The Joy of the Lord; August 30, 2022

Posted on September 1, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 65:8 Those living far away fear your wonders;
where morning dawns and evening fades
you call forth songs of joy.

There is no limit to God, and so no limit to His influence or to how His creation should respond to Him. The NIV says, “Those living far away,” but the Japanese sticks with “The ends of the earth.” It should be noted that that influence is for good. Fear is mentioned, but that is in the form of awe and respect. It’s the “songs of joy” that should catch our attention. Our theme for the readings at this point is “The Joy of the Lord,” and the Bible is certainly filled with it. When we decline His joy, we are really turning our backs on our Creator. As Dennis Prager has said, “You’ll never meet a happy leftist.” That’s certainly not to say that we are to be “happy, happy, happy, joy, joy, joy” all the time, but it is to say that a correct awareness of our Creator and His love for us is a deeply joyful thing. That’s why C. S. Lewis titled his autobiography, Surprised by Joy. Of course there was a pun there, because his wife’s name was Joy and he married late in life, but he was deeply aware of the joy of the Lord, even though he is seen as a very serious person. If you are a committed “sourpuss,” you have no reason to look forward to heaven! Both the Bible and those who have had near-death experiences report that joy is something of a foundation for everything there, so we would do well to get into practice!

Having been born and raised in Japan, I have always latched onto Bible verses that could be seen as referring to Japan, such as this one. After all, Japan has long been called the Land of the Rising Sun. References to islands also ring my chimes, for the same reasons. The idea that God would call forth songs of joy from Japan is deeply exciting to me. I remain convinced that Japan has to be special in God’s plan because the devil has been so reluctant to let go of it. Right now one of the things it’s famous for is a high suicide rate, but I believe God wants to flip that around and make it famous for His joy. I have been planted here as His agent, and that means I must be an agent of joy. That’s not superficial and material, but the deep joy of knowing God’s love and responding to it in repentance and faith. Japan has a terrible track record in terms of responding to the Gospel, but nothing is impossible for God. The idea of God pouring His Spirit out on this nation gives me deep joy indeed!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed walk in Your joy even as I look forward to the indescribable joy of being in Your presence for eternity. May I draw more and more people into Your joy, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Timelessness of the Bible; August 29, 2022

Posted on September 1, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 64:10 Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord
and take refuge in him;
let all the upright in heart praise him!

When I read this Psalm this morning I thought I was reading about modern American politics! I guess this just shows that human nature has been perverted from the beginning, and only the externals change. Our current society would be unrecognizable, certainly magical, to someone from David’s time, but the basic things of the human soul haven’t changed. That’s why the Bible is as relevant today as when it was written, and for that matter, why the US Constitution is as vital today as when it was written. That’s certainly more recent than King David! We keep running into the reality that God is outside of time, so all times are the same to Him. That’s why it is so important that Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17) That is recorded right after the Beatitudes, and it’s followed by various passages that intensify things that are stated in the Old Testament. God knew our hearts when He spoke to Moses and the prophets, and He certainly knows our hearts today. That’s why He spoke through Malachi, “I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” (Malachi 3:6) He knew what He was getting into when He created us and gave us free will; He’s not surprised by our stupidity. That’s precisely why He caused the Bible to be written: so that we would better understand our own proclivities and know how to stay out of trouble. We can’t avoid trouble completely, because we have to live with everyone else, such as the people David was writing about in this Psalm, but if our focus is on God and walking with Him, we will be blessed indeed. (John 16:33) That’s why we need to keep reading the Bible, regardless of how many times we’ve read it before, to ingrain it in our heart and mind. (Psalm 119:11)

This is an awareness that has grown in me over the years. I guess it’s a sign of maturity! I am not to be surprised at my own failures, much less at the failures of others, but at the same time I’m not to excuse them. I am to remember that God has provided a way out of it all through His Son, and both walk in that way myself and proclaim it to all who will receive it. I am to keep taking in His Word, though I first read through the Bible by the time I was 10. I’m still learning to live it out! I am to keep sharing His truth with those around me as He speaks it to my heart, always confirming it with and grounding it in the Bible. The Holy Spirit is the reliable guide for that. I am to rejoice that He knows me completely, better than I know myself, and likewise rejoice in the privilege of learning to know Him better, looking forward to the time when “I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Father, thank You for Your timeless Word. Thank You for speaking through it to me day by day, drawing me closer to You. Help me be more and more effective in sharing it with others in ways they can receive it, so that they too may be protected from the wiles of the devil and their own foolishness, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Focus on God; August 28, 2022

Posted on August 31, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 63:6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.

