Boldness; June 3, 2022

Posted on June 7, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 3:12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

Any time I read more than a verse or two of one of Paul’s letters – or any of a number of other places in the Bible, for that matter – I am in a quandary as to what to settle on, because it is so rich. I am reminded of a verse I read just last night, in an online Bible study with a friend: “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” (Psalm 36:9) God’s illumination enables us to see so much more than we ever could on our own. That fits perfectly with the “veil” imagery Paul uses in the verses immediately after this. The thing is, when God shows us stuff we need to act on it. When we know that God has spoken to us, nothing should hold us back. What Paul has just been talking about is what he described to the Colossians as “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) When we have that hope, we are indeed bold! We aren’t to be needlessly offensive, but “timid” should be the last word to describe us. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Much of the current ills of society have come because believers have failed to speak out and speak up. We are to be active in proclaiming the kingdom of God, His rule and reign, not as a human “theocracy” but in His will being done in every facet of society. Any thoughtful person can see that would be a far better world than what we face today. We need to recognize the hope that we have and act on it in all boldness, speaking the truth in love but not failing to speak the truth because of a misunderstanding of what love looks like.

Of course I’m preaching to myself here. I have held back from proclaiming the rule and reign of God more times than I care to think about. I have feared people’s reactions, since Biblical views are seldom “politically correct.” I don’t think of myself as timid, but too often I hold back for reasons that are not of God. I too need to focus on my Lord and the hope I have in Him. As the chorus says, “The things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” As a pastor, that’s how I want everyone in my flock to live, but I need to set the example!

Father, thank You for this powerful Word. Thank You that this coming Sunday is Pentecost, and for the message You’ve been incubating in me. I pray that I would indeed proclaim it in all boldness, not holding back in any way, so that Your will may be done fully in and through me and this congregation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Ministerial Ethics; June 2, 2022

Posted on June 6, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 1:12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace.

Ministerial ethics have been an issue even from Old Testament days. Eli’s sons, way back in 1 Samuel 2, were famously corrupt, and there were many other examples recorded. Just within the past few days there have been reports that have come out of sexual abuse by church leaders, and it seems like there is no end to it all. There is no question that all such people are called to account by God, but meanwhile the direct victims suffer and many people’s faith is damaged, because such people purport to represent God. Paul sets us an excellent example, and he expresses his operating principle here: to act on the basis of God’s grace rather than human wisdom. Human “wisdom” can be terribly foolish! Solomon, for example, descended into idolatry by trusting his own logic instead of what God had said. It seemed “reasonable” to him to accommodate his foreign wives for political reasons, since they were the daughters and sisters of various foreign kings. He had a very high IQ, but he corrupted it by trusting in it rather than in the God who had given it to him. I’m sure the case that came out very recently of the pastor who had “groomed” a girl until she had sex with him when she was 16 was one where the devil gave him all sorts of “good reasons” for his actions. The devil is a liar, and he is very adept at making his lies seem “reasonable” or even “logical.” All believers, but especially those in leadership, need to be unrelenting in clinging to God’s standard. We won’t do it perfectly, which is why it’s important that Paul talks about God’s grace here, but we are never to confuse grace with excusing sin. Any time we recognize that we have sinned our repentance needs to be immediate and as complete as possible. After all, we are told to “be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy.” (Leviticus 20:26)

Since I’ve been in ministry since 1976, this certainly applies to me! I certainly don’t claim perfection, but I’m grateful not to have had moral tragedies or scandals along the way. That doesn’t mean I’m to let down my guard, however. I’ve had women misunderstand and think I was “coming on” to them, and I regret that even though that was not my feeling or motive. I’ve been accused of “going after old women’s money,” even though that hadn’t crossed my mind. I am to walk in the holiness and sincerity of God, not by my strength, which is inadequate, but by the grace of God. As Paul so beautifully wrote to the Thessalonians, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24) That needs to be my goal and my assurance.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do pray for those who are damaged by unfaithful leaders, that You would comfort and heal them, and I ask Your mercy and tough love for those leaders who have gone astray, that the Bride of Christ may indeed be pure and strong and holy, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Relying on God; June 1, 2022

Posted on June 6, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 1:9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

