Prepare to Meet Your God; April 9, 2018

Posted on April 12, 2018 by jgarrott

Amos 4:12 “Prepare to meet your God.”

Going to college in East Tennessee I remember seeing this message on billboards and simply painted on cliff faces. Given the reality of some of those mountain roads, they sometimes came across as admonitions to drive carefully! However, they were actually an echo of the “hellfire and brimstone” preaching that was popular in some groups. Such preaching is almost unheard of today, and someone indulging in it would run the risk of being arrested for “hate speech,” as they actually have been in Sweden and Canada because of the epidemic of “political correctness.” Amos would certainly be thrown in jail, or a mental hospital, today! He was the antithesis of political correctness, saying things like calling the “leading ladies” cows. However, he was simply echoing God’s distress at how the people were acting. Five times in this chapter the Lord points out “natural disasters” He had brought to get people’s attention, and each one brings the refrain, “Yet you did not return to Me.” Here He is saying that because they would not meet with Him voluntarily, they would have to meet with Him for judgment, and that would be terrible indeed. I see a lot of parallels to America today. People don’t want to have their sin pointed out to them, to be called to repentance. Harvard, though originally a Christian institution for training clergy, has just defunded and banned the student Christian organization on campus for insisting that something was morally wrong. People don’t want to be told anything is morally wrong! There are signs of hope, as some people seem to be waking up, but the rot is deep indeed. This goes far beyond politics, though it is frequently cast in a political light. Your label makes no difference if you aren’t submitted to your Creator. It’s not just that people sin; that has been the human condition ever since Adam and Eve. The problem now is people insisting that their sin not only be accepted, but celebrated. Homosexual issues take the spotlight here, but this is far broader than that, with disrespect for marriage and family and even for life itself. The current opioid epidemic is another symptom, stemming in many cases from people focusing on whatever feels good in the moment, rather than seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness.

I am not innocent here. I too opt for the “easy way out” all too often, rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to shine His light on the real issues and repenting of them. Right now the church is in a very difficult situation, yet at the same time the Lord is giving us various signs that He’s in control and His plans are good. Going back to this verse, I am indeed to prepare to meet with Him, on His terms and His schedule, in full humility and submission, but with anticipation and joy. I am to seek to learn what He wants to teach me from each thing that has happened and is happening, so that I may be transformed more and more into what He wants me to be, for His glory.

Father, thank You for all that You are doing. Thank You for the two non-believers who came to the service yesterday, even though hardly any Christians did. Keep me from insisting on how things ought to be. Rather, help me release everything to You and trust You to use how things are, to bring about Your good plan, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Trusting God’s Timing; April 8, 2018

Posted on April 9, 2018 by jgarrott

Joel 2:25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm —
my great army that I sent among you.”

This 2nd chapter of Joel is most famous for the promise of the Holy Spirit that comes a few verses later, that Peter quoted on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. However, this makes it clear what the background to that promise was. God had taken the nation through some pretty rough times, but here He is saying that all their trials will be wiped out by what He will provide. God doesn’t pick on us, but he allows difficult circumstances to teach us our dependence on Him. Our problem is that we can’t see past the end of our nose, and so lose hope that things are ever going to change. God spoke to Jeremiah extensively on this theme, including such famous statements as Jeremiah 29:11 as well as our verse for the year, Jeremiah 32:27. When we fixate on all the “locusts” we see around us, we lose sight of God who is far greater than it all. We look at what we see as our resources and calculate that those resources are totally inadequate – and we’re right! However, that leaves our the greatest resource of all, which is God who loves us. When that is our frame of reference, we never lose hope.

We have certainly been going through a “locust infestation” over the past few years, so this is very timely. God has in no way changed, so the point for us is to keep looking to Him. That certainly includes allowing His Holy Spirit to shine on those areas where we need to change, and applying ourselves diligently to make those changes, but it doesn’t mean losing hope, or the assurance that the vision He has given us will be fulfilled in His timing. Waiting for that timing can be difficult, but that has been true throughout history. The thing to do is to thank Him in advance for the blessings He is going to pour out. Actually from His viewpoint, He has already accomplished everything, just as Jesus said, “I have overcome the world,” even though chronologically He hadn’t been to the cross yet. (John 16:33) We are to rejoice in what God has already done “in the heavenlies,” even while we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for where You have us right now, and for the little reminders You give us that we are still in the palm of Your hand. Help me, help each of us, trust You fully and rest, relax, and rejoice in You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Witnesses; April 7, 2018

