Believing Prayer; March 11, 2019

Posted on March 22, 2019 by jgarrott

Acts 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

I have always loved this story for its drama, but it’s not just a fun story for Sunday School, it also has a lot to teach us. The point that this verse teaches us is to keep praying, even in the face of “impossible” situations. James had just been executed at Herod’s order (verse 2) and Peter had been arrested, with Herod having every intention of doing the same to him. I’ve written recently about finding Pilate a sympathetic character, but I don’t find Herod to be so at all. The believers had every reason to think that Peter would follow James in martyrdom, but as the Japanese specifies, they kept praying earnestly. We tend to pray for/about something for a while and then stop, but these believers were applying what Jesus had taught through the story of the persistent widow. (Luke 18:1-8) There are times when what we ask for isn’t God’s best for us, but too often we give up too early. In this particular instance, God’s answer was so unexpected and so miraculous that it reached the point of comedy, with first Peter himself not believing it was real (verse 9) and then it was the very believers who had been praying not believing it was real. (verse 15) In other words, God answered their prayers to a higher level than their faith. We tend to downgrade our prayers, recognizing that our faith isn’t very strong, but here God answered far above the level of their faith, and He can do the same for us. We read things like, “The prayer of faith will heal the sick,” (James 5:15) and think that our weak faith puts us out of the running. However, God isn’t limited by our faith, or lack of it, and He desires good for us. We need to grow in trusting that He really is bigger and stronger and smarter than we are, and He really, really loves us.

This is something I have learned over the years, and I’m still learning. Part of me tries to say that persistent prayer in itself lacks faith that I am being heard, but this story puts the lie to that. There are indeed things for which I have prayed for years that I still haven’t seen in the natural, but I must not stop praying. My father in particular prayed earnestly for revival in Japan, and he never saw it. I wouldn’t compare my accomplishments to his, but I too have prayed for an outpouring of the Spirit on Japan. I am not to grow weary in doing well, (Galatians 6:9) but trust that God is greater than my weak faith, because His power is made perfect in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Father, thank You for this encouraging reminder. Thank You for all You did yesterday, anointing us as we ministered and giving us sweet fellowship with various people. Thank You for the huge encouragement of someone very close to You telling me that I have changed, and it’s good. That’s something I certainly want! I ask Your anointing for today also, as well as clear guidance as we do some shopping. May we indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, knowing that Your plans, on top of everything else, are far better than any-thing we could come up with. Thank You. Praise God!

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Christians; March 10, 2019

Posted on March 22, 2019 by jgarrott

Acts 11:26 The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

This was a very significant development, particularly since this terminology has been used for almost 2000 years since then. Recently I’ve encountered a movement to get away from using the term, because it has been so diluted and shaded in various ways. At least one group wants to get back to using “disciples,” since that carries nuances that are sadly lacking in the average church member. That is true enough, but the Japanese rendering of this verse helps us understand more of what the original intent and meaning of “Christians” was, and should be today. The Japanese says, “Christ-persons.” The important thing is to think just what that meant. I’ve heard some English speakers try to render it as “little Christs,” but I don’t think that catches the idea very well. We aren’t little clones of Jesus as some people claim we are. We are indeed being “transformed into His likeness,” as Paul put it, (2 Corinthians 3:18) but that is a process that isn’t completed in this life. What we are, or at least should be, is people who are obsessed, consumed, with Jesus Christ. In northern Japan there is a grave said to be that of Jesus Christ, a person who came to Japan over 1000 years ago, married a Japanese woman, had children, and eventually died. I am personally convinced that he was a Nestorian missionary (you can Google it) who talked about Jesus so much that the locals associated him with the name. I would dare say he was a true Christian! That, I believe, was the origin of the term in Antioch as well.

