Idols; June 19, 2019

Posted on June 21, 2019 by jgarrott

1 John 5:21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

I’m sure I’ve never written on this verse, but I was drawn to it by the very fact that it’s not underlined in my Bible! Why would this be the final word in a letter from “the Apostle of Love?” I think it comes from the broader definition of “idol” that we use today, rather than the stone, wood, or metal sculptures that were widely worshiped at the time John wrote this. That is to say, an idol is anything the devil uses to distract you from God, to steal your devotion away from Him. Defined that way, modern society is absolutely rife with idols. We even have the honesty to call popular entertainment figures “idols.” For some people, computer games are idols. For many people, their smartphones are idols. Actually, in both those cases and in a lot of others, the real idol is being entertained, that is, self. Countless people worship sex, in one way or another. Money, prestige, security, the list goes on and on. Almost none of these things are originally or fundamentally bad in themselves, but the moment they become a distraction from God, they become an idol. It indeed comes back to lordship, which is an issue I’ve touched on a great deal recently. We must constantly be on our guard to be sure that Jesus is Lord in all our decisions and activities. That certainly doesn’t mean we aren’t to relax and have a good time; Jesus Himself went to dinner parties, not to mention taking His disciples away from the crowds from time to time to relax. However, our goal should be a constant and growing awareness of God, our place in Him and His place in us. Idols are anything that distracts from that.

My understanding of this has been weak at times, but has grown greatly in recent years. I am interested in a vast number of different things, from physics to electronics to biology to history to geography to many more, and often enough I have allowed those interests to distract me from the One who creates all that. I’ve never been particularly taken by the “entertainment industry,” but recently politics has been quite a distraction. I need to keep my focus on the “God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:6) At the same time, since I deal with so many distractions myself, I need to have grace and mercy on those around me who are likewise distracted. I need to keep Christ in focus myself, and seek to help those around me do likewise. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for directing my attention to a verse that wasn’t underlined. Help me not set up expectations that cause me to miss what You are saying to me, but rather listen always for Your still, small, voice, to obey You with all I have and am, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Eternal Life; June 18, 2019

Posted on June 20, 2019 by jgarrott

1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

It is interesting to me that John, the “Apostle of Love,” is the one who wrote some of the most black-and-white statements about faith, Christ, and salvation. On the one hand he wrote, “Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) That is totally inclusive, with no exceptions. On the other hand he recorded Jesus’ words, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) And then we have this statement. There’s no escaping the truth that God’s door of salvation is open to everyone, but you’ve got to go through it to receive eternal life. Sadly large numbers of people “play around the door” without ever going in. This is true in countries like America, where “cultural Christianity” deceives many people into thinking they are saved when they have no personal commitment, and Japan, where people think you “study to join a religion.” Genuine Christianity isn’t a religion, it’s a Lord. (In Japanese that can be expressed as a pun, but not in English.) As John says here, if you have Jesus as your Lord, you have eternal life. If not, then tough luck (though luck has nothing to do with it).

This has been my message for as long as I’ve been in ministry, but the reception has been spotty. I have used the pun I mentioned in explaining to people why I was in Omura. I have said that I didn’t come to teach a religion, (宗教 (shukyo) is religion) but to introduce the Lord Jesus (主 (shu) is lord). I know that God loves everyone equally and “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) However, I’m up against the mystery of human free will. People have to choose to repent and believe. Sunday we will be baptizing a man who has been very stubborn, but who has finally repented of his unbelief. As verse 10 of this chapter says, anyone who refuses to believe is calling God a liar, and that calls for repentance! I am to be encouraged at this person being added to the family of God, but I am not to let up in my prayers for more and more to be brought in. There are many people in this city with whom I have a personal relationship and with whom I have shared Christ in various ways, but who have never “entered the door.” I am not to water the Gospel down in any way, but keep speaking the truth in love, praying for God’s will to be done in each heart and life.

