The Knowledge of God; October 9, 2018

Posted on October 12, 2018 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

I love this whole chapter, but I had wondered what had triggered my including it in the series on God’s Provision, and this is it. I have underlined just about everything in this chapter, but in a sense all of it is referenced in this verse, because it it is all included in “the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” There is so much to know about God, and so much that is unknowable apart from His revelation. This verse is talking about that revelation in terms of light shining in, and that is so very apt. I think every believers has experienced situations when it seemed like God suddenly “turned on the lights” and things that had been invisible became obvious. One lady I baptized had seen a friend’s baptism, in which I had asked the candidate, “Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, who died for you and was then raised from death?” (I always include that when I baptize.) The candidate had replied in the affirmative, and been baptized on the basis of that confession, but the lady who was watching thought, “How can she say she believes that?” After that lady had her own encounter with the Lord, receiving a direct and personal response to prayer, she abruptly realized that she had no doubt at all that Jesus was raised from death! God had shone His light into her heart. Sadly, I think there are many church members who are still in the dark. For any of a number of reasons they have gone through the motions, but their heart wasn’t in it and so Jesus isn’t in their heart. That’s tragic, because since they think they are Christians, they stop seeking (if they were ever really seeking in the first place). God’s promise to Jeremiah says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) We need to seek God and welcome the light of His revelation of Himself to our hearts.

As a pastor I desire an intimate relationship with God for each of those in my care, but I can’t have it for them. I can and do keep pressing in for more of Him myself, but all I can do for them is keep praying for them and speaking the truth in love, modeling what it looks like to walk with God and hoping they will seek to do likewise. By God’s grace I do speak messages that are filled with the light of the knowledge of God, but I can’t force anyone to receive it. It breaks my heart when people are stubbornly unreceptive, but that reminds me of how I’ve make God feel when I’ve refused His love as well. I’m to exercise with them the patience God has shown me, and trust the Holy Spirit to do His work. (John 16:8-11)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for those who are receptive, and for each time anyone does receive Your light. Help me never “dim the wattage,” much less burn out. Help me remember that any light that originates in me is no better than darkness, and so allow Your light to shine through me, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Boldness; October 8, 2018

Posted on October 11, 2018 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 3:12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

I tend to be surprised at hesitant Christians. This verse would indicate that such an attitude shows they don’t understand the glory of the New Covenant by which they have been implanted in Christ, that Paul discusses just before this. “Bold” can be applied to a number of things, but the Japanese here specifically says “act boldly.” That was certainly Paul’s personality and lifestyle! Personality indeed has a lot to do with it, but fundamental convictions are of great importance, and that is what is touched on here. Paul famously told Timothy, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Timothy obviously didn’t have Paul’s personality, but he had the same Holy Spirit, and He is available to us all. I think this all ties in to what Jesus said: “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38) “Adulterous and sinful” certainly sounds like the world today! Most people never witness actively for Christ because they are afraid of how people will react, fearing man instead of fearing God. They need a deeper appreciation of the glory and Spirit of God! We aren’t to be brash, running roughshod over people, but we need to be so settled in our faith and hope that we will never hesitate to speak the truth in love, (Ephesians 4:15) so that people may be set free. (John 8:32)

I’m talking to myself here! I do witness and I have introduced people to Christ for their salvation, but all too often I hold back, not wanting people to be turned off to me. See, the focus is on me! I am constantly telling believers to “lift their eyes to Jesus,” but I’m not consistent about it myself. When I fix the gaze of my heart on the glory of God, as Paul is talking about here, I will have no problem with boldness. The last song in yesterday’s service was Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. I learned that song as a child, but I’m still not consistent about it. I want to be as bold as Paul and as loving as John, which will make me more like Jesus.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You are doing in, around, and through me. May I be so focused on You that boldness is never an issue, because I am totally and instantly responsive to whatever You want to say or do through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Credentials; October 7, 2018

Posted on October 11, 2018 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 3:4-6 Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

