The Hope of Eternity; June 19, 2022

Posted on June 24, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 4:13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.

The difference between the funeral of a believer in Christ and a Buddhist funeral is extreme. I once had a Catholic priest tell me that funerals were his most effective tool of evangelism, precisely because of that difference. Japan has a “festival of the dead” every year in the middle of August, when they send off the spirits of those who have died in the previous year, and when they say the dead come back to visit for about three days. There are so many ironies and paradoxes involved that I won’t go into it here. At the crematorium the attendant will open the viewing window above the deceased’s face for family and friends to “say a final good-bye” before the coffin (usually heavy cardboard or thin plywood) is put into the cremation oven. At Christian funerals, I, and most other pastors I have heard, say things about “We’ll be seeing them,” and “They are already with the Lord.” Most of mankind is enslaved to a fear of death, and sadly that includes many supposed Christians. I know people, particularly some who have lost children, who never seem to get out from under the burden of grief. That is so pathetic, particularly because it is so unnecessary for anyone who knows Christ, and that is precisely what Paul is talking about here. When Jesus said to the man on the cross next to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise,” (Luke 23:43) why should we be worried about death?

This naturally applies to me, as it does to every person alive. I’ve seen a lot of people leave this life, and once went to pick up one of our older members for church, only to discover they were already among the throng before the Throne. The ambulance crew and the police weren’t quite sure what to make of my response to having made the discovery, but the brother was 82, lived alone, and was more than ready to go. I was glad for him! I well remember when my own parents graduated, but they weren’t the first I had observed, and I wasn’t physically present for them, except at the burial of their ashes. I have absolutely no fear of my own death, but I’ll confess to not being excited about the idea of my wife going first, which she’s likely to do. However, she’s not worried about her own death because she’s already been to heaven once and come back, so she’s excited to go again. As a pastor, I seek to help believers understand the hope that is indeed laid up for them. We don’t have many details, but we know it will be glorious! We aren’t to try to duck out of whatever the Lord has for us to do here, but we should have the assurance that what awaits us is far better!

Father, thank You for this reminder. I’ll be separated from Cathy for three days this week because of a business trip, and such things are a reminder that temporal things are indeed temporary. Help us both focus on You and what You have for us, both now and in the future, and rest, relax, and rejoice in You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Children; June 18, 2022

Posted on June 21, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

In several places Paul describes his ministry to those to whom he is writing, and to me this is one of the most touching. That’s all the more appropriate when tomorrow is Fathers’ Day! I find it very interesting that Paul would use this imagery when he had no biological children, but it seems like God often works that way. Genetics aren’t the most important thing to pass along! There are all sorts of adoptions, formal and informal. Timothy is Paul’s best-known “son in the faith,” but he actually had many, and here he indicates that the parent-child relationship guided all of his ministry. That seems like a good plan to me! Several things can interfere with that, however. All too many ministers fail to recognize their flock as their spiritual children, and instead act as administrators or even as dictators. That doesn’t build up the Body of Christ! The flip side of that is that many Christians refuse this relationship with their spiritual leaders, perhaps because they didn’t have a good relationship with their biological father. The thing is, God can use the spiritual relationship to heal the wounds caused by the biological relationship, if we are open to it. The three elements of that relationship that Paul mentions here (and there are many) are encouraging, comforting, and urging. Fathers sometimes have to “lay down the law” to their children, but the Japanese says, “privately commanding” (where the NIV says “urging). This isn’t exposing people to public shame, but it is being clear about right and wrong. Encouraging and comforting are given priority, and in most cases that is certainly the best course. As Paul says about biological children, fathers aren’t to “exasperate” (NIV) their children or “provoke them to wrath” (KJV). Proper parenting actually calls for more wisdom than we have, but God provides what we need if we turn to Him (James 1:5) Spiritual and biological fathers alike are dependent on God!

To be honest, it was the mess of spiritual parenting that made me want to be a teacher but not a pastor. My hands were full with my biological children! However, I have learned over the years to relate to my spiritual children this way too. I don’t have biological sons, but I have several spiritual ones, some closer than others. They have taught me how patient God is with me! Any time I am tempted to “lose it” with a spiritual child, God reminds me how I have responded to Him! I am indeed to encourage and comfort, and keep my “I told you so” statements to a minimum. I have a large family indeed, and I am grateful, even for the ones that are on the other side of the world from me geographically.

