Benediction; March 20, 2020

Posted on March 23, 2020 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.

There is a very great deal of very good content in this chapter (it’s almost all underlined in one color or another in my Bible) but I couldn’t resist writing on this bit. That’s because the Japanese translation I use has been set to music verbatim, and I can’t read it without the music running through my mind. That’s all the better because this is such a beautiful benediction. We tend to think of a benediction exclusively as something spoken by a minister at the end of a worship service, but the word itself simply means, speaking blessing, or even speaking good. That’s something every believer should be doing constantly, toward just about everyone they encounter! In Japanese churches they refer to the benediction at the end of a service as a “blessing prayer,” and most require ordination before they will allow anyone to give one. How unbiblical! There are indeed different offices and functions in the Church, as Paul discusses in Ephesians 4 and elsewhere, but nowhere does it say that anyone is restricted from speaking blessing on another person or people. On the contrary, we are told to build each other up, and what better way to do that than speaking blessing? One issue is that we mistake the source of the blessing, thinking the one doing the speaking has to have a “reservoir of goodness” from which to pour out blessing. How absurd! The source of all blessing is God; we are just channels. (James 1:17) Even Jesus, in talking with the Rich Young Ruler, said, “Why do you call me good? No one is good–except God alone.” (Luke 18:19) We have the joy and privilege of sharing God’s blessings with those around us, through word and deed.

I think I have known this for as long as I can remember, but I don’t always act on it. Maybe one reason for that is that I have also used words to tear people down, more times than I like to remember. That has sometimes been intentional, but more often accidental, and I regret it all. I realized early on that words are powerful things. After all, Genesis 1 says that God spoke the universe into existence, and John 1 tells us that Jesus is the Word of God, and He said to Isaiah that His Word never goes out from Him without accomplishing that for which He sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11) Particularly when I have been given a gift for words, I need to use those words to bless and build up, whether they are spoken or written. I need to ask and allow the Holy Spirit to put a brake on my mouth so that I won’t say anything that isn’t of Him, but I’m not to hold back as a channel of blessing.

Father, thank You for this Word. Thank You for blessing people through me yesterday when I was at the hospital for a physical. That one lady really surprised me when she came over to speak to Cathy and me as she was leaving, saying that overhearing what I was saying to others really blessed her and made her think that I must be a pastor, bringing back memories from her childhood in Osaka. I pray that she would follow through and come to church, receiving the ultimate blessing of eternal life in Christ and passing that along to her family and friends, for the salvation of many. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Sexual Sin; March 19, 2020

Posted on March 22, 2020 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

The section from verse three through eight should totally deal with virtually all of the sexual nonsense that is in society today, but we make all sorts of excuses, showing that we are indeed rejecting God. The whole issue of homosexual attraction fades away if the one so attracted abides by what Paul says here. The sin isn’t in the attraction, it’s in the fantasizing and acting out. And “hetero-normative” people have no wiggle room here either. Verse five sounds like it’s talking about Spring Break, that is going on at beach resorts in the southern US right now, ignoring all the recommendations about the pandemic. It’s actually no surprise that people who don’t know Christ would act that way, but it is downright tragic when Christians get pulled into it. The devil uses social pressure – everybody’s doing it – to convince even preacher’s kids, for example, into this sort of thing. Young people, and old, need to be taught these two verses so that they will seek and receive the help of the Holy Spirit in resisting the flood of sexual temptation that is so prevalent. The devil has done all he can to denigrate marriage and sexual purity, and the results of his successes in that effort are tragic indeed. Sex is an enormously powerful gift from God, not only for procreation but particularly for the bonding of husband and wife into one flesh. The devil hates that, because it is a figure of the relationship of Christ and the Church, (Ephesians 5:25-33) and does all he can against it. We cannot resist him successfully unless we are submitted to God, but if we are submitted, we can. (James 5:7)

This naturally applies to me, since I’m as human as anyone else. I am deeply grateful for God’s protection, and for His mercy and grace for the times I’ve slipped up in various ways. I have no high horse from which to look down on others, but I can certainly proclaim the blessings of sexuality that is submitted to God. Some people are in awe of the relationship that my wife and I have, but it wouldn’t be as it is if it didn’t extend to every area of our lives. We have learned the reality of Jesus’ statement that “They are no longer two, but one,” (Matthew 19:9) and that has only grown over the years since 1969.