Posted on April 9, 2018 by jgarrott

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

This verse is one of the most quoted and least followed in the whole Bible. It is quoted in every Pentecostal/Charismatic congregation, at least, in the whole world, yet few believers are consciously witnesses for Christ. People are very interested in receiving power, but then they want to use it for their own ends, rather than to accomplish that for which God provides it. I have heard many messages on this verse, some of them very good, talking about Jerusalem being our immediate surroundings, Judea and Samaria being the more familiar and less familiar areas of our own nation, and the ends of the earth being exactly that. However, the people in the pews remain largely that: people in the pews, rather than witnesses to the world at large. This of course ties in directly to what Matthew records, famously called “The Great Commission.” “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) We overlook the fact that this doesn’t say, “make converts,” much less “make members,” but rather, “make disciples.” A disciple is one who seeks to do what they see their Master doing, not one who is simply dependent on the Master. We aren’t to seek to make disciples for ourselves, but rather for Jesus, and that of course includes being a true disciple ourselves. If we are indeed disciples, witnesses of Christ, then we can say with Paul, “I urge you to imitate me.” (1 Corinthians 4:16) That’s not conceit, that’s being an honest disciple.

I have had my own struggles with follow-through on this issue. I’ve had some excellent role models, starting with my parents, but I haven’t always followed through as a disciple myself. I have honestly sought to be a witness, but I haven’t been so effective in raising up disciples for Christ. Some would certainly qualify, including but not limited to some who are in full-time ministry, but in general, those in my care haven’t been any more likely to share the Gospel with someone else than members of any other church. This is where coaching comes in. I’ve been exposed to the concept of coaching over the past year, and I hope it’s sinking in. I am very prone, by temperament and gifting, to dump truth on people and expect them to change. That very seldom works! Not many people see me for more that a few minutes at a time, so “leading by example” has its limits. I need to be more intentional about provoking people to think about their lives, and whether they are effective disciples/witnesses. I need to come alongside them so that we can grow together, since my own effectiveness is obviously limited. We have a marvelous opportunity to make some urgently needed changes, and I am to follow through in all humility and obedience.

Father, thank You for this Word. Thank You for Your patience and Your plan. Help me recognize Your plan and follow through fully, not holding back for any reason, so that we may be Your witnesses, Your disciples indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Motive for Ministry; April 6, 2018

Posted on April 8, 2018 by jgarrott

John 21:17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

As I was reading this famous story just now it struck me that Jesus was dealing with the motive for pastoral ministry. It’s easy to realize that you shouldn’t go into ministry for “fame and fortune” (though some do seem to have that motive). Going into ministry because you love people would seem, on the face of it, to be very noble. However, Jesus is saying here that we aren’t to go into ministry because we love people, but because we love Him. We are of course to love people; that is commanded many times. However, the motive for ministry isn’t to be those to whom we minister, but the One whom we serve. Two thing come into play here. For one thing, Jesus said clearly that the truest sign of love for Him is obedience to Him. (John 14:15, 23) If we love Him and He tells us, “Feed my sheep,” we’d better do it! The other side of that is that sometimes people aren’t very lovable. They will ignore, abandon, betray, desert, and otherwise “despitefully use” you. (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:28 KJV) However, Jesus will never do those things. Loving people isn’t a very reliable motive for serving them. I’ve told people many times, “Don’t go into the ministry unless God gives you no other choice.” Actually, God always gives us the choice of either obeying Him or not, but the point is that sometimes He makes it clear that if we are to obey Him, that means going into ministry. In a sense every believer is a minister, but this is talking about being a shepherd to a flock, and that is never to be taken lightly.

You could say that God had to “drag me kicking and screaming” into ministry. In the first place, I had no desire to go back to school, but since I didn’t see a way to be a missionary (which was how the Lord was leading me) without going through the mission board of a denomination, (I was pretty ignorant at the time) and since the Southern Baptists required seminary for that, I “surrendered to seminary,” so to speak. After graduation they were being uncooperative, (they just recently changed the rules to allow those with Charismatic gifts to be appointed as missionaries) and I ended up pastoring a rural church in Virginia for a couple of years. After that the Lord opened the way for me to come back to Japan as an English teacher, legally speaking. I desired to minister, specifically teaching the Bible, but I didn’t really want to pastor a flock. Then, circumstances developed that people were getting saved in the English Bible class that met in our home, but the local Baptist church wasn’t being accepting of them, and we became Shinsei no Sato (which means, Home of New Life). I do love my spiritual children, but there hasn’t been a one who hasn’t hurt me in some way. If my motive for ministry were love for the sheep, I would have quit a long time ago! However, I do love my Lord, and He says, “Feed my sheep.”

