Praise; April 10, 2022

Posted on April 15, 2022 by jgarrott

Matthew 21:16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“‘From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise’ ?”

This is a verse that was used extensively in the early days of the Charismatic Movement to justify and promote energetic praise music, which seemed “unseemly” to many traditional Christians. Today such music is found in probably the majority of churches, including some that seemingly pay no attention to what they are singing! Like­wise, there are “praise” songs that are man-centered, rather than God-centered, and thus are largely a waste of time, unless they actively encourage believers to be more obedient to Christ. Psalm 8:2, which Jesus quotes here, can also be translated “you have ordained strength.” It is undeniable that actively praising God strengthens believers, but it’s much deeper than that. Genuine praise and worship not only proclaim but establish the rule and reign, that is the kingdom, of God. Worship in spirit and in truth is powerful spiritual warfare! It isn’t a cure-all – Jesus went through scourging and crucifixion after this – but it is more powerful than most people realize. Today many are trying to deny the authority of Christ and the Bible, just as the priests and the teachers of the law were here, but genuine believers need to stand strong and praise God, even when we can’t see how He’s going to resolve whatever situation we’re in. The recent court victory in Finland is a good case in point, where a bishop and a national politician were attacked for stating the truth of Scripture in relation to sex and gender, and were in danger of prison terms for it. That was just a skirmish in the battle that is currently raging. We have got to keep our eyes on Jesus and use all of the armor and weapons He provides, to see His victory in His time for His glory.

This certainly applies to me! All the time, but particularly when I recognize I am under attack, I need to be intentional and heartfelt in praising God. Even when my emotions are in the dumps, I need to choose to praise God. That’s not hypocrisy, it’s faith. I need to remember that God is infinitely greater than my circumstances, however those circumstances might appear to me, and praise Him for His greatness and His love. If I will do that, I will experience His victory that He has provided for me, for His glory.

Father, keep me from just saying the right things and failing to put them into practice. Help me live out Your truth that You have placed in me, so that the lies of the enemy may be destroyed and many be set free, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Priorities; April 9, 2022

Posted on April 14, 2022 by jgarrott

Proverbs 24:27 Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house.

Priorities are an issue for everyone. Everyone has things they need to do, things they want to do, and things they have to do. The problem is in sorting them all out. Life has a way of distracting us, but then suddenly reminding us what is really important. In the agrarian society of the day, “outdoor work” was what provided food and everything else for the family, and housing was secondary. These days it gets a lot more complicated. Neglecting your family while chasing promotions at work is hardly a good idea. The thing is, none of us know the future, and none of us has the wisdom to fully evaluate all our options. The only logical solution is to seek first the One who does know the future, who does know what is important and what isn’t, and listen to Him. As Paul pointed out, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) We need to ask Him what those “good works” are, and be quiet enough before Him to hear what He says. This even applies to what this verse says about “outside work.” Jesus stated, clearly and famously, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) Even our bodily needs are secondary to knowing and obeying God.

This is a constant battle for me, because I am interested in just about everything, and can very easily be distracted. This past week I have been consumed by computer issues, and other things have come in almost as afterthoughts, even though they might actually have been more important. Thankfully the computer issues are nearing full resolution, though a few things remain. Far more pressing is the fact that tomorrow is our annual church business meeting, when we gather to talk about what God has done among us in the past year and seek Him for what He wants to do through us in the year ahead. One of our newer members was floored yesterday to hear that we have very good attendance at our business meetings. The sister who was leading the service this past Sunday, in announcing the business meeting, was talking about how much fun they are. I don’t think our newer members believed her! That said, the financial reporting needs to be accurate and faithful, and there are things we are legally required to report to the government. Meanwhile, a new school term has just begun, and I have new school classes to deal with. My influence on those students will impact them for many years to come, and I must not take that lightly. Many years ago now the Lord told me to rest, relax, and rejoice. I am to do that, while being careful to fulfill the tasks He has for me on the schedule He lays out, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You indeed for how the computer issues are being resolved. Help me not be uptight about anything, but rather flow with Your Spirit on Your schedule, knowing that You already have the solution for every issue, whether I see that solution in this life or not. May I be Your agent to accomplish Your will, whether the particular situation seems “spiritual” or not, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Focus; April 8, 2022

Posted on April 14, 2022 by jgarrott

Proverbs 23:17-18 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.
There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.