I well remember that my most “painful” class in seminary was Church History, as we studied all of the things that have been done in Jesus’ name. He actually had nothing to do with a lot of it! That to me is the strongest reason for getting away from the term, Christian, but I think we rather need to reclaim the original meaning of the word. Many people around the world claim to be Christians, but they do so largely to be saying, “I’m not Buddhist or Muslim or Hindu.” It’s a social thing, far more than it is a statement of faith. Such people generally give Christians a bad name, because they carry the title without really seeking Christ at all. That is a genuine tragedy. Most of the attacks against “Christianity” aren’t really aimed at Biblical faith at all. Ministering in Japan as I do, titles are considered very important, and in the US, “identity politics” is rampant. I am not to accept titles just at face value, but rather seek to help believers in particular understand what those titles mean, or should mean. For example, a genuine “Christ-person” would never condone the Holocaust, but many Jews are convinced “The Christians did that to us.” That is tragic, and I’ve heard several stories from Messianic Jews about what the Lord took them through to overcome that. In my own ministry I need to raise up disciples for Jesus Christ, (Matthew 28:18-20) people who will live and die for Him, and not be deceived by any lie. To do that, I need to be sure I fit that category myself!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your faithfulness to us, expressed in so many ways. Thank You for Your protection in jet-lagged driving, and for the people we’ve been able to see so far. We speak this morning at the church where I was pastor for two years before we went to Omura in 1981. I ask that we would be “Christ-persons” indeed, accurately representing You to them and rejoicing in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, to build up the Body of Christ and give You glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Persecution; March 9, 2019

Posted on March 22, 2019 by jgarrott

Acts 5:41-42 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

This is a fascinating story to me for a number of reasons. For one, the wisdom expressed by Gamaliel makes me wonder if he didn’t later become a believer himself, particularly after his famous disciple Saul encountered Jesus and became the Apostle Paul. The other factor is what is expressed in this little passage. How many of us to-day would consider it joy to be “counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the Name?” They immediately expressed that joy by doing exactly what the authorities had forbidden them to do! Being flogged isn’t a minor thing; today there would be screams of “police brutality!” However, they had seen what Jesus had gone through for them, and they knew that their own suffering was minor by comparison. I wonder how many of the people who are currently being sued and/or charged for not toeing the “politically correct” line are rejoicing? I’m sure that after vindication by the Supreme Court there is rejoicing, but how about before then? There are many preachers who tell people life will be “your best life now” if you become a Christian. In one sense that may be true, but not as far as this world is concerned, and that is where they place their emphasis. Their “converts” disappear when they encounter persecution. We aren’t to go looking for persecution, but neither are we to let the risk of persecution hold us back in any way from full obedience to Jesus Christ.

I wouldn’t call what I have experienced persecution as such, but I have had some uncomfortable/inconvenient times as a result of my obedience to the Lord. Frankly, they haven’t been so joyful in the middle of them, but I have been grateful in looking back on them. The sad thing is that the biggest opposition I have encountered has been from Christians! I am never to allow such opposition to cause me to hate such people, but rather let it spur me to pray for them more, in all humility. I have no real idea what this trip is going to bring, but my premonition is that we are going to get a lot of support, spiritually and maybe in other ways as well. I am not to let any of that go to my head, but rather give God all the praise and glory, knowing that it’s all about Him, and not about me.

Father, thank You for getting us here safely. It was a long trip, and we still have jet lag to work through. Thank You that a total stranger we happened to talk to as we waited for our ride to the hotel gave us $2! That was a total surprise, and though the amount is not significant, I believe it is an indication of Your provision for us. Help us walk in such fellowship with You that Your provision flows through us unhindered, on all levels, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Tolerance; March 8, 2019

Posted on March 21, 2019 by jgarrott

Acts 5:29 Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men!”

This is a magnificent statement of faith, but it has also been abused by people who haven’t wanted to submit to authority, period. The apostles here were in pretty safe territory, but personality differences in an organization, such as a church or ministry, are much less cut and dried. When the “men” in question are entirely secular and obviously not submitted to God, the choice of “civil disobedience” is a clear one. However, when both sides are Christian, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is demanded. Even Martin Luther agonized over his various decisions, finally declaring, when put on Church trial, “Here I stand. I can do no other.” Most of us aren’t faced with such dramatic choices, but many are, even in America today. Those promoting abortion and immorality have a sadly outsized voice in society, and there have been high profile cases of people paying a high price for obedience to Biblical principles. Cases like that might seem obvious to genuine believers, but there are many more, far more subtle pressures to follow something other than the Lord. “Peer pressure” is notorious, and rightly so. However, “everybody’s doing it” has never been an excuse that would stand up before God. In Japan, society practically demands that we go with the group, and individuality can be punished in many different ways. For a disciple of Jesus Christ, the choices may not be easy, but they are always ultimately rewarded, however painful the immediate consequences might be.