It seems probable that the specific incident Paul is referring to here was when he was stoned in Lystra (Acts 14), when he had a near-death experience. However, the focus of this verse isn’t the experience itself but on what it did in Paul, teaching him to rely on God and not on himself. That’s a lesson we all need to learn! It is ironic that we generally have to come to the end of our own resources before we will turn to God for His. Logically that makes no sense at all, because God’s resources are infinite by definition, and ours are the opposite. The wisest course is to realize that and act on it without having to go through a near-death experience! However, some things have to be either experienced or directly revealed by God before we will really accept them; simply hearing them as information doesn’t cut it. One interesting thing about God’s revelation is that we have to accept it. All too often God shows us things and we turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to them. The longer I live the more I am aware of human free will and the power to choose. We can choose to learn to rely on God from much easier things than being stoned to death! Our stubborn pride blocks us from so much that God has prepared for us. We need to be like little children indeed, reaching out our hands to Daddy for all that He wants to give us, knowing that our own efforts won’t cut it. This isn’t to be passive; we are to take responsibility for using what God has already provided, as good stewards, but even then we must remember where it all came from in the first place.

A famous tale in my family is from when one of my sisters was little and first learning to do things for herself. Her famous phrase was, “Selfie do it.” (At the time, “selfie” wasn’t even a recognized word but now it is common, with the meaning of “a self-portrait.”) Such things are cute in a two-year-old, but that attitude has nearly done me in on multiple occasions! Just recently I had a minor problem with my van, and my immediate response was thinking how to fix it myself. However, the Lord gave me a nudge yesterday and I took it by our mechanic. He identified the problem immediately and fixed it free of charge, and as it turned out, I would not have had the parts necessary. Maybe I’m learning a little with age! As I am reminded frequently, the vision God has given me of Omura again becoming the foremost Christian city in Japan is something I can’t possibly accomplish on my own, so I’m absolutely forced to rely on Him. I’m grateful for that! As He has told me to do, I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, staying available for however He chooses to use me but not insisting that He do so. I am to make room for others to grow in their gifting, teaching them what I have learned of relying on God, so that in all things He may be glorified and the Body of Christ be built up.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for the recent experience to illustrate it. May I be a faithful steward of all You have provided, so that it will fulfill Your purposes in every way, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Resurrection; May 31, 2022

Posted on June 3, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 15:19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

This one verse pretty well wipes out the Prosperity Gospel nonsense. It’s not that we don’t have blessings in Christ in this world, but such blessing are not the purpose nor the goal of salvation. Those whose focus is on the material really are pathetic! Jesus made it very clear that those who follow Him would face opposition and even persecution. In fact, there were more Christian martyrs in the 20th Century than in all the previous centuries combined, and the pace has even picked up in the 21st Century. When that’s the case, why go to the trouble of trying to follow Christ if this life is all there is? The thing is, this life is if anything even less than “the tip of the iceberg,” as the saying goes. Eternal life begins from the moment we repent and believe, surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and it only grows from there. Those who approach it as a religious system get way off track. As the hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” When we are in Him by faith, then we get all that He has, including resurrection, which is the subject of this passage. Again, if resurrection were only a matter of our physical bodies, with no change from how they are now, what would be the point? I frankly wouldn’t want to live forever in this body! Jesus’ resurrection body obviously had various special abilities, such as walking into a locked room, but it could still eat and speak. There is far more we don’t know about our resurrection bodies than we do know, but the point is, our current life and situation are by no means the end. We have eternity to look forward to, and science fiction doesn’t begin to touch it!

This is something I think about only occasionally. My wife had a near-death experience back in 1975, and from her report it’s certainly something to look forward to. How that meshes precisely with resurrection is something I’ll have to experience to find out! My major principle in thinking about it all is that God’s got an absolutely wonderful plan, and He is totally worthy of complete trust. Recently I have been reminded repeatedly of a powerful statement by Paul: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) I have only the vaguest idea of what that eternal glory will be like, because my brain doesn’t have the “horsepower” to comprehend it. However, I am totally convinced that it will be more than worth anything and everything I might have to go through in this life.