This Psalm speaks beautifully of the blessings of being in a situation where we are forced to depend on God. The preface to this Psalm says he was “in the Desert of Judah,” which is a very dry place indeed, and that means it was when he was being actively pursued by Saul, who wanted to kill him. As has been said, such a situation can really focus your attention! Life can be extremely distracting in many ways, so God allows things to catch up with us sometimes to teach us to fix our focus on Him. Insomnia is a frequent result of accumulated stress, and David had the perfect answer. If he was awake, he would think of God. The devil doesn’t like that, and when we choose that over anxiety, the devil generally gives up and lets us sleep! The next verse very poetically gives the result of that: “I sing in the shadow of your wings.” Letting praise and worship songs run through our heart and mind is a marvelous habit for any time of the day or night!

This is something I experience frequently. I woke up this morning with a worship song running through my mind, but I don’t remember which one it was, because the songs that have been made from this Psalm drove it out! Just a week ago I allowed several minor things to pile up in my heart and mind and I was in very rough shape just as the service was about to begin, and I’m the pastor! Today, however, those issues have been resolved and I am at peace. We are such fragile beings! Whether circumstances seem good or bad, I need to keep my focus on my Creator, my Savior, and allow His Spirit to fill my heart and mind. That is indeed the path of rest and blessing that I am to follow, and to teach others to do likewise.

Father, thank You for Your overflowing grace toward me. Help me appropriate it fully, not taking it for granted but living in constant gratitude and obedience. I ask for clear guidance and anointing as I speak this morning, that each one who hears, in person or electronically, may hear You indeed and be transformed, as You intend and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dealing with Sin; August 27, 2022

Posted on August 31, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

This Psalm is certainly one of the most famous, and for excellent reason. As the response to Nathan having confronted David over his taking Bathsheba and having Uriah killed, the background could hardly be more dramatic. This particular verse brings out a vital point: David realizes that he cannot clean his own heart, so he asks God to create one in him. “Spirit” here refers to his attitude, his psychological makeup, so he has some influence there, but he recognized that it is very shaky, so he asks for help in straightening up. That God answered this part of his prayer is evident from his response when the infant born of his adultery dies. (2 Samuel 12) Recognizing his own responsibility, he throws himself on the mercy of God. (2 Samuel 12:13-22) We need both of those things in our lives. We need God to do what we cannot do, and we need to take responsibility and do what only we can do. We are prone to be all over the place when it comes to this sort of thing. Self-help books abound, making us think that we can clean up our own act, and indeed Buddhism is based on that very idea. At the same time, modern psychology is very prone to encourage blaming everyone else for our issues, promoting toxic narcissism. I watched a video yesterday that said that 70% of counselors and psychiatrists fall into that camp. We need to ask God to give us the tools, but then accept responsibility and accountability for what we do with those tools. That is an essential element of genuine repentance, which is essential to a right relationship with our Creator.

Over the years I have had to come to terms with my being a deeply flawed individual. I have battled both careless sins and besetting sins, and God is the judge of the severity of any sin. That said, even the smallest sin is at its root rebellion against God, and is totally disqualifying until it is put under the blood of the Lamb. (1 John 1:7) I am in the position of guiding others, but I must seek and accept the Holy Spirit’s guidance in my own life. I am not to be neurotically picking at myself, but I must be totally open and responsive when the Holy Spirit points out something of which I need to repent. As one who has received mercy, I must be a channel of mercy and grace to others, allowing God to use me to counter the lies of the devil, not only to myself but to all with whom I interact, so that as many as possible may repent and believe for their salvation.

Father, thank You indeed for Your truly amazing grace. Help me never take it lightly or for granted, but walk in humble obedience before You, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jerusalem; August 26, 2022

Posted on August 30, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.

