, but I think this verse that concludes the prophecy also had a lot to do with Asa’s response. It’s interesting to note that in the Japanese of this verse, “you” and “your” are both plural; this wasn’t just to the king, but to all who would join him in seeking God as it says in verse two. We humans are very prone to go into something with enthusiasm, but then give up when it gets difficult. That’s no way to grow, and it’s no way to get the deep satisfaction that every one of us desires. That’s one of the problems with society today: children aren’t taught to hang in there and do the hard stuff. This word of encouragement is something we all need. Jeremiah, Paul, John, and the writer of Hebrews all repeated this Word from the Lord, (Jeremiah 31:16, 1 Corinthians 3:8, 2 John 1:8, Hebrews 10:35) so we’d better take it to heart! We can’t accomplish anything strictly on our own, but when we apply what God has provided for us in obedience to Him, then we will absolutely be rewarded.

As a child I learned the satisfaction of completing projects I set for myself, but I wasn’t very good at responding to external demands. School was easy for me, and I didn’t really learn how to buckle down and study until I was in college. By God’s good grace I failed two subjects my Freshman year, even though I had tied for the highest SAT score of any entering student and was in the Honors curriculum. That taught me the very valuable lesson of not being presumptive! I’m very grateful that my parents never stopped me from attempting anything because it was too difficult, (they sometimes stopped me from doing things that were too dangerous, or even illegal) but I was never forced to take on external tasks, and that’s what led to my problems in college. In serving the Lord I’ve learned that it’s the tasks He sets for me, and not ones that I dream up for myself, that bring the satisfaction, and indeed the results. Going back to this verse, it does me very little good being strong if that’s being headstrong, not listening to what God is saying. I’m at the stage of my life when I do think about rewards, and particularly eternal rewards, and I know I have nothing to worry about. I would like to see more results with my physical eyes, but even if I don’t, I’m to rejoice to see them through the eyes of faith.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I deal with students all the time who don’t know how to apply themselves, and expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter. I pray for them that they may learn the joy and satisfaction of working hard for something, so that they may grow to be the people You intend them to be, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Relating to our Creator; July 22, 2022

Posted on July 28, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Chronicles 29:14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”

We have a persistent tendency to feel like if we give something to God, He owes us. The fallacy in that is pointed out by David here. God is the Creator of absolutely everything, so nothing tangible has any real meaning as being “given to” God. What we can give to God, and what He desires, is actually intangible, but that doesn’t make it less valuable. What God desires of us is our love, devotion, honesty, and commitment. Those can be wrapped up in the term, worship, and Jesus said that God actively seeks those who will worship Him like that. (John 4:23) Imagine that! We can give God something He really wants! That awareness should fill us with joy, because He has given us so much. The thing is, our attitude toward material things has a big impact on us emotionally and spiritually, so giving back to God what He has provided should be an inviolable priority for us. Otherwise, our hearts will fixate on the material and value that instead of God, and as Paul famously said, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10) When we succumb to materialism, we ascribe to the idea that “He who dies with the most toys wins.” However, as has been pointed out, that person is still dead! It really doesn’t matter how many “toys” we have. The point is to recognize that absolutely everything, including life itself, comes from our Creator, and so give Him the gratitude and obedience that He deserves. Like spoiled children, we tend to say, “He didn’t give me this thing I wanted, so He’s mean and I won’t play His game.” The foolishness of that is beyond words! There is much that we don’t have the “mental horsepower” to understand – not even Einstein did – but God has revealed His character to us in countless ways, so we can choose to love and trust Him. That is what He desires of us, and it is the only path to the glory for which we were created.

This is something I have known on some level for a long time, but my appreciation of it continues to deepen. I have seen God provide in ways that were definitely miraculous, even if they didn’t involve creating gold bars out of thin air. I have seen people with the assurance of eternal life leave this life with peace and joy, and I have seen people without that assurance leave this life with terror and desperation. There’s no question which is better! My own commission is to teach people about their Creator, so that as many as will may accept the eternal life that He offers. Doing that involves rearranging our priorities and our perspective, but that’s what we’re on this earth to do. Paul put it this way: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2) That’s what I need to keep doing myself, and it’s what I need to lead others to do as well.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I feel like I have a lot of things to do today, and it makes me want to retreat and run away. Help me do each thing in turn, allowing You to set my schedule and give me the strength and wisdom for each task, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Joy of Giving; July 21, 2022