Father, thank You for the privilege of going through this life in fellowship with You by Your Spirit, and for the assurance that this is just a “foretaste of glory divine,” as the hymn says. There are many, many things I don’t know or understand, and this life certainly has its frustrations. Help me not let any of that drag me down, but let me walk in the peace and assurance of Your presence at all times, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Words in Love; May 30, 2022

Posted on June 2, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

It is interesting that the Japanese translation of this verse uses the term for the spiritual gift of tongues both places (the tongues of men and the tongues of angels) in this verse. I don’t think that’s wrong necessarily, but I think it applies to far more than that, actually to all verbal communication. We are awash in a sea of words, from advertising to data transmission to everything in between. And frankly, much if not most of that has nothing to do with love. We need to have accurate filters for our intake, distinguishing not only what is true and accurate but also what is expressed in love and what is not. We can’t control the words that come at us, but we certainly can control the words that come from us, and we had better do it. Everyone longs for relevance, for meaning, for our existence to make a difference. This verse gives us a strong clue as to how to make that happen. Noisy gongs and clanging cymbals aren’t things to remember, but to try to forget!

This whole chapter is of course very familiar, Verse 13 is one of the first I ever memorized, and I use from verse four to the first part of verse eight in my standard wedding message. In recent years verse 12 has resonated with me, particularly because we live in the Information Age. That said, this verse speaks to me personally because I am a man of words. As I comment fairly frequently, I make my living with words. That makes it vital that I keep this verse in focus. To be honest, I talk a lot. There are times when I am sure my hearers perceive me as essentially a noise maker, just as Paul says here. That’s a bad thing any way you look at it (or hear it). The love that Paul speaks of here is agape, which means it isn’t emotional as such, and it certainly isn’t self-serving, as he specifies from verse four on. God’s love, which is consistently agape, is sometimes severe, bringing the discipline we need, so this verse isn’t saying that my words are always to be sugarcoated. Speaking with God’s love is the opposite of the “careless words” Jesus warned us about. (Matthew 12:36) I am to interact with people on the basis of God’s love always, and not just on the basis of my intellect. My mind has been known to use words as weapons, putting people down to make me feel big. That’s certainly no good! I have experienced God speaking His words through me, and that is marvelous. I am in awe that He would do that, but it’s not something for which I can take personal pride. I can’t make it happen, exactly, but the way to be available for any time God wants to do it is to focus on love, His for me and for all mankind, and mine for Him in response. If I will do that, then I will speak His words with consistency, and that is the opposite of a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the gift of words that You have given me. Help me always express that gift as You intend, speaking Your words in Your love to produce Your results for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Ministers; May 29, 2022

Posted on June 2, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 9:16 Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

There are all sorts of motives for becoming a Christian minister. To some, it seems like a glamorous occupation, being respected by all without a great deal of effort. That’s a terrible misunderstanding! I have encountered some “ministers” for whom the Gospel seemed to have very little to do with them! It only stands to reason that Christ’s representatives are chosen by Christ, but even with that understanding we need to remember that one of the original 12 apostles actively betrayed Him, and none of them were perfect. Even Paul, who wrote this, was very forthright about not being perfect. (Philippians 3:12-14) There is no room for pride, but only gratitude that God would use you in spite of yourself. There are indeed many ministers who have that attitude, but it is certainly not universal. However, when God has given us a job to do, we are indeed in trouble if we fail to do it, just like Paul says here. Perhaps the greatest demand on a minister is simple faithfulness, getting in there and doing the job regardless of circumstances. Such faithfulness will never go unrewarded.

Of course this applies directly to me. As the son and grandson of ministers, some would think I was just “continuing the family business,” but that’s hardly the case. I had to struggle with being willing to go to seminary, and I had to struggle twice over being willing to pastor a local congregation. Teaching comes naturally and easily to me, but dealing with messy interpersonal relationships can take a real toll! The first time I accepted a pastorate it was because God showed me I needed the experience if I was going to relate fully to Japanese pastors (whom I thought would be the focus of my ministry). The second was when I had sheep and there was no other shepherd available! That one really was hard, because the reasons for the situation were precisely those messy interpersonal relationships! In the 38 years since that second surrender I have indeed learned the meaning of, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) I can claim perfection no more than Paul could, but also like him, I know what I have to do and am committed to doing it.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the experience last night of filling in for a minister friend. Your presence and anointing were clear, and it felt very good, even though the schedule wasn’t exactly convenient. I do pray for all Your “under-shepherds,” that they would be encouraged and strengthened to do each task that You set for them, that the Body of Christ may be guilt up indeed and You be glorified. Thank You. Praise God!