Father, thank You for Your overwhelming grace toward me. Help me respond to Your grace as You intend, speaking the truth in love to those around me so that they too may walk in Your plan, rather than in the tragedy of the devil’s plans. May we cause Your name to be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done in and through us, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Paul’s Prayers; March 18, 2020

Posted on March 22, 2020 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Paul’s prayers, scattered throughout his letters, are very good examples for us to follow in praying for each other. I don’t know that we often pray for people’s love to increase, and it really seems like a good idea. Right now love seems to be in somewhat short supply! We tend to look at each other as rivals, rather than as members of the same family. However, we need to model the behavior we are praying for in others! Also, Paul didn’t hesitate to ask for prayer for himself, and he never prays for someone else something that he wouldn’t want for himself. I think he realized that praying for others is one of the best ways to receive blessing yourself. Here, he prays that the believers’ hearts may be strengthened, and I’m sure his own heart was strengthened in the process. In mentioning Christ’s return, he was also reminding himself that indeed, Christ would return and set everything straight. This wasn’t escapist, like people essentially doing nothing while they wait to be raptured, but rather setting an end point to look forward to and strive for. Later in his life Paul realized that he himself would likely be martyred, However, as he wrote to Timothy, he had faith and assurance that God had prepared him for that end point, just as he had prayed for the Thessalonians. (2 Timothy 1:12) Sometimes we are impressed by Paul’s, or someone else’s, prayers, but think that we could never pray such “beautiful” prayers. However Paul, and every other mature Christian, learned to pray by praying. Books on prayer, and particularly reading the Bible, can be helpful, but nothing teaches you to pray like actually praying. The more we pray, focusing our minds and hearts on the One who created and loves us, the more we open ourselves to allow Him to grow us and clean us and heal us. It is only by praying that we discover that the Holy Spirit indeed helps us as we pray, (Romans 8:26-27) and that gives us boldness to pray as He directs.

I was enormously blessed to be raised in a family where prayer was as natural as breathing. In consequence, I have never hesitated to pray, and for that I am very grateful. I have had people blessed by my prayers, for which I praise God, but I have also had people intimidated by them, since their own prayers didn’t flow the same way. My prayers are no “better” than those of anyone else, I’ve just had more practice! Growth in prayer is one of the prime goals I hold for each believer in my care. I pray for them, but I cannot pray instead of them. Sometimes they want me to do that! I need to help each person understand that God loves them individually, just as He does me, and He’s eager to hear what they will say to Him. He’s never surprised, much less shocked, because He already knows everything, but He wants us to grow in our fellowship with Him, and that won’t happen apart from our talking with Him. John Denver is hardly a reliable spiritual guide, but I have always liked the line from his song, Rocky Mountain High, that says, “Talk to God and listen to the casual reply.” I want everyone to realize that God is the holy, omnipotent Creator, but He is also Daddy for anyone who will repent of their rebellion and accept what Jesus did for them on the cross. That’s how Paul prayed, and how we need to as well.

Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of prayer. I ask that You keep growing me in prayer, and keep growing everyone in this church. May we indeed be knit together in love as Your children, as part of the Body of Christ, so that Your kingdom may come as Your will is done in and through us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Worthy; March 17, 2020

Posted on March 19, 2020 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

Now that is pastoral ministry! Thinking about it, I don’t remember this passage ever being mentioned when I was in seminary, either in class or in a chapel service. How sad! There were some professors who indeed modeled servant leadership, but it seems as though this would have been an ideal passage to use in teaching the students. I think many if not most of the graduates came away feeling like some kind of hotshot, ready to set the Church straight, rather than having the attitude Paul talks about here. I’ll confess I had some of that! Jesus dealt with this subject repeatedly with His closest disciples, most notably when He washed their feet, (John 13:1-17) but we have a strong tendency to forget it. Paul uses the expression “walk worthy” repeatedly in his letters. In a very real sense we can never be “worthy” of God, as we use the word in English, but Paul is using it to mean “appropriately, in line with.” The whole matter of being worthy, and who is worthy and why, is a study I’d like to do some time! As far as we are concerned, our effort should be to get in line with God, to listen to and obey Him, and a pastor should encourage, comfort, and urge those under his care to do so. We get all caught up in “leadership,” when what we need to do most is lead people to be like Jesus, by word and by example.

I can’t say exactly when I came around to this way of thinking, because it has happened gradually. I think my father modeled it, but it was sometimes hard to grasp because he seemed so advanced in so many ways. I myself have never been a “type A personality,” and have had problems setting goals and driving toward them, much less leading others toward them. That has at times been a real hindrance to the ministry here. However, the flip side of that has been a delight in helping people. Yes, sometimes I get irritated at being called on for that sort of thing, but generally it gives me great satisfaction to know that I have been a help. I need to keep growing in that, realizing that the chief goal is exactly what Paul says here: living appropriately as children of God.

