Humility; January 8, 2018

Posted on January 13, 2018 by jgarrott

Proverbs 3:34 He mocks proud mockers
but gives grace to the humble.

I’ve lost count of how many times the Bible talks about the virtues of humility. That’s probably because mankind is so prone to pride! Humility doesn’t mean denigrating yourself, but rather recognizing that everything you have is by God’s grace, and that everyone is on equal footing in that regard. The Internet today is certainly a display case for “proud mockers.” Virtually any comment section you look at will provide numbers of examples. It should be possible to hold different opinions without putting down anyone who disagrees with you, but you’d never know it from looking at the Internet! I really think the reason the Lord allows such foolishness is to make it clear who is submitted and committed to Him and who is not. It is a sad thing when Christians get sucked into the trap of mocking out of pride. The Bible is certainly not politically correct; there are many passages that talk about the absurdity of following other gods, for example, and there are even examples of men of God mocking those who are in rebellion against God, such as Elijah on Mt. Carmel. (1 Kings 18) However, the key word is “proud.” A true man of God isn’t afraid to call a spade a spade, but there is the fundamental awareness that God is everything and they are nothing. That is the definition of Biblical humility.

I have certainly had my struggles with pride over the years, and it can still be a trap to me. God has allowed all sorts of things into my life to teach me the foolishness of pride, and I’m thankful to say that I’ve learned some of what He has taught me. Particularly in my youth I used put-downs as a weapon, mocking those who didn’t agree with me. Looking back, I can see such behavior was most common when I felt inferior to that person in some way, such as in sports ability or social popularity. That is indeed the height of foolishness! I certainly can’t say that everyone agrees with me now, or that I agree with everyone around me. (It’s interesting to think about the various meanings of “agree with” in that context – and all of them apply!) What I need to do is remember that God’s smart and I’m not, and submit myself and those around me to Him. I am not to deny what God has shown me, but neither am I to think I have a monopoly on hearing from Him. I think that is the humility He is looking for.

Father, thank You for this further reminder of something You’ve had to point out to me repeatedly. I ask You particularly to guard my mouth as I talk with people today and tomorrow about what is going on in Omura. May my words be gracious, out of a genuine awareness that it is only by Your grace that I am able to do anything, so that the Body of Christ may be built up and not torn down, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Wisdom and Knowledge; January 7, 2018

Posted on January 13, 2018 by jgarrott

Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Many secularists directly contradict this verse, claiming that wisdom and knowledge come from man. Frankly, that’s a pathetic stance, because it’s part of elevating people to divinity, when our mortality and fallibility are so obvious. It’s not at all that we are to fail to use the minds we have been given, but rather that we must maintain a fundamental humility if we are to have any real hope at all. It doesn’t take much historical research to come up with countless examples of “scientific consensus” being totally wrong! Secularists are quick to point out times when the Church stood against demonstrable scientific fact, particularly in such things as astronomy/cosmology, but those are simply demonstrations of the reality that church leaders are human too. I think the whole issue here is the matter of humility, of recognizing that we are finite and weak, and listening to the One who is neither of those things. Sometimes those listening to God and receiving wisdom and knowledge from Him are at odds with the rest of society, and that can be a difficult position indeed. However, true intellectual honesty can take no other position than to say the Creator knows His creation far better than any mere human being ever could, so He is the ultimate resource.

I grew up in a family that was both intellectually rigorous and grounded in faith. What a privilege and blessing! My father received his PhD at age 23, but he knew that this verse was true. I have numbers of scientists, scholars, and clerics among my relatives. Some of them acknowledge the truth of this verse more than others! I have had a real struggle with intellectual pride myself, which shows how slow I’ve been to really grasp the truth in this verse. It was a major breakthrough for me, not so many years ago, when it really penetrated that God’s smart and I’m not. Up until that point I had felt that God was much smarter than I was, but still I thought we were somewhere on the same scale. Wrong. There were numbers of things I couldn’t understand at all until I accepted that on my own I never could understand them; they had to be received from God. He has been teaching me more and more in recent weeks and months, and I’m grateful. All of this connects closely with truth that comes out very shortly after this verse: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) It is as I do that, that He gives me the wisdom and knowledge I need.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I need such reminders all too often! Help me make full use of all You have given me, but never think for a moment that it originates with me. Help me do Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Praise and Worship; January 6, 2018

