Belonging to Christ; February 23, 2022

Posted on February 25, 2022 by jgarrott

Philemon 1:1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus.

I haven’t studied Greek, but I do know that Greek prepositions can be reasonably translated various ways. Even between Japanese and English, propositions can be very “slippery,” shifting nuance and even meaning at times. (Actually, Japanese is very limited in prepositions, which is one of many reasons English is difficult for native Japanese speakers.) That said, there are various implications to this expression Paul used fairly frequently. Even in this letter he repeats it in verse nine. Paul was manifestly a prisoner of the Romans. He was in their jail, guarded by Roman soldiers. Even so, he doesn’t label himself that way, but rather as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I’m sure that distinction had a massive impact on how he dealt with his imprisonment. This brings to mind his statement to slaves that it was actually Christ they were serving, rather than their human owners. (Ephesians 6:7) For that matter, the Japanese preposition used here could reasonably be rendered as “belonging to.” Paul indeed belonged to Christ Jesus, just as we do, by virtue not only of creation but redemption. The better we grasp that, as Paul did, the better we will be able to handle everything in life, knowing that it’s His business even more than it is ours. Paul submitted himself fully to Christ Jesus his Lord. The more we do that, the more our results will resemble Paul’s.

This is of particular interest to me because my father’s doctoral dissertation was on the uses of in Christ and similar constructions in the New Testament. I’m not sure at the moment, but I think this was included among those. The thing is, he told me many years later that despite his academic study he didn’t really grasp what it was to be in Christ until later, after he was already a missionary, when he had a profound encounter with the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself used the expression freely in the Upper Room Discourse, talking about how we were to be in Him and in the Father as He and the Father were in each other. (John 17:21) I cannot abide in Christ (John 15:4) simply by decision, though that is involved; I’ve got to be committed to Him and allow Him to be Lord in every area. I’ve not been called on to go to prison for Him yet, much less be physically martyred, but I’m not to hold back even from that sort of thing. People are being faced with that all over the world, from Finnish politicians to Canadian truckers, and I am no better than they are. Right now I am a pastor belonging to Christ and a school teacher belonging to Christ. Everything about my life is to be submitted to and in agreement with Him. Only then will I fulfill the purposes He has for me, for my ultimate fulfillment and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You are doing in and even through me. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, as an accurate representation of Your Son, drawing many to repentance and faith for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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People in the Last Days; February 22, 2022

Posted on February 25, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Timothy 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

To be honest, I chose this verse because I didn’t want to type in all of verses 2-5! The description Paul gives of people in the Last Days sounds entirely too familiar. In every era there are some people like that, but the current situation, with the sheer number of people who fit the description perfectly, is distressing to say the least. The question then becomes, as Francis Shaeffer so aptly put it, “How shall we then live?” I’ve never read his book by that title, but I’m very aware of that existential question. One way to answer it would be to go through the description here and reverse each descriptive term and set that as a personal goal. I think we would end up pretty pleasing to God if we did so! There are several risks here. The first is to become judgmental, condemning people in our minds and hearts and so unwittingly becoming like them. The second is to compromise and excuse, confusing accepting people as human beings with accepting their behavior as normal. That is actually what they are demanding these days, not to be tolerated but to be admired, when to do so would be to spit in the face of God. The third is to allow ourselves to be colored by the filth around us, unconsciously conforming to the world, as Paul explicitly warned us not to do. (Romans 12:2) We’ve got to remember that we are in the world but not of it. (John 17:14-16) It is entirely reasonable to be distressed by the sort of behavior described here, but we’ve got to remember that’s exactly the sort of thing God saved us out of. (1 Corinthians 6:11) If God could save us, then He can save even those who seem so despicable now. Pride and self-righteousness are never the answer, but neither is compromise. We’ve got to walk in personal humility and holiness.

This applies to me in spades. It is easy to check the Internet each day, be disgusted or even horrified by what I read and see, and then go on my own self-satisfied way, not praying God’s mercy and repentance on individuals and nations but rather slowly accepting the things around me as normal. That’s what the devil wants! I need to let the Holy Spirit generate Christ’s attitude in me, accepting people as they are but not leaving them that way, not being satisfied with how they currently are. After all, that’s how He treats me! It has become a truism, but I indeed need to love the sinner but hate the sin. At the same time I’ve got to do the same toward myself, loving myself because God loves me, but hating each sin I commit, repenting as soon as I become aware of it. I can’t do that consistently in my own strength, but again as Paul said, I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