Father, thank You for this encouraging Word. Thank You yet again for Your unfailing patience with me when I am so slow to get things right. Thank You for protecting me from more serious injury when I fell yesterday. Guide as I go today to get a couple of x-rays, that they will give accurate pictures of my thumb and toe. I do ask for Your full healing, and that Your purposes in allowing this to happen would be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Growth; March 16, 2020

Posted on March 19, 2020 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 1:3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

This verse should settle the perennial “faith vs. works” argument, and the fact that argument still exists shows that people aren’t as familiar with the Word as they think they are. As this states very clearly, genuine faith causes us to do things (works), and genuine love causes us to put our all into it (labor). On top of that, if we understand what God has prepared for us in Christ, we will be able to make it through any trial because of the anticipation (hope) that we have of God’s resolution to it all. Looking at it that way, we can gauge our own spiritual development fairly easily. Looking around, we can easily see people who seem to be deficient in one or more of these areas, but judging others isn’t our job, as the Bible says in multiple places. However, we can and should encourage each other to grow in faith, love, and hope. Such encouragement will do far more to correct undesirable behavior than trying to deal directly with the behavior. And always, we need to remember that we ourselves will always have room to grow in each of these areas, which should keep us from pride.

As a pastor, encouraging spiritual growth is the biggest part of my job description. At the same time, people tend to expect (demand) perfection from me in each of these areas. Since even Paul didn’t have it all together, (Philippians 3:12-14) their expectations are certainly misplaced! It is certainly desirable that I be as far along the road as possible in each of these areas, and indeed it is encouraging to look back and see that I have progressed, but any temptation to pride is quickly checked when I stumble over really trivial things. Just as I tell others to do, I need to be consistent in taking my eyes off of myself and fixing them on my Lord Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 12:2) When I do that, He surprises even me by the things He does through me. Yesterday was a good case in point. We had some new people in the service yesterday who arrived a little late, so I had no interaction with them until after the service. It turned out that for one of them, my sermon couldn’t have been any more direct and personal. That was manifestly not anything I could have planned, since I had never met that person, much less known their background or that they would be in the service. God doesn’t miss a beat! My job, when I was preparing the message, when I was delivering it, and always, was and is to listen obediently to my Lord and yield myself fully to Him. That will produce the work, the labor, and the endurance that He desires.

Father, thank You for Your wonderful patience and faithfulness toward me. Thank You for using me yesterday. Your appointments are the best! Help me be available for each of the appointments You have for me today, so that I will keep growing and keep doing Your will, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Perspective; March 15, 2020

Posted on March 18, 2020 by jgarrott

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

This passage should take care of all complaining employees, because it is addressed directly to slaves! I don’t think this should be applied to sex trafficking, which is the most common form of modern slavery, but it certainly deals with every employment situation we can think of. As with so many things in life, it is all a matter of perspective. When we are focused on the temporal, the here-and-now, it’s easy to get dissatisfied and frustrated. However, when our focus is on the eternal, everything looks different. As Paul told the Corinthians, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) That’s not to say we are to be doormats, accepting any kind of abuse. We are to be agents of righteousness and justice, since we serve a just and righteous God. However, most of what irritates us doesn’t fall into that category. We are to seek improvement when possible, but not be uptight about it in the mean time. (And some employers can be pretty mean!) The point Paul is making here is that we indeed serve Christ, before, above, and beyond any merely human person. That’s why Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) Employers make themselves pretty small when they pick on employees, so I think you could apply that here.

I’ve never been in anything like some of the horrendous work situations I’ve read about, but I’ve definitely had friction with employers. In such situations it has been very helpful to remember that my employment in no way defines me, even when it is descriptive. In other words, I may work for so-and-so, but that is not who I am. Who I am is a child of God, created by Him for fellowship with and service to Him and destined to inherit eternal glory that makes everything on this earth fade into insignificance. As long as I keep that awareness, bumps in the road remain minor, even when they might look huge to an outside observer. The difficult think for me is in remembering this consistently. I get irritated or panicked at little things just like anyone else! That’s why I need the Holy Spirit to remind me, and I also need my brothers and sisters in Christ to remind me, because otherwise I forget, and lose out on the peace and joy that God intends and has provided for me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. As a pastor I constantly deal with people who need to be so reminded, if they ever had it firmly in their head and heart to begin with. I ask You to enable me to speak the truth in love to everyone, so that Your children may escape the traps of the devil and walk in all that You intend for them, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Getting Real; March 14, 2020