Posted on January 12, 2018 by jgarrott

Psalm 147:1 Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

This verse expresses a very simple and basic truth that all too few people have discovered. Praise is one of the reasons for which we were created. It’s not that God is an egotist, always requiring a choir of sycophants around Him, it’s that He is just that good, and recognizing that satisfies something within us on a very deep level. I say it fairly often, but God doesn’t need our praise. Rather, we need to praise Him in order to keep our heads on straight. Otherwise, we tend to think we’re the greatest thing and not Him, and that gets us into all sorts of messes. Praising God really does feel good, especially with like-minded people. Those who don’t enjoy going to church haven’t learned to praise God, or else they sadly haven’t found a church that knows how to praise Him. Actually, there is something of a trap there, because if we are focused on how we feel, we aren’t really praising and worshiping God. Some churches focus on the “worship experience,” using stage lighting and even smoke machines, when that actually distracts from focusing on God Himself. As I have been reminded recently, it all starts with gratitude, thanking God for His love, grace, and mercy, and then builds to praising Him for His many wonderful attributes and actions, culminating in worshiping Him for who He is, in intimate fellowship by His Spirit. When we have tasted that full sequence, nothing else in life can hold a candle to it, and our priorities are completely rearranged. Even so, in our human weakness we can drift away, even after having tasted God in that way. We are called to recognize and resist the distractions of the devil and choose to focus in on God who loves us. If we will do that, His plans for us will be fulfilled to our infinite blessing and His glory.

This church has had times of thanks and times of praise, but very few times of deep worship. As pastor, I can blame no one but myself. In this new year I need to teach the believers indeed to thank God for what He has already done, to praise Him for what He is doing and will do, and to worship Him for who He is. It was mentioned recently that people don’t invite their friends to church if they don’t enjoy it themselves. I need to lift people’s focus off of how much they are enjoying it so that they will be able to thank, praise, and worship God in truth. If they will do that, nothing will be able to keep them away! We do need to be active in outreach, but we need to have something here to bring people to. There is no substitute for worship in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24)

Father, thank You for Your guidance. Help me follow it fully! I pray that I would grow in bringing the people along with me, teaching them to thank, praise, and worship You as they need to and You deserve. May we have times of worship here that are indeed foretastes of what we will experience around Your throne, so that we may be transformed as You intend and many drawn into Your family for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Reliance; January 5, 2018

Posted on January 12, 2018 by jgarrott

Psalm 146:3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortal men, who cannot save.

I like the Japanese a bit better than the English here. It says, “Don’t rely on princes, on the children of men who have no salvation.” There are people who are trustworthy as far as their intentions go, but no human being can guarantee outcomes. We interact with all sorts of people all the time, and a certain level of trust is essential for society to function at all. However, there needs to be a fundamental reliance on God, who cannot fail. This verse can be turned around to tell others not to rely on us, because we too are mortal and fallible and will almost certainly let them down at some point. We aren’t to use that as an excuse to be sloppy in our ethics or morality, but rather cling all the more firmly to God, who alone is greater than all our failures and weaknesses. It is only when we abide in Christ that we are able to be and do all that we should. God can and will provide everything necessary to live as His child, His agent, but that becomes fully operative only when we rely fully on Him alone, not on anyone else, including ourselves.

I find I am reminded of my shortcomings with depressing regularity, but I need to rejoice to be reminded of the truth in this verse. I cannot rely on myself, much less on anyone else, but God is totally reliable. I have a strong perfectionist streak, which can make me hard to get along with at times. It also makes me get disgusted with myself, for failing to do things perfectly. I’ve got to be at peace with the reality that God alone is perfect, and using imperfect vessels is His specialty. My date book is blank for today, but there are various things that are pressing on me with considerable urgency. I can’t get them all done properly in my own strength and wisdom, but He can do it through me. As He told me years ago, I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, allowing His Spirit to cleanse and carry and use me according to His perfect plan, on His schedule and for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Insomnia over such things is so stupid! I ask Your guidance and anointing as I prepare the sermon notes for Sunday, as we prepare the year end/new year greeting cards (that should have been sent out two to three weeks ago), and as I draw up the formal contract for the loan I’ve already received from a friend. I am more than capable of messing up any or all of those on my own, but none is difficult for You. May I not rely on myself but on You, gratefully receiving the help of those You send my way, so that indeed Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Generational Transmission; January 4, 2018

Posted on January 6, 2018 by jgarrott

Psalms 145:4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.

Moses wrote repeatedly about the necessity of transmitting knowledge of God from one generation to another, and here David is touching on the same thing. The history of Israel is an object lesson in the necessity of this, as well as an illustration of the reality that it doesn’t happen automatically, but current American culture is no better. In Moses’ day the majority of the people were illiterate, so oral history was all they had to go on. Today we not only have printed Bibles, we have electronic forms of information that weren’t even dreamed of not so many years ago. That said, nothing beats personal impartation. If parents fail to both model their faith and talk about it, the probability that their children will make that faith their own goes down drastically. There is no end to the examples of children who have abandoned their parents’ faith, despite the famous verse in Proverbs: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) The weak point in that is the training. It is useless to tell a child something is important if you don’t treat it as important yourself. If the parents aren’t genuine in seeking first God’s kingdom, (Matthew 6:33) the children aren’t likely to do so on their own.

This applies to spiritual children as well, and that’s where it hits home to me. My physical children are grown, with children of their own, but I deal constantly with my spiritual children. Some of them seem to “get” what I’m trying to transmit to them, but they have been in the minority. I think I have been faithful to say what was right, but have fallen down in confirming they had the foundation to hear what was right. I was incredibly blessed in my own upbringing, but few people have that privilege, and so need to be coached and led gradually into a Biblical world view. I didn’t even run into the metaphor of coaching as an expression of Christian ministry until last year, but I see that it can be very helpful. I can’t control how people come into my sphere of influence, much less their spiritual condition when they do so, so I need constantly to listen to God for the wisdom to deal with them. I must not presume hearing ears and understanding hearts where they don’t exist. At the same time, I can’t impart those things by my own strength and wisdom. I am totally dependent on God, but that should go without saying. My only source of hope and optimism is the assurance that indeed, nothing is too difficult for God. (Jeremiah 32:27)

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. At times I am painfully aware of my own unfaithfulness. Thank You for the past three weeks with our younger daughter and grandsons here. I ask your protection and guidance in every way for them as they go back to the US today. Thank You for the spiritual children who have stuck with us through recent events. I ask Your protection and guidance for them as well. May Your will be done through all generations, physical and spiritual, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Name of God; January 3, 2018

Posted on January 6, 2018 by jgarrott

Psalms 144:15 Blessed are the people of whom this is true;
blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.

This verse really makes sense only when you understand that LORD (as the NIV renders it) is actually YHWH, the covenant name of the Creator as revealed to Moses. Most Western countries are far removed from formal polytheism, so specifying the Name of God doesn’t really click. Most Americans think they believe in the God of the Bible, whether they are particularly obedient to Him or not. Perhaps the recent resurgence of militant Islam could give people more understanding, since the militants’ concept of Allah is far removed from that of Yahweh, much less Jesus. This brings to mind the story of a friend of mine, Benjamin Berger. He was born and raised in New York City after his parents refugeed there, but all four of his grandparents were killed in the holocaust. He was in such a devoutly Jewish community that it wasn’t until university that he had his first conversation with a Gentile. As is all too common, his university experiences led him to essentially abandon religion entirely, and he graduated a confirmed secularist. After graduation, because of his language skills he got a good job in Europe, and moved there on his own. One day after coming home from work he was sitting in his apartment reading a newspaper when he had the feeling someone was in the room with him, though he lived alone. The feeling kept getting stronger and stronger, until he heard a voice that said, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I am your God.” He then had an extended conversation with God, without ever seeing Him with his eyes. Later in that conversation, God told him, “By the way, my name is Jesus.” That absolutely shocked him, because he had been raised to believe that “The Christians killed your grandparents.” The story of course goes on from there, but the point is that names are important. Of course our image of Who that Name represents is also vitally important, as is clear when we realize how many Americans have a concept of God that is far removed from the Bible, but this verse is about names. David was distinguishing his God from Baal or Ashtoreth or Marduk or any of a number of other gods. It is as we realize Who it is we say we worship and then learn to worship Him alone, in spirit and in truth, that we move into all the blessing that He intends for us.

This is an acute issue for me as I minister in Japan, which is almost more pantheistic than polytheistic. With Shinto making a deity out of every impressive natural feature and Buddhism requiring the worship of everyone who has died, it is no wonder that the majority of Japanese abandon religion entirely, except as a cultural thing. I need to help them understand that Jesus is different from all the rest before I hone in on Jesus being the only one that is real, and all the rest are counterfeits. A major problem is the entrenched xenophobia of the Japanese. They often admire foreigners and even want to be like them, but they fear becoming “un-Japanese.” When they say, “I am Buddhist,” they are speaking of identity rather than personal faith. After all, how many Americans think they are Christians, but never read the Bible or pray? Cultural religion certainly shapes world view, but it’s not the same thing as faith. My challenge is in helping Japanese understand just who Jesus is, and how He is worthy of their total obedience, devotion, and love.

Father, thank You for making my task so clear. It’s evident I can’t do it on my own, but as our verse for this year says, nothing is too difficult for You. I ask You to move powerfully through me to remove the veil that covers the understanding of the Japanese so that they may see You, repent, and believe for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Gratitude; January 2, 2018

Posted on January 5, 2018 by jgarrott

Psalms 136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

Not knowing Hebrew, I don’t know the original term used in the recurring refrain of this Psalm, but different translations render it as love, (NIV) mercy, (KJV) and grace. (Japanese) That would indicate it’s a pretty desirable thing! This whole Psalm is focused on giving God thanks, both for who He is and what He has done. The repetitive refrain was probably spoken or sung either by a choir or by all the assembled worshipers. That can be a powerful experience, and brings out the benefits of group worship as distinct from private devotions. It has been pointed out that thanks needs to progress to praise in order to lead to full worship, which is true enough, but gratitude is at the foundation. It is only as we appreciate how incredibly gracious God has been to us that we relate to Him rightly. It is no accident that when Paul was listing characteristics of godlessness, ungrateful made the list. (2 Timothy 3:2-5) Genuine gratitude will produce action. Those who only want God to give them more good things don’t appreciate the things He’s already given them. I am reminded of the famous line from John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” When we are grateful for all that God has already done for us, we will not only enjoy it a lot more, we will be seeking ways to serve God in response. It’s not that we could possibly earn God’s favor by our works, but that even a rudimentary understanding of how much He has already done for us will produce obedient devotion. As Jesus said so clearly, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15)

Even in writing this I realize I have room to grow in gratitude, love, and obedience toward my Lord. As a pastor I regularly preach to others, but if I fail to live out the truth I speak, I am a total sham. It’s not that the words are any less true, it’s that I don’t get the benefit of them. In this new year I desire that this church grow in thanks, praise, and worship to God, but for that to happen, I need to grow too. It has come out that I tend to make what are felt to be high-level demands of the believers. That response indicates I haven’t been laying the foundations sufficiently, and the first foundation is gratitude. I need to help the believers understand how good God has already been to them, so that they will naturally want to spend more time with Him, and the idea of daily devotions will become a delight rather than a burden. When that happens, they will develop the intimate, personal relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that I desire for them because God desires it for them. Small or shallow faith will no longer be an issue! As always, I don’t have the wisdom to accomplish that on my own, but since God desires it, I can count on Him to use me in bringing it to pass, if I will be yielded and obedient.

Father, thank You for all that You are doing in me these days. Quite a few years ago a brother from Malaysia told me prophetically that for the church to change, I had to change. At the time, I had no idea how I needed to change, but you are taking care of it. Thank You. Help me indeed grow into the vessel You desire so that the treasure within may be fully effective, (2 Corinthians 4:7) for the salvation and blessing of many, and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Serving an Omnipotent God; January 1, 2018

Posted on January 5, 2018 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 32:27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

The Bible has several examples of people praying God’s words back to Him, and that is an excellent practice. However, there aren’t many where God quotes people’s words back to them, as here. In verse 17 Jeremiah has just prayed this same content to God, because he knows it in theory but still, what he has just done at God’s direction, buying land when the nation was overrun by the Babylonians, seemed the height of absurdity. That’s when God quotes Jeremiah back to himself. He’s basically saying, “You know the words, but do you really understand what you are saying?” He goes on to explain to Jeremiah why the nation is in the fix it is in, but then from verse 37 on through the next chapter He gives Jeremiah wonderful promises of restoration and blessing. We are so quick to forget that God always knows the end from the beginning, and from our perspective there’s always more to the story. That’s where faith and trust come in. God had Jeremiah buy land he couldn’t get to because it was occupied by Babylonian troops precisely to declare that the destruction of Jerusalem at that time wasn’t the end of the story. Frankly, it wasn’t that Jeremiah would ever need the land or even use it. To Jeremiah, the purchase probably seemed like a huge waste of silver, but God is never at a loss for finances, and physical things are simply His tools to teach us what we need to know.