This is an enormously important passage for any minister, though many do not recognize that. There is a difference in nuance between the English and the Japanese. Where the English says “competence,” the Japanese says “credentials” Competence is focused on whether the work can be done right, but credentials are whether someone says you can do the work. I don’t know the nuance of the Greek, but Japanese society is very focused on credentials. It’s like the Pharisees confronting Jesus over what right He had to do what He did. (Matthew 21:23-27) Today different groups place different weight on “licensing” and “ordination” for church workers, but at best those are merely human recognition of what God has already done. I’m very glad to have met Stewart Briscoe, who was an anointed preacher from Britain who started out as a banker, before God called him to preach. When the Lord told him to go to the US he had to get the appropriate visa, and they wanted to know his credentials. “What seminary did you attend?” “Bedside Bible College.” “How do we know you’re a preacher?” “Sit down and listen.” Credentials are most often written, which makes it very appropriate that Paul refers to “the letter” here. However, the credentials of those who serve God are the life that flows from their words and actions.

I have always been saddened by groups that required an academic test before they would ordain someone into the ministry. I have known people with doctorates with no anointing from God, and I have known people with very little education who were powerfully anointed. Smith Wigglesworth comes to mind (though of course I didn’t know him personally). There is great danger in spiritual pride, but I still stand by something we told the Southern Baptists when they were declining to appoint us as missionaries: “We’d rather be Lord-sent than board-sent.” Mission boards and the like have their place, but such boards need to be very careful they are hearing and obeying God, rather than just operating by human rules. Jesus said that people are to be evaluated on the basis of their fruit. (Matthew 7:15-20) My focus needs to be on the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that You do equip every servant of Yours with all they need to do the work You have assigned to them. Help me never take personal pride in what You have provided, but at the same time not doubt that You have provided and will continue to provide everything necessary. May I be bold in my obedience, so that Your will may indeed be done in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Comforting; October 6, 2018

Posted on October 10, 2018 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

It is fascinating that the Lord arranged that this passage would come up right after we had a seminar last night on Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG). The speaker was talking about being an “expert companion” for someone who has experienced trauma, not directing but coming alongside and loving, and that’s exactly what this is talking about. God never does anything capriciously, and sometimes what He allows us to experience, knowing that we will get through it, is for the sake of the next person down the line, so that we can help them get through what they experience. This all ties in to one of my favorite Scriptures: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) The fallen world we live in is filled with trouble of all sorts, but when we are grounded in Christ, the outcome is never in doubt.

That is fairly easy to say, and I have said it more times than perhaps I should have, because someone in the middle of suffering or trauma doesn’t need things that sound like platitudes, no matter how true they might be. Last night Cathy shared the story of how having experienced a miscarriage allowed her to comfort a friend who lost a child soon after birth. She said that basically all they did was cry together, but that was precisely what the friend needed. The speaker said that was exactly what he was talking about! I personally don’t feel I have experienced much trauma, but I have had plenty of what I would include in the “trouble” Jesus mentioned. I’ve got to remember that I am as much in need of the grace and mercy of the Lord as anyone else, approaching people on a totally equal basis. I’m never to talk down to anyone, but rather demonstrate the love of God to them in ways that they can receive it, as the Spirit guides me. As a counselor I tend to be directive, which is seldom good. There are many times when I need to communicate truth, but the other person may or may not be able to receive that truth in the way and at the time I am trying to communicate it. I’ve got to be fully submitted to the Holy Spirit to let Him direct me in when and what to say, and when and what to do to express God’s truth in other ways than words.

Father, I am such a person of words that this is hard for me to follow through on. I ask You to keep growing me so that I will be silent when I should be, speaking only as You direct, so that Your comfort may indeed be transmitted through me, for the blessing of others and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Being Productive; October 5, 2018

Posted on October 10, 2018 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

What an enormously comforting verse for any Christian worker! Paul has just talked extensively about our victory over death, which had to be a pressing concern for any believer in the Roman Empire, but here he addresses what is of concern to us to the degree that we really want to serve God: am I really accomplishing anything? We can have full assurance of eternal life and still fear death simply because it means “Time’s up; put down your pencil.” We have an innate desire for our lives to mean something, to accomplish something, and Paul says not to worry about it; God’s got it covered. In recent years the idea of a “bucket list” has gotten popular, but that’s from a very secular, self-centered point of view. Visiting places and experiencing things is nice, but it has no real meaning on the eternal scale. When we seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, our goals become things like the salvation of individuals and the destruction of the works of the devil. Those are things we might not see through to completion in this life, (Hebrews 11:39-40) but Paul tells us that even so, our efforts make a difference. Sometimes our greatest accomplishments are things we don’t even recognize ourselves, because we don’t see how our actions ripple through time. I’m reminded of the evangelist who had special meetings into which he poured his heart, only to have just one person commit themselves to the Lord. However, that one person was Billy Graham. What that evangelist did was certainly not in vain!