Posted on March 18, 2020 by jgarrott

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This whole chapter is solidly practical, spelling out in concrete terms how God’s truth is to be lived out in our daily lives. The Bible is actually not very friendly toward “ivory tower” theologians, or even academics of any sort. Paul was very well educated, with the equivalent of doctoral or even post-doctoral studies, but he knew from experience that if the truth he had learned wasn’t lived out in daily life, it wasn’t worth the papyrus, much less parchment, it was written on. That lesson seems to be lost on many academics of all sorts today, who seem more in love with their theories than with the real people on whom they inflict them. I remember from my college days when we would occasionally tell each other to “get real,” meaning to move from the theoretical to the practical. God gave us the ultimate example of “getting real” when He sent His Son to be born as a human baby, to live and grow just as we do with all that means, and then to take the penalty on Himself for all the sins we have committed or will ever commit. When that reality really breaks through into our hearts and minds, then the things Paul wrote in this chapter follow completely naturally. In considering this particular verse, it’s important to remember that in the culture of the day, doing something “in someone’s name” meant doing it in harmony with their character and will. We tend to overlook that when we tack “In Jesus’ Name” onto whatever we happen to ask for in prayer. Here Paul is telling us to live every part of our lives in harmony with Jesus Christ, which means doing it under the guidance of and by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we are doing that, all the theories and all the rules are irrelevant, because we are in Christ and He is in us.

This certainly applies to me as much as it does to anyone. I have done plenty of “deep thinking,” pondering all sorts of theology and any number of other things, but the longer I live, the more I realize it’s the practical obedience to God that counts, and really, nothing else. I am in a sense amused by the people who are so incensed by things Donald Trump says (and tweets), all the while they are enjoying and profiting from the things he has actually done. I am a man of words, but if my life, my actions, don’t line up with the truth I speak, then my words are useless. American Evangelical Christianity has focused on “the sinner’s prayer” to the point of making it seem magical, with no real heart change called for. I must not be like that, but remember what John the Baptist said: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Luke 3:8) Jesus likewise said a lot about backing up our words with our actions. (eg. Luke 6:46) I need to live out the truth I know and teach others to do likewise, so that we may be the disciples that Jesus desires. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed do and say everything in perfect harmony with my Lord Jesus, giving You the thanks and praise that You deserve, so that Your truth may be manifested in and through me, drawing many into Your kingdom for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Walk of Faith; March 13, 2020

Posted on March 16, 2020 by jgarrott

Colossians 2:6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

This is excellent advice for everyone who has believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Far too often we tend to think of our salvation as a past event, when nothing could be further from the truth. Being in the flow of time we have trouble grasping the reality that God, being outside of time, sees everything as now. Past, present, and future are all the same to Him. Being in time ourselves, we are called to grow and mature over time, but from the moment we committed ourselves to Jesus as Lord, we passed from death to life, from darkness to light. The issue then becomes one of how we live out what God has made us to be in Christ Jesus. The Japanese here, in more literal agreement with the Greek, speaks of “walking in Christ,” rather than “living.” Walking is by definition active: you can’t do it sitting down. We tend to want to be spiritual couch potatoes, just taking in God’s blessings and not doing anything. That doesn’t cut it! Faith in Christ is something that is to be lived out actively in every area of our lives. We tend to act as though being a Christian were like watching sports on TV, when actually we are the contestants in the game. Sometimes we see believers who are like Olympic-level athletes of faith and so discount our own efforts, but the fact remains that we are all in the same game, and the same Lord guarantees our eventual victory, if we will simply follow His directions.

This of course applies to me, and as a pastor I seek to help believers understand that it applies, and how it applies, to them. I feel like I have wildly varying success with that! Some people are like caterpillars, steadily consuming the Word on a daily basis, and I know they will eventually be beautiful butterflies indeed. Others seem like fleas, hopping around at times but generally contributing little more than discomfort to the Church. I am not to be judgmental but I am to be discerning, not allowing the “fleas” to distract me from God’s plans for this church. God can even transform “fleas” into butterflies, if they will get into the Word and allow it to abide in them. If I focus in the “itch” they generate at the moment, I myself will fail to overflow with thankfulness, as Paul specifies here. If I fail to keep my eyes on Christ, instead being distracted by people’s failures, including my own, I will indeed lose the gratitude that opens my heart to receive the abundance of God.

