God’s Promises; December 12, 2018

Posted on December 16, 2018 by jgarrott

Hebrews 11:39-40 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

I have found myself quoting this passage a great deal recently. We get all caught up in our temporal time frame and want things to happen on our schedule, but God is outside of time and He has a better idea. Peter famously referenced that when he wrote, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9) It is fascinating that an uneducated fisherman like Peter would have such a revelation of the relativistic nature of time. Even major physicists have trouble with that one! However, it is something we need to accept as we trust God to be true to His word. When a Biblical promise seems to have failed, that’s only because we are applying the wrong time frame. Right now we are in the middle of the Advent season, celebrating the birth of Christ. That had been prophesied for many centuries prior, but only in the fullness of time did it happen. Paul refers to that both in Galatians 4:4 and Ephesians 1:10. God waited until Greek was established as a common language over a very wide area and Rome had such overwhelming power that there was minimal unrest – called the Pax Romanum – so that the Gospel would be able to be communicated widely and easily. He got things lined up, so to speak, to a degree that we can only begin to comprehend, even studying it 2000 years later. What we need to trust and believe is that God is just as much aware, and in control, of all the details right now, even as things look like absolute chaos from our viewpoint. On a personal scale, sometimes it hits us just as it did the people mentioned here in Hebrews. It may look like God’s promises aren’t being fulfilled and we are total failures. However from God’s perspective, everything is on schedule. That doesn’t mean that day-to-day faithfulness is unimportant, far from it. However, it does mean that if we are being faithful, we can totally leave the results up to God.

This is intensely personal to me as a 2nd generation missionary in Japan, one of the hardest of fields. My parents labored under sometimes very difficult circumstances, but saw very sparse fruit. I am about to beat them in terms of total longevity, but I too have little I can point to. That doesn’t mean either that we missed our calling or that God is unfaithful. All it means is that God’s schedule isn’t as we would have liked it to be. I am not to give up! It is entirely possible that God has lined things up so this next year will see a massive outpouring of His Spirit on this nation and on the world, but I am not to try to dictate that or insist on it. My job is to love God, love my neighbor, and be consistently faithful in my obedience, whatever is going on.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me love, worship, and obey You for who and what You are, not for how You meet my desires and expectations. Thank You for speaking this to me today, when I already knew You wanted me to speak on Your promises this next Sunday. Help me get those notes down as You desire so that Your Word may have its full work in my hearers. Thank You that I go back to the ENT doctor today for the check on my vocal cords, and that they seem so much better. Help me accept Your schedule there as well, being anxious for nothing, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Confidence; December 11, 2018

Posted on December 13, 2018 by jgarrott

Hebrews 10:35-36 (So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

“Accuser” is the devil’s name, and discouragement is his game. Jesus said clearly that the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy, (John 10:10) and the first thing he wants to rob us of is our hope. Frankly, life on this earth can be a long slog. There is joy, certainly, but again as Jesus warned us, there are difficulties. (John 16:33) All of life is a succession of choices. To the degree that we choose to trust God and obey Him, we extricate ourselves from the devil’s traps and walk in victory. To the degree we choose to focus on ourselves and our difficulties, we surrender to the devil and lose hold of the peace and joy God has provided for us. This doesn’t mean at all that we are to ignore the world around us and live in a fantasy, it means that we are to remember that God is greater than our circumstances, and He’s certainly greater than we are. The confidence that is spoken of here isn’t at all self-confidence, but rather, as Paul said, “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12) Ever since childhood I have loved the hymn, Trust and Obey. It is certainly Biblical, and true.

This is a Word directly to me this morning, because I was under spiritual attack all day yesterday, and even woke up in something of a funk this morning. The situation with the polyp on my vocal cord had really gotten through to me. I’ve been saying the right things, recognizing that I have taken my voice for granted and have been proud of my speaking and singing, and that God allowing something to correct that attitude was a good thing. However, my flesh hasn’t gone down quietly! That this is happening at this extremely busy time of year has contributed to my stress, but it’s a further reminder that nothing is impossible for God, just as we have been saying every Sunday all year. (Jeremiah 32:27) Actually, my voice sounds much better this morning, and I even sang a verse of It Is No Secret What God Can Do just now without difficulty. It will be very interesting to see what the doctor says when I go back to him tomorrow! However, I am not to presume, but rest, relax, and rejoice in my Lord. Anything else is a failure to believe, to trust and obey.

Father, thank You for this very personal message this morning. Help me not just hear it, but internalize it and act on it, doing Your will both in my heart, mind, and emotions and also in my words and actions, so that You alone may be glorified. Thank You. Praise God!