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your faithfulness, even when I and those around me are so unreliable. Help me express my love for You in full obedience, allowing Your love to flow through me to those around me, even when they are no more worthy of it than I am. Thank You. Praise God!

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Recognizing the Lord; April 5, 2018

Posted on April 7, 2018 by jgarrott

John 21:4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

I personally think this sort of thing happens rather frequently. The Lord appears to us in a way we don’t expect, and we fail to recognize Him. This isn’t just a matter of disguise, as multiple pastors have tried, dressing as homeless to test their congregation’s response. Rather, it’s a failure of expectation; we aren’t looking for Him, so we fail to see Him. In our case it’s rarely a visual thing, but rather a matter of words. God speaks to us frequently, but far too much of it falls on deaf ears. I like the fact that this incident happened in the early morning. Countless saints down through the ages have had a practice of seeking to hear God first thing in the morning, and He has been faithful to speak. However, He certainly isn’t limited to that. When our hearts are sensitive and tuned to Him, we will recognize His voice in countless things throughout each day. Of course the most reliable is through the pages of the Bible, but He also speaks through the words of friends – or even enemies – or through some visual cue, such as natural beauty or perceived need. In this incident, John was the first to recognize Jesus, because he had perhaps been closest to Him emotionally, but when he said so, Peter wanted to get to Jesus as soon as possible. Both are good responses. Sometimes we may recognize the Lord speaking to us, but something makes us hold back in our response. That’s never good. Sometimes we may be slow to recognize it’s the Lord, but if we respond fully once we do catch on, that’s fine. Remember, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. (Romans 8:26)

I personally think my biggest problem is in the area of full obedience. I hear the Lord speaking to me (spiritually speaking) quite often, but the question is how well I follow through. James 1:22 needs to be engraved in my heart even more than it already is! As a pastor I seek to be an open channel for God to speak through me to others, but I must not be presumptive. I must not think or feel that because I said it, God said it! The other side of that is that even when God does speak through me, I am not to take people’s responses personally. If they receive what He says, to do it, I am to be grateful and rejoice, but not take any pride in it. If they reject what He says, or simply ignore it, I’m not to be personally offended. After all, they did that to Jesus in the flesh. I am to focus on my own hearing and obedience, expressing patience and grace toward others because God has poured so much of that out on me!

Lord, thank You for speaking to us and not giving up on us. Help me hear You more and more accurately and obey You more and more fully, so that the works of the devil may be destroyed (1 John 3:8) and Your plans fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Biography; April 4, 2018

Posted on April 7, 2018 by jgarrott

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

Every biographer has to decide various things. In the first place, is this person’s life worth recording and sharing with others? Second, what is it about this person’s life that will make a difference to those who read the book? Lastly, what elements of this person’s life will advance the purpose of communicating that life to others? John deals with all three of those issues here. In the first place, Jesus being the Son of God automatically makes His life worth sharing with everyone. That connects to the second point, that knowing about Jesus can lead people to faith that will bring them into eternal life. That leaves the last point, of just what about Jesus’ life should be recorded. John wrote his account after the other three Gospels, possibly while he was exiled on Patmos, so he didn’t see much point in repeating the story of the Nativity, for example. Luke in particular had researched that well, and John had no more personal experience with it than Luke did. (Actually, Mary the mother of Jesus was quite probably living with John when Luke interviewed her about her experience, so in a sense he had “signed off” on Luke’s account.) John chose rather to record those things the Holy Spirit brought to his recollection that hadn’t been included by the other biographers, and the world has been immensely enriched as a result.