Father, thank You for this clear Word. Help me now get it into an appropriate outline to be able to share it with the flock on Sunday. I feel like I have a great deal to do today, but You got me through a packed schedule yesterday, and You will do it again today. May I not run away from anything You have on my schedule, today or any day, but do each thing in turn by Your wisdom and strength, so that everything will be done as You intend, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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Roots

Posted on March 15, 2020 by jgarrott

March 12th we had the privilege of driving to Fukuoka to see an exhibit at the Seinan University Archives on 79 Missionaries,highlighting all the missionaries who have taught at the school in the over 100 years of its existence. That was of great interest to us since my father founded the University Department of the school shortly after my birth. (The school as such had existed for quite a few years before that, but hadn’t gone beyond High School. It now goes from Middle School through Graduate Studies.) Of great interest was the large poster they had with names, faces, and dates of the missionaries. It was interesting that they were missing pictures of some of the missionaries whom I knew personally, and some of the pictures were frankly unflattering. It was also of interest that the dates they posted were the dates those missionaries actually taught at the school, rather than their years of missionary service. I think I’ll get them to check their records, because it was my understanding that my mother had taught in the High School some while I was quite small, but only the years she taught after I was an adult were listed. That said, the overall exhibit was quite moving, covering as it did the period of WWII as well as the riotous times of the 1960s. (One missionary chancellor actually died of a heart attack while he was blocked into his office by student demonstrators.)
We were pleased to hear that the biography of my father is scheduled to be released next year. The English manuscript is essentially complete, but it will need to be translated into Japanese for simultaneous publication, and that is no small task. I’m glad I wasn’t asked to do it! The Chief Archivist was thrilled to hear that we have many pictures of my parents, particularly, as well as other missionaries, and it is quite possible some of those will find their way into the book.
I told the Archivist that the exhibit reminded me of the way I was introduced several years ago by the head of Nagasaki Rehabilitation College, where I teach. A new part-time teacher was there, and the school head said, “This is Garrott. He’s nothing much, but his father was really remarkable.” I laughed at the time, and still do, but I also agree completely!
We don’t choose our ancestors, or our other relatives, for that matter, and I have been marvelously, graciously blessed in that department, and I am deeply grateful.

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God’s Truth; March 12, 2020

Posted on March 15, 2020 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

I should have used this in my message the other day on Children of the Light! One thing about the Bible is that its major themes are repeated many times by many different writers, so they come across in different styles to hopefully hit home in the hearts of all people, as wildly different as we are. That’s why it’s a red flag when someone “proof texts” a particular teaching from just one passage, and particularly when they insist on just one translation of that passage. God’s truth is universal and eternal, (Matthew 24:35) but language is a function of culture, and meanings often shift over time. An example would be the English monarch who, on first being shown St. James Cathedral in London, said it was “awful.” Translated into modern English, that would be “awesome.” We need to listen carefully to the Holy Spirit when we read the Bible, as well as read the Bible through in various translations, to have the best chance of really hearing what God is saying to us. That said, receiving the Gospel into our hearts really is a matter of going from darkness to light, death to life, just as Paul says here.

I’ve lost track of how many different translations of the Bible I’ve read from Genesis to Revelation, but I’ve only read the Apocrypha in one translation, and that just once. It has interesting stuff in it, but I can really understand why it was not accepted into the Canon. That aside, reading the Bible is a joy, as familiar as it is. In my preaching I rarely stick to just one passage, but pull in other passages that apply to the same truth, too often overloading my hearers! That keeps me from being the best person to teach completely new believers, because they don’t yet have the foundation to bear the load. I’m reminded of Paul’s long, convoluted sentences. There’s just so much marvelous truth, and it’s all interconnected! That’s why I need to let the Holy Spirit apply the brakes when I am speaking. He’s been talking to me recently about not saying hurtful things unintentionally, but I also need to let Him sharpen the point, so to speak, when I am saying necessary, important things, so that my extra words won’t cloud the truth, or even bury it, that He wants to get across through me.

Father, thank You for this Word. I certainly didn’t expect it when I started reading! Thank You that we’ll be able to visit Seinan University today to see their exhibit on 79 Missionaries. My parents are in that number, but when I contacted them by email yesterday to confirm that the museum wouldn’t be closed today because of COVID-19, the response made it seem like the person writing didn’t recognize my name. That was, frankly, disappointing, since my father founded the University Department of the school, but then, that was 70 years ago! I ask You to keep a check on my words and actions today, that I will be kept from projecting any attitude of self-importance, but will rather be a blessing to all I encounter. Thank You. Praise God!

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