Father, thank You for this reminder. My appetite for information can be pretty depressing at times! Help me take in what You are saying to me far more than I take in current events, so that I may indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, allowing You to change people and circumstances through me, if that is Your pleasure, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Fear; February 21, 2022

Posted on February 23, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

As with many other verses in the Bible, I can’t read this without singing it, at least in my head. The particular version I’m familiar with (there may be several) not only uses “spirit of fear,” it also uses Ephesians 6:10 for the lead to the second verse, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might,” and as a whole, I think it would be an extremely helpful song for the Church today. The devil and those on his side have used COVID to project fear on the world, to devastating effect. It’s not that it isn’t a deadly virus for some people, but rather that the risks involved were much less than proclaimed, and effective treatments were actually forbidden in some places for political reasons. The actions that were taken “because of the virus” shifted economic and even military balances around the world, and the tool used was fear. Christians have no business yielding to that. As risk factors have become known, data has shown that, according to the CDC, 80% of fatalities were in people with “at least four co-morbidities,” in other words, other medical problems that could have killed them. And the kicker is, the prime co-morbidity was obesity! Considering current American society, it’s no wonder the fatalities were so high, but no one in government talked about the need for a healthy weight and lifestyle in relation to the virus. Fear is a natural human reaction, and it can be a lifesaver at times, but if we let it be the dominating factor in our lives it will destroy us. We need to let Paul’s words to Timothy echo in our hearts and minds and live accordingly.

This verse is particularly close to me because I also have a “Timothy” who has been injured by a spirit of fear. He is coming out of it, but the effects linger. I can identify with many of the fears that have attacked him, having experienced them myself: fear of rejection, fear of ridicule, fear of failure. I have had to learn that rejection, ridicule, and failure may all happen – and probably will – but they are never the final answer. The same may be said of more tangible fears, such as disease or disaster, but regardless, I must not be governed by the fear of anything, except the fear of the Lord. When I am in right relationship with Him, fear leaves the picture, because as John said, He is love, (1 John 4:8) and perfect love drives out all fear. (1 John 4:18) I have the privilege and responsibility of communicating that marvelous truth in this fearful and fearsome age, for the salvation of all who will receive it.

Father, thank You for this encouraging Word. Help me walk in it indeed, today and every day, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Physical Bodies; February 20, 2022

Posted on February 22, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

People everywhere tend to be obsessed with their bodies, either to indulge them, leading to obesity, or to “get them into shape,” with sculpted muscles, strict diets, and even plastic surgery. Neither is ultimately healthy, even the manifestation that focuses on physical health itself. As Paul says here, an exercise regime does have benefits, but it doesn’t change the fact that these bodies of ours are temporary, wearing out in a few dozen years at best. In his second letter to Timothy Paul very reasonably calls his physical body a tent that is subject to wear and tear, (2 Timothy 5:4) and just about everybody can relate to that. We’re to take care of our physical bodies as good stewards, but we’ve got to remember that they are strictly temporary. It is when we manage to gain an eternal perspective that everything falls into place. Even if we live past 100, that’s just a “flash in the pan” compared to eternity! However godliness, that is, living in harmony with and obedience to our Creator, prepares us for that blessed eternity, and even gives us a taste of it here and now. Focus on the physical only leads to deception, frustration, and ultimate destruction.

I’m still in the process of learning this myself, so I’m preaching to myself here. Our bodies can be very adept at grabbing our attention! I’m still learning, on the emotional level, that I’m not a physical being who has a spirit, but rather a spiritual being who currently inhabits a body. Knowing that in my head doesn’t necessarily help with a stubbed toe! It’s not that I’m not to enjoy this body while I inhabit it, but that must not be my focus. It’s kind of like cars. I like having a comfortable, dependable car for transportation, but I’ve never felt like cars were more than tools. It’s nice if my car is reasonably attractive, but that’s not a major issue. I try to be careful, avoiding accidents and performing maintenance, but I don’t expect to drive the same car for, say, 50 years. My body should be the same way. I need to “change the oil” and “fill up the tank” as appropriate, but at the same time look forward to the ultimate “trade-in” that awaits me, and in the meantime, use my body as the Manufacturer intends, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this body and for keeping it going for over 73 years so far. Thank You that I’ll be able to go to a dermatologist tomorrow to check on my “paint job,” and that I’ve got a “safety inspection” scheduled for a week after that. Help me indeed be a good steward of this body without obsessing over it, using it as You desire and intend for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Prayer; February 19, 2022

Posted on February 22, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Timothy 2:8 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

