Stewardship; June 26, 2018

Posted on June 28, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 12:48 “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

Ambition is a dangerous thing. This teaching, along with the famous parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) stresses that the important issue isn’t how much you’ve been given, it’s what you do with what you have. If we genuinely desire to see God’s kingdom come and grow, that’s one thing, but far too many people in ministry get seduced by the idea of “their” ministry growing. We tend to forget that everything belongs to God, and we are no more than stewards. That’s not to say that it’s wrong to set goals, personally or as a church or ministry, but it is to say that we need to keep close watch on our motives for doing so. If we are genuinely concerned to get the Gospel out as far as possible, to make as many disciples for Jesus Christ as we can, that’s good and commendable. However, if we are after bragging rights, or after a large congregation that can pay us a large salary, we are in real trouble. God gives each of us abilities and resources, but they aren’t to inflate us, they are to advance His kingdom. What Jesus is saying here is so pointed that Peter specifically asked who it applied to, in verse 41. Jesus didn’t reply directly, but the overall emphasis is on those who are in leadership, which often goes hand in hand with ambition. Every believer, but especially those in leadership, needs to examine themselves for faithfulness in their stewardship. (1 Corinthians 4:2)

I am always troubled when I read passages like this, because I feel I have been given a great deal and have done little with it. Other than sports, there has hardly been an area where I have not shown potential. When I was tested in Basic Training in the Army I qualified to specialize in every category, across the board, which is virtually unheard of. (They assigned me to infantry, because “We need well-rounded people in infantry.”) Even in infantry I qualified at the highest level the very first time I picked up an M14 rifle, which meant I had potential as a sniper. (I qualified, but not nearly as highly, with the M16, which was the major small arm in 1970.) When I entered college a year early, skipping the 12th grade, I tied for the highest SAT score in the Freshman Class, but then I failed two classes in that first year. That was because I was used to things coming easily to me, but didn’t know how to apply myself and make the best use of my abilities. In other words, I was a perfect target for what Jesus says here. I haven’t had what most people would call a very “successful” career since then, but ever since God called me to repent and return to Him back in 1972, my goal has been faithfulness. Even there, I have certainly had my ups and downs. I seek to listen to the Holy Spirit for what I am to do, both short and long-term, but God alone is the judge of how well I have done that. I honestly desire to be a doer of the Word, (James 1:22) but I feel God has opened up so much of His Word to me, and I follow through fully with just a fraction of it. I am totally dependent on the grace of God, and I pray for His mercy.

Father, help me indeed lift my focus off of myself and fix it on the Lord Jesus Christ, so that I may indeed be the faithful steward You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Church Survival; June 25, 2018

Posted on June 28, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”

This verse is not in the largely parallel passage in Matthew 6 that we had on May 3. Jesus indeed repeated some of His content at times, probably depending on who happened to be gathered, since they didn’t have social media to tweet every word He said. However, this little gem is here alone. This verse has been a comfort to small churches down through the centuries. I don’t think it says that small churches are better than large churches. After all, even the largest “mega-churches” pale in comparison to “a great multitude that no one could count.” (Revelation 7:9) However, it is saying that small churches have nothing to be afraid of, because they are in God’s hands. Individual congregations do disappear, for various reasons. The saddest of those is simple lack of vision. We are all too prone to focus on ourselves and our own little circle, when God calls us to reach out to the whole world. (Matthew 28:18-20) It is ironically true that the more we worry about immediate problems and focus on them, the more danger we are in for our long-term survival. If we fail to make disciples, any church can die in one generation. The focus of any church should be on loving God enough to be obedient to Him, and He says to love our neighbors and make them His disciples. And it is demonstrably true that the broader a church defines “neighbors,” the more vitality they have. We are to think not in terms of our own survival, but in terms of God’s kingdom.

This is certainly applicable to this church at this time. Our current Sunday morning attendance is less than 10, and a major reason for the departure of various people has been their failure to catch the vision God has for us. Every Sunday we declare that our vision is “To know Christ and make Him known, changing Japan one person at a time, that the City of Omura would again be the foremost Christian city in Japan, actively advancing the kingdom of God to the ends of the earth.” However, people have focused on bean counting and the like, failing to recognize that they are Christ’s representatives to extend His kingdom in their family and neighborhood. That has been tragic, but God’s not through with us yet. There are problems with each individual, certainly including the pastor, but God is far bigger than all those problems put together. Luke quotes Jesus as saying this verse right after He tells us to seek God’s kingdom. Just because God delights to give it to us doesn’t mean we aren’t to seek it! I am to seek the anointing of the Holy Spirit to get this across to each believer so that they will believe God can use even them to bring others into His kingdom, His family. We have perhaps focused on family to the exclusion of kingdom, when our image of family is far more limited than God’s kingdom. It is true, certainly, that we are God’s children, but we are also His ambassadors, (2 Corinthians 5:20) and we need to act like it.