Posted on July 28, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Chronicles 29:9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

For a people who love God, it is a joyful thing indeed when their leaders prioritize God and give to Him. We tend to rejoice when things are given to us, but it is a much purer joy when things are given to God. There was no personal greed in what is described here. In all honesty, there was probably some rivalry as to who could give how much, but that’s in a different category. There should be joy when we can give as well. In talking to the Ephesian elders on his way to Jerusalem, Paul quoted Jesus as saying something that isn’t recorded in any of the Gospels, yet seems very much in line with everything else Jesus said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) That was in the context of Paul himself having lived a giving life, rather than seeking to get material things for himself. We are taught by society to be covetous and envious, but that is a strategy of the devil. In God’s economy, the greater joy is in giving.

I will always be grateful for how my parents did Christmas presents. Rather than all the children tearing into their packages at once, we took turns, adults as well as children, opening one gift at a time. Every gift was understood as having come from someone specific, and thanks were to be expressed. I well remember my joy at seeing a gift I had chosen be opened and appreciated, even when the funds for the purchase of the gift had come from my parents. “Giver” is not a major motivational gift for me, (Romans 12:6-8) but I still get a lot of joy in seeing my gift meet another’s need. As a pastor, I am blessed indeed to see the people give to God, just as this passage describes. I realize that I have spoken on giving with more frequency in the past year than I have at any other time in my ministry, even when we were struggling to get this building and land paid for. God alone knows the reasons for that. I dreamed a few days ago about receiving a huge sum myself, and it wasn’t a particularly pleasant dream! I am to keep my priorities in line with God and His kingdom, delighting to be part of His “supply chain,” so that His will may be done on His schedule for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do pray that everyone in my care would discover the joy of giving, not just to advance programs that You desire and intend, but for their own spiritual growth and blessing, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Worship Teams; July 20, 2022

Posted on July 24, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Chronicles 16:41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord, “for his love endures forever.”

This last part of the chapter doesn’t specifically reference the joy of the Lord, but it is certainly references the joyful activities of the day. Both books of Chronicles are written from the perspective of the Levites, and lists of names appear in several places. This particular section stands out to me because of names I’m familiar with from the attributions of Psalms, specifically Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun. In other words, David was far from being the only musician and poet involved here. I like what this verse says about “those chosen and designated by name.” In other words, the Worship Team was made up of people who were recognized as good, dedicated musicians by others, doubtless including David. Many churches today use worship teams, and that can be a very good thing. However, there are two major cautions involved. The first is that musicianship isn’t the only, or even the most important, qualification. If they are to lead worship, they must be genuine worshipers themselves. That relates closely to the second point, and that is that they aren’t to be performing, but rather leading the congregation to worship. Too many churches focus on a stage production, leaving the congregation as no more than the audience. That is hardly worship! Professional Christian musicians have the same issue: they are pleasing to God to the degree that they lead others to worship Him. Some get caught up in the same cult of personality that many secular musicians promote, and that can degenerate into a genuine abomination. There are indeed many examples of people who were brought to the Lord through being involved in worship teams, but they are definitely the exception. Non-believers should at the most be a small minority, and have no voice in such questions as the selection of music. As a side note here, the pastor should be the Chief Worshiper. They may not be a formal member of the worship team, but they too must remember that they are in the service to worship God. If they are focused on giving a good presentation of their sermon, then the probability of that sermon being the Word of the Lord to the congregation is very low indeed.

This is of course very close to home for me. It’s only been in fairly recent years that we have had worship teams other than Cathy and me. Worship through music is a joy and a delight to me, but I must be careful that it is genuine worship, and not showing off. Our younger daughter is the music minister in her church, on top of her “W-2 job.” Her other job does give her satisfaction and joy as well as income, but her heart is in raising up people to worship God. When she comes to visit us here, she has people who are already trained to lead effectively in worship. She’s far better at that than I am! I too desire to raise up a people who will worship God in spirit and in truth, not only in the church building but throughout their lives.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. Thank You for all You have done in and through me in this area over the years. Thank You for the anticipation I have of worshiping You before Your throne! May I indeed be more and more effective in raising up disciples who will worship You as You desire and deserve, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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