I think John is my favorite of the Gospels. I could preach from just about anywhere in the book, and probably have! What I love about this particular snippet is that it expresses not only John’s reason for writing, but my reason for ministry. I can and do seek to express the love of God to those around me in many ways, but if I fail to do so with an eye to their gaining eternal life by faith in Jesus, there is very little if any long-term benefit. I am to manifest Jesus’ character in my daily interactions, but I need to seek God’s wisdom to make it clear it’s Jesus’ character, and not that I’m a really nice guy. Over the past 36 years of living in Omura we have made a lot of friends, and people obviously respect us a lot. However, few of those people have come to personal faith in Jesus, which means I’ve got a lot of room to grow! I am to live my life not so that people will believe in me, so to speak, but so that they will believe in Jesus. The goal of my life is the same as the goal of John’s book, and of his life as well.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Several people have encouraged me to write an autobiography, but that would have meaning only if it meets John’s criteria. If it is Your idea, help me follow through, but protect me from pride. I continue to ask You for harvest, in whatever form You want it to take, for the salvation of others and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Open Hearts; April 3, 2018

Posted on April 5, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 24:45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

What a blessed verse, filled with implications for every believer! As Paul noted, it takes God’s help for us to really grasp what He has said to us through the Bible, as well as what He is saying to us now. (1 Corinthians 2:14) However, the good news is that He provides that help to those who seek it. The problem comes in our failing to seek it. The devil does all he can to blind us to God’s truth. (2 Corinthians 4:4; 3:14-15) That’s because he knows that when we receive and accept that truth, we are set free from his traps. (John 8:32) The question becomes, do we want to be set free? I have dealt with someone who actively chose not to be set free from demonic oppression because she had been convinced the demons gave her advantage and excuse to live as she wanted. Her end was pathetic indeed. We may not be in such an extreme situation, but we are all faced with the choice: do we want to follow God and know more of Him? If the answer is yes, then He will supply the insight and strength, and even faith, that are necessary.

I have become totally convinced of the reality of human free will and the absolute importance of choosing Christ. He is Lord, whether we choose to acknowledge Him as that or not, but it is only by our choice that we receive the benefits of His salvation. I’ve learned the hard way that knowledge of Him isn’t the same thing as knowing and following Him. I knew Him in childlike simplicity as a young child, and my baptism at age seven was certainly valid, but my choices after that tended to self-gratification and intellectual pride, and I essentially forgot Him. In His amazing grace He brought me to repentance, but by that point I was already married and a father. Now, as I read the Bible each morning I ask Him to open the Word to me and open my heart to the Word, so that it won’t be just information but will be the light and life that I need. He is amazingly faithful to answer that prayer! Through the Internet I am able to share the insights He gives me, but if I fail to apply those insights myself, I don’t receive the blessing. There are many things about time and eternity that I can’t understand while I am in the flow of time, but if I will choose to turn to Him, God will open my heart to receive all that I need to understand, and I am to submit all the rest to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You take me through in time to prepare me for eternity. Thank You that my biopsy went smoothly yesterday. I trust You with the results. Thank You for all the many things that are going on: the ones that delight me, the ones that distress me, and the ones in between. Help me submit and release each one to You, allowing You to open my heart to become and do what You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Eternal Plans; April 2, 2018

Posted on April 4, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Every true Bible scholar would love to have a detailed record of what Jesus told those two men! The point, however, is that God had been planning for the cross and resurrection from before the dawn of time. As much as we talk about it, we can’t really wrap our minds around the reality that God, being Spirit and not matter, and having created all matter, is totally outside of time, because time is dependent on matter. Even the words I just wrote don’t make sense to a lot of people! One thing that God simply cannot be is surprised. Because He is outside of time, He is aware of everything at once. We don’t even have logical words to describe how it is for God, because we, inhabiting material bodies, are trapped in the flow of time. That’s one of the glories of eternity with God: we will no longer be trapped in time. We can’t imagine what that will be like, because it is so different from our current experience. The point for us now, however, is to rest in faith that God indeed knows the end from the beginning, and the end He has planned for us is good. Jeremiah 29:11 is quoted often, because it is an important counterpoint to some of the mess we go through. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) As Jesus demonstrated to those two disciples on the road to Emmaus, those plans are from eternity past and they are valid for eternity future. We don’t have that field of view at this point, so we are to walk in faith and trust.