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Reincarnation; December 10, 2018

Posted on December 13, 2018 by jgarrott

Hebrews 9:27-28 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

This passage says some very important things. In the first place, it demolishes the idea of reincarnation with a simple statement. Hinduism, and Buddhism which grew out of it, both posit reincarnation as a way for beings to atone for their sins. That is such an essentially hopeless idea that the Buddha said the ideal was nothingness, gaining such a state of enlightenment that you wouldn’t be forced to be reborn as someone or something else. That’s a source of what has been called “Eastern fatalism,” because if you’ve got it really rough, you just hope for a better hand the next time. Christian faith is linear, going from birth to death to judgment, and this makes that perfectly clear. We don’t get a do-over! Jesus was born once, as we are getting ready to celebrate, he died once as an atonement for all our sins, and when He comes again it will be as the climax of history, not as a recurring bump in the cycle, so to speak. Believers through the centuries have actively looked forward to Christ’s return, but we can say definitively that each one who had that hope and expectation experienced its fulfillment in less than 100 years. We aren’t to fear physical death (nor are we to seek it) but rather understand that it is a transition from the material to the spiritual, and for those who have believed in Jesus as Lord, what awaits on the other side is glorious indeed. For those who have rejected Him, choosing to rely on themselves, the judgment that awaits is genuinely fearsome.

Ministering in Japan as I do, I find the idea of reincarnation to be sadly powerful in dulling people’s awareness of their need for salvation. If you’re just going to go around again, why do anything special this time? That’s why I’m convinced that reincarnation isn’t a merely human construct, but rather the devil twisting the truth of being born again by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-8) into something to keep people from that very act of salvation. Japanese like the term, “reborn,” and they apply it to such things as remodeling a building or a musical group getting back together. I am not to give up, but keep speaking the truth in love. I have never liked “hellfire and brimstone” preaching, but I’ve got to let people know where their current course leads, so that they may repent and believe in the only One who can save them.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Christmas is one of the best opportunities for evangelism in the whole year. May we make the use of it that You intend, not simply to have a packed house on the 24th, but so that Your truth may penetrate into many hearts and minds, setting them free to repent and believe for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Rewards; December 9, 2018

Posted on December 11, 2018 by jgarrott

Hebrews 6:10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

We are saved by grace through faith, (Ephesians 2:8-9) but that doesn’t mean that what we do is unimportant. The devil is very quick to tell us that we serve God in vain, but he’s such a liar, we can be pretty confident that whatever he says, the opposite is true. (He does occasionally misuse truth, like when he quoted Scripture in trying to tempt Jesus, but it’s always twisted to make it mean something else.) The Bible has a lot to say about rewards, with a lot of references in the Old Testament, Jesus talking about it repeatedly, (Matthew 6:6 and several more) and Paul and John mentioning the subject in their letters. (1 Corinthians 3:8 and others, 2 John 1:8) It is true that sometimes our rewards aren’t evident in this life, (Hebrews 11:29-30) but that doesn’t make them any less certain. We are to seek out the work that God has prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10) and do it wholeheartedly, (Colossians 3:17) rejoicing to participate in God’s plan for us. Our motive is to be the love of God for us, because that is more than worthy of everything in response. As the chorus says, “All that I have, all that I am, all I will ever be cannot repay this love-debt I owe; I surrender to Thee.”

This whole issue of rewards is very germane for anyone ministering in Japan, because of the unenviable statistic of having the lowest rate of return on investment of time, energy, and resources. For those called to minister here, it is akin to martyrdom, because a similar level of commitment is called for. I am never to give up, or even complain, but rejoice to be considered worthy to serve the Lord here. I am not to get caught up in humanistic methods or techniques, but know that salvation is a work of God alone. That’s not to say that I’m not to be wise, or that I’m not to consider carefully what I am doing and how, but it is to say that my focus must be on God and not on myself or my “results.” God alone knows the eventual fruit of what He does through me.

Father, thank You for this encouraging reminder. Thank You that You’re repeating it to me, since the computer crashed and completely trashed what I wrote the first time around. Thank You for this time of limited speaking and no singing. Thank You that my voice seems to be somewhat better this morning. I do ask Your anointing on Cathy as she speaks this morning, and on the brother who is interpreting for her. Thank You that this episode is training us all! I pray that we would receive the training You provide so as to be transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ, becoming more and more effective in drawing people to repentance and faith for salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Word of God; December 8, 2018