The older I get, the more this issue weighs on me. My greatest goal is to hear my Lord say to me, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” However, I see very few results that I can point to from my ministry, at least from my current perspective. However, from my current health level, I can look forward to up to 20 more years in this life, and God knows what He’s got planned. I have had people tell me that something I said years ago greatly impacted their life and ministry for good, but that’s not something I can see, for the most part. I’ve got to trust it all to God and stand firm, just as Paul says in this verse. “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Father, thank You for this Word of encouragement. The more tired I feel, the more necessary it is! Thank You for all that You have planned for today. I pray that Your plans may indeed be fulfilled, drawing people into Your kingdom and defeating the works of the enemy, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Death and Resurrection; October 4, 2018

Posted on October 9, 2018 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 15:49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

To be honest, the whole issue of how we will live after death has never bothered me particularly, but it concerns a lot of people and some of them obsess over it. From verse 35 on Paul lays out a very logical explanation of how it will be, and then summarizes it all in this verse. Thinking about the abilities Jesus demonstrated after His resurrection, I’m looking forward to it! My take on it is the elimination of limitations. I’ve worked with people with a wide variety of handicaps, and the idea of them being liberated from those is very comforting. Specifically, my wife created a support group for families of children with Cockayne Syndrome in Japan. Since rapid aging is one of the many symptoms of that syndrome, we’ve lost a lot of those kids since we started 23 years ago. The idea of them frolicking in heaven without any of their limitations is a very joyful one to me. (And no, I am not bypassing the necessity of salvation in Christ. I do believe the vast majority of those children do not reach the spiritual age of accountability.) One thing I find very interesting about Jesus’ resurrected body is that He could and did eat. (Luke 24:41-43) I don’t think it was necessary for Him, but it was possible, so I presume the same will be true for us. However, all such considerations are completely overshadowed by the glorious reality that we will have nothing in the way of full fellowship with our Lord. That’s certainly worth looking forward to!

This is naturally personal for me, as it is for every human being alive. When my father died, my genuine first reaction was, he won’t have to retire. When my mother died, I was thankful she was released from her cancer. When my wife died (the first time) I didn’t know it, but am very grateful the Lord sent her back for a while, but from what she experienced, I know I shouldn’t be selfish about it when she goes again. For myself, I’ve already lived six years longer than my father did, and I find myself with full empathy for Paul’s position, expressed in Philippians 1:20-26. There are challenges and rewards in this life, but they are certainly no more than a prelude to the next. My wife informs me that we will be able to recognize people in heaven, which is nice, but even that fades in the face of my anticipation of being with my Lord.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace. Thank You for the Bible, to clear up many of the questions we naturally have. Help us all release the things we don’t know, can’t know yet, to You, trusting that Your plans for us are glorious beyond our imagination. Thank You. Praise God!

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Knowing God; October 3, 2018

Posted on October 9, 2018 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

This is a very significant statement, and truth. Each age thinks they know many things, but often succeeding generations discover those former “truths” to have been wrong. That is certainly evident in science, which is ironic considering that so many people place their faith in it. The pace of discovery is picking up, so this is operative even in our own lifetimes. The “atomic model” I was taught in school – and I started college as a Chemistry major – is no longer thought to be accurate, and that’s just the beginning. We live in what is reasonably called the Information Age, but we have few if any guarantees as to whether that flood of information is accurate. “Fake news” is quite the buzz word these days, and for good reason. That’s all the more reason to take comfort in this verse. It requires humility, which is why some people reject it, but it also provides hope, which we all need. One reason people reject it is the statement that we are fully known. That references our omniscient Creator, and some people don’t want to acknowledge His existence because that would require accountability. If God knows us fully, we can’t hide anything, and that makes many people very nervous! However, when we believe and trust that God is love and will forgive all who come to Him on the basis of His Son’s blood, then being fully known is a deep comfort, and something to rejoice in.

I don’t think I ever doubted God’s omniscience, but that doesn’t mean I always ordered my life with respect for His laws. I have always enjoyed learning and knowing things, and read the Encyclopedia Britannica for fun as a 4th grader, so the current flood of information is in some ways delightful for me. I can easily get distracted for hours on the Internet, reading about everything from quantum mechanics and string theory to survival techniques. However, I’ve got to keep that all in perspective. I am well aware that much of that information will be useless to me, however much I enjoy it, and much of it is quite probably wrong. Knowing God, however, is a different matter. I can know Him only as He reveals Himself to me, but thankfully He has given us the Bible, and He speaks to me daily through it. A verse in Hosea has been delightfully set to music in Japanese, and I translated it to be able to sing it in English: “Let us press in to know the Lord; Let us dedicate our hearts that we may celebrate His Name, for as surely as the sun rises high up in the sky, our God will come to us.” (Hosea 6:3) In the particular context of the passage, the people were not saying that in sincerity, but that needs to be my attitude in truth. I am never to place intellectual knowledge above knowing my God, face to face.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for making it clear to me that You’re smart and I’m not. Help me indeed hang onto nothing but You, knowing You more and deeper and better than I know anything else, because You are indeed worthy and nothing else is. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Body of Christ; October 2, 2018

Posted on October 8, 2018 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

This truth is essential to the Church functioning as God intends. It is perhaps the foundation of the Cell Church Movement, which gave rise to the seminar I am now attending. I’m afraid the average Christian has very little personal awareness of this truth, and that is a major cause of the weakness of the Church today. We use the term, “the Body of Christ,” rather freely, but what gets overlooked is the phrase, “each one of you.” That doesn’t let anybody off the hook! The problem is, we tend to treat church like a club of some sort, joining one at our convenience and leaving at any little irritation, acting as a consumer rather than as an integral part. The whole discussion in this chapter makes it clear that each part, no matter how seemingly insignificant, impacts the whole. You may think your little fingers are unimportant, for example, but just ask someone who has lost theirs! Even if the lack of a particular part doesn’t prevent the operation of the whole, the loss is still felt. Understanding this truth would prevent the majority of casual absences for sure! Along with that is another truth that is proclaimed by these Coaching meetings: “Don’t go to church, be the Church.” That’s one place the “body” analogy breaks down, because the different parts of our physical bodies aren’t detachable, whereas the Church doesn’t cease to exist when the people aren’t assembled in one place. That’s a major problem with our terminology, speaking of the meeting place as “the church,” when actually it is just the place where the church assembles from time to time. Gathering together is important, as it says in Hebrews. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24) However, it is not meeting that makes us the Church, but abiding in Christ by faith.

As a pastor, this is of intense interest to me. I certainly desire good attendance in services; it’s much easier to preach to a full room than an empty one, and corporate worship is a special blessing. However, I am very aware that if the church members aren’t living as parts of the Body of Christ the other six days of the week, it ultimately makes very little difference whether they show up on Sundays. To be sure, it’s easy for me to have that awareness when I live in the church building! The danger is in giving the impression I am calling people to gather to me, rather than to gather to Christ. I want people to understand that they are members – body parts – of the Body of Christ, but I’ve got to see them that way as well. They aren’t going to mature spiritually very well if I see them as adjuncts to me. I’ve got to release them into their various callings, equipping them (Ephesians 4:12) for their various tasks but not trying to control or hang onto them. That can be hard! Over the 34 years we’ve been operating as a church I’ve baptized over 50 people and ministered to a lot more, but our current attendance is less than 10, and we’ve got another one moving away in November. It’s a platitude, but I’ve got to remember that the church belongs to Christ and not to me, and rejoice to do whatever He directs me to do by His Spirit.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank you for this conference, and for enabling me to put into notes what You’re directing me to share this afternoon. I pray that Your words through me would encourage all present, pointing them not to me but to You, so that together we may be the Body of Christ indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Many Parts in One Body; October 1, 2018