Father, thank You for this reminder. At the welcoming dinner last night for a new pastor in town we were all talking about obstacles to evangelism in Japanese society. Help us all, pastors on down, believe that You are indeed greater than all those obstacles, so that we may be available to You for the mighty harvest that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Greed; June 24, 2018

Posted on June 26, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 12:15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Jesus’ instructions to “be on your guard” here are something we overlook, I think. It is accepted that “greed is bad,” but that’s on the surface. Some consultants actually teach that greed is good, because it can be a powerful motivator for performance. On top of that, Jesus here specifies, “all kinds of greed.” There are many kinds, and none of them lead to a good end. The parable that follows seems particularly fitting for the present day. We would tend to think that the man who had a bumper crop was to be congratulated, and his desire to store his wealth only reasonable. We wouldn’t even call him greedy! We, like the man in the parable, forget that nothing God provides is for us alone. Rather, God’s provision is to be used as God intends, advancing His kingdom and blessing others. We are indeed blessed in the process, but that’s not to be our focus. Greed is never fully satisfied. About a hundred years ago, one of the richest men in America, or the world, for that matter, was asked, “How much is enough.” His response spoke volumes: “A little more.” Recently we have seen that in numbers of politicians, who are already wealthy beyond their ability to spend it and yet are reaching out for more, often in underhanded or even illegal ways. Such people have a poverty of soul that is pathetic. To go back to Jesus’ mention of “all kinds” of greed, some people are hungry for power, others for physical pleasure, others for fame and adulation. None of them end well, and generally cause a lot of destruction to many in the process. Paul was talking about money, but his words to Timothy apply to every kind of greed: “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6) The whole section before and after that verse fits perfectly with what Jesus said. Real wealth cannot be measured in this world’s terms.

This seems particularly timely to me because we have been dealing with inheritance issues recently, both with ourselves and with another family, and it was a question of inheritance that prompted Jesus to say this. Inheritance is by definition not earned, but at the same time we tend to feel entitled to it, so it can be quite a trap. I’ve encountered people who insisted they neither needed nor wanted any inheritance, saying very pious things about seeking first the kingdom and the like, but when push came to shove, they were very grasping. That is sad indeed. However, I can’t look down on them, because I have benefited from inheritance myself. Material things, including money, aren’t bad in themselves, but they can be very distracting. I need to apply Jesus’ standards, from Matthew 6:33 and elsewhere, and recognize that I already have immense treasure in heaven, and not be grasping of anything here on earth.

Father, You have been and continue to be more than gracious toward us. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, allowing You to pour Your resources of all sorts through me to others, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Mary; June 23, 2018

Posted on June 26, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 11:27-28 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

In reading this, Catholic liturgy immediately comes to mind. Several times a year I attend early mass at a church where a friend of mine is the priest, and the focus on Mary is always disturbing, or at least saddening. Quoting Luke 1:28 seems foundational to everything else, but here Jesus is directly countering that focus. Mary was indeed a magnificent example of faith for us all, but that was because of her choices, her obedience. Jesus is saying that we can receive equal blessings with her through making those same choices to trust and obey. Two titles given to Mary are especially disturbing to me: “Mother of God,” and “Queen of Heaven.” This passage directly touches on the “Mother of God” title. Mary was indeed the mother of Jesus’ physical, human body. However, He was pre-existent as God before Creation, so she could not be the mother of His divinity. The title, “Queen of Heaven,” is almost more disturbing, because its roots are in the worship of Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians (1 Kings 11:5 and more) who was called by that title. Jeremiah used that title in condemning the idolatry of his day. There was a long period when Catholic believers were actively discouraged from reading the Bible for themselves, and this sort of thing is the result. Thankfully that has changed, and there are many Catholics with an active, personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord, but the liturgy is unfortunate to say the least. We need to seek the blessing of hearing the Word of God and obeying it.