Posted on December 11, 2018 by jgarrott

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

As long as I have known and loved this verse, I’m not sure it ever occurred to me before that this is why some people may be afraid of reading the Bible. Thinking about it, this image is pretty scary! The thing is, God’s Word doesn’t harm the good stuff in us, it cuts out and cuts away the things that harm us, that separate us from God. That’s where faith comes in. If we don’t really trust that God has our best interests in mind, we will be protective of how we are now, instead of desiring to grow as He intends for us. Human doctors are a pretty weak analogy for what God can and does do for us, but even the Bible uses them that way, so here goes. Many people are very scared of surgery, and it can indeed bring pain in the short term. However, accurate surgery can be life-saving. Some people are so scared of the surgery itself that they choose to die of their disease rather than go through the surgery. That is directly comparable to our spiritual condition. Some people are so attached to their sins that they go to hell rather than allow God to cut those sins away from them. Just yesterday I heard of someone who is rejecting life-saving medical treatment out of fear of the treatment itself, and I have known multiple people who have been so attached to their sins that they couldn’t face the thought of genuine repentance, renouncing those sins. Either way it’s tragic. One thing to keep in mind is that the sharper the blade, the less pain there is, at least initially. That’s why it’s so good that God’s Word is so sharp. He doesn’t subject us to blunt force trauma! We need to recognize the magnificence of His love and trust that His plans for us are indeed good, (Jeremiah 29:11) welcoming His Word into our hearts and lives to do its full work. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Growing up in the home that I did, essentially immersed in the Bible, I have never been consciously afraid of it, but there have been periods when I really wasn’t interested in reading it. Now, I’m so familiar with it that the danger is in the old proverb of familiarity breeding contempt. I must never take the Word lightly! I delight to read the Word morning by morning, and God indeed gives me fresh revelations, just as He did this morning about people being scared to read the Bible. As a pastor my chief desire for my flock is that each one discover the joy of feeding on the Word, regularly and abundantly, and grow to be the disciple that Jesus desires and deserves, in intimate fellowship through the Holy Spirit. That is my personal goal for myself, but I can’t make it happen in anyone. I’ve got to walk alongside people, admonishing but even more encouraging, helping them discover for themselves the riches of the Word rather than constantly spoon-feeding them. I haven’t figured out how to do that consistently yet, so I’ve got to keep praying and listening, so that God may use me to accomplish His will in people’s hearts and lives.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You also for this training period of cutting back on speaking. Help me indeed listen, first to You and also to those around me, rather than butting in with my own thoughts and ideas, so that Your Word may have its full work in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Rest; December 7, 2018

Posted on December 10, 2018 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.

The fact that this passage ties our minds in knots shows that we don’t really understand rest. Modern society provides most of us with more leisure time than our ancestors could have dreamed of, yet we suffer from from chronic lack of sleep or insomnia (which aren’t the same thing) and burn out from all sorts of stress-related disorders. A big part of that is that we have forgotten what Sabbath is all about. In our always-on technology-driven culture, we don’t know how to set things aside and focus on God, to open ourselves up to Him, and that is what Sabbath is all about. Smart phones have certainly accelerated that trend, with people checking their phones even in the middle of the night, not to mention frequently throughout the day. That’s no way to rest! Yes, it does take real effort to buck that trend and receive the rest God has for us. Any addiction can take a lot of work to kick. However, the payback is enormous. We get so caught up in the drive to do stuff that we even become envious of the dead, which is where the famous Rest In Peace comment comes from. We need to learn how to RIP while we’re still alive! The only way to do that is to refocus our priorities on the One who created us, accepting His schedule for us with joy and not resentment, trusting that His plans for us are the absolute best there could be. Entering God’s rest requires faith, first and foremost, but He has that available for us if we will choose to accept it.

It’s been quite a few years now since the Lord told me to rest, relax, rejoice. I could track it down in my sermon notes, since I spoke on it at the time, but the exact date is unimportant. He has reminded me of it countless times since then, and I’m still learning! Right now He has me in a training period I hadn’t imagined, resting from speaking and singing because of a polyp on a vocal cord. This is some of the hardest resting I’ve ever done! The desire to speak and the desire to sing well up within me, and giving that to God without being vocal is a real struggle. He is teaching me that my words and my music are just that, my words and music, and I’ve got to cut that out to let Him pour His words and music through me, in His time. Just when that time will be is His business, and I’ve got to trust Him with that. This morning I have a nursing school class, and I’ve got to trust Him to enable me to use the microphone effectively so that I don’t do any further damage. I am to be there for the sake of my students, and not for my own pride. Next week we have a review lesson and the following week is a Christmas party, before a second review lesson and then the examination in January. I need to do all those things for the students, and not for me, so I’ve got to trust God with it all. That’s what Sabbath is all about!