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The God of Hope; May 28, 2022

Posted on June 1, 2022 by jgarrott

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

What a beautiful benediction! I don’t know that I’ve ever heard it used in a church service; I know I’ve never used it. Likewise, “The God of Hope” isn’t a title we often hear for our Creator. Events in the world around us can certainly make us feel hopeless, and that feeling itself can be very damaging, even fatal. I don’t think anyone ever commits suicide when they are brimming with hope! Hope can be contagious. I like that Paul uses the phrase, “overflow with hope,” because that means it splashes onto those around us. Hope is closely tied to gratitude, and as Dennis Prager points out frequently, gratitude is essential for happiness. Someone who is ungrateful is not happy, and neither do they have much genuine hope. Events like the recent school shooting in Texas hit us hard, and reasonably so. That was a tragedy indeed on two scales, both that the mental illness of the perpetrator wasn’t fully recognized and acted on ahead of time, and that law enforcement didn’t get into the classroom to stop him for a full hour after the shooting started. There is indeed much evil in the world, but if we focus on the evil, we will lose our gratitude and our hope. The world was given to mankind at creation, but we turned around and gave it to the devil through sin. However, the God of Hope had a plan, and He sent His Son to take the penalty for our sins and give us the hope of eternal life. When we really grasp that, gratitude and hope will be unfailing whatever is going on around us.

This of course applies to me. The incident in Uvalde was horrible, but looking at it dispassionately, the toll was no worse than a bad weekend in Chicago, and it totally pales in comparison to what has happened in Ukraine in the past three months. I’ve got to remember that we live in a fallen world and stand firm and tall in Christ, not trying to “fix” things in my own wisdom and strength but being yielded and obedient to the only One who indeed can fix things. He might even use me for some tiny part of it! I am challenged regularly by circumstances, dealing with people and events that I would prefer to be otherwise. I’ve got to keep my focus on my Lord, walking in gratitude and hope so that it may indeed overflow to those around me, creating a “lake of hope” in the dry desert of the world, for the glory of God.

Father, thank You for this Word. You’ve given me some beautiful imagery. May it not stop with pretty words, but be worked out in the lives of many, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Living Like Jesus; May 27, 2022

Posted on June 1, 2022 by jgarrott

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The 13 verses from 9-21 are an extremely concentrated, extremely down-to-earth guide to living as a Christian, and this verse essentially sums it all up. You could say that this passage is the answer to the question, “what would Jesus do?” Society would be very different if every avowed Christian actually lived this way! The devil knows this, so he does all he can to try to convince us that this is “impractical,” that “no one could actually live this way.” However, like everything else he says, that’s a lie. Jesus obviously lived like this, and those who are in Him can do so as well. When we try to take control, to do things in our own strength, we fail miserably at this sort of lifestyle, but humble submission to the Holy Spirit will bring us through every time. Just recently a report was released about sexual abuse in a major Protestant denomination in the US. Since my immediate ancestors were very active in that denomination, I at least knew of, and in some cases knew directly, most of the people named in that report. Those men were blinded by what other people (and the devil) said about them. They lost the fundamental humility necessary to live as Paul describes here. The devil is absolutely nasty, and he respects no one. To do as this verse says, overcoming evil with good, we’ve got to be as the song says: “In Christ alone I place my trust.” The moment we trust even ourselves, we are open to deception.

The textbook that I use in teaching medical English to Japanese has the line, “I don’t have confidence in myself.” The Japanese word for “confidence” is written with characters that literally mean “self belief.” I tell my students that I don’t like that Japanese word, because I don’t believe in myself. I have betrayed myself countless times! However, I believe in God, so I can have assurance, without trusting in myself. That might seem to be no more than word games, but I think it’s very important. I have been tripped up far too much by pride, and I know the damage that can cause. The world is certainly full of evil, and I’m not to shut my eyes to it. However, neither am I to fix my eyes on it, but rather fix them on the One who has overcome evil and death, and by abiding in Him, allow His victory to operate in and through me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all that You have been doing in, around, and through us in these days. My schedule looks empty today, but I have a lot I need or want to take care of. Help me not forget things and let them slip through the cracks, but rather spend each moment in obedience to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Grace; May 26, 2022