Father, thank You for being Father indeed, and for organizing us as Your Family. (Ephesians 3:14-15) Help me be the child and the father that You want me to be, nurturing the children who are under me and drawing all to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Christian Lifestyle; June 17, 2022

Posted on June 21, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 1:3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

I think I probably write on this verse every time the readings come to this chapter, but it’s certainly worth it. Faith, hope, and love are justly famous, particularly because of 1 Corinthians 13:13, but actually because of how essential they are for life in Christ. This verse points out that they aren’t just abstract concepts; they actually do things. James wrote a whole letter about how genuine faith indeed works, massively impacting our daily lifestyle. Sadly, there are still people who treat it as abstract, and try to divorce their protestations of “faith” from how they live. God, and actually a lot of people, see right through that. Love gives flavor and meaning to the work that faith does. Again going back to 1 Corinthians 13, Paul expressed very clearly that without love all our activities are essentially meaningless. All of that is well and good, but in practical terms we often don’t see the fruit of our labor immediately, and sometimes not at all in this life. That’s why we must have hope. Faith and hope are inseparable, as Hebrews 11:1 makes clear, but hope sustains us in the long term, when we can’t actually see the end of the tunnel. Hope assures us that Jesus is indeed coming back, as this chapter asserts, so all of the mess we see around us is temporary. The Thessalonians had it rough, physically speaking, but their hope sustained them, just as it has for persecuted believers down through the centuries. We do well to check on our own levels of these three essential qualities, so that we may be effective representatives of our Lord.

Naturally, this applies to me. After 41 years of ministry in Omura I am widely recognized as someone who represents faith in Christ, and I need that to be an accurate, inviting picture. As the Lord brought out in a conversation I had with a current non-believer, the Japanese generally treat faith as a non-essential. They have a proverb (that actually not many of them know) that even a sardine’s head can be an object of worship, which shows how casual they are about it all. Over 30 years ago a fellow teacher in the high school where I was teaching at the time told me he had used me as an illustration in class. I was naturally curious, so I asked how. He said that he was trying to get the students to understand the difference in attitude toward religion in different countries, so he told them that if you pointed a gun at a Japanese and told them to change their religion, they’d just ask to which one. However, if you pointed a gun at me and said the same thing, I’d just spread our my hands and say, “Shoot.” I literally had tears of joy at having been seen that way, when I am very aware of my own frailty, in faith and everything else. I want this description of the Thessalonians to apply to me, and by God’s grace and mercy I believe it does.

Father, thank You indeed for Your grace and mercy toward me. Help me respond more and more accurately, more and more fully, to You, for all of Your purposes for me to be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Work of a Minister; June 16, 2022

Posted on June 20, 2022 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:28-29 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

This is a succinct description of the job of every true minister of the Gospel. Sadly there are some who could not honestly claim it, but there are many who can. This is predicated on the magnificent description of Christ Himself in verses 15-20. That still gets me every time I read it, even though I wrote a song from it back in 1978. If we don’t have a high enough vision of Christ, we aren’t going to proclaim Him accurately or sufficiently, as Paul talks about here. The goal of the proclamation is to make mature believers of everyone, or as Jesus Himself said, disciples. (Matthew 28:18-20) I’ve preached on that twice recently! Human strength isn’t up to the task, so it’s a good thing God’s strength is available, just as Paul mentions here. I think just about every minister has experienced burnout to at least some degree at one time or another. We all have a persistent tendency to rely on ourselves instead of on God, and that is what guarantees burnout, since the task is obviously more than we can handle on our own. However, when we maintain our connection to Christ, His wisdom, power, and everything else flow through us to establish His rule and reign as His will is done by and through us.

I’ll have to confess that it’s the “admonishing” part of this that gives me pause. I will teach at the drop of a hat, but correcting people and “laying down the law” is something that gives me heartburn. However, that too is needed for presenting people perfect/mature in Christ. (Several translations, including the Japanese one I use, go with “mature” in this passage.) Looking back over my ministry to this point, that’s something I haven’t done quite enough. Going forward, I need to fear nothing, either people’s reactions or my own human weaknesses, rather trusting God to do His work through me. I must not be proud or presumptuous – I’ve done more than enough of that – but operate in assured humility. That might seem like a contradictory term, but I think it expresses the conviction that I can’t do things right on my own, but God is more than able to do it through me, and if I am submitted to Him, He will.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the joy, the incredible privilege, of being used by You. Your anointing as I spoke to the prayer meeting yesterday was palpable, to me and to many of those present. Thank You. I pray that I would be fully available to You at all times and in all places, to indeed “present everyone perfect in Christ,” for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Christ’s Kingdom; June 15, 2022