Any time we read the Bible we need to remember that polytheism was the norm when it was written. Particularly in America that can be easy to forget, but that is dangerous, because Allah is not the same as Yahweh. In English terms, “God” was not a capitalized word, and was often plural. This Psalm is a pean to Jerusalem, but it is in terms of her being the city of Yahweh, who sets her apart from every other city. That is precisely why, when it began to look like the Jews might get their own nation again, back at the beginning of the 20th Century, Islamists took notice and started claiming Jerusalem as their own “holy city,” which they had never done previously. These days, the statement that Jerusalem is “holy to the world’s three great religions” is undisputed, when 150 years ago hardly anyone would have said it. During the Crusades, the Moslems tried to hang onto Jerusalem just to keep it from the Jews and the Christians. The irony in all of that is that Jesus Himself said, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem,” (John 4:21) going on to explain that “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) It’s not that Jerusalem isn’t special, but our worship of Yahweh is not at all limited geographically. The same could be said of veneration of the Vatican, or for that matter, any limitation to a specific church building. A place of worship is special not because of the place, but because of Whom we worship.

My desire to see the Museum of Egyptology in Cairo was the deciding factor in my family going by way of Egypt rather than Israel when we were on our way back to Japan in 1959, but I’m sure I would choose differently today, given the option. Even so, I am well aware that God is just as real in Omura, Japan, as He is in Jerusalem. My relationship with Him is spiritual rather than temporal. That said, I do pray for the peace of Jerusalem, (Psalm 122:6) and I remain convinced that the Jews are a vital part of what God is doing in these End Times. I remember that Pyongyang, the current capital of North Korea, was at one time called “the Jerusalem of the East,” because of the revival that was going on there. God is not limited geographically, but He does use specific locations for specific purposes at times. It is the vision of this church that Omura would again be the foremost Christian city in Japan, as it was 450 years ago, but that is an empty goal if it doesn’t include the Gospel going out to the rest of the nation and the world. I am to pray as Jesus taught us, that the Father’s rule and reign would be established throughout the world, and His will be done as perfectly everywhere as it is before His throne in heaven.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There are so many important truths that we are so prone to forget. Help me recognize Your thoughts and think them after You, not leaning on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6) but following You in everything, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

People of God; August 25, 2022

Posted on August 30, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 47:9 The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.

Passages like this are scattered throughout the Old Testament, but are largely ignored, particularly by Jews. Gentiles might not be physical descendants of Abraham, but they belong to the God of Abraham none the less. This particular passage might seem elitest, implying that it is only Gentile nobles who belong to God, but that’s not the case at all. We all belong to Him by right of creation. That is not only a matter of responsibility and accountability, it is also an incredible privilege. Paul explained this in terms of faith, expounding on it at length throughout Romans and also in other letters. “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26) A hymn from 150 years ago beautifully expresses it as, I’m a Child of the King. We lose out on so much when we fail to grasp that! That’s precisely why the devil does all he can to hide this truth from us, because he’s always out to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) God doesn’t spoil His children; being a child of God doesn’t mean easy street. However, at the very least it guarantees us “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:4) Peter, who wrote that, went through some horrible times and was martyred by being crucified upside down, after being forced to watch his wife being crucified. Such things cannot touch the reality of our position in Christ, as Paul wrote so memorably in Romans 8:37-39. However, that position is received by faith, so we not only need to keep believing ourselves, we need to give those around us every opportunity to repent and believe as well, for their salvation and God’s glory.

This is a reality that has been ingrained in me since childhood. My biggest problem has been in taking it for granted, failing to give God the gratitude and obedience He deserves. I also get distracted by all sorts of things, forgetting my place in Christ in moments of pain, frustration, or disappointment. How foolish of me! Like Peter told his wife to do when she was being crucified, I need to remember Jesus. I certainly have no room to complain! For over 20 years I have been saying that when Japanese Christians wake up to who they are in Christ they will not only transform the nation, they will transform the world. The same could be said of the believers of any nation! I am to keep proclaiming God’s truth in God’s love, so that by the power of God’s Spirit more and more people may have their eyes opened, to walk in all that He intends for them.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your overflowing grace toward me. Help me walk in that fully today as Your child, speaking Your words and doing Your will in every interaction, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God’s Truth; August 24, 2022

Posted on August 27, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 43:3 Send forth your light and your truth,
let them guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.