I was raised very much as an individual, and responsibility for all my choices rests squarely with me. I have never been in an active situation of civil disobedience, but I was in college during the Civil Rights era, and I thought about it. When the church where I was pastor asked me to resign from the ministerial association because it was interracial, I resigned from the church instead. That wasn’t an easy decision, but I’ve never regretted it, and the Lord taught us a great deal in the aftermath. I have never been particularly comfortable with the authority the Lord has given me, in this church and actually in this city, and I am still growing in that area. I’ve had to choose to obey what God was showing me, rather than do what some people in the church wanted me to do, and that has caused turmoil. I am to stay in as close fellowship with my Lord as possible so that I may know His will and obey it, not putting other people down but always speaking the truth in love, even when that love requires discipline. I am far from perfect, so my focus must be on the only One who is.

Father, thank You for this reminder. We leave for the US this morning, and we are leaving behind various situations that are far from settled. Help us release each one to You and walk in peace, submitting to You in our emotions as well as in other areas, so that You may be free to do all that You desire in and through us, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Gifts; March 7, 2019

Posted on March 21, 2019 by jgarrott

Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

This is one of the fundamental truths of the universe, at least from the human perspective. For that very reason, the devil does all he can to hide, deny, or distort it. He tries to keep people from hearing it in the first place, if they do hear it he insists it isn’t true, and if they try to lay hold of it he adds things on – Jesus and – to dilute it and make it ineffective. The very level of opposition is confirmation that it is real! The whole purpose of evangelism and missions is to inform people of this truth. As even the Old Testament points out repeatedly, each succeeding generation must be informed of this or it will die out, as the devil fervently desires. Then we have the whole matter of the “exclusivity” of Christ. “How dare you say that other religions are lies! How intolerant is that?” We hear that sort of objection all the time. The devil doesn’t care what religion you are, just so long as you aren’t a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ! (I could give many real-world illustrations of that.) The mantra (that’s a Hindu term, by the way) from my college days was “Different strokes for different folks.” In other words, “Whatever works for you.” The problem is, if everything is true, then nothing is true. Today a sadly high percentage of people actively believe that there is no such thing as absolute truth. They will find out what is true when they have to stand before their Creator and give an account! (Romans 14:12, He-brews 4:13) As came out recently, even Pilate got into the discussion of truth. (John 18:38) Then, we have all sorts of “add-ons for salvation.” The Catholics are famous for saying that salvation comes through the Church, but many other groups add this, that, or the other as well. All those things might be, and generally are, fine and important, but they aren’t part of the definition of salvation. Jesus Himself called people to “Repent and believe the good news,” (Mark 1:15) and He very famously proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) That’s where Peter got this truth, and we had better hang onto it too.

This is of course the reason I am in Japan, believing that God loves the Japanese people and wants to give them the opportunity to be saved. Akira Takimoto, the founder of Revival Mission, took a condensation of this verse as the motto of his organization: “There is no salvation under heaven apart from Jesus Christ.” (I have a sticker with that on it on the front of my sermon notebook.) I have been berated – by Americans – for “teaching Japanese a foreign religion,” when they already have Shinto and Buddhism. I come back by saying that when I have found such a marvelous salvation myself, I would be incredibly stingy to fail to share it with others. The very idea of exclusive monotheism is very hard for many if not most Japanese to grasp, and even Christians are strongly tempted/pressured to participate in Shinto and Buddhist ceremonies. I am not to condemn those who slip, but I must never fail to proclaim the truth in love. Sometimes such proclamation makes people dislike me and consider me a bigot, but I have to release that into God’s hands. Like Paul I must preach Christ crucified, (1 Corinthians 1:23) because there is no other salvation, just as Peter said.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There is so much going on, both good stuff and junk, that I can get distracted. Help me walk in Your salvation as an open channel of that salvation, so that others may see Christ through me and come to Him – not me – and be saved, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Repentance; March 6, 2019