Posted on June 20, 2022 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

This isn’t how we usually think about salvation, but it’s tremendously important. The image is very like the border between North and South Korea. Night satellite pictures of East Asia are quite striking, with almost total darkness in the North, which is oppressive and repressive in almost every way, and abundant light in the South, which has a vibrant democracy and the highest average Internet connection speed of any country in the world. It’s extremely difficult for people to escape from the North to the South directly, but a few make it. Most who manage to escape do so through China, which is the long way around but still safer. In either case, the differences are an extreme culture shock. Only the language remains the same! The more we understand what Christ has done for us, the more we realize our situation is very much like that. Problems come when we try to “bring over” some of the thought patterns and practices of darkness into the kingdom of God. The thing is, they are so ingrained in us that we don’t even realize what they are. For example, many people bind themselves with “what if” scenarios, being anxious about all sorts of things that haven’t happened yet. Jesus said not to do that! (Matthew 6:31-34) In the kingdom of the beloved Son, as Paul puts it here, everything is already worked out and supplied; we just have to trust the Lord and be obedient. There may be some unpleasant things along the way, but they’re nothing to be worried about in comparison to the eventual result. (2 Corinthians 4:17) Salvation is quite literally passing from night to day, just as Paul says here.

Naturally this applies to me as much as it does to anyone else. I mostly operate in faith, but I have my moments of dreading possible events as well. I’m not to submit my mind to the enemy by doing that! Just as I encourage others to do, I need to rest in the assurance that God’s got a perfect plan and my job is just to follow. It’s when I project scenarios into the future that I run into problems, either dreading things that never happen or being disappointed by things that don’t happen. Either of those is foolish! I need to remember that my citizenship is in heaven; I no longer belong to the world. (Philippians 3:20) The better I grasp that, the more effective I will be in helping others “cross the border” into Christ’s territory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the realization that discipleship, on which I’m speaking this morning, is just a matter of living like citizens of Christ’s kingdom, instead of like residents of darkness. Help me challenge the people who gather this morning to be effective guides for “asylum seekers,” so that the plans of the devil for this nation may be defeated and Your rule and reign be established indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Our Part and God’s Part; June 14, 2022

Posted on June 16, 2022 by jgarrott

Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

One of the major tensions of the life of faith is the matter of God’s part and our part in it all. On the one hand, we are utterly powerless to save ourselves. That’s why Paul proclaimed, so rightly and clearly, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) The flip side of that is that we have genuine free will, and will not be saved without responding to God’s free and generous offer. It’s that matter of response that Paul is referring to in the last part of verse 12. We are responsible to keep pressing in to God, choosing to obey Him and thus growing in our love for Him. The good news is that God is helping us in that big time, as it says so famously in verse 13. That’s why when we manage to get something right there’s no room for boasting, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians. Rather, we should be grateful to God for enabling us to desire and to do what was right in the first place, but we probably would not have done on our own. When we choose to submit to God in faith, He works in our heart to desire what He desires, and not what our flesh and the devil desire. As that happens, we become free to do what we want, because we will want what God does. Augustine of Hippo famously said, “Love God and do as you please.” When our love for God is as it should be, we will desire only what He does!

I have dealt with this conflict for as long as I can remember. I have demonstrated countless times that my love for Christ is not yet perfect, as I have chosen other than what He desired of and for me, but I am encouraged to see that God is continuing to work in me. I declared my love for Jesus as early as five years old, but as the little chorus says, “But how much I love Thee, my actions will show.” As James stressed in his letter, words without actions mean very little. I am not to stop expressing my love for Jesus, either to Him or to those around me, but I am to keep growing in my follow-through, acting out my love on every level. That’s what Paul meant by “working out my salvation.” I am saved by God’s grace, but I am responsible to express that salvation in every area of my life, with the help of God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. These days I feel somewhat torn apart, with so many different calls on my time and attention. Help me focus first on You, so that I may then be able to do Your will in each situation and task, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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To Live is Christ; June 13, 2022

Posted on June 16, 2022 by jgarrott

Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

This simple yet extraordinarily powerful statement of Paul is justly famous. I think a lot of people know it who have no idea where to find it in the Bible. It is shocking because it is so different from the attitude of the vast majority of people on the earth. We tend to be consumed by the here-and-now, but Paul already had his eyes fixed on heaven. It’s not at all that he ignored the world around him, as the verses that follow make clear, but he knew what was genuinely important and eternal. We might admire and applaud his attitude, but at the same time realize we aren’t there yet. Actually, even Paul’s emotions weren’t constant, as 2 Timothy, his last letter that we have from before his execution, makes clear. At the same time, as 2 Timothy also makes clear, the attitude expressed in this verse indeed continued and carried him through to the gates of heaven. The devil does all he can to distract us from such an attitude, both with pleasant things and unpleasant ones. When we have pleasant experiences we are to thank God for them, and when we have unpleasant experiences we are to submit them to God for Him to turn them around for good. (Romans 8:28) In either case, we need to keep our focus on God and know that He will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) If we will do that, then we can live in peace, with the attitude Paul expresses here.

