Truth; April 14, 2022

Posted on April 18, 2022 by jgarrott

John 18:37-38 “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
“What is truth?” Pilate asked.

Pilate was very much a man of the 21st Century, despite having lived so long ago. In recent decades the devil has been remarkably successful in tearing down the very idea of absolute truth, so that people speak of “my truth” and “your truth.” That’s a good way to destroy not only individuals but society itself. In this passage the Japanese brings out something that I feel is very important. It says, “Those who belong to the truth listen to me and obey.” That “listen and obey” is a fairly standard expression in Japanese, but it couldn’t be more appropriate to what Jesus says here. As James pointed out, if we just hear and fail to obey we are deceiving ourselves. (James 1:22) Also, the Japanese care a lot about belonging, being part of a group, so it is very meaningful that Jesus says, “belong to the truth.” Far too many church members give God’s truth lip service, but really belong to the world. Their decisions aren’t predicated on what God says, but on what the world approves. That is sad indeed. Passion Week is an excellent time to examine ourselves to see if we really belong to the truth. Do we really love Jesus, that is, do what He tells us? (John 14:21, 23) Do we stand firm in what He has said, regardless of what the world around us is saying? Do we recognize the lies of the devil, despite people’s claims that they are truth? God is faithful, and He will indeed lead us into His truth if that is our commitment, our heart. (John 14:26)

It really tears me up to hear people I care deeply about say things like “his truth” or “their truth.” We belong to the truth; the truth doesn’t belong to us! The world insists that it is conceit to claim that we know an absolute truth and someone else doesn’t, but that is the devil’s attempt to destroy the Gospel and enslave people to him. Jesus’ promise is, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) I cannot be an instrument of setting people free if I fail to speak the truth to them in love. That isn’t pride, it’s a heartfelt desire to get people out of the devil’s chain gang that is headed for hell. My life is to be an example of truth. I am to deceive no one, even if the truth isn’t “politically correct.” “White lies” aren’t white! My lifestyle is to be such that people know that if I say something it’s true. Of course humor and jokes are a separate category, but they are never to be for the purpose of deception. People should know that I belong to the truth, because I listen to Jesus and obey Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the many opportunities You give me to speak truth to people. May it indeed always be in Your love, drawing them to You and not repelling them, so that they too may repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Repentance; April 13, 2022

Posted on April 18, 2022 by jgarrott

Luke 22:61-63 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

This is of course a very famous incident in Scripture. There are several important lessons to be gained from it. The first is that none of us are immune to temptation. Paul cautioned against that himself, saying, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12) Conceit is a great weakness indeed. Peter had boldly said, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death,” (Luke 22:33) but when the moment came presenting that danger, he weaseled out. When it was a question of being “manly” and fighting, he drew his sword and struck out, but he was a pretty lousy swordsman, only managing to cut off an ear. That was what resulted from trying to stand for Jesus in his own strength. Here, simply in conversation, he failed completely. The second lesson is that God knows our sins even before we commit them, because He sees all of time. The Father knew Peter would do this at the point He told Jesus to include Peter with the Apostles, and Jesus knew it too, by the time they were in Gethsemane together. Nothing we ever do shocks God. In a very real sense we need to get over ourselves and know that God is greater than all of our weaknesses, as well as all of our problems. He can fix our problems, and He can fix us! The third major lesson from this is that genuine repentance is enough. When Judas was confronted with the sin of what he had done, he hung onto his pride and tried to “fix” the situation by killing himself, rather than surrendering fully to God for Him to mete out justice. Peter, on the other hand, wept bitterly and didn’t think he could redeem himself. He was right, we can’t redeem ourselves, but we do have a Redeemer who has already paid the price. However, we have to let go of our pride and repent, if we are going to receive that redemption. We may do something even on a par with Peter’s denial of Jesus, but if our repentance is as real as his was, we can still be as useful to God after the fact as Peter was.

This is another of those truths that I can’t just acknowledge in my mind; I have to apply it and live it out. I couldn’t begin to tally up all my sins, because I don’t even remember them all. The wonderful thing is, neither does God! When I repent in truth, those sins are washed from me by the blood of Jesus my Lord, and I am as clean as He is. I devoutly wish that I would never add to my tally of sins, but the simple reality of life as a weak human being in a fallen world precludes that. That’s one of many reasons I look forward to heaven! I am to be wise and avoid temptation, but not condemn myself just because I am tempted. It’s the devil who tries to get me to do that! I need to remember the truth in the hymn, “Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin.” It’s not the being tempted, it’s the yielding that is sinful. At the same time, I recognize my fleshly enjoyment of the temptation itself, and I’m to stand against that. I’m very grateful that repentance is accepted, but I want to need it as little as possible!