Father, this isn’t so much a reminder as a confirmation. Thank You for keeping me aware of this truth all the time. I pray that Sunday’s baptismal service would draw others close to You, either in first-time commitment for salvation or in renewed commitment for service, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Love; June 17, 2019

Posted on June 19, 2019 by jgarrott

1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Reading from here through the end of the chapter, my overwhelming impression is that we know very little about love! Greek makes various distinctions, but our English usage of “love” turns it all into mud. We get eros all mixed into it, and end up needing the Holy Spirit to sort it all out. Actually, we need the Holy Spirit to keep us straight any time we read the Bible, because as Paul said, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) We need the “Author’s Commentary” for all our Bible reading! Hebrew doesn’t have all the different words for love that Greek does, but the Old Testament says some pretty powerful things about love too. After all, Jesus was quoting from the Hebrew when He said that the 1st and 2nd commandments were about love. (Matthew 22:37-40) John has been called “the love apostle” on the basis of his letters and his referring to himself as “the disciple Jesus loved,” in John 13, 19, 20, and 21. However, we tend to pollute the whole thing with lust to the point that we don’t understand anything. As John writes here, the point is to know both that God is love and that God is totally pure and holy. It is the devil who wants to confuse that, because he is neither love nor holy, and he wants to tear us from God. The example that John gives us here to understand love is God sending Jesus as our Savior. (verses 9 and 10) It is only as we grasp the reality of that in our own hearts and minds that we begin to understand love.

I grew up in a loving household that loved each other based on our love for God, but even we didn’t always get it right. As a young man I was as hormonal as would be expected, but God was incredibly gracious in protecting me and those around me. Giving me my life partner at 20 was a huge help! Last month I spoke on how my love for my wife has served as a barometer/thermometer for my love for God and for my neighbor, but I still am very aware that I have much to learn about love. That’s one more thing that I really look forward to about heaven, when all misunderstandings will be removed and we will know as we are known. (1 Corinthians 13:12) Until then, my task is to keep pressing in to Christ, so that He will be expressed more and more accurately through me. (Philippians 3:10)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Things in my own life and in the lives of those around me constantly point up our confusion about love. I ask You to make me a pure vessel for Your love so that it may be poured out unpolluted, for the blessing of all I touch and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Mortality; June 16, 2019

Posted on June 19, 2019 by jgarrott

2 Peter 3:11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.

This chapter too is loaded with dearly-loved passages, making it very hard to know what the Lord specifically wants to say to me right now. However, this morning I’ll be speaking on How to Live, and this verse specifically addresses that issue. (The Japanese includes the exact title of the message.) We have trouble really grasping that everything is going to be destroyed, whether we can’t believe it or just don’t want to believe it. We have an emotional objection to impermanence, particularly when it comes to ourselves. Practically everyone has a real struggle with their own mortality. Even if we are so caught up in materialism that we can’t believe “the heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare,” (verse 10) we eventually come face to face with the reality that we ourselves will eventually die. For us, at any rate, everything material will cease to matter. (And yes, there’s a pun in that.) Writing to the Corinthians, Paul quoted Isaiah’s comment about the attitude of people in his day: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (Isaiah 22:13, 1 Corinthians 15:32) That is not the attitude Peter says here that we should have. Paul too was saying that we need to have a heavenly perspective on things, not focusing on the physical. Frankly, that’s not easy when the physical demands our attention, as it does in so many ways. It all comes back to free will, to our values and choices. As I expect to say in this morning’s message, we have to set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts. (1 Peter 3:15) It is only when that is firmly settled that we will live as God intends us to, as Peter exhorts us here.

I have known, as objective fact, that Jesus was Lord for as long as I have been able to think about such things, but I certainly haven’t always lived “a holy and godly life.” I too have been distracted by many things physical, sometimes to the point of deliberately disobeying God. Having passed 70, I am much more aware of my own mortality, particularly since my father died at 64. Just this morning I dreamed of a dear family friend in a way that makes me think she is no longer with us. She was born about 20 years before I was, but we also just got word of the sudden death of another MK/missionary whom I saw every year at Mission Meeting. Whether we’re talking about the end of the world or just our own demise, everything is temporary. The better we grasp that, the easier it is to make the best use of it all, in faithful stewardship, for the blessing of others and God’s glory.

Father, I didn’t expect this to be about mortality as such, but thank You. Everyone goes sometime. Help me live in that awareness, so that as many as possible may go to You and not away from You as they leave this earth, even as You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Suffering; June 15, 2019

Posted on June 16, 2019 by jgarrott

1 Peter 5:10-11 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Suffering is a part of life on this earth, as Jesus Himself made very clear. (John 16:33) However, as Jesus also said, when we are in Him, we aren’t defeated by suffering but are polished and strengthened by it. The problem comes when we focus on our suffering, rather than on the Lord who will get us through it. We aren’t to look for suffering, but we certainly aren’t to be surprised when it happens. There are all kinds of suffering: physical, emotional, economic, and more. This applies to all of them. We are in the world but not of it, (John 15:19, 17:14-16) and suffering is strictly limited to this world. We get ourselves into deeper and deeper trouble when we look to this world to relieve our suffering. It’s not that God doesn’t, much less can’t, use things in this world to bless us, but rather that our focus must be on Him rather than on the world. Countless people have gotten addicted to chemicals of one sort and another in the process of trying to dull their pain, either physical or emotional. God created those chemicals and they have their use, but if we rely on them rather than on Him, we don’t really solve our problem, whatever it is. People resort to get-rich-quick schemes or even crime in an effort to relieve financial suffering, when Jesus was famously explicit on that point: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) After all, God is Yahweh Jireh, the Lord our Provider.