This is an attitude I’ve been growing in, particularly in recent years. That’s a good thing, since I’m now 73! That said, consistency in it is something for which I definitely need the help of God. My flesh isn’t very comfortable with it! It is in some ways more difficult to deal with it in relation to my wife, who has an overabundance of medical issues. I earnestly want God’s best for her, which is of course ultimately heaven, but at the same time I want her to stay here with me. That’s rather selfish of me, but I’m being honest here. I want her to be freed from her various pains, and I am rather in awe of all that she continues to do in spite of them. I want to be the support that she needs, and at the same time I know that she is not my ultimate reason for living; Jesus is. I’m not to focus on “to die is gain,” but rather on, “to live is Christ.” This past week has been remarkable in many ways, both in terms of difficulty and in seeing God work. He had another appointment for me yesterday, and it was awesome to see who He had questioning me about things of faith, and also who He had immediately next to us to overhear everything that was being said. I am to look forward to such appointments constantly, even though I seldom know when they are coming, because they are genuine demonstrations of “to live is Christ.” He’s got stuff for me to do, and that is glorious!

Father, thank You indeed for all that You are doing. Thank You for the improvement in Cathy’s situation. I do pray for clear guidance as to what we are to do each day, so that we will act in neither fear nor presumption, but rather follow Your schedule to do Your will for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Each Part; June 12, 2022

Posted on June 15, 2022 by jgarrott

Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Growth, and for that matter success, is dependent on structure and cooperative effort. Even seemingly insignificant, minor details are often essential to the whole. That is clear right now with the economic embargo of Russia over the Ukraine war, as they are unable to get parts from the West for their aircraft, and maintenance becomes a major issue. Sometimes the lack of a $50 part can keep a multi-million dollar aircraft from flying safely. The same thing applies in churches. People may think they are insignificant and unimportant, but the Body needs all its parts to function correctly. The loss of one toe, for example, can make a person need to learn to walk all over again, because balance depends on all the toes being there. We tend to think of toes as only being “necessary” for finding furniture in the dark! Churches grow as God intends when individual members realize that they are as much a part of the whole as the pastor or any other staff member is. As verse 12 of this chapter famously declares, the job of the “big name” people is “to prepare God’s people for works of service,” not to do all the work themselves. As this verse says, growth happens when every supporting ligament, each part, does its work. When churches really grasp that, growth is organic.

This has been a major area of weakness throughout my ministry. I was gifted in many different areas, and far too often I have taken the “easy” course of doing things myself instead of training others to do them. Recently that situation has improved, I think, but we are currently facing another test, because my wife is showing strong evidence of needing another back surgery, and she is my first responsibility. The schedule for this week is packed, but things will have to shift and change. Thankfully, God has recently provided another pianist, so my wife is freed from that for this morning’s service. The question arises of what help to get from whom. Most of the scheduling conflict isn’t directly church related, but I am certainly reminded that I am a small cog, totally dependent on the grace of God. I am not omnipotent, whatever I or anyone else might have thought! I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in my Lord, just as He has told me to do, so that I can hear His guidance and operate in His wisdom, not trusting my own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6) God has been doing some very good things in this church recently, and I’ve got to remember on every level that none of it is my own doing, but it is all His grace and mercy.

Father, thank You for this, too. I hate it that there is so much pain for Cathy involved, both physical and emotional, but I thank You that You never allow anything in our lives that You can’t use for good, for blessing. I pray that Your purposes, and Yours alone, would be fulfilled in every detail, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Belonging; June 11, 2022