Father, thank You for continuing to correct and train me. Help me not “kick against the goads,” (Acts 26:14) but rather accept and act on the things You teach me, so that I may rest, relax, and rejoice in my Lord Jesus Christ indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Temptation; December 6, 2018

Posted on December 10, 2018 by jgarrott

Hebrews 2:18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

We sometimes have trouble imagining what it was like for Jesus to live as a human being. We kind of get the idea that He laid aside His omnipotence and His omniscience, because we see glimpses of that in His earthly ministry with miracles and words of knowledge. (Actually, we don’t grasp that, because everything He did on this earth He did in the power of the Holy Spirit, and not in His innate power as the Son – and that same Holy Spirit is available to us.) We have more trouble grasping that as perfectly holy God, who could not be tempted by evil to any degree, (James 1:13) He became fully human and so subjected Himself to the same temptations we face. He never sinned, (Hebrews 4:15) but the temptations were real, and the very fact that they were tempting to Him was doubtless worse than physical suffering would have been. His time in the desert at the start of His ministry is famous, (Luke 4:1-13) but we sometimes fail to realize that the temptations listed there are simply representative types; we face the same things. He was tempted to place His physical needs and desires ahead of obedience to His Father. He was tempted to take the “easy way out,” worshiping the devil in exchange for the world. He was tempted to try to force God to do stuff His way, instead of walking in humble submission. That last was put to the ultimate test in the garden of Gethsemane, but He still passed. (Matthew 26:39) The point in this verse is that Jesus understands temptation, and He doesn’t put us down for feeling it. We’ve got to remember that temptation itself isn’t sin, it’s yielding to temptation that is sinful.

I’ve been tempted as much as anyone, and my response hasn’t always been good by any means. Sometimes I have even delighted in temptations, because they stimulate my flesh. That response is certainly sinful, because it means I’m putting my flesh ahead of God. The point for me in my ministry is to recognize the devil’s schemes and help others to do so as well, so that we may be better equipped to submit to God and resist the devil. (James 4:7) I’m never to put anyone down for being tempted, even when it’s something that doesn’t tempt me, but rather seek to walk alongside them to keep them pointed toward Jesus. Jesus alone was able to conquer every temptation, so I am not to condemn people – myself included – for stumbling, but rather help them repent and accept God’s full forgiveness. (1 John 1:9)

Father, thank You for this reminder. As I get older the temptations are sometimes more subtle, but they are still there. Help me walk in the purity and obedience You desire, helping others to do likewise, so that the devil’s schemes may be defeated and You alone glorified. Thank You. Praise God!

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Angels; December 5, 2018

Posted on December 7, 2018 by jgarrott

Hebrews 1:14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

This whole first chapter of Hebrews focuses on the differences between Christ and angels, because obviously some people in the 1st Century were getting pulled into some form of angel worship, so it is ironic in the extreme that this particular verse is dearly loved by those who are obsessed with angels today. It’s not at all that angels in general are bad, and the TV show of a few years back, Touched by an Angel, probably encouraged a lot of people in their faith. It was certainly a refreshing break from some of the other rot on TV! However, our only object of worship is to be the Godhead, and nothing less. I’m sure the reason we are encouraged by the world to focus on angels is that Satan and his demons started out as angels, and are adept at presenting themselves to people today as though they had not fallen, but were still pure and holy. (Revelation 12:9, 2 Corinthians 11:14) The point, as this verse says, is that genuine angels are sent by God to serve us, but our focus is not to be on the angels, but on God who sends them. We often forget that every time genuine angels reveal themselves to people in the Bible, the first reaction of the people is fear. Angels are a far cry from the little cupids we see in paintings! Interestingly, there’s a current cartoon that catches that pretty well. It’s called Rose is Rose, and a recurring character is an angel that only the little boy can see. Most of the time he appears as a little character about the size of the boy, but when the boy tries to take him lightly, he reveals himself as a towering figure with a shield and sword. God’s angels can indeed be mighty on our behalf, but our focus isn’t to be on them, but on the One who sends them, who is mightier than everything else put together.