I have written on this Psalm numbers of times, and it is justly famous. 42:1 is widely popular as set to music, and the repeated refrain (42:5, 11, 43:5) has helped countless people overcome depression. However, there is more to this than those most famous bits. I like this verse because of the reference to light, truth, and guidance. David put it like this: “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” (Psalm 36:9) God’s light is qualitatively different from physical illumination. It is inseparable from who He is, and it enables us to perceive things as they really are. No deception can stand before God’s light! That makes it again inseparable from God’s truth. Recently expressions like “my truth” and “your truth” have become popular, as though truth were subjective. However, that’s a logical absurdity, and it is promoted by the ultimate liar. (John 8:44) Sometimes two things can be true that seem to contradict each other, such as free will and predestination, but that conflict comes from our limited intellect, rather than being intrinsic. In any case, God’s light and truth will always lead us to Him, and that should be our goal. Anything that doesn’t lead us to God is ultimately worthless.

This has been a growing awareness in me for essentially my whole life. I have been distracted by various things at various times, and even now many things vie for my attention, but God’s light and truth are ultimate. The thing is, it remains my choice as to where I will invest my attention. I’m not to ignore the things of my daily life, much less the people around me, but my ultimate focus needs to be on God, on His light and truth. I need to be careful always to speak the truth in love, and not wield it as a cudgel, but I’m not to deny the truth in order to “be kind.” Lies are never kind, whatever “social norms” might say. That’s not to say that I’m always to blab things out, particularly when they would be wounding; I need to know when to be quiet. That’s been a problem for me! I need to speak God’s truth in God’s love so that it may be God’s light to lead people to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. You have me preaching on testifying of You again this Sunday, when the message was similar just a couple of weeks ago. Your truth bears repeating! May I yield total Lordship to You, so that Your words through me may accomplish Your will for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Giving a Testimony; August 23, 2022

Posted on August 27, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 40:10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not conceal your love and your truth
from the great assembly.

Several of David’s Psalms seem almost bipolar, going from joyful praise to self-centered depression and back again. This is one of those, yet it is undeniably inspired. Verses six and seven are recognized in the New Testament as being prophetic of Jesus, and several parts of this Psalm have been set to music and dearly loved in that form. We tend to want to be “up” all the time, but life, and human nature, aren’t like that. I personally think that a number of things that are diagnosed as psychiatric disorders these days are really just people being human. The more we focus on the negatives the more narcissistic we become, and that is never healthy. In this verse David is recognizing a major antidote to all of that, and that is testifying about the good things God has done for us. In telling others, we are reminded of God’s grace and faithfulness, and that shifts our focus away from ourselves and onto the only One who deserves all praise, thanks, and glory. One of my wife’s favorite hymns, even from her childhood, is Count Your Blessings. Doing that, not just to yourself but to others, can be powerful spiritual warfare. In this verse David speaks of God’s righteousness, faithfulness, salvation, love, and truth. When we’re busy telling others of these things, we too will be lifted up and the devil’s lies will be defeated.

“Giving a testimony” was something I knew of but was never stressed in my childhood. Every religious tradition has its weak points and its strong points! We have had “testimony time” in our services here, but I didn’t teach on the benefits very much and it kind of faded away. One issue is that in Japanese culture bragging is seen as very impolite, to put it mildly, and giving testimonies can feel like bragging. I need to lay the foundation for people to understand the difference between bragging and giving God praise and glory. To be honest, that line can blur at times for all of us, but we must not let that keep us from testifying of God’s goodness. I myself have held back from testifying out of a fear of being seen as bragging. I need to let God’s perfect love cast out all fear, (1 John 4:18) and lead all the believers here to testify of what God has done for them, so that many more may be drawn to repentance and faith.

Father, thank You for pointing this out to me. I ask for clear guidance and anointing as I not only preach, but teach and coach all the believers to be the witnesses You have called us to be, (Acts 1:8) for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hard Times; August 22, 2022

Posted on August 26, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 35:9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord
and delight in his salvation.