Growing up in a thoroughly Baptist household, I had very little awareness of Catholic theology. Since coming to Omura I have had a number of Catholic friends, some of them very close. One Augustinian friar (who refers to Martin Luther as “Great Senior,” since Luther was of that order) was and is a particularly close friend. He told me that official Catholic dogma is that Mary is never to be worshiped, but only greatly respected. However, he conceded that there is a lot of that going on in practical terms. I have had to realize that Jesus is the issue, not Mary, and accept as brothers and sisters those who cling to Jesus as the only Savior and Lord, regardless of how much junk there might be in their traditions. It makes me think about how much junk there might be in the Baptist tradition! I need to focus on the Word of God and not the traditions of men. (Mark 7:8)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You also for my Catholic brothers and sisters. I pray that Your truth would indeed set us all free from the deceptions of the enemy, so that we may be fully obedient and pleasing to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Asking and Receiving; June 22, 2018

Posted on June 25, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 11:13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

This is a dearly loved Scripture, especially by Charismatics and Pentecostals. Along with the rest of the teaching on prayer that precedes this, along with the parallel passages in Matthew, the problem seems to be in how we ask and how we receive. By definition it’s not in God’s supply, because He is the omnipotent Creator who spoke the universe into being, and He is love itself. James deals with this issue. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:3) Jesus said very clearly that we are to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) When our focus is on the immediate thing desired, we often lose sight of God’s kingdom and His righteousness. That all deals with how we ask, but there is also the issue of how we receive. The verse from Mark leaves no doubt: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24) Much of the time we lack faith: faith that God is able or that He’s willing to give us what we ask. Jesus is touching on that factor in this verse. Sometimes we think, “But I’m not worthy to receive.” Right here Jesus says we are evil! Now, we aren’t worthy, but God loves us anyway. This isn’t an excuse to go on being evil, but it is a reminder that it doesn’t depend on us, it depends on God.

In relation to this specific verse, I didn’t receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit until I stopped putting conditions on how it was going to happen, but simply thanked God for being true to His Word. I felt nothing at the moment, but later got confirmation of His faithfulness through a fulfillment of Acts 1:8, rather than Acts 2:2-4. God has poured more blessings out on me than I could possibly count, yet I still have trouble at times being quiet enough before Him to receive His supply. Right now I feel assorted pressures, and I mostly feel tired. God has told me to rest, relax, and rejoice, but I am reminded that I don’t know well how to do that. I know that it isn’t a matter of passive inactivity, but rather a matter of yielded obedience coupled with expectation, which is a manifestation of faith. I need to trust and expect that God is going to give me the energy, the wisdom, and the time necessary to do everything He has placed on my schedule, and that includes the wisdom to discern what He has placed there and what others are demanding of me. I do need to know how to say no, and have peace about it.

Father, You know my situation better than I do. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in that assurance. Thank You for all You enabled me to do yesterday. Thank You that You are going to enable me to do everything on my slate today. Help me neither be anxious about any of it or resent any of it, but allow You to carry me along to Your conclusion to the day, accomplishing Your purposes on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Authority; June 21, 2018

Posted on June 25, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 10:19-20 I2 have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

This is a very important Scripture that we often overlook in the bustle of our daily lives. In the first place, the average Christian has no idea of the authority they have been granted in the Name of Jesus. An example of that authority is the healing of the man at the gate Beautiful through Peter and John. (Acts 3:1-10) However, remem­bering that story, we also need to remember that incident got Peter and John into a lot of trouble! That said, they knew it was more than worth it, given that many people came to salvation by faith because of it. In any case, we are to remember that if we are in Christ, we have far more authority than any demonic spirit we might encounter. That’s why movies like The Exorcist are such lies: they make the demons seem too powerful! Even so, we also need to remember the second verse here. Even more than commanding demons, it is a glorious miracle that our names are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Revelation 20:12) We are to be agents and demonstrations of Christ’s victory and authority here on earth, but even that is a small thing compared to the glory that awaits us. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

I have had some success at delivering people from demonic oppression, but not as much as I would like. There was a former yakuza gangster at the coaching conference this week who had been delivered from demonic oppression through his pastor, and he was one of the happiest people there. He was willing to do anything for Jesus! I try to teach others who they are in Christ, but I need to remember it myself. I need to rejoice in my salvation, but at the same time exercise the authority I have been given in Christ to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and set people free. Jesus Himself rejoiced right after this because of how His authority was being manifested through His disciples. I need to give Him more reason to rejoice!