Once again there is a major difference between the English and the Japanese here. Where the NIV says, “There is surely a future hope for you,” the Japanese says, “Certainly there is an end.” That might seem almost nihilistic, but the last part does agree with the English, saying, “Your hope will not be cut off.” That reminds me of the famous bit of life advice, “This too will pass.” Nothing is forever on this earth. That’s why we need to have our hope anchored in eternity with Christ. Distractions abound, whether they are the envy mentioned in verse 17 or something else, so we have to make a conscious effort to stay focused. When we’re in the middle of something temporal, whether it seems good or bad, it can be hard to keep our heart centered on God. That’s why Jesus spoke directly to the matter of our physical needs. They can certainly demand our attention, and it’s often in relation to them that we envy those who seem to “have it better” than we do. However, Jesus very famously said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) As the Japanese says here, everything has an end, but when our hope is in our eternal Creator, that hope will not be cut off.

I have been extremely wrapped up in temporal things for the past week, specifically computer issues, but those things are very much improving, though some details remain. I have had multiple moments of panic, essentially, but I have been greatly helped by an affirmation from the song, Still, that is based on Psalm 46:10: “I will be still, and know that You are God.” I realize that the devil is constantly trying to blind us to our future hope, and he does that to steal, kill, and destroy all that he can. (John 10:10) I am to submit to God and resist the devil, (James 4:7) most especially in my own mind and heart. If I will do that, then I can indeed rest, relax, and rejoice as God has told me to do, staying available to Him for however He wants to use me for His pleasure and glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The computer-related stress has indeed been intense at times. Thank You for growing me in faith and trust. I do ask for wisdom and presence of mind to clear up the remaining computer issues, but I ask most especially that You enable me to stay focused on You, whatever is happening or not happening, so that I won’t open my heart and mind to the enemy. Thank You. Praise God!

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Parenting; April 7, 2022

Posted on April 13, 2022 by jgarrott

Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your son, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to his death.

This verse really brings out the difficulties of Bible translation! The Japanese renders it as, “Discipline your child while there is hope, but don’t arouse murderous feelings.” I’m not sure, reading that, whether it is talking about murderous feelings in the child or in the parent! However, it would certainly seem to be a caution against excessive or inappropriate discipline. That said, I like the Japanese picking up the idea that discipline needs to be timely. Just yesterday I was watching an interview with Mel Gibson, who has nine kids. His self-discipline has been spotty at times, and he essentially acknowledged that, but he said that he has found that you can go back and correct some of your mistakes in parenting. That was a very hopeful statement! No merely human parent is perfect. Both parents and children are at times painfully aware of that. Humility is called for, but we must also recognize that parents indeed have authority over their children, and not draw back from that. It is well recognized that a child’s relationship to their physical father has a huge impact on their relationship to God. If children aren’t raised to respect their parents, as it says even in the 10 Commandments, then they are scarred not merely for life but for eternity. That’s a pretty heavy responsibility! Parenting should drive us to seek God and His wisdom, but we must remember that God is a God of grace, and He can use even our mistakes for good in the long run. It’s easy to see, looking at society today, the damage that failure to discipline causes. It is certainly true that excessive discipline is damaging, but we see the lack of discipline far more often. We need to remember that proper discipline is an expression of love, and a child who doesn’t receive it won’t be assured of their parents’ love.

Of course, as a parent myself this is very close to home. Several years ago in a phone call, one of our daughters told us that becoming a parent herself had showed her that we had done our best with her, and she wanted to thank us. There were plenty of tears on all sides of that phone call! I regularly do pre-marital counseling for all the couples I marry, and I touch on parenting in that. I don’t do it from the standpoint of having all the answers, but from my experience at this point of over 51 years of being a parent, as well as of both academic study in psychology and many years of observing the people and families around me. And of course, all of that is on the foundation of the Bible and what it says about families, which is a lot! I am grateful for the parents I had, but more than that I am to be grateful and obedient toward my heavenly Father, accepting His training and discipline and seeking to be pleasing to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do ask Your mercy on mankind, as we so often make a mess of parenting. I ask You to reveal Your Father-nature to us all, so that we may be transformed into the children You desire and deserve, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Hope; April 6, 2022

Posted on April 13, 2022 by jgarrott

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

This well-known verse is obviously the reason this passage came up in this series on hope, but comparing the Japanese to the English shows the risks of doing Bible study based on a particular language, other than the original one. Since I don’t know Hebrew at all, I’m stuck with either English or Japanese, but I need to be aware of the problem and seek the Holy Spirit’s direct guidance, since He’s the Author, anyway. Here, where English translations very consistently say “hope deferred,” the Japanese says, “expectation prolonged,” and where the NIV says “longing,” the Japanese says “hope.” The spiritual/psychological principle still applies, whatever vocabulary is used. When we want something badly but don’t get it for a long time, we definitely go downhill emotionally. Likewise, a long-held but unfulfilled desire being met is a huge boost psychologically. There are countless videos on the Internet of things like a child getting a puppy when they had wanted one for a long time, or people being reunited after a long separation, and some of them are very touching. However, not all such strong desires are actually met, which shows us the importance of where we place our hopes and expectations. The only One who never lets us down is God, as Paul points out in Romans 5:5. The answer, I think, is to understand that there’s a lot of junk in this fallen world, and simply be grateful for all the gracious blessings God pours out on us.

I’m in the middle of more training in this, and I don’t expect to “graduate” from such training until I graduate to heaven! The past several days I’ve been through an emotional wringer over computer issues, and this morning in sitting down to write out these notes I discovered that I have still further issues to deal with. Frankly, it’s exhausting. I need to learn the lesson of not basing my hopes on anything material, but rather on my Lord who is alone totally dependable. The point there, though, is that I’m not to try to dictate to God how He should meet my needs. Jesus famously didn’t do that in the Garden of Gethsemane, and my needs are certainly less important and less intense than His were in that moment. As He told me personally, now several years ago, I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, not in anything temporal.

Father, thank You for this training I’m going through, however uncomfortable it might feel in the moment. Thank You for the encouragement in Hebrews: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11) May I continue to grow as You intend, to be more and more available and useful to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Winning Souls; April 5, 2022

Posted on April 12, 2022 by jgarrott

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and he who wins souls is wise.

I’ve seen this verse quoted many times in relation to personal evangelism, quite memorably in an evangelism class in seminary. However, I think that takes the words out of the social and theological context of the time. I can’t recall any other even vague references to “soul winning” in the Old Testament. The Japanese expresses it as, “A wise person captures the hearts of people.” The general thrust of the verse is that being and doing the right thing has benefits, which is in line with the majority of the whole book of Proverbs. The thing is, we don’t “win souls,” we inform people about and introduce them to the Savior, Jesus Christ who loved them enough to die for them, and the Holy Spirit takes it from there. We are important in the process, certainly, but it is a privilege to be involved, rather than a burden because it “all depends on us.” Thinking you are anything more than a tool for God to use leads either to pride or to condemnation, depending on the results of your efforts. It is a joy indeed to be used by God to lead someone to repentance and faith, but we should never be seduced by personal pride in our “tally.”

This is personal for me, because as I’ve written numbers of times before, the “rate of return” on investment of time and effort in Japan is extremely low, leading to Japan being called, not unreasonably, “the graveyard of missionaries.” Japanese have such a strong sense of racial identity that they see foreigners as so “other” that they have trouble accepting that the truth the foreigner speaks applies to them. Japanese evangelists are more effective, but Christianity is still labeled “a foreign religion,” and conversion to it is seen as being “disloyal to your ancestors.” I’m not to take any of that as an excuse to give up, but I am also not to take it personally when I don’t gain great numbers of converts. After all, I wasn’t commissioned to make converts, but to make disciples! (Matthew 28:18-20) I am grateful that several people under my ministry have chosen to go into fulltime ministry themselves. I’ve always said that at least part of their motivation was probably, “I’m sure I could do better than Jack!” I am to seek to operate in God’s wisdom and not my own, so that people’s hearts may be captured, not by me but by the Lord I serve, for their eternal blessing and God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that my classes for the new school term start today. The classes starting this week are all 2nd year students, so they’ve had me before. I pray that the impression they have had of Christ in me may be strengthened, drawing them to hunger for Christ themselves, to the point of repenting of their unbelief and committing to full discipleship, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Various Hopes; April 4, 2022

Posted on April 12, 2022 by jgarrott

Proverbs 11:7 When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes;
all he expected from his power comes to nothing.

Not all hopes are the same. We have countless examples of people whose evil plans, both big and small, were dashed when they died. Hitler and Stalin come to mind, but the same may be said for your small-time evil person. That’s not to say that their evil doesn’t affect succeeding generations, but it’s certainly not as they themselves had planned. Right now there are rumors that Vladimir Putin is suffering from terminal colon cancer, but that seems like it’s probably wishful thinking. The thing is, everyone faces death. From the moment of conception it is inevitable, and it puts an end to temporal, earthly considerations. Philosophers, religious leaders, and thoughtful people of all stripes have considered and pontificated on this reality down through the centuries. The logical course is to pin our hopes on the eternal, on God who was before time and will still be when there is no physical universe left. Those who try to ignore God forget such basic things as entropy, which says that everything runs downhill unless an external force acts on it. That simple principle destroys the whole idea of evolution, because things don’t become more complex without external forces. Those with wisdom recognize that the ultimate external force is God, the Creator of it all. Those who have been blinded by greed, lust, or countless other tools of the devil don’t really see God in the picture at all. They are the ones this verse is talking about. However, we must be careful not to point our fingers at “bad guys” and fail to recognize how we ourselves have ignored God in practical terms, all the while professing to believe in and follow Him. We need to be careful that the old hymn really is our personal testimony: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” When that is true, others will see that hope and desire it for themselves, drawing them to repentance and faith.

I’m in intensely personal training in this very area right now. I have been impressed recently with the abundance and richness of God’s blessings, but then negative things have totally grabbed my attention. I must not let low-level hopes and desires distract me from the glorious hope that is laid out for me. At the same time, I must not dismiss current responsibilities with the excuse that “that’s temporal.” I am to be faithful on a moment-by-moment basis, all the while remembering that God has eternal glory planned and prepared for me. The better I grasp that, the more I will be transformed into the likeness of my Lord Jesus, and abiding in Him is my ultimate hope.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The matter of my wife’s computer is rather consuming, coming on top of the beginning of a new school term and preparations for the annual church business meeting. I do ask for Your solution to the computer issue on Your schedule, and for wisdom in dealing with all the other things that confront me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Way of the Lord; April 3, 2022

Posted on April 11, 2022 by jgarrott

Proverbs 10:29 The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous,
but it is the ruin of those who do evil.

There is a seeming irony in this verse that is clarified only by the Gospel. It would seem that the way of the Lord would be good for everyone, but that doesn’t apply to those who refuse to follow it. We see protestations all the time that Biblical morality is “hateful” and “exclusionary.” The single distinguishing factor between the two types of people mentioned here is repentance. As Romans 3:23 says so clearly, everyone has sinned, so by rights, no one fits into the category of “the righteous.” (The Japanese says, “the innocent.”) How­ever, the heart of the Gospel is that Jesus came to take the penalty for our sins, so that those who believe in Him receive His righteousness. It is only for those who refuse to repent and believe that the way of the Lord is ruin (or destruction, as the Japanese puts it). One issue is that of recognizing the way of the Lord. The devil does all he can to confuse and distract us, seeking to keep us from God’s way by accident rather than intent. That’s why we need to keep reading the Bible and praying daily, to avoid as many detours as possible. When we choose to abide in Christ, we indeed find refuge. (The Japanese says, “a fortress.”)

I’m preaching on “Hiding Place” this morning, which is closely related to this verse. As is often the case, God is giving me a practicum on the very thing He has me speaking on. The cause in this case isn’t sin but rather the fallibility of technology, but the desire to run away and hide is very real. My wife’s computer had a major problem that thankfully didn’t wipe out her data, but it did make her computer unusable for her. Connecting her hard drive to another computer on the network has enabled her to access her data, but with her medical issues she needs specific accessibility options which aren’t installed on the other computers. Not wanting to endanger her data has made the recovery/repair process take a long time, which is extremely frustrating for her and me both. Meanwhile, the world is not standing still, and other events and obligations come at us unabated. I am not to yield to the temptation to run, but know that I am secure in Christ no matter what is going on in the material world. It’s only been a matter of days since I was amazed at the super-abundance of God’s blessings! Those blessings have not evaporated, but I’ve been distracted from them. I need to choose to trust and follow God, asking for and receiving the wisdom I need for each moment, so that I won’t deviate from His way in my frustration.

Father, thank You for this further training. As it says in Hebrews 12, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11) May I continue to grow as You intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Our Image of God; April 2, 2022

Posted on April 11, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 147:10-11 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of a man;
the Lord delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.

The Japanese makes a lot more sense than the English here. Rather than saying “the legs of a man,” it says “a foot soldier.” Horses were largely seen as instruments of war, so the connection is obvious. In any case, the point is that God is concerned with people’s hearts, rather than what we would consider instruments of power. After all, God is omnipotent! Why would He be obsessed with any material thing? It’s interesting how easily we forget that. We imagine Him to be like us, instead of remembering that in His grace He made us a little bit like Him. It would be impossible to overstate the importance of how we see God. None of us sees Him perfectly or even very clearly, as Paul pointed out in 1 Corinthians 13:12. They only had polished metal mirrors back then, without the industrial systems we have today, so a reflection was distorted by definition. That’s a major reason God sent His Son, so that we would get a clearer picture. As Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) We need to look at Jesus to know the Father. A major issue is that all of us are greatly influenced by our biological fathers. If they loved and feared God, we have a far better chance of having at least a Biblical image of God, but sadly, that isn’t so common. We need to ask God to correct our image of Him so that we will relate to Him more accurately.

I was blessed to be raised by an exemplary father, but each of my siblings responded to him differently. We can never get away from personal responsibility. I am currently something of a father figure to a number of people, both in the church and in my secular teaching. I needed to be careful to present as accurate an image as possible of my heavenly Father so that they may seek Him accurately, and not from some strange tangent. I am sometimes a substitute for a physical father, but I must never think I am in the place of God, even though He does use me as His representative. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Father, thank You for this reminder. The new school term starts next week, and I want to be your agent indeed to them. Help me remember all You have taught me about Yourself and express it accurately in word and deed, drawing many to repentance and faith for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Trusting God Alone; April 1, 2022

Posted on April 10, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 146:3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.

It’s interesting that we need to be reminded of this so often. Human beings can do a lot of damage, and sometimes they can do a lot of good, but ultimately they are indeed just human. Right now various names pop up constantly in the news: Putin, Zelensky, Biden, and a number of others. Leaders are important, but they are never supreme, whatever titles they might claim for themselves. We are very easily distracted by people in various ways. People are indeed important, so much so that God sent His Son to die to save them, but they are important only because God says they are; they have no power or value except what God imparts to them. And of course, that applies to us as well, because we are just as human as anyone else we might think of. The point is to keep our focus on God, knowing that all power and authority come from, and ultimately reside in, Him alone. We are to be grateful when He uses us, or anyone else, for good, but we aren’t to rely on the person, but rather on God. Like­wise when someone like Putin makes a fuss, we are never to think he is more powerful than God, but rather lift up every situation in prayer. As is proclaimed so gloriously in heaven, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:10)

I can’t quote that verse without the modern musical setting for it running through my mind, but that’s not a bad thing. More than music, however, I need to keep the reality in focus. Most importantly, I need to remember that salvation doesn’t belong to me, except that God has provided it for me. It’s not something I can impart to anyone else, except by sharing the Gospel with them so that they too may repent and believe. And however much God might use me in specific situations, any good derived ultimately doesn’t come from me, but from God. Right now I’m confronted with a dying hard drive in my wife’s computer, with the potential of major data loss. I’m the computer tech on scene, and I feel enormous pressure. However, if I depend on myself, there’s no saving of the data or of my pride. If I depend on God, He may well use me to rescue both the data and my wife’s peace of mind. That of course is trivial compared to the eternal salvation of souls, and for that matter the salvation of nations, as is currently in the balance. I am to keep things in perspective and remember to trust only in my God. He’s certainly trustworthy!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, whatever happens or doesn’t happen, today and in the days to come, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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