Unusually, today’s reading has very little that I had previously underlined. The Psalm as a whole is a prayer that God would not only rescue David, He would bring the traps of David’s enemies back on their own heads. We sometimes forget that none of the characters in the Bible, or for that matter, all the believers since, had it very easy. Not all of them had people literally trying to kill them the way David did, but there are plenty of Christians even today who do. We get so soft, wanting everything to be easy! On the political/social scale, it has been said that “Hard times make strong men. Strong men make good times. Good times make weak men. Weak men make hard times.” That cycle has been carried out countless times throughout human history, on every scale from the micro to the macro. We have two bad tendencies: to want everything to be easy, and when things are easy, to stop working at making/keeping things easy. We tend to create scenarios in our minds – if this person were elected, if this condition were fulfilled – and pin our hopes on that, rather than living in faithful stewardship of all our opportunities and responsibilities. There’s no question that some things are more desirable than others, but if those things are received/achieved, that doesn’t mean we aren’t to keep pressing in for more of what God wants for us. However, we aren’t to be paranoid about it all. That’s why Jesus told His disciples, mere hours before He was arrested, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) We are to expect challenges to keep us growing, but we aren’t to be anxious about any of it.

I have long loved that quote from John 16, but that doesn’t mean I’ve always been obedient to something the Lord has told me personally: “Rest. Relax. Rejoice.” Just yesterday I had an experience that is thankfully very rare for me: I became emotionally unglued. All I wanted to do was to literally run away and hide, which was pretty awkward when this was just before the start of the church service! Five or six minor things had stacked up, and I don’t know that any was more important than the others, but the result was that I was an emotional wreck. No fun! God was faithful and I got through it without leaving the building, but my human frailty was certainly on display. I’m sure that God will use it to help the believers understand that I can’t carry this church alone, nor should I try. Participation is an issue in many if not most churches, and I think God is working on that with this church. There were no non-believers here yesterday, so I don’t think anyone was negatively influenced. I certainly don’t enjoy times like that, but I’m not to complain about them. Rather, I am to thank God that He’s still working on me, and that He will use even my weaknesses and failures to bless others.

Father, help me keep my hopes in Christ alone, even as numerous songs proclaim. Help me not trust myself, nor be cast down when my weakness is evident. May I indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in Christ, knowing that in Him I am completely accepted by You. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Evangelism; August 21, 2022

Posted on August 26, 2022 by jgarrott

Psalm 34:11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

This Psalm as a whole is a treasure, rightly loved by many with various parts of it set to music. It was written by David after a particularly dramatic incident in his life, recorded in 1 Samuel 21, and he wanted to give God the glory. It is a formulaic poem, with each verse starting with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, but that doesn’t reduce its sincerity or impact. To me, this verse contains the key to the whole Psalm, the motive for David writing it: he wanted other people to know and rightly relate to the Lord who had saved him. This should be the motivation behind all Christian writing, certainly. Each believer has a salvation story, some more dramatic than others but all meaningful. We aren’t likely to convince someone to commit themselves to Christ without sharing what He’s done for us. Most “personal evangelism” systems are largely academic and theoretical, expressing truth without humanizing it. Any time we share Christ we need to make it personal, sharing who He is to us, and not like an image in a stained glass window. That’s what David was doing here, even if he was using a poetic formula. The first six verses are quite specific that David is speaking from experience, and the whole Psalm has been a blessing to countless people ever since.

I have been a man of words most if not all of my life, and my words have had various effects, some intentional and some not. In recent years I have finally understood that this verse should express the motive behind every one of my words. Sadly, various other motivations still express themselves, but this should be supreme. My words to God are to be praise and gratitude, but my words to people should all be to draw them closer to God. Yesterday I had the privilege of doing premarital counseling with a dedicated Christian couple, and I think we all enjoyed it a great deal. Many words were said – it ran much longer than expected – but I think we were all in closer harmony with the Lord at the end than when we started. They requested another session! Whether I am talking with dedicated believers like them, with total unbelievers, or anything in between, my motive should be to show them God and teach them to draw closer to Him, however close or far they might be at the moment. That is both a high privilege and something that is impossible if I rely on myself. I can talk on and on, but unless the Lord guides and inhabits my words, the results won’t be anything good. However, He has demonstrated countless times that He delights to speak through me, so I am to make myself fully available to Him.

Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of teaching people to be rightly related to You. May I do it more and more consistently, more and more effectively, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment