Theology; November 12, 2018

Posted on November 13, 2018 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:23 This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Sometimes Paul writes stuff that makes Quantum Mechanics look simple by comparison! The section ahead of this is a good example of that. That’s why theologians have argued down through the centuries, and why there are so many different denominations. Even Peter acknowledged that Paul could be hard to understand! (2 Peter 3:16) That’s why it is significant that a famous theologian, Karl Barth if I recall correctly, when asked what was the deepest thing he had learned in all of his studies, replied, “Jesus loves me. This I know for the Bible tells me so.” There is indeed infinite depth to the study of God, because He is infinite, but the gateway to all of that is so simple that even a little child can grasp it and enter in. We tend to complicate that, trying to make all of God fit into our systems and schemes, and in the process drive people away from God, or at least refuse to let them enter in. To go back to the analogy of physics, if you were to require that someone grasp String Theory before they were taught the rules of Newtonian physics, action and reaction and the like, you would get absolutely nowhere. At one point, at least in some churches in Japan, it was felt that the harder a sermon was to understand, the better it was, because it meant the preacher was more intellectual. What rot! Jesus said that we have to become like little children to enter His kingdom. (Luke 18:17) This is not at all to say, “Everybody’s OK because God’s real nice.” Even little children can grasp sin and responsibility and forgiveness; my mother did so at age five, and proved it was real by going on to become a missionary. It’s also not to say that deeper points of theology are unimportant; different denominations have brought out important facets in the wealth of God’s truth. However, if in our pursuit of “deeper truth” we lose our mooring in John 3:16, we have lost everything.

As a preacher I tend to presume too much foundation in my hearers. I don’t chase theological fads, but I don’t always help my hearers get their foundations right, either. I need to ask and allow the Holy Spirit to help me put God’s truth in terms my hearers can understand and receive, so that they may indeed be set free from the lying traps of the enemy. (John 8:32) When I teach pronunciation to speech therapists I point out that it does little good if they speak beautifully but are unable to help someone else do likewise. That would make them a good speaker but not a speech therapist. Exactly the same thing may be said of me as a pastor. I can have a marvelous, intimate relationship with God, but if I can’t lead someone else to have the same, I’m not much of a pastor. Frankly, I don’t think that was touched on much if at all when I was in seminary, and that’s very sad. The Coaching movement that I’ve recently been exposed to makes the very valid point that we aren’t told to make converts, but disciples, and it proposes coaching techniques as a way of doing that. I’ve got a lot to learn! I must not succumb to the foolishness of thinking intellect is a substitute for intimacy and obedience. God wants to use me, and I am to rejoice to allow Him to do so.

Father, thank You for what You are doing in me in these days. Keep me from getting down on myself, but help me hear You accurately and obey You fully and promptly. Thank You for calling me to fast today. It’s been quite a while since I have done so. May this day be spent exactly as You intend, accomplishing Your purposes on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Qualifications; November 11, 2018

Posted on November 13, 2018 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Japanese society pays a lot of attention to qualifications, especially in the form of licenses, certificates, and the like. That’s why this verse probably has more impact here than in some other countries. Americans might relate better to the idea of a winning lottery ticket, which is a comparable concept. After all “the inheritance of the saints” is greater than any Powerball amount! If you don’t have the ticket, you can’t receive the money, plain and simple. Recently “social justice warriors” have been fighting for equality of outcome, saying that anything less is “unjust.” However, that would result in each person simply getting back what they paid for their lottery tickets in the first place. They completely miss the point. What is actually offered is equality of opportunity, even though the odds of getting the winning ticket are ridiculously small. (I don’t buy lottery tickets, by the way.) God, being infinite, has an infinite inheritance for “the saints,” so the “prize” isn’t diluted by more people getting it, but there are strict rules for qualification. Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 10:9 make it clear that the “price of admission” is faith. The thing is, genuine faith is going to produce a lifestyle of obedience, so this isn’t a matter of “into bliss and out of blister,” as my grandfather used to say. When in faith we commit to Jesus Christ as Lord, just as it says in Romans, then the Father accepts that as righteousness (Romans 4:5 and many more) and we are qualified to receive the inheritance of the saints, whether we think of ourselves as saints or not!