I have experienced suffering of various sorts, but I don’t feel any of it has been that severe. The worst I can remember is when we ran out of money in the middle of building this church building. God’s answer to it wasn’t dropping money in our lap, but rather getting the various companies involved to accept time payments rather than lump sum remittances. I am surrounded by people who are suffering in various ways. My wife has a litany of medical problems that can stack up on her at times, but she is a marvelous example to many with her cheerful outlook. One of my spiritual children was in an emotional pit, but just yesterday they managed to look up, figuratively speaking, and everything changed. I have run into numbers of people who want Jesus as their Savior for their immediate problem, but aren’t really interested in making Him Lord of their life, especially if that doesn’t solve their immediate problem the way they desire. For every one of these situations I am to pray, and speak the truth in love. If I will do that, God is more than able to use whatever suffering there is to bless and not destroy, for His glory. (Actually, He is able to do that whatever I do or fail to do, but He sometimes gives me the privilege of being involved in the process.)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the joy of discovering yesterday morning that my child had lifted their eyes to You. I pray that they would continue to do so, day by day and step by step, so that they would be strengthened and perfected just as Peter said, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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How to Live; June 14, 2019

Posted on June 16, 2019 by jgarrott

1 Peter 3:15-16 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

The English and the Japanese divide these two verses differently, but that’s no surprise considering Greek grammar and sentence structure. That’s just as well, because in English I hadn’t underlined verse 16, yet it is also important in our understanding of life in Christ. This starts out with what is perhaps the most important part of all, but which is omitted most of the time when this passage is quoted, at least in English. Having Jesus as Lord in your heart is the most important factor, bar none, in successful Christian living. Acknowledging Jesus as Lord in your heart is essential to salvation in the first place, (Romans 10:9-10) and it must be continued if we are to walk in Him. In America we tend to separate “accepting Jesus as your Savior” and “making Jesus your Lord,” saying that the first is salvation and the second is sanctification or spiritual growth. That’s a theology that can’t be found in the Bible! The Japanese term for “Savior” is literally, “saving Lord.” However, just saying the words isn’t sufficient. Jesus Himself said, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) He followed that up with His famous parable of the wise and foolish builders, (Luke 6:47-49) telling us clearly that empty words are just that, empty. All of that of course calls to mind James’ famous admonition: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22) With that foundation, Peter tells us that people are going to want to know what makes us tick, because our lives are going to be different from theirs, filled with a hope that they want but don’t have. He says a little later on, “They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.” (1 Peter 4:4) Here he tells us that if we humbly walk with Jesus as Lord, they will be ashamed of how they have treated us. There’s a very good chance we can lead them to the Lord as well!

I had been concerned as to what the Lord wanted me to speak on Sunday, and now I know! We will have the joy of baptizing the husband of one of our strongest church members on the 23rd. He has come to faith precisely because of what is laid out here. His wife had a period of years of severe clinical depression, but is now one of the most faithful, hopeful, disciples of Jesus Christ you could find. He, on the other hand, tried to find his hope in alcohol, and of course that didn’t work. He’s dry now, and he has finally worked up the courage to be public about his commitment to Christ. This is the sort of thing I have prayed and worked for throughout my ministry, and it is a powerful reminder that God is indeed faithful. I must never be distracted by circumstances, but allow my own fixation on the Lord Jesus to carry me through everything, for the blessing of many and for His glory.

Father, thank You indeed for all You are doing. I pray that every member of this church would overflow with Your hope because of their commitment to Jesus as Lord, acting as irresistible magnets to those who know them, drawing many into Your kingdom for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Fathers; June 13, 2019

Posted on June 15, 2019 by jgarrott

Hebrews 12:9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!