Posted on June 15, 2022 by jgarrott

Ephesians 2:19-20 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Every human being has the desire to belong, to a family, a group, a nation, to something. Some cultures focus on that more than others, and Japan is a somewhat extreme example. In fact, their sense of racial/cultural identity is comparable only to that of the Jews, in my opinion. That makes this part of Ephesians especially pointed in this culture. We really have only a partial picture of all that Jesus accomplished on the cross, but even what we can see is glorious indeed. The part that Paul is focusing on here is the demolition of every dividing wall: every wall dividing people and every wall dividing people from God. In Christ every fundamental need of the human soul is met: the need to belong, the need to be loved, the need to be accepted. It is very obvious that the devil is a divider; one look at America today makes that abundantly clear. Those who are in Christ need to see through the devil’s lies and stand against him. That’s not to condone sin, (as the devil always tries to get us to do) but it is indeed to love the sinner. Repentance is the only requirement. The church should be the most “barrier-free” place in society, but sadly it often isn’t. In the Azusa Street Revival of a hundred years ago, the main preacher was a one-eyed Black man named William Seymore, and people flocked from all over the world to hear him. However, interracial “fraternization” was frowned on by secular society, and “Black” and “White” denominations arose as a result. That was tragic. We need to remember that the world’s standards, the world’s “wisdom,” simply don’t apply in the Body of Christ, because Jesus Christ demolished all the barriers through His body on the cross.

I have dealt with this all my life. Like most TCKs (Third Culture Kids) I have had trouble with feeling like I belonged anywhere, with barriers seeming to arise at every turn. As a pastor in Virginia I had to resign over the racial issue, because the church board wasn’t ready to accept Blacks entering heaven “through their living room,” to quote one man. Thankfully, this current congregation is remarkably accepting, with people from many nations having been part of it over the years. Even today we have four “passports” in regular attendance, with a fifth likely to join soon. In fact, a recent addition was welcomed by a Japanese with the comment that “I think we have more non-Japanese than Japanese,” and he was being genuinely welcoming. That new person seems a bit overwhelmed by the acceptance! I am to continue to strive to express the truth of this passage, especially to show the Japanese that they too are acceptable in the family of God. Frankly, I struggled with ministering to so many “foreigners” over the years, when I feel especially called to the Japanese, but God has opened my eyes to understand Paul’s desire to “provoke the Jews to envy” (Romans 11:13-14) by his ministry to Gentiles. I am to welcome all the Lord brings my way, of whatever nationality or race, because there are indeed no barriers in the Body of Christ.

Father, thank You for this reminder. May I be an effective representative of Christ to all, so that as many as possible may repent and believe for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Purpose; June 10, 2022

Posted on June 13, 2022 by jgarrott

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

It is no accident that the binding of my Bible is broken at this point, with pages threatening to fall out. All 10 verses of this morning’s reading are underlined, and I can quote most of the passage verbatim. It’s no wonder my grandfather wrote his best book on Ephesians! However familiar Scripture might be, we still have to apply it, to live it out, for it to be effective in our lives, and that is what this verse is all about. Many people feel they have no purpose in life, but this verse takes care of that immediately. Many things around us have “off-label” uses, things for which they are effective but which the manufacturer wasn’t thinking of. Medicines are of course famous in that area, with some, like Viagra, becoming famous for something quite unrelated to the blood pressure issues for which they were originally formulated. However, our Manufacturer is omniscient, and He knows every detail of what we will be useful for. We are prone to pursue “off-label” stuff, but it is never fully effective or satisfying. The problem is, we can’t read our labels! The only logical course is to ask our Manufacturer what we are supposed to be doing, and then to follow His directions. Many people live lives of great unhappiness by trying to be something or do something that was not in God’s design for them, and that is tragic. A hammer might desire to be a saw, but attempting to function as one would be amusing at best and disastrous at worst. The thing is, hammers and saws don’t have free will, and we do. If God created us to be a hammer, then our goal should be to be the best hammer around, rather than anything else. I think the “good,” of the “good works” in this verse, applies on every level, morally and experientially and effectively. What God prepares for us to do is good by definition, and it is good for us in doing it, and it produces good results when accomplished. Anyone who is debating their purpose in life needs to turn to their Manufacturer!

Of course this applies to me as well. I have had various ideas as to what I was supposed to do or would like to do, and some of those have been pretty far off the mark. However, God has been gracious and faithful to nudge me and rein me in and push me along, and that has always been the best way for me. As the Westminster Catechism puts it, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” I do enjoy God! I am very aware of the truth in Jesus’s statement that “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) However, I have also experienced the truth in Paul’s statement that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) God has given me many abilities, and sometimes I have been at quite a loss as to what ability to use how and where. Sometimes I’ve listened accurately, and sometimes I’ve failed to listen at all. Accurate listening is always the best course! It is in knowing my God and walking with Him that I will experience all the good things for which I was created, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You’ve been doing in the past few days. I feel like the devil is really upset, and he’s mounting quite an attack on Cathy physically. Show us how to submit to You so as to resist him, so that he may indeed flee (James 4:7) and Cathy be set free from pain and disability, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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