I have long been a mystery to many Japanese because of all the things I can do without ever having received a piece of paper saying I was “qualified” to do them. On the flip side of that, having gone to seminary and being ordained didn’t necessarily qualify me to be a pastor; that qualification really only comes from God. Things happen all the time to remind me that apart from Him, I am quite unqualified for what I am doing. I am not to be anxious about my qualifications for anything God tells me to do, but rather keep my focus on Him and remember that “Where God guides, He provides,” as a very accurate refrigerator magnet puts it. I am not to be puffed up about anything, but neither am I to hesitate or doubt my qualification for anything God is guiding me into.

Father, thank You for this encouraging Word. I feel that You are indeed guiding us into new things. Keep me from holding back from any of it, but rather rejoice to be Your child, Your servant, trusting You for everything, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Peace; November 10, 2018

Posted on November 12, 2018 by jgarrott

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

For months now we have been on the theme of God’s provision, and one thing that God can provide to a degree unapproachable by anything else is peace. Different personalities react differently, but some people seem to be born anxious! Of course the environment from conception through age five or so has a huge impact on that, with everything from the mother’s hormones to family security and interactions playing a part. However, regardless of how we started life, God, and God alone, can give us the peace we seek and need. This short passage has been proclaimed, dissected, and parsed by countless writers and speakers precisely because it speaks to such a basic human need. As this expresses, faith is essential, but so is gratitude. We aren’t going to have peace that our future needs are going to be met if we fail to recognize and acknowledge how God has met our needs in the past. In a very real sense, peace is a choice. The devil is out to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10) our peace every chance he gets, but we can choose to trust God and receive His peace. A hymn that has long been a favorite of my wife is Count Your Blessings. (I certainly like it myself.) Looking back and seeing how faithful God has been over the years, even when we have ignored and/or rebelled against Him, is an excellent prelude to receiving the peace He has for us.

Yesterday was an excellent reminder of this for us. Every year we have a church Thanksgiving dinner, inviting neighbors to eat with us after we decorate the church the last Sunday before Advent. Turkeys are a rare item on Japanese menus, partly because the average home doesn’t have an oven of any size, so we have to drive up to Costco in Fukuoka, around 90 minutes by expressway, to get one. Since they are frozen we often get one early, but the last time we made the trip they didn’t have any in stock. This time I had called to confirm they had them, and Cathy had several other things on her list. Not only did they have an 11.32 kg (25 lb) turkey, (the biggest we’ve seen there) they also had almost everything else on Cathy’s list, to the point that tears came to her eyes at God’s goodness. Today we will be able to take invitations around to the neighbors with joy, knowing that God’s got it all covered. We have some new neighbors, as well as people we have known for years but who haven’t opened their hearts to Christ, and this will be an excellent opportunity to express the love of God to them all, allowing the Holy Spirit to draw them to repentance and faith. Nothing is impossible for God!

Father, thank You indeed for Your provision of peace and everything else we need. Help us make the use that You intend of each thing that You provide, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Growth; November 9, 2018

Posted on November 11, 2018 by jgarrott

Philippians 3:16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

The section ahead of this is so glorious that this perhaps gets overlooked much of the time. From verse 7 through 14 Paul expresses his own level of spiritual maturity in words that have inspired and challenged believers in all the centuries since he wrote them. In verse 15 he essentially says, “That’s what maturity looks like, and God’s going to lead you there, too.” Then we have this verse. The thing is, we all have a tendency to make progress spiritually and then slide back. It’s so naturally we hardly even notice it. We go to a conference and are really inspired, and then a week after we get home, if that long, we are like we never went in the first place. Paul is here saying essentially the same thing James said so famously: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22) It is sadly common to run into people we thought were on fire for the Lord and find they are in nowhere near that condition. We are to pray for such people and encourage them, but even more, we are to be on our guard that we don’t fall into such traps ourselves. As Jesus pointed out, our first responsibility is for our own faithfulness. (Matthew 7:3-5) That’s exactly what Paul is saying here.

This is something I’ve really got to be careful about. I was raised with huge spiritual advantages, immersed in faith and the Bible and all of that, but I haven’t always lived so you would know it. I’ve been pretty good at putting on a front, but behind the facade, I’ve been a real mess at times. As a pastor I am called to encourage others and admonish them when they get off track, but I’ve got to be very careful I don’t get off track myself. Just in the past couple of days the Lord has been pointing out to me how I have lost my edge in some areas, and has indicated some ways I need to change. I need such things as much as anyone else! It means very little if I achieve some level of spiritual maturity and then back off from it. I need to remember Paul’s words to the Galatians: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9) Paul had to write about this sort of thing so much because that’s how we are as human beings, but he also knew that God is going to get us through, (Philippians 1:9) and I need to remember that too. After all, that’s what I’m preaching on this coming Sunday!

Father, thank You for Your patience with us all. Help me indeed live up to where You have already brought me, not slipping back, or even sideways, but continuing to press on into more of You, to take hold of that for which You have already taken hold of me, (Philippians 3:12) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Spiritual Warfare; November 8, 2018

Posted on November 11, 2018 by jgarrott

Philippians 2:12-13 Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

This is a Scripture that I quote often, and it is even included in the Faith Declarations I’ve been using for almost 40 years now. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ve got it fully ingrained in my being to live by it. I don’t know that I operate with much “fear and trembling” toward God at all, and that leaves me open to all sorts of temporal fears that are ultimately meaningless. We all have a stubborn tendency to get in ruts, to take things for granted and essentially just coast, and that dulls our spiritual ears. That’s a major purpose of fasting: forcing us to place God ahead of the flesh in our priorities, at least for a little while. God really does work in us, as this says, and He speaks to us frequently, but much of the time we are too distracted to pay attention. When we aren’t paying attention to God, then the devil has a much easier time of insinuating his lies into our hearts and minds. That’s dangerous!

I feel like I am waking up, to a degree at least. I have been such a news/political junkie that I’m getting 60 or more emails a day, many of them “newsletters” that copy each other and generally try to drum up panic (not to mention contributions). With the recent election behind us, I realize I need to unsubscribe to the vast majority of those, greatly reducing the amount of time I’m glued to my chair in front of the computer. I’m realizing I have a list of things I could and should be doing, that would ultimately be far more satisfying than stewing in front of a news feed. Some of those things are for personal advancement, but more importantly, some are specifically for the sake of the Body of Christ, and I have no excuse for letting them slide. I realize that we are under spiritual attack, and I’ve got to get with the program, consciously wearing the full armor of God at all times, (Ephesians 6:10-18) getting my orders from my Commander and being tactical in my use of time and resources. I need to stand guard over my flock, starting with my wife, because they are under attack as well. God has told me to rest, relax, and rejoice, but that doesn’t mean blind, deaf, and lazy! Results are in God’s hands, but if I’m not active in my obedience, I don’t have a great deal to look forward to in the way of results.

Father, thank You indeed for this wake-up call. The irony is that failing to be active in my obedience is ultimately exhausting! Help me be active in seeking first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, and not just relegate that to an aphorism. I pray that Cathy and I would both get the rest we need at the right times so that we will have the energy we need to do Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Attitude; November 7, 2018

Posted on November 8, 2018 by jgarrott

Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

Several years ago WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) was all the rage, with bracelets and all sorts of things sporting those initials, all based on a book of the same title from about a century ago. That was all well and good, but like all fads it faded, and you hardly hear of it any more. The real issue is actually more basic even than that, as is expressed here. Everything Jesus did was an outgrowth of who He was, and as this verse says, His attitude. We tend to focus on actions, on external things, but as God told Samuel, He looks on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) That’s not at all to say that our actions are unimportant, but rather that they are symptom rather than cause. Adopting Jesus’ attitude is a lifetime project! The root of Jesus’ attitude was His fellowship and unity with the Father, and He prayed that we would have that same fellowship and unity. (John 17:20-21) Since Jesus prayed it, we have hope! Otherwise, an honest assessment of our weaknesses would leave us very little hope at all. Virtually everything about life in Christ is a now/not yet paradox. In Him we are the righteousness of God, (2 Corinthians 5:21) yet we commit sin. (1 John 1:8) We are made new in Christ, (2 Corinthians 5:17) yet we are very much works in progress. (Philippians 3:12-14) What will give us stability in all of that is Jesus’ attitude, focusing on God rather than on ourselves and indeed seeking His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) above, before, and beyond anything and everything else. After all, that is what Jesus really did.