Father, this fits in perfectly with what You’ve been telling me for years now: rest, relax, rejoice. Help me do that indeed, not hesitating to come against the devil and his forces but exercising Your power against him in the name of Jesus, so that more and more people may be set free indeed, just like that ex-yakuza man, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Speaking God’s Words; June 20, 2018

Posted on June 22, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 10:16 “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

A major focus of my teaching ministry over the years has been the Biblical reality that we are Christ’s representatives. Of course 2 Corinthians 5:20 is central to that, but this verse really brings it home. It is important to note that Jesus didn’t say this just to the 12 apostles, but to the larger group that He sent out. Some people claim to want to hear from God, but if a person of God speaks a word of correction to them, they reject it, and often the messenger who speaks it. No human messenger is perfect, so we need the Holy Spirit to help us “Test everything. Hold on to the good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21) However, a fundamental humility is essential. Since God used a donkey to speak to Balaam, (Numbers 22) He might use just about anybody to speak to us! However, some people have the reverse problem, taking people’s responses to what they say personally, and either getting conceited or getting down on themselves. Again, we are back to Balaam’s donkey. If God could speak through a donkey, why couldn’t He speak through you? Don Francisco makes that point very well, and with humor, in one of his songs. The container isn’t special, it’s the contents. Paul famously made that point. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7) We are to seek to keep the container clean, so that we ourselves won’t be a cause of stumbling, but we must remember that we aren’t the central issue, God is.

This verse has in a sense haunted me, particularly in the years since we’ve been in Omura. Along with Matthew 10:40-42 it makes me wonder just how much impact my ministry is or isn’t having on the people I encounter. Japanese are very gracious and polite, in sometimes shocking contrast to people from some other cultures, but that doesn’t make them all instant Christians by any means. I am to be grateful for the reception I have been given, but I am not to hold back in preaching that repentance and faith are essential. “Socially expedient” professions of faith don’t hold water. In my ministry I’ve got to keep the focus on Christ, knowing that He lives, speaks, and acts through me, but not taking any credit for myself, because it’s all of Him. I am to speak the truth in love, and let the reception of that truth be between my hearers and God.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to speak through me. Thank You for the opportunity I have this morning to speak to the interdenominational prayer meeting. I pray that I would say only what You are saying, and that Your words through me may be received as You intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Doing God’s Word; June 19, 2018

Posted on June 21, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 8:21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Considering how His family had received Him not long before this, this doesn’t seem too surprising a response. There is also the very real possibility they were coming to “put Him away,” thinking He had completely lost His mind. In any case, these specific words are a powerful confirmation of what James said. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” The delicious irony in that is that James was one of the brothers who came to see Jesus in this particular incident! It is a testimony of God’s grace that after Jesus’ resurrection he did repent of his earlier skepticism about his older Brother, and became the leader of the Jerusalem Church after Peter went to Rome. Even apart from that, the most powerful element of this verse is Jesus’ specifying, “put it into practice.” We are very good at deceiving ourselves, thinking that just because we know Scripture we are close to God. Jesus’ criterion is much more demanding than that. He doesn’t insist we become theologians, with massive knowledge of all the “…ologies,” or even that we memorize huge chunks of the Bible. Neither of those things are bad, but they aren’t what Jesus is really seeking. He desires love, demonstrated in obedience. (John 14:15)

This has been an important part of my life for a long time now. It is why I so appreciate Wayne Cordeiro’s SOAP system of devotions, which I follow, because the A in that is Application. By the time I was five years old I was proclaiming my love for Jesus, and I was baptized at seven, but my obedience was spotty, to the point that I became a conceited hypocrite, as sure I was better than other Christians as any Pharisee in the Bible, when actually I was almost totally ignoring God in my daily living. I don’t really like to remember how I was back then, but I do need to be aware of how utterly helpless I am without the grace of God. As a pastor, I seek to bring others to the same understanding, but it can be slow going. I have great empathy with the story of the preacher who brought the same message three Sundays in a row, and when called on it, said, “I’ll go to another message when you start doing this one.” I think that would be counterproductive, but I certainly understand the impulse! I find that I keep repeating various themes in my messages, and I realize God is trying to get through the layers of lies that are keeping people from really receiving His truth. However, saying I’m repeating isn’t helpful! I need to remember God’s immense patience with me, and exercise some of that same patience with those under my care.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do need frequent reminders, so help me not resent reminding the believers as well. Thank You for the Coaching conference I’m attending right now. Thank You for the awareness of how we are all Your children, members of Your family, just as this verse says. May Your will for today’s events be fulfilled precisely, building up each individual and each church represented, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Loving God; June 18, 2018

Posted on June 21, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 7:47 “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

The whole issue when it comes to forgiveness is the awareness of our need. If we fail to love God, it’s because we fail to recognize how much we have done that would completely justify Him squashing us like noxious bugs. One of the devil’s favorite lies is, “But you’re better than that person.” James points out, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10) As I was delivering the message yesterday the Lord reminded me of the Japanese expression, “Acorns comparing height.” Acorns are indeed of different sizes, but try comparing one to a coconut! When we compare degrees of righteousness, that’s a distinction without a difference. Japan has a shame culture, as opposed to a sin culture like the West, so it can be hard to explain the need for salvation to Japanese people. The flip side of that is that at its root, Buddhism has no concept of salvation at all, so people end up fatalistically assuming they will go to destruction. Evangelism is the process of getting people to accept personal responsibility for their sins, and then believe that God loved them enough for Jesus to take the penalty for their sins on Himself.

People who look at me now, as a missionary pastor, have no concept of how I have been, that should have completely disqualified me from any part in God’s kingdom. I love God precisely because I am sharply aware of my total dependence on His grace. That is of course the story behind the lyrics to Amazing Grace, one of the best-loved hymns of all time. I’ve never been a slave boat captain, but my pride has risen up against my Creator in full imitation of Lucifer. (Isaiah 14:12-14) I shudder to think of the path that would have been possible for me, but God has been incredibly gracious and loving. I have had Americans accuse me of “cultural imperialism” for being a missionary, but my response is always that when I have encountered such a treasure trove of love and grace, I would be the stingiest person in the world not to share it. I haven’t “lived a sinful life” the way the woman in this story had, but comparing my sins to hers would truly be like acorns comparing height. I need to focus on love for God, measured by obedience. (John 14:15, 23)

Father, indeed help me to love You more. Help me recognize my total dependence on You more and more clearly, so that my obedience to You may be more and more consistent, as an example to those around me and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Supermen; June 17, 2018

Posted on June 20, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 7:28 “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

I think we have a lot of trouble with the implications of this verse. John is described as one born of a woman, implying that he was a natural human being, yet his birth was miraculous in a number of ways, as specifically Luke records in the 1st Chapter. Both his parents are spoken of as being “filled with the Holy Spirit,” his mother before his birth, when Mary visited her, (1:41) and his father after he was born. (1:67) However, those were momentary fillings, just as various people in the Old Testament experienced. What Jesus is saying is that being born again by the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-6) puts us into a different, supernatural category. John was a demonstration that a human being can be magnificent indeed, but Jesus is saying that those who are born again by grace through faith are more than human. People have dreamed of that sort of thing from the dawn of history, and literature and philosophy are filled with “supermen” of various sorts. Right now I’m reading a science fiction book that is no exception. However, God’s plan for supermen (and women) doesn’t look like any of that. In God’s kingdom, the first shall be last, (Mark 10:31) and the way up is down. (Matthew 20:26-27) Most Christians fail to recognize how special they are, because the devil desperately wants to keep them from doing so. However, Paul took the believers in Corinth to task because they were “acting like mere men.” (1 Corinthians 3:3) How are believers supermen? By manifesting the love and grace of God in circumstances that totally overload the simply human soul. The Romans noted that the early believers “really know how to love each other, and they really know how to die.” Even those killing them recognized they were special, just as the Centurion did at Jesus’ death. (Mark 15:39) That’s not the kind of “super power” most people aspire to! We tend to look at the gifts of the Holy Spirit as things to augment and inflate us, just like science fiction books write about, when God intends them as tools of service, to build others up. We have to accept God’s definition of a superman before we can recognize that He has put us into that category.

This of course applies to me. I was slow to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit because I was seeking the gift of tongues more than I was seeking the Giver. Once I got that straightened out, all of the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 have manifested in and through me at various times, but always in relation to blessing others. Even the gift of tongues, that seems on the surface to be least suited for that, has been very helpful in praying for situations where I really had no idea how to pray. Even I fail to recognize things of God’s kingdom because I have a distorted idea of what that kingdom is like. Sometimes I try to be a “John the Baptist,” when Jesus has said that’s aiming far too low! I need to release myself to God so that He can manifest Himself in and through me, for His purposes and His glory. Only then will I be the “superman” He wants me to be.

Father, thank You for this Word. I’m reminded of the article I read recently about such things as “drown-proofing,” where in order to succeed we have to learn not to try. Help me surrender fully to You, not to be passive or lazy but to allow You full control, so that Your purposes may be fulfilled indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah”

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