Father, thank You for the example of Peter. His example speaks to me in many ways. Help me indeed be as humble as he became after this, to be as available to You as he was, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Exercising Authority; April 12, 2022

Posted on April 17, 2022 by jgarrott

Luke 22:25-26 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.”

It says so much about Jesus that even as He was directly facing unspeakable suffering and death, he was carefully and gently teaching His disciples. He was certainly modeling what He was teaching! Under those circumstances, we would be nervous wrecks, totally focused on what was to come, but He was aware of the immediate circumstances and the people around Him, and He indeed made full use of every opportunity the Father gave Him. (Ephesians 5:16) As in everything else, Jesus is our ultimate example. The more we abide in Him and are filled with His Spirit, the more we will think, speak, and act like Him, serving in all humility just as He says here. We are so prone to crave position and authority, to be jealous of titles and perks. How foolish! None of us is anything at all, compared to the Lord we serve, so as His servants we are to be serving one another, allowing Him to use us no matter how menial the task. That was exactly the lesson of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet, as was in yesterday’s reading. It is ironic, and so very human, that this subject came up among the disciples immediately after Jesus gave them that clear lesson, and He had to clarify it in this way. We aren’t to run from exercising authority when God gives it to us, but it must always be in humility and gentleness, even when it has to be strong.

I have always had an ambivalent relationship with authority. I am as tempted by it as anyone, I think, but at the same time I have always recognized that authority is inseparable from responsibility, and I have wanted to avoid that. As I have aged I have been increasingly in positions of authority, particularly since Japan still tends to venerate age, and there is the temptation to sit back and enjoy the perks. That would be ignoring what Jesus says here. As a teacher, I am the authority in the classroom, both in terms of subject matter and in discipline. Shirking that would be irresponsible. However, I am to exercise that authority for the benefit of my students, serving them rather than lording it over them. I have some students with very poor attitudes. I am to be both firm and encouraging to them, not to make me look good but for their benefit, so that they may learn not only the subject matter but also the life lessons God allows me to communicate, for their blessing and God’s glory.

Father, thank You for the classes I’ll be teaching this morning. I pray that I would indeed be Your agent to my students, drawing them to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Applying Truth; April 11, 2022

Posted on April 17, 2022 by jgarrott

John 13:17 “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

Every time we hit this verse in our readings I feel compelled to write on it, because it is so vitally important. This is the positive side of the same truth Jesus’ brother James wrote about in his letter: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22) Human beings have always had the tendency to hear things and then forget them. That’s not just a physical memory issue, though that happens too, but rather a failure to value and appropriate the truth we are given. In this particular instance Jesus taught His disciples through His actions, and then explained those actions with words. That’s very effective teaching! I doubt any of those present ever forgot it, and the evidence is that all but Judas indeed carried through and put it into practice. We all have things we never forget, and sometimes they have a clear influence on our actions, either for good or for bad. On the negative side, PTSD is a form of that. It can take a lot of good experiences and joyful truth to overcome that. On the positive side, if our home environment is as God intended it to be, we learn that we are loved and cared for, whe­ther we deserve it or not. Just yesterday I was watching a discussion of faith by Bill Whittle and Alfonzo Rachel, and Bill was saying that he didn’t have that kind of home environment, and that left him open to later addictions that took a great deal to escape, and that right now faith has to be a conscious choice for him. However, he makes that choice pretty consistently now, and his openness about his struggle is an encouragement to many. We all need to lay hold of the truths God has taught us and put them into practice, to receive the blessings God intends for us.

As I comment frequently, I feel like James 1:22 was written expressly for me. I’m very adept at deceiving myself! I have an enormous store of truth in my mind, but the question is always, how much of that am I putting into practice? The flip side of that is, as much as I would like to share God’s truth with others, am I living it out enough that my words will have traction? Just like Jesus washed His disciples’ feet before He pointed out that the Lord and Teacher was humble, acting as a servant, I need to demonstrate God’s truth before I lecture on it. Hypocrisy needs to be the furthest thing from my lifestyle. I need to be completely open so that my failures may be seen as my own, and in no way reflect negatively on the Lord I serve. I am to live out the reality of Christ in me, the hope of glory, (Colossians 1:27) so that all who see me may be drawn to Him.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace. I couldn’t begin to calculate how many times I have failed to live out the truth I know, yet You have not abandoned me but continue to love and use me. I owe You everything for that! Thank You for Your presence in the business meeting yesterday, and for the way You are growing this church. Thank You for the suggestions that were made, and for how people really seemed to own what was going on. May we indeed absorb and apply all that You are saying to us, so that we may be and do all that You intend, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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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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