Posted on October 8, 2018 by jgarrott

1 Cor 12:12, 18 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

This whole passage (12-20) is extremely important in understanding interpersonal relationships and inter-church relationships. I’m not sure I had ever caught the connection between these two verses before. Not only are people and churches different, it’s because God planned it that way! We have such a strong tendency to seek out people like us. In a way that’s very good, because we need to have unity of faith, but in every other area it’s divisive and malignant. It’s important for us to realize that Paul had to deal with this issue in the 1st Century, so it should come as no shock that we still have to deal with it in the 21st. When we think of our physical bodies, the idea of just an eye rolling around, or an ear (how would it move?) is humorous, but we don’t apply that truth very well on a larger scale. Paul’s point is that individuals are necessary to each other, and differing churches are likewise necessary in God’s scheme of things. We are to rejoice in our diversity while maintaining unity of faith and love. Since we are the Body of Christ, our purpose is to do what He wants, and nothing less.

Since I am gifted over a wide spectrum (I qualified in every area when given aptitude tests by the Army) I have had trouble grasping the reality that I indeed need other people, besides my wife, that is. That has been a major hindrance to my ministry. Simply because I could, it seemed easier to do everything myself than to train others to do each part, and for many years that’s what I did. However, that makes for a very pastor-centered church with immature believers, and that’s exactly what I got. I certainly regret that now! The coaching seminars I’ve been attending for over a year now, with their emphasis on “The 7 Essences of the Church,” have pointed that out very clearly. As a matter of fact, I’ll be speaking on “Jesus-Centered” in the seminar that starts today, specifically from the standpoint of how hard I’ve found it to maintain that. When I’m focused on my abilities I’m not focused on Jesus, and that’s the root problem.

Father, thank You for pointing this out so clearly right now, when I’ve been unsure of exactly what I was to say in the seminar. I pray that everything about the seminar, and not just my session, may go exactly as You desire and intend, to build up the Body of Christ indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Gifts; September 30, 2018

Posted on October 1, 2018 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 12:1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.

This is one instance where I feel the Japanese really loses the flavor of what Paul said. In Japanese it says, “I want you to know the following things about spiritual gifts.” To me, the English word, ignorant, carries a much stronger feeling. We have a proverb in English, “Ignorance is bliss,” but Paul is saying that’s not the case. The majority of the Church was indeed ignorant of spiritual gifts for a long period, until God did a mighty work around the turn of the 20th Century. There were excesses, certainly, in the early Pentecostal Movement, but the biggest thing the “mainline churches” had against all of that was the dual issue of pride and control. “What do you mean, that we’re ignorant and you have something we don’t? That’s an insult!” The only issue of human control when it comes to spiritual gifts is whether we will receive and exercise them. Paul tells us to “Eagerly desire spiritual gifts, and especially the gift of prophecy,” (1 Corinthians 14:1) and he also tells us that “The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.” (1 Corinthians 14:22) When we try to control the content of a spiritual gift, it immediately stops being genuine and becomes a fleshly, or even demonic, deception. Ignorance can be very dangerous indeed! As Paul stresses throughout this chapter and elsewhere, there is great variety in the work of the Holy Spirit, and each individual tends to respond a little differently on top of that. God loves unity, but not monotony! We need to press into Him to learn more and receive more of Him, but not think it’s going to be exactly the same as for someone else, whether we admire that other person or not.

I was introduced to the whole topic of spiritual gifts in 1973, and I have been learning ever since. At this point I feel my biggest issue is in failing to exercise the manifestation gifts that are mentioned in this chapter, and thus failing to encourage the believers in my care to seek and exercise what the Lord has for them. I honestly don’t know why things are as they are. I do exercise the gift of tongues frequently, but always in private. In the past I have been used fairly powerfully in prophecy, but I hardly ever prophesy overtly in this church. I’m concerned that is because I fear people and their reaction, knowing that “Only in his home town, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” (Mark 6:4) That’s no excuse not to speak out what God is saying! I feel that God does give me words of wisdom and of knowledge from time to time, and I certainly seek to preach prophetically every time I stand to do so, but that’s not the same as allowing God to address specific issues for specific people through me. Actually, I might be more prophetic than I realize, now that I think about it. I’m not to dictate how God speaks through me, but I am to strive to be available to Him at all times for whatever He wants to say or do, to build up the Body of Christ and draw people to Him, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and this encouragement. Help me leave control in Your hands, and be the steward that You want me to be of all that You pour into and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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