This whole chapter is one I quote frequently, because it’s got a lot of very practical truth in it. What strikes me about this particular verse is that today, tragic numbers of people do not have human fathers who discipline them. Biology hasn’t changed, but society has. Far too many men are no more than sperm donors as far as their biological children are concerned. That is the source of much of the social chaos in the world today. I point out in premarital counseling that when the Bible talks about parenting it is never addressed just to the mother. More often, it is addressed just to the father! That comes as a shock to most of the couples I talk to. The devil hates the family precisely because it reflects the relationship between God and mankind, and he does all he can to disrupt that. Today we have an epidemic of absentee fathers in many senses. Some just have a passing fling with a girl and never know or care about conception. Some have a “serious relationship” with a girl but never make it legal, and there is little to hold the couple together. Some are discarded by the mother of their children because the social welfare system gives more money if there isn’t a man in the household. Some have a “traditional family,” but are emotionally distant from their children, considering them an infringement on their time. Whatever the format, the result is a vast number of people with a “father wound” stemming from the lack of an effective father-figure in their upbringing. There doesn’t have to be a biological tie; adoptive fathers can be very effective indeed. The thing is, without a human father, we have trouble grasping the whole concept of Father God, and that is what the devil is after. Human fathers are never perfect, but they at least lay the framework for us to grow in acknowledging and relating to our Heavenly Father. The lack of a father to apply appropriate discipline, as this verse talks about, results in people who have no idea how to deal with difficulty; they want and expect everything to be handed to them all the time. That results in a wide spectrum of social ills that are the hallmark of society today.

I don’t remember my father as a stern disciplinarian, but I knew he was the ultimate authority in our home. I am the youngest of four siblings, and I was the only one left at home when my father realized he had let his priorities get skewed. Even so, he did far better than so many fathers. As a pastor I deal with people who have gaping father wounds, essentially disabling them from productive, happy lives. I am a father-figure to a number of people, but there are certainly limits to how far I can go with that. I can’t exactly “lay down the law” to an adult who isn’t my biological child! However, I can pray for them, and God is able to heal all their wounds and lead them into His fullness. The task for me is not to try to do it myself, because I certainly can’t do the job, but still be available to God for however He wants to use me in the process. He is indeed the perfect Father, and I’ve got to trust Him with that.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the people to whom You allow me to minister. I don’t have wisdom for the job, but You do. I pray that I would be totally obedient to You so that Your plans may be fulfilled for everyone, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Evangelism; June 12, 2019

Posted on June 14, 2019 by jgarrott

Hebrews 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

To be honest, I think this sentence would make no sense to someone without a background in the Bible, in either English or Japanese. Hebrews was indeed written to Hebrews, that is, Jews, who were familiar with the Torah at least. It is a marvelous commentary on the Old Testament, but for someone not familiar with the Old Testament, at times it makes no sense. That’s why “Churchese” is so dangerous: it changes the best news in the universe to gobbledygook. If someone has the background of the system of animal sacrifices, this sentence can bring a flash of pure joy. For the average modern person it makes no sense, even with the preceding verses about sprinkling blood. Why would sprinkled blood make someone clean? That sounds nasty! This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cross-cultural evangelism. There, the barriers can be as abundant as they are hidden, often enough. Even though I was born and raised in Japan and speak Japanese, in most cases “like a native,” I only just recently had it pointed out that in Japanese society, “friendship” is considered possible only for people of the same social status. Accordingly, Jesus could have no “friends” because, as Divine, he had no equals. It was a magnanimous gesture on His part to call His disciples friends, (John 15:15) but we could never call Him a friend. I was raised by my parents to treat everyone as equals, and I have done so to a degree that sometimes astonishes, and occasionally offends, Japanese. Social class is a non-issue for me personally, and that may have contributed to my poor success rate in evangelism. On the other hand, I know a number of people of high social standing who seem to find me refreshing, and even consider me a friend. All of that is to say that we need the wisdom and anointing of the Holy Spirit to present the Gospel in ways that can be understood and received by the person in front of us, rather than trying any kind of “canned presentation.”