I’ve never seen an angel, but my wife has been given that privilege several times. That’s why I can say that the Rose is Rose depiction of a towering warrior is pretty accurate. Thinking back, I’ve given my guardian angel plenty of work to do! (Matthew 18:10) I am frequently reminded that I have no power or ability to protect myself, so I am very grateful for God’s provision, but I’m not to take it for granted. I am to be totally fearless in obeying my Lord, but I’m not to do stupid things that would require Him to act. That’s why Jesus replied to the devil quoting Scripture at Him the way He did. (Luke 4:9-12) I am to be aware of the spirit realm, but never to the exclusion of the physical, and especially never to get so distracted by it that I lose sight of God. My angelic allies are real and my demonic enemies are real, but God is over it all, and I am called to be His child.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s not a subject I think about very often. Help me be gratefully obedient to You for all Your provision, spiritual and physical, so that You may receive all the glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Faith, Knowledge, and Activity; December 4, 2018

Posted on December 7, 2018 by jgarrott

Philemon 1:6 I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

There are some arguable points about exactly what is subject and what is object in this sentence, grammatically speaking, but one point is very clear: faith is intimately connected with both knowledge and activity. You can’t have faith without knowing something about Christ, and as James pointed out, it’s hard to claim you have faith without demonstrating it through your activities. (James 2:14-26) It’s very dangerous to try to substitute activities for faith. That’s one of the things that triggered the Protestant Reformation, as Luther saw the Catholic Church telling people they could essentially buy their way into heaven. He reacted so strongly that he called James a “book of straw,” but if the pendulum swings too far, you have people who claim to be Christians but whose lives are indistinguishable from complete pagans. Sadly, such people are very abundant. Whatever the Greek says, the NIV translation picks up on something I have observed time and time again: the best way to grow your faith is to share it. We won’t really know all the good things God has prepared for us in Christ until we walk them out in obedience, and our faith is certainly strengthened when it is confirmed in experience.

This has certainly been my experience, but I still have trouble applying it in pastoral ministry. My major motivational gifting is Teacher, and one characteristic of that is the tendency to feel that transmitting information is – or should be – enough. I can get very frustrated when I speak God’s truth to people week after week and they don’t change! The thing is, they aren’t going to change until they start putting that truth into action, because only then will they really grasp it and make it their own. We don’t really understand truth until we apply it and allow it to change us. That’s why it’s so helpful that I’ve been introduced to the concept of coaching, rather than simply teaching. I have a lot of room to grow in walking alongside people to help them apply the truth that I share with them. I really think the reason so many people have such shallow faith is that they’ve never really tried to express their faith to someone else, to share it with them. When we put our faith into our own words and actions, then it really becomes ours, and grows by leaps and bounds.

Father, thank You for continuing to grow me as Your servant. Thank You for this time right now when I’m not supposed to be speaking at all (when I usually talk so much). Help me indeed express my faith and Your love through my actions, as I distribute Bibles this morning with the Gideons and in every other thing I do as well, so that I may be transformed more and more into the likeness of Your son, (Romans 8:29) for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Grace; December 3, 2018

Posted on December 6, 2018 by jgarrott

Titus 3:3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.

Wow. Talk about a description of modern society! It’s important to note that Paul isn’t giving this description from a superior position, but rather as someone who has been there. That’s why he could write so beautifully and convincingly of the grace of God, as he does right after this: he knew he needed that grace as much as anyone. That’s a vitally important thing about grace: we have to know we need it in order to receive it. That actually is the sticking point for many people about becoming Christians: they don’t want to admit they are sinners. One advantage of prison ministry is that the prisoners don’t have to be told they are sinners, since the courts have already told them that. Interestingly, even in prison some people try to insist they aren’t as bad as the next guy. The problem with that is that any sin disqualifies us from fellowship with an absolutely pure and holy God. God had to send His Son as our Savior precisely because we were hopeless otherwise. It’s when we really grasp and accept that fact that we open up to receive the abundance of grace that God has provided for us, just as Paul writes in the following verses. Evangelism that just tries to entice with all the good stuff God has for us isn’t going to generate genuine disciples, however many people might be added to church rolls. However, trying to scare people into heaven doesn’t work very well either. We need to be up front about what people (including us) deserve, and then talk about what God has made available through faith in Christ. That way it is Good News indeed.

I am constantly being called back to this definition of the Gospel, precisely because evangelism is so difficult in Japan. It is a horrible mistake to try to take the convicting work of the Holy Spirit on myself, (John 16:8-11) but I must always speak the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15) giving the Holy Spirit the ammunition He needs. I am not to decide on my own who is ready to make a commitment, but I must be sensitive to the Spirit to make the most of every opportunity. (Ephesians 5:16) I am to be a good example in all I say and do, but not project a holier-than-thou attitude at all. Like Paul, I’ve got to remember that I need the grace of God at least as much as anyone else.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the lady who attended the service again yesterday, and for the various indications that You are working on her. Thank You for all You are doing in the man who has already said he wants to be baptized in the spring. Thank You for all the people You are drawing to Yourself that we don’t yet know about. Help us be effective harvest workers, inviting and drawing others into the grace that we ourselves have received, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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