I have quoted the first part of this chapter more times than I could count, but this verse also is very worthy of meditation and application. This is very specifically addressed to men, and not just to people in general. It is a fact of human nature that men tend both to be more argumentative than women, and to be less likely to pray. Paul hits both those weaknesses here. I have even seen men get offended at what someone else prayed! Arguments and disputes do not build up the Church, but that’s not to say we are to abandon truth or compromise on everything just to avoid them. Paul himself had quite a few arguments and disputes, particularly with legalistic Jews who tried to insist on rituals as necessary for salvation. However, there’s nothing like fervent prayer, led by the Holy Spirit, to generate unity! It’s also interesting that Paul specifies “everywhere.” The Japanese makes it clear that this isn’t just talking about men who happen to be in different places, but rather that wherever you are, you should pray. We are too prone to relegate prayer to specific locations, and particularly to the church building, and Paul is specifically countering that. The first several verses of this chapter certainly give us plenty to pray about, so we are to be sensitive and obedient to the Holy Spirit at all times and in all places to pray under His guidance, as God’s agents for accomplishing His will.

As I’ve commented before, I grew up in a home where prayer was as natural as breathing, and I couldn’t be more grateful. That said, I’m still not the prayer warrior my wife is. I am grateful to pray freely in any location or circumstance, but I can’t say I spend as much time in focused prayer as she does. As a pastor, one of my headaches is how hesitant men in particular are to pray. I don’t have an easy answer for that, but I’m not to give up. Men in general aren’t as vocal as women, but that’s not an excuse. Some men (like me) are very vocal! I am to be very careful that my teaching and coaching on prayer are genuinely encouraging, and not accusatory or discouraging. Feeling guilty for not praying isn’t likely to make anyone pray more consistently! I am personally grateful for the gift of tongues to enable me to pray when my brain doesn’t know how. I need to pray that all the men of the church would be similarly gifted, so that together we may be “shock troops” in God’s army, defeating in prayer all the tricks of the enemy.

Father, thank You for this reminder, just as You have given Cathy a plan for churches to start being knit together in prayer. I pray that vision would catch fire and spread to all the churches, not just in this area but all over the nation, answering Paul’s prayer in this verse and tearing down the walls the devil and human pride have erected, for a massive move of Your Spirit in this nation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God; February 18, 2022

Posted on February 20, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

It is significant that when writing to Timothy, from whom he probably had no secrets, and specifically in writing about himself, Paul couldn’t hold back from a doxology. This verse has been memorably set to music, but the important thing is that this be the attitude of our lives, the unfeigned exclamation of our heart. The musical version follows the King James and inserts the word “wise,” but that was in all probability a scribal error. God is the only God, period. He takes no qualifiers, even though many descriptive terms, including wise, may rightly be applied to Him. There is not a group of foolish gods, and He being the only wise one, unless you count the myriads of idols that people claim as gods. Everything in existence is in some way defined by its relationship to the Creator, certainly including us. Paul has just been talking about how he was a blasphemer and a persecutor, (verse 13) and you can’t really be those things if there is no God to blaspheme. It is only when we live our lives in awareness of God, understanding that everything relates in some way to Him, that we begin to make sense of things and steer correctly. The problem is that we tend to flip that around and think of everything in relation to us, as though we were the reason for the universe. That leads to countless unforced errors (to use a sports analogy) and is the foundation of sin. To be happy, we have to accept that everything doesn’t exist for us, but we exist for God, to please Him and do His will. The blessing is in God’s character, because He really is love, (1 John 4:8) and as it says repeatedly in the Old Testament, “slow to anger and abounding in mercy.” The devil tries to tell us it’s a bad thing that God’s in command, but that’s a lie just like everything else he says. The better, the more accurately we see God, the more we will respond as Paul did, in overwhelming gratitude for God’s mercy and grace.