It didn’t take long to realize that virtually nothing of what I learned about personal evangelism in American seminary was going to be of use here in Japan. The professor, Roy Fish, was a marvelous disciple of Jesus Christ and very effective in evangelism in the American context, but his methods simply didn’t translate to the Japanese context. The principles of being open and friendly and genuine were good, but that was as far as it went. I think Jehovah’s Witnesses are more effective than genuine Christians in Japan because the Japanese have a tradition of vengeful deities that have to be appeased. When I come along with the Gospel of repentance and forgiveness, “that does not compute,” as the saying goes. I was talking with someone just the other day about how, when I am feeling discouraged about my lack of fruit, I remind myself that I birthed her, and she has gone on to a life of genuine dedication and service. I’ve got to remember that I can indeed do nothing on my own, (John 15:5) but that God can use even me if I will be yielded to Him, and rest, relax, and rejoice in Him as He has told me to do.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for Your grace. Thank You for keeping me from giving up. Thank You for the genuine disciples I have had a part in raising up, even if their number is few. I pray that they would in turn go on to raise up more genuine disciples, so that the Body of Christ may be as You intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Spiritual Growth; June 11, 2019

Posted on June 14, 2019 by jgarrott

Hebrews 6:1-3 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.

I’ve heard it said that the things mentioned here as “foundational” would constitute a pretty high-level course in most seminaries today! The fact is, the majority of church members have very little foundation at all to their faith, which makes them easy prey for the devil and his lies. We run into trouble from the first item mentioned, arguing that where the Greek says “dead works,” that surely must be “acts that lead to death.” The original thought includes not only flagrant sins, but also legalism itself. Those who congratulate themselves for not doing “the bad stuff” are all too often trusting in “the good stuff” they do to save them, rather than in the totally undeserved grace of God. Every other one of the things mentioned here is likewise a subject of misunderstanding and argument in the Church. Whatever happened to “unity in the faith?” (Ephesians 4:13) Spiritual growth is essential, but as C. S. Lewis pointed out, one thing we can be sure of is that when we get to heaven, every last one of us will be shown to have had it wrong in some way, but the cross of Christ is sufficient to cover it all. Just yesterday I was listening to a podcast about a book that discusses various “giants of the faith,” pointing out that each one had some pretty glaring faults. We aren’t to be satisfied with our own “level of perfection,” but we need to cut some slack for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to encourage growth and maturity in those around us, sharing what the Lord has taught us, but doing so in all humility, knowing that we too are doubtless wrong somewhere.

As a pastor with Teacher gifting, I identify 100% with this passage, but I also recognize the trap of pride. I am to be secure in my convictions, but know that at the very least I don’t have the full picture. I am to check every new teaching against the Bible, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and not get swept away by the religious fads that seem to be never-ending. At the same time, I must remember there is no box big enough to fit God into, and stop trying to do so. He is big enough to do anything He likes, and my standards of decorum don’t apply. I am to recognize my own immaturity and seek to keep growing, at the same time I encourage those around me to do so. God’s grace covers us all.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the books and other material You have been bringing my way recently. Help me gain from them what You intend, not going off on any tangents but moving forward into all that You have planned, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Resting; June 10, 2019

Posted on June 12, 2019 by jgarrott

Hebrews 4:9-11 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

This passage first caught my attention a long time ago because of the seeming contradiction in it. How can we labor/work/make every effort to enter rest? Isn’t resting just stopping work? However, resting isn’t quite that simple. I think everyone experiences bringing work home, that is, thinking and worrying about work tasks even when you’re not there. What this is talking about is releasing things fully to God so that you don’t carry them in your heart and mind, and that isn’t so easy. As the writer talks about from verse 3:12 on, it’s a matter of faith. We have to really trust God to accept His rest! We love to be able to take credit for what we do, and this is saying, “Jesus, You’re right. I can do nothing apart from You. (John 15:5) I’m going to quit trying to control things and let You be Lord.” The release and liberty we experience when we get to this place can be had no other way.

I have flashes of this, but I’m sorry to say I’m not there fully yet. I try to do things on my own all too often, when logically I would have learned that lesson a long time ago! Yesterday Ray Sidney ministered in our church, and his testimony of how he ended up in his current far-flung international ministry was very pointed and moving. His central theme was that when God speaks to us, we simply need to say yes. (That’s the title I put on the recording I posted to the church Youtube and Facebook pages, accessible at http://www.shinsei.org.) He is constantly on the move, so he has had to learn to find his rest in the Lord. He included a particular challenge that struck home to Cathy and me, pointing out that Abraham didn’t start out on his grand adventure with God until he was 75. Cathy and I have both passed 70, so this was a strong reminder that the Lord isn’t finished with us. I need to listen accurately and obey fully, laboring to tune out all the distractions so that my own flailing around won’t get in the way of what God wants to do through me. The better I rest in Him, the more He will accomplish through me.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for all You did yesterday. I pray that You would enable me to be consistent in my resting, not running from anything You say to do but not going off on my own either, so that Your kingdom may come on Your schedule, whatever part I do or don’t have in it, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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