Posted on March 7, 2019 by jgarrott

Acts 3:19 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

Different translations into different languages can make for some awkward transitions. In Japanese, “times of refreshing” is put at the beginning of verse 20, starting a new sentence. That is very inconvenient either for preaching bilingually, which I do, or interpreting for someone else, which I have done many times. However, I like the connection indicated in the English word order, even though the sentence does continue to the end of verse 20. That connection, as I see it, is that repentance brings the removal of sins, but that in turn brings times of refreshing. Just about everybody is looking for times of refreshing. However, the general population certainly isn’t doing so by repenting of their sins. On the contrary, many people seek refreshing through overtly sinful activities! There are of course physical factors that feel refreshing, with good rest, nutrition, and exercise, but such things don’t touch our fundamental need for a right relationship with our Creator. It is historically verifiable that every revival, that is, a major move of God in society, has involved repentance. It is also true that personal spiritual renewal requires repentance. We may not have wandered into “gross sins,” but we have allowed ourselves to become numb to the things of God, and so lose the intimacy with Him for which we were created. That calls for repentance! We’ve got to remember that repentance isn’t just recognizing you are in the wrong, it is changing direction and starting over. The Japanese term for repentance says that explicitly, but in English we often lose sight of it. Here, Peter makes sure we understand by saying, “Repent and turn to God.” Turning to God is inseparable from genuine repentance.

I’ve tried false repentance several times myself, and it never works. I have learned the hard way that I can’t just regret the consequences of my actions, but the actions themselves. I have to recognize, “that was wrong,” and not just “that hurt.” Often God allows pain to help us recognize that things are wrong, but the pain isn’t why they are wrong. Paul made a blanket statement that can really make us squirm: “Everything that does not come from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23) I have a lot of growing to do in that area! Any activity that doesn’t trust God to be God is inherently sinful, because it makes Him out to be less than He is. By extension, anxiety is something to be repented of, and not just pushed aside. Few things are as debilitating as anxiety, so repenting of it and choosing to trust God is refreshing indeed. I will never be perfect as long as I am in this flesh, but I can repent and draw closer to God step by step, as the Holy Spirit points out areas that need it. This upcoming trip provides all sorts of opportunities to trust God, as well as to be faithful in obedience as He shows us what to do. Right now I am at a very high stress level, and that shows I need to repent!

Father, thank You for this strong, clear reminder. I do ask for clear guidance today and tomorrow as we pack and take care of various loose ends. Thank You for each thing You’ve enabled us to take care of already. May we remember Your promise, and walk in Your perfect peace indeed. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3) Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Communication; March 5, 2019

Posted on March 7, 2019 by jgarrott

Acts 2:6, 11 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
“We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

Numbers of people have pointed out that at Pentecost, God reversed what He did at the Tower of Babel. Linguistic barriers were erased, and God used “ignorant fishermen” to proclaim His message to people from many nations. He still does that today in various ways. Just last month I met a Jew who came to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah though hearing the Gospel in Spanish from a local in Central America, when he doesn’t really speak Spanish! The woman sharing with him wasn’t “speaking in tongues,” as it is generally understood, but the man hearing was given supernatural understanding. I would be the last person to say that missionaries don’t need to learn the local language as well as possible, but I am saying that spiritual communication is a work of the Spirit, and will not happen without Him. That’s why Jesus talked repeatedly about “ears to hear,” not just in His earthly ministry but also to John in Revelation. Paul also pointed out that “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) Two people can be speaking the same language and have essentially no communication, and people can be speaking different languages and yet the love and truth of God can get through. The major point is not human intellect, but the Spirit of God.