This is a Word to me, and it is one that I need to communicate effectively to all the believers in this church. We are tempted either to pride or to give up on ourselves, sometimes within minutes of each other! I need to be an encourager at the same time I exhort people to press on in for more of Christ. None of us have any real hope of being and doing what God desires without the help of the Holy Spirit, so that needs to be my focus. Frankly, that has been a real frustration to me, because so few Japanese yield themselves to the baptism and filling of the Holy Spirit. We all need to keep being filled, as the Greek tense indicates in Ephesians 5:18. That applies to me as much as it does to anyone else, so I too need to focus on God rather than on myself, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s not like You haven’t told me this before! Help me not deceive myself by stopping with mental agreement, but help me follow through and let You change me, having Jesus’ attitude indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Death; November 6, 2018

Posted on November 8, 2018 by jgarrott

Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

From the viewpoint of the world, this verse is absolutely absurd. Paul was not in the least suicidal, but he was saying that death would be a plus for him. In fact, in verse 23 he says it would be “better by far!” That’s what comes from genuine assurance of salvation. As Nate Saint, a missionary who was later killed by those to whom he had gone to share the Gospel, said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” This is exactly what Jesus was talking about when He said, “Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” (Luke 17:33) Actually, He said that sort of thing several times. We are to enjoy and be grateful for this life, but at the same time know that what is coming is far better. Just yesterday I saw an Internet meme on Facebook that was two twins talking with each other in the womb about the idea of “life after birth,” as an analogy for life after death. It was very much to the point and, in my view, extremely accurate. The thing is, the death of a believer is not a tragedy, from that person’s standpoint anyway. Those who are left behind grieve, and that is natural, but the loss is temporary, and for the person himself, it is translation into glory. My wife has experienced dying and coming back to physical life, and just the little bit of heaven she got to taste has her eager to go back! We need to live fully while we’re here, committed to and serving God so that when we leave, whether at 9 or 99, we will receive the reward of a “good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)

This has been a growing conviction for me, particularly since my father “graduated” at 64 (which was before my wife’s near-death experience). When my mother died of cancer a few years later, I wept for her suffering, but rejoiced when she was freed from it. I can’t say that I am looking forward in the least to the idea of my wife going before I do, but I know that it would be much easier for her if she does. Just last week a long-time friend of mine passed away because of cancer, and yesterday my wife and I were talking with his widow to assure her of our love and prayers for her. As I told her, we could be confident her husband was having a great time with his Lord Jesus. When I said that, she smiled, and it was beautiful. My reason for being here in Omura is to increase the number of people who have that assurance, and I must never give up, however long the road. Like Paul, I know that my continued life here is for the benefit of others, even though I get blessed in the process. I am to seek God’s will moment by moment, and rejoice to do it, for His glory.

Father, two of our friends died that day, and only one of them knew Jesus. The other one had heard the Gospel but wanted to add Jesus to his “god shelf,” and rejected the idea of “no other gods.” That was tragic indeed. I pray that You would pour out Your Spirit of revelation and repentance, so that the people of Omura may indeed forsake all other gods and cling to Jesus Christ alone, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Emotions; November 5, 2018

Posted on November 6, 2018 by jgarrott

Philippians 1:9-11 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Paul and his long sentences! Actually, his writing that way makes it harder to “cherry pick” just the parts that seem “tasty” to us, when God’s truth is far too broad and deep for “sound bites.” The thing that speaks to me from this passage is that we are not to rely on emotion in our walk with Christ. Genuine love is far more than emotion, but we still tend to put love in the category of emotion. Some people become Christians with a great deal of emotion and weeping, but then never seem to progress beyond that. Here Paul brings in knowledge, depth of insight, and discernment, leading to righteousness and holiness. If our “love” for God hasn’t led to obedience to Him then it is essentially meaningless. (John 14:15) The devil is a masterful liar, and he delights to use our emotions to deceive us. Emotions are at their root beautiful gifts from God, but the devil likes nothing better than to twist and contaminate such things, and he certainly tries to do that with love. We definitely need to love God, as well as love our neighbor, (Matthew 22:37-38) but that love should abound in knowledge and insight. Only then will we be able to discern what is best in each situation, just as Paul says here.

The reason this struck me just now is that so many people in America today seem to be operating on blind emotion. They let their feelings dictate their politics, for example, instead of asking God for discernment and wisdom. There is also the tendency to decide right and wrong strictly on the basis of what feels good, both emotionally and physically. That is very dangerous, and I’m not immune to that tendency myself. As a matter of fact, I was under a good bit of attack in my emotions just yesterday. I’ve got to remember, and remember to teach others, that God is greater that our emotions, and His truth isn’t dependent on how we feel. I am not to ignore emotions, in myself or in anyone else, but I am to speak the truth in love at all times, not only to others but even to myself. When the devil is playing his nasty games with my emotions, I need to speak God’s truth to myself, just as David did many times in the Psalms, (Psalm 42 and 43, etc.) so that I may rely and rest in nothing less than God Himself.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for the reality that indeed, joy comes in the morning. Help me relate to emotions as You intend and continue to grow in my relationship with You and with those around me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Warfare; November 4, 2018