Just yesterday someone wrote my wife that “Jeremiah 29:11 is for you, too.” At this point that is a very appropriate, timely reminder. We are brought back to essentially the numbers we started with when we took the name, Shinsei no Sato, and started operating as a church. Over 50 people have been baptized in the 34 years since then, and many more have been blessed in many ways. At this point we have land and a building and legal status, which we had none of 34 years ago. Rejection from people is painful, but God hasn’t rejected us, so the point is to look forward in anticipation of what God is going to do from here. God isn’t surprised by any of this, and His plans for us are good.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that it comes at Easter. April 1st also happens to be the anniversary of my ordination. Help me indeed return to my roots in You and Your Word and rejoice that Your plans for us are good. Thank You. Praise God!

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Our Relationship to God; April 1, 2018

Posted on April 4, 2018 by jgarrott

John 20:17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'”

In many ways this was a very extraordinary thing for Jesus to say. His choice of words explicitly brought His disciples up to His level in terms of their relationship to God. Jesus is absolutely unique as the pre-existant member of the Godhead, but we cut ourselves short in the sort of relationship with God we think is possible for us. Shortly before He was crucified Jesus had said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12) Now He is giving the message, “I’m about to go to the Father, so the time is here.” That was momentous news indeed. Acts records that just Peter’s shadow falling on people brought healing, (Acts 5:15) which was never said about Jesus. God wants to do amazing things through His children, but we fail to believe, or else pervert the supernatural into being about us. One person alive today who has walked in this is Heidi Baker. The things she has been involved in are astounding to hear about, but she would be the last person to say they are about her. It is only when we discard ourselves to cling to Christ that we truly find ourselves in Him. This is what Jesus was talking about when He spoke of losing and finding life (Matthew 10:39, etc.) and taking up our cross. (Luke 9:23, etc.) We don’t like the idea of doing only what we see the Father doing. (John 5:19) We want to be independent, forgetting that we have no power in ourselves. Jesus was very blunt about that! (John 15:5) We have much to learn about intimacy with God, but the benefits are boundless.

This is an area I have been aware of for many years but I have enormous room to grow in. I desire intimacy with God and I even preach on it, but I walk in only a small fraction of what is available to all of God’s children. I have talked for years about how the Church, the nation, and the world will be transformed when Japanese believers wake up to who and what they are in Christ, yet I don’t even grasp it fully myself. Right now I am being confronted with the reality that I can accomplish nothing good in God’s kingdom on my own, but I haven’t yet reached the point of letting God flow through me unhindered. As has been said, I need to “Let go and let God.”

Father, You know my situation better than I do. I pray that on this Easter morning I would indeed experience the power of Your resurrection, not for my sake but for the sake of those to whom I minister, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Finished; March 31, 2018

Posted on April 2, 2018 by jgarrott

John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

This is perhaps the most momentous event in human history. The Christ, a coequal member of the Godhead, took the sins of all mankind on Himself and atoned for them. It is oddly appropriate that the words He used were no different than what anyone would use for completing even a trivial task, because Jesus never put on airs; He was the most authentic person who has ever lived. We really have great difficulty grasping the magnitude of what He accomplished in that moment, and in the time leading up to it. It had started in a stable in Bethlehem, or actually in Mary’s womb nine months earlier. Omnipotent, omniscient God had taken on human form, out of the purity and totality of His love for us His creatures, and here that climaxed in His taking the penalty for our rebellion and pride, opening through His body the way for our salvation by faith. It was important that He rose three days later, certainly, but first He had to die, so that we might live. As the song says, “Amazing love! How can it be that Christ my God would die for me?”

I am no more worthy of such love and sacrifice than anyone else. My biggest problem is in being so familiar with the story that I am numbed to it. I need to let the Holy Spirit refresh it in my mind and spirit so that I may respond more fully and accurately. As a pastor I am charged with keeping this awareness fresh in the hearts of the believers as well. Tomorrow we will be having an early interdenominational service at a martyrdom site, but several of our members have perfectly legitimate reasons they can’t be there. We will be having our regular service at 10:30, but I am not capable in myself of imparting the significance, the magnificence, of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection. Once again I am totally dependent on the Holy Spirit, but He has used me before, and I trust He will do so again. The point is that this is about God, from our standpoint, but for Him it was all about us. It is absolutely mind boggling that the Creator would love us so much, so I’ve got to ask and let Him get this truth past our minds and into our spirits, so that we may live accordingly.

Father, thank You for this reminder, for the celebration of resurrection, and for Your infinite love. Help me be so transformed by that love that I become an effective channel for You to pour through me to others, imparting saving faith to them as well, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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