Posted on May 29, 2022 by jgarrott

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

This chapter as a whole is talking about the salvation of the Jews, and as such is very important, but this one little verse has deep implications for everyone. A surprising number of Christians, though saved by grace through faith, (Ephesians 2:8-9) turn around and essentially negate that grace through trying to earn God’s favor. The problem is hardly new: Paul’s letter to the Galatians was written about this exact issue. However, if it was important enough for Paul to write a whole book of the Bible about it, we had better pay attention! The problem can actually become pretty complicated. It’s not at all that our actions don’t matter. We are accountable to God for everything we do and even every word we say. (Matthew 12:36) However, that doesn’t negate the fact that we can never be good enough, since we are fundamentally stained with sin. The path of salvation isn’t climbing a mountain, figuratively or literally, but simply recognizing our absolute need of salvation and believing that Jesus died for us. Once we have done that, then our activities are to be a response to that overwhelming grace, not an effort to earn it. As Paul said right after that famous bit I already mentioned about salvation by grace through faith, God has plenty for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) Abiding in God’s grace is never stagnant. The doctrine of “Once saved always saved” doesn’t mean we get put on a shelf until we eventually go to heaven. We can’t earn salvation, but the better we grasp God’s love and grace, the more totally we will be dedicated to serving Him however He desires.

Of course this applies to me the same way it does to everyone else. I have dedicated my life to serving God, and the Bible is clear that I will be rewarded for that, but it is only by God’s grace that any of it has even been possible. I recognize that I have urges within me that utterly disqualify me from approaching God in His holiness, but at the same time I am assured that the cross of Christ was sufficient to cover all of that. When I was in high school I did a presentation in an English class on methods of torture, some of which I had thought up myself! I know that in my flesh I am capable of unspeakable horror and filth, but I also know that God’s grace is sufficient even for me, and when I am yielded to Him, He actually uses me. It is my infinite privilege to share that grace with others, in word and in action, with the prayer that they too may repent and believe for their salvation.

Father, thank You for Your grace that is beyond words to express fully. Help me live every moment in response to that grace, with gratitude that wells up in praise and worship to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Entropy; May 25, 2022

Posted on May 28, 2022 by jgarrott

Romans 8:20-21 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Every once in a while it’s good to write on a passage I haven’t underlined previously! As I read this just now it hit me that this is describing the repeal of entropy, of all things. Entropy is considered to be one of the foundational principles of the universe, that things wind down and deteriorate – which is why evolution is such an absurdity. The very people who deny the existence of a Creator likewise insist that entropy is real, totally missing the disconnect in their thinking. However, just as there is both nuclear fission and nuclear fusion, God isn’t limited by the “law” of entropy. The world doesn’t have to always “run downhill!” Just recently some physicists have advanced the previously heretical idea that the laws of physics might not be constant, and here we have Paul saying that they are indeed going to change. Pardon me for being a total geek, but that’s exciting! As I am reminded with some frequency, our concept of God is too small. On one level that’s unavoidable, since God is infinite and we aren’t, but it’s something we should work to get past. He does indeed reveal Himself to us in various ways, just as He did to Paul here, and we need to keep our hearts open to that revelation. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would do that work in us, (John 14:26) and that’s a major reason to seek to be filled with and in step with the Spirit. God is far too big for us to grasp Him on our own!

Of course this applies to me. I have been tripped up by pride in my high IQ, when human IQ is effectively zero when compared to God. I need to absorb as much as possible of the Bible, since God isn’t going to contradict Himself, but I am not to be limited by the human systems that men have created by their interpretations of what is written. God isn’t limited by anything! I have been a fan of science fiction since I entered my teens, and already many of the things I read 60 years ago are part of our daily lives. Physical things are trivial compared to the spiritual, but that’s an illustration of the danger of saying, “never happen.” I need to have faith and expectation that God is going to fulfill His Word, regardless of how things might look at any given moment, so that I will be available to Him for whatever purpose He might have for me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word. I’m a bit blown out of the water! Help me open my heart to You fully so that I will neither hold back nor go astray, but follow You fully in all that You want to do involving me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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