I’ve experienced this from all sides. I speak natural, fluent Japanese, and yet I have had Japanese people not understand a word I was saying because they couldn’t get past my Caucasian face. I have also had sweet fellowship with Christian brothers and sisters from other countries when we hardly shared a word in common. My wife Cathy was once in a prayer meeting with a group of Filipina girls and was quietly praying in tongues, when they got very excited. It turns out she was praying in Tagalog, which was quite a surprise to her! All sorts of things can block or distort communication, from the xenophobia I’ve already mentioned, to pride and preconceptions of all sorts. We all tend to hear what we expect to hear, even when what is actually said might be the opposite of that. I’m dealing with just such a touchy situation right now. The devil indeed comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, (John 10:10) and often he uses words to do that. I am a man of words, but I must not take that for granted, using words without the underlying guidance of the Spirit. In order to resist the devil effectively, I must be fully submitted to God, and that certainly includes every word that comes from my mouth (or my fingers). (James 4:7) I have a tendency to say more than I need to, and that has caused a lot of damage over the years. I need to let the Holy Spirit be in full control of all of my communication of all sorts, for His glory.

Father, thank You for being greater than my weaknesses. I ask You to take all that I have said and done and use it for the good of all involved, destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and setting people free, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Power of the Spirit; March 4, 2019

Posted on March 5, 2019 by jgarrott

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

This verse is endlessly quoted, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Jesus had already told them to wait for “the promise of the Father” before they left Jerusalem, (verse 4) which reminds me of a credit card ad of several years ago: “Don’t leave home without it.” Here He makes it very clear what He is talking about, specifying the Holy Spirit. Actually, He had talked about the Spirit a good bit in the Upper Room Discourse, but here He is saying that they are going to experience what He had been talking about. The Holy Spirit has been active in believers throughout the past 2000 years, but with widely varying degrees of awareness and acceptance. It is the height of irony that the Holy Spirit would not be welcome in a church, but that sadly has happened more times than we could count. The thing is, the Holy Spirit insists on sovereignty, and when we won’t give it to Him, He leaves. Paul refers to that as quenching (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and grieving (Ephesians 4:30) the Holy Spirit. That applies on the personal level and on the corporate level. Individuals can welcome or reject the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and organizations can do the same. In both cases the big issue is control. I think that’s the biggest reason the gift of tongues very often accompanies the baptism in the Holy Spirit, because with that gift we control whether we speak, but not what we speak. (Prophecy is similar but more complicated, and deserves separate treatment.) Both individuals and organizations can be hungry for power, but until we are ready to release control, we won’t get the Holy Spirit. That sometimes provides entry to various lying spirits, and actually that’s what witchcraft is all about. It is sadly true that witchcraft is operative in many churches today, and sometimes even with good motives. We get so fixated on what the kingdom of God is “supposed to look like” that we try to force things to go that way and in the process lose our connection with God. How tragic! It is interesting that the power of God comes on those who are hungry for more of God, not on those who are hungry for power.

I almost missed the baptism in the Holy Spirit because I was trying to dictate how it would happen, and God had other ideas. I had totally connected it with the gift of tongues, which was hardly surprising considering the books I had read about it, and God wanted to show me that the baptism and the gifts aren’t the same. When I realized that God had indeed baptized me in His Spirit, though I had felt nothing, it was by God reminding me of this verse as I was sharing Christ with a total stranger, probably for the first time in my life. It hit me that was what I was doing, and this verse came to my mind and I knew that God had been faithful to His Word. (Luke 11:13) As a pastor I naturally want every believer in this church to be totally open to the Holy Spirit, allowing His gifts to operate through them for the sake of the Body of Christ and for His glory, but I can’t force anyone to do anything, nor should I try. I can model and I can proclaim and I can pray. The rest I must leave in God’s hands.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for the reports of Your working at the church I pastored before coming to Omura, and that I’ll be speaking there this coming Sunday. Thank You for how You have arranged things to be at this church during our absence over the next three weeks. I pray that I would be totally available to You for Your power to flow through me, both there and here, so that Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Evangelism and Salvation; March 3, 2019