Of course this applies to me, just as it does to every human being. I’m all too familiar with the negative of this, having walked in stupid pride, all the while thinking I was a fine Christian. I keep coming back to it, but I couldn’t be more grateful that God tapped me on the shoulder and showed me a mirror, giving me a glimpse of the blackness of my soul. I wish I could say I have walked in perfect humility and obedience since then, but sadly that’s not the case. I’m still daily in need of His grace and mercy, but praise God, He gives it! Like Paul, I am in awe of the fact that God chose and uses me. I desire to help every believer grasp that He has chosen them and wants to use them as well. We are so slow to grasp that! We cling to Ephesians 2:8-9, but forget 10, that says God has already prepared good works for us to do. One of my good works is helping others understand that He has things prepared for them as well! It is absolutely incredible that the Creator has planned for us to spend eternity with Him, in fellowship of a kind and a degree that is beyond our grasp at this point. I am to rest in that assurance and rejoice to communicate it to others, so that they too may move into all that He has planned for them.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that I can call You Father! That in itself is downright incredible. Help me indeed live as Your child, being increasingly transformed into the likeness of Your Son, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Overcoming Fear; February 17, 2022

Posted on February 19, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

After delivering a rather scary and perhaps disturbing description of things to happen in the Last Days in the first part of this chapter, Paul now comforts and encourages his readers. Life is rough and in some ways it’s going to get rougher, so we need to keep our focus on God, receiving from Him the encouragement and comfort we need. It’s interesting to me that where the NIV says “encourage,” the Japanese says “comfort.” Those are greatly related, so I don’t doubt that both are probably valid translations. The point is, no matter how rough things get in this life, we have the hope of eternal life in Christ and with Christ, so we have no reason to despair. Meanwhile, we’re to be doing and saying the good things God has planned for us. (Ephesians 2:10) The past two years of pandemic panic have shown us that living in fear accomplishes no good thing, but is rather destructive, period. Appropriate precautions are advisable, but a climate of fear has been hyped and utilized by some to gain personal and political power. In past generations such techniques have been used many times to generate religious cults, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are certainly cultish features to some of the current mandates and the like, and those are destructive indeed. Those who have genuine hope of eternal life have no business allowing fear to control them. I personally believe we really are in the Last Days, and I have no reason to doubt that things will get really hairy before we actually see Christ return, but in the mean time we have no reason to live in fear. Particularly, we aren’t to let fear keep us from saying and doing the things God desires of us as His representatives. There are many more people to be brought to repentance and faith for their salvation!

This of course applies to me too. I am active in seeking to maintain my health through diet, exercise, and a generally healthy lifestyle, but that isn’t my primary focus. I am to keep my eye on the prize, as Paul said, (Philippians 3:14) and seek constantly to know and do what God desires and intends of me. Whatever that is, I know that He will enable me to do it. (Philippians 4:13) As a pastor, a big part of that is teaching and encouraging others to do likewise, so that the lying traps of the enemy may be defeated.

Father, thank You for this Word of encouragement. Today looks to be a pretty full schedule. Help me recognize what You have for me to do each moment and do it, not hesitating or giving in to distractions. May I indeed say and do what You desire of me in every detail, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Answered Prayer; February 16, 2022

Posted on February 19, 2022 by jgarrott

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

I forget who it was years ago who pointed out to me that this verse records the answer to a prayer Paul wrote in his first letter to these believers: “May the Lord make your love increase and over­flow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12) Sometimes we need to be reminded that God answers prayer! Prayer for specific things like healing is easy to credit when it is answered, but sometimes we fail to pray for things like increased love, as here, because it seems too amorphous. However, God cares about everything, and He delights to answer prayers of this sort. He also answers prayers for things like wisdom (James 1:5) and guidance, which appear throughout the Bible. The devil fears our prayers, so he does everything he can to keep us from praying. He tells us God doesn’t care, that He isn’t listening, and why would He answer us, anyway? Every one of those is an absolute lie! God cares because He loves us perfectly. That is His character. (1 John 4:8) Our love is imperfect, which is why we need to keep growing in it, as Paul prayed, but His is perfect right off the bat. That means that He knows exactly what we need and what is best for us. That doesn’t mean handing us everything on a silver platter, because then we wouldn’t grow and mature. That wouldn’t be best for us. That’s a truth many parents need to learn in relation to their own children. However, He delights to be good to us, just as Jesus said. (Luke 12:32) So when we pray we shouldn’t be demanding, but we should pray with the expectation that God is going to answer our prayers. It might not be in the way we expect, or even the way that our flesh would like, but it will be in the way that is best for us, for His glory.