Posted on November 6, 2018 by jgarrott

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

It’s interesting how much trouble we have remembering this. We get all caught up in enmity against people, when they aren’t our real enemies. It’s not that we aren’t to be on our guard, or even that we aren’t to defend ourselves, but that people themselves aren’t the source of the problem. This applies even in military conflict, in which you have to be very aware of your opposition or you will get killed. Those people who are against us might be so committed to a demonic cause as to be genuinely evil themselves, but they are still to be pitied rather than hated. We can rightly hate what they do, and we can rightly hate the devil who uses them, but people were not created for evil however much they devote themselves to it. Our real opposition is as Paul lays it our here: spiritual, not material. Accordingly, we are to do our battles first in that realm, and only then do the physical/material things that may be called for. As intense as the battle is these days, we need to be “prayed up” all the time! The prophet Elisha is very instructive in this area. In 2 Kings 6 we have the record of how God frustrated the plans of the king of Aram by telling Elisha what he was going to do before he ever did it, and Elisha warned the king of Israel so he could avoid Aram’s traps. Elisha wasn’t a military man, but he was the most powerful element in Israel’s army! We need to be that way, actively seeking God’s kingdom, His will to be done, and listening to what He tells us about our part in that happening. We aren’t to be passive, much less lazy or careless, but we are to recognize that the power is with God, and physical conflict is never more than secondary to the spiritual that underlies it all.

I received my draft notice in 1970, and the most distasteful thing about my Army training was the realization that I was quite capable of killing other human beings. By God’s grace I didn’t go to Vietnam, but I certainly understand what PTSD is all about. There are of course military people in active conflict today, but for most people the conflict is less obvious. That doesn’t mean it’s less real! The US is in the middle of some pretty intense societal conflict right now, with a major election coming up in a couple of days. I’ve got to remember that “those people” aren’t my enemies, they are just being deceived and used by my true enemy. I am to pray earnestly for God’s will to be done, and trust Him with the outcome. He is just as capable today as He was in the days of Elisha!

Father, thank You for being God. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in the awareness of Your Lordship, while being actively obedient to all that You show me to do, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Marriage; November 3, 2018

Posted on November 5, 2018 by jgarrott

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

I find it amusing to have this passage on a day when I am performing a wedding, because I always read this passage to the couple when I do premarital counseling. That said, this passage is a major reason for the devil’s onslaught against marriage in the world today. He knows that if he can confuse us about marriage, we will have more trouble understanding what Christ has done for us and how we are to be in relationship with Him. These days people get up in arms about Paul saying that wives are to submit to their husbands, but they completely overlook this verse which, as I point out to couples, is far more severe on husbands. I tell women that if their husband demands submission from them to ask him, “Well, Honey, are you loving me sacrificially?” A big part of the problem is that we don’t understand this kind of submission. It certainly isn’t subservient groveling! In a way, how Islamists treat women teaches us a lot, because that is so obviously NOT what this is talking about. The better we understand Christ’s love for us, the more eager we will be to please Him. The closer a man’s love for his wife comes to Christ’s love for the Church, the more blessed their marriage and home will be in every respect.

Cathy’s and my marriage is a wonder to many of the people who know us. We both were blessed to be raised by parents who had very good marriages, so our expectations and goals were pretty right. I have had even Christian couples be disbelieving when I tell them we’ve never had a physical fight. We’ve had a few strong arguments, but not so many even of those. The miracle there is that at the point we got married, neither of us was walking very close to the Lord, and it was several years before either of us did so. (Cathy got there first.) I well remember how amazed the professor was in my Marriage and Family class in seminary when I told him that even before I got married I expected marriage would be the biggest job of my life, but it would carry the greatest rewards. I was right! I have learned a great deal about God’s love for me through how He has allowed me to love my wife. In some ways it is still aspirational, because of my many imperfections, but there is joy and peace in it all that I can’t imagine gaining any other way. It has always amazed me that Paul could have written this passage as a single man, but as I tell couples, I take that as proof that he was writing under direct inspiration, and I’m grateful he did so,

Father, thank You for Your plan for marriage and family. Thank You also for the privilege of sharing that plan with so many couples over the years. I pray that the couple getting married today, and each couple I marry, would discover Your love indeed through their relationship and so turn their hearts and their lives over to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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