Posted on March 5, 2019 by jgarrott

John 20:30-31 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

This was the motive of each of the Gospel writers, and not just John. It should be the motive of every Christian writer of any sort, with just a few adjustments. Writers today don’t record things Jesus did when He walked this earth, but they often reference them, and they should be writing about things He is doing today, even though we don’t see Him with our physical eyes. The most fundamental testimony is expressed clearly in a Gaither song, He Touched Me. We can say many things about God, but until it becomes personal, it is empty philosophy. When we have really been touched by God ourselves, we should desire that everyone be touched by God and brought from death to life. A major problem for many Christians today is that they have forgotten their first love, just as Jesus cautioned the believers in Ephesus. (Revelation 2:4) They have forgotten what it was like to go from being lost to knowing they are a child of God – if they ever really had that experience in the first place. As a result, they have nothing to say to anyone else to convince them that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) “Entitlement mentality” has taken over the Church, and not just society. We have been deceived into thinking we are going to heaven because we deserve it, when nothing could be further from the truth. The most pure person you can imagine is still totally dependent on the grace of God, because indeed, all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. (Romans 3:23) We don’t press in for more of God because we are self-satisfied, and that is tragic. We aren’t going to be effective in winning others to the Lord unless we realize what a miracle it is that we ourselves have been saved.

This is very close to home, because of how long I was trapped in stupid spiritual pride. I did have a huge advantage in growing up in a genuinely Christian home, steeped in the Bible and prayer, but I came to take that for granted, as though my parents’ dedication was enough for me, too. I did indeed benefit from their dedication, and still do, but that in itself does not save me and never could. It was a major shock when, hearing the testimony of another “preacher’s kid” who woke up from the deception of thinking he could ride into heaven hanging onto his father’s belt, I felt the Lord tap me on the shoulder and then show me a mirror to see the filth of my own soul. I dissolved in tears, but the real test has come in the years since then, as I have sought to live out the truth that has been placed in me. I now believe my first commitment, at age seven, was genuine, but that experience at age 24 was so earth-shaking for me that I asked for, and received, water baptism a second time. Interestingly, I remember very little about either of my water baptisms, but I clearly remember how God baptized me in His Spirit shortly before I turned 26, even though it wasn’t a particularly emotional experience. The thing is, I am to declare the works of God, and how I myself have benefited from them because I was hopeless without them, so that others too may believe, and by believing have life in Christ.

Father, thank You for this reminder of Your incredible grace. Help me proclaim that grace constantly, in word and deed, so that as many as will may accept it for themselves, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Pilate; March 2, 2019

Posted on March 3, 2019 by jgarrott

John 19:11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

I am very interested to realize how sympathetic a figure I am finding Pilate to be. He was far from sinless, as Jesus implies here, but he was really caught between a rock and a hard place. He was about ready to recognize that Jesus was Divine, or at least supernatural in some way, but the Jews framed the issue in terms of how it would look to Rome, to which Pilate had to answer temporally speaking. We know from other historical sources that Pilate didn’t have a sterling reputation in the Empire at this point, and he was very interested in preserving his career and his skin. In consequence, he was directly instrumental in crucifying the Lord of Glory. (1 Corinthians 2:8) We learn from other sources that the decision to do so haunted him the rest of his life. At any point in that, if he had cried out in repentance to the One whom he had crucified, he would have been forgiven and saved, but we have no record of that. As a result, he is one of the more tragic figures in history. That said, we need to recognize that our sins put us in the same position as Pilate. Every human being is just as much in need of forgiveness as Pilate was. Even Jesus here says that Pilate’s sin was “lesser,” yet we paint him as a terrible villain. Pilate’s story should inspire us all to deep humility and repentance.

The more I think about it, my sins are at least as bad as Pilate’s, because I have known from earliest childhood that Jesus was the Son of God, and yet I have done various things in my life deliberately disobeying Him. On top of that, there are the many things I have failed to do that He wanted me to do, and all of that doesn’t touch the countless things that I have done without deliberate intent, but which actively violated His will and His character. God’s grace is glorious because it’s so essential! As I seek to share the Gospel with others, I must never forget that I myself am totally hopeless without it. When I lose that awareness I instantly descend into hypocrisy. That’s not to say that I am to constantly look at myself as dirt. On the contrary, I have been forgiven and cleansed and made to be a child of God. I am to rejoice indeed in that, and know that since God could do it for me, He can do it for anyone!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the opportunity to interact with the guys last night and share the basics of salvation with them. One attended a Christian high school, so my remarks were a refresher for him. I pray that each of them would recognize that what they have seen in Cathy and me over the past few weeks has been Christ, and hunger for Him themselves. May they be the “break in the dam,” allowing a flood of young people to enter life in Christ, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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