This passage is particularly poignant to me today, because today is the 53rd anniversary of Cathy’s and my first date. The very next day I wrote my parents that I had found the girl I wanted to marry, and I’m sure my parents prayed for us much as Paul prayed for the believers in Thessalonica. Since we got engaged 11 days after that first date, and Cathy had been engaged to someone else up until that point, the Japan missionary whom we asked to perform our wedding in May later told us he was very hesitant to do so, thinking it might all fall apart. However, he agreed to do it, saying “If Max Garrott is praying for them, then it will work out.” Indeed it did, and Cathy’s and my relationship was a source of joy and satisfaction to all four of our respective parents. Love can grow, and praying for it to do so is very much in line with God’s heart. As a pastor I have plenty of reason to pray that way, for couples, for congregations, and between congregations. Right now Cathy is being led into a prayer ministry to knit believers together across the various social and organizational barriers that tend to divide the Body of Christ. Praying for love to grow is integral to that. We need to pray with the expectation that God is going to answer, for the blessing of many and for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word, and particularly for its timing. Thank You for how You have grown Cathy’s and my love, and for our parents who prayed to that end. Thank You for the prayer ministry You are opening up right now. May we indeed pray and share with joy and expectation, so that all of Your plans for us and for this nation may be fulfilled, on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Faithfulness; February 15, 2022

Posted on February 17, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 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.

This whole section is loaded with dearly-loved practical instructions, but from the middle of verse 23 through the end of verse 24, the Japanese translation I use has been set to music verbatim in a way that really blesses me, so I can’t read it without that echoing through my mind and heart. That said, verse 25 is an absolutely vital statement of faith that applies every time we read the Bible, and for that matter, live as a Christian. With this assurance, we can weather any storm. Without it, we are devastated by essentially trivial things. I am a member of a Missionary Kids group on Facebook, and believe me, we who were raised on the mission field run the whole gamut. Some have come through with unshakable faith, whereas others seem to be in the group just to try to tear down the faith of others. It is at turns encouraging and sad. I think the problem comes when we define what “God needs to do” to “prove Himself faithful.” The very fact that we think that way displays our foolishness! We need to be like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, asking to be spared the cross but still submitting Himself to the Father, whatever it meant for Him personally. In that moment He was just as human as we are. That’s why, as it says in Hebrews, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) In the middle of our trial it can be hard to believe that the joy is coming, and it might not even be on this earth, but when our focus is on God Eternal, we can have peace and joy even in the trials.

I have had moments of wondering if my faith was just a philosophical/emotional construct, but I have also had times of being more sure that God was real than that I was. I have learned through experience that I’m not trustworthy in myself, but God is, and as I abide in Him I become more and more trustworthy too, as it says in verse 23. Back when I was first aware of the Charismatic Movement a famous saying was going around: “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.” I have come to the conviction that it is better to say, “God said it. That settles it.” God is faithful whether I believe Him or not! I need to believe in order to enjoy the benefits of His faithfulness, because He is also faithful to fulfill His warnings to those who refuse to believe and obey. As I deal with others, I need to communicate God’s faithfulness in every area, helping them see that their choices have set them on the road to hell, which is not what God wants. It is because God is faithful that the universe exists and we have reliable laws of physics and the like. I need to maintain that perspective, and communicate it as God gives me opportunity.

Father, thank You indeed for Your faithfulness. May I indeed allow You to work in and through me to manifest Your faithfulness, drawing many to You for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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A Reason to Live; February 14, 2022

Posted on February 17, 2022 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 3:8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.

I like this verse for two reasons. The first is that it displays a true pastor’s heart. As I wrote yesterday, pastoral ministry isn’t something for the faint-hearted. It can be really hard work, but the rewards can also be rich. Knowing that your spiritual children are doing well goes a long way toward making all the effort worth it. And that brings me to the second reason I like this verse. It is a perfect illustration of a Japanese expression that doesn’t really translate well into English. Ikigae means, “a reason to live, a reward for living.” The NIV tries to express that with “really live,” but I think the original Greek idiom must be a direct equivalent of the Japanese. We all need a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to keep at the mundane and often thankless tasks of life. For a parent, that is often seeing your children do well, particularly if they are grateful to you in the process. The same is certainly true for spiritual parents and children. Whatever “bucket lists” we might have, we all have to come to the place of realizing we will never accomplish everything we had dreamed of. When our children go on to accomplish things we could never have done, that is more than enough accomplishment for a true parent, biological or spiritual.

Naturally, this applies to me as well. I am genuinely proud of and pleased with my daughters, and I get immense satisfaction in seeing spiritual growth in them and in my strictly spiritual children. Yesterday was a really good day, even though we had technical difficulties in the recording of the service. That sort of thing can really put me in a bad mood at times, but it faded to unimportance as I was aware of the good things God is doing in this congregation, in those He is bringing in and in those who have been here a long time. God is faithful, and participating in what He is doing is more than enough reason to live.

Father, thank You indeed for yesterday and all it held. Thank You for Your plans for today as well. Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You, accomplishing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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