This couldn’t be more applicable to us right now. We have just completed the purchase of a building plot next to the church, ostensibly for parking, when current attendance doesn’t fill the parking lot we have. Some people were so against the purchase they left the church. That’s painful, but the loss is more theirs than ours, however depleted we might seem at this point. The thing is, God is telling us that He’s not through with us, and His plans for us are bigger than we can currently imagine. Just like Jeremiah, we have made a land purchase that doesn’t necessarily make sense from a strictly human perspective, but God said to do it, and we did, at personal cost on various levels to us. In last night’s service the Lord gave me an idea of something He wants us to do to reach out and get a fresh beginning with fresh people, and I was infused with faith and anticipation. As the pastor, I am charged with communicating that faith and anticipation to all who are still in the church, so that I won’t be charging off on my own but will be leading the flock, enabling them to receive the vision as their own and rejoice to participate. As I have learned in the past year, I can’t just preach at them, or even just model the desired behavior and attitudes myself, I’ve got to coach them gently until they grasp God’s truth for themselves and understand how it applies to them.

Father, thank You indeed for all that You are doing. Last night was one of the best watch-night services I can remember, not so much for what we did as for Your presence in it. Help me follow through indeed, taking active steps not only to do what You indicated but to explain it all first to the believers, getting their agreement and participation from the ground up. I pray that this year would be one of continued growth, not just for the church in numbers but for me as a pastor and for us all as disciples, so that all of Your purposes for us, individually and as a church, may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Trusting God; December 31, 2017

Posted on January 3, 2018 by jgarrott

Lamentations 3:21-23 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations was written in a time of almost unthinkable tragedy. The Jews had brought it on themselves by their persistent rebellion and idolatry, but that still didn’t negate God’s choice of them as His people. Jeremiah was understandably heartbroken, but here in chapter three he reminds himself of God’s character, and that gives him hope. We do well to learn from Jeremiah. Everyone goes through times of difficulty and even tragedy, but that doesn’t mean that God has forgotten them. When difficult times come, we need first of all to ask God what part we might have had in bringing them on. Most of the time there is at least something, and sometimes a great deal, of which we need to repent. The good news is, repentance and forgiveness are possible. The devil does all he can to convince us that’s not true, but his lies don’t change God’s truth. At any moment, complete restoration of fellowship with God is possible. The devil hates that in us, and he is desperate to hide it from us. That’s why we need to get God’s Word into us to counter the lies of the devil. As Jesus said, the truth will set us free. (John 8:32)

This is a very good reminder for us right now. The tension over moving out of the status quo and into something new has caused people to leave our already very small group. That is very painful, but it doesn’t change God’s faithfulness. Whereas it is certainly true that the Church is people, and not land, buildings, or anything else, it is made up of disciples, and sometimes God does things to prepare a specific, limited group to accomplish His purposes. He famously did that with Gideon, as recorded in Judges 7, and He has done that again and again in various situations. We have heard a lot over the past several months about disciples vs. “guest members,” and there is no question which God is after. For many years quoting John 16:33 has been almost a habit with me: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” God’s plans for the new year are without question good. (Jeremiah 29:11) I am to rest in that assurance and look forward with joyful anticipation to what He is going to do.

Father, thank You for this comforting reminder. I pray that all of the activities of today may be as You plan and desire, so that we may enter the new year with hearts focused on You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Priorities; December 30, 2017

Posted on January 2, 2018 by jgarrott

Luke 2:49-50 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Jesus wasn’t being deliberately disobedient to Mary and Joseph, and He certainly wasn’t being “smart ass,” though the words alone might give that impression. What was going on was a disconnect in priorities, with Mary and Joseph unable to understand those of Jesus. Actually, believers encounter this sort of thing all the time. The world can’t understand us when we genuinely seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) It bothers them when we don’t gush over Gucci and the like, or even choose to go to church rather than to a party. That can create opportunities to share the Gospel, but as Peter said, we must do so with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15-16) Believers get called all sorts of things by people who feel bad in comparison and so try to put those believers down so they themselves will be lifted up. That’s a common phenomenon among all people, but it never really works. Putting others down actually diminishes the speaker, even if they don’t realize it. Jesus knew what He was talking about when He prayed about believers being “in the world but not of it.” (John 17:14-16) That status isn’t always comfortable, but as has been noted, God is far more interested in our character than our comfort.

I have been in the middle of just such a situation. The saddest pert of it all has been the Christians who haven’t had their minds renewed sufficiently to be able to understand what I was doing. (Romans 12:2) Far too many Christians take the world’s ways of thinking for granted, not realizing that their own thought patterns should be different. I’ve done too much of that myself, but fortunately I was at least raised in a home with a genuinely Biblical world view, and that made it much easier to lay hold of such a world view myself when I was old enough for genuinely independent thinking. God is in the process of validating my choices, for which I am deeply grateful, so at this point my concern needs to be with the believers who rejected me because of their worldly thinking, that they would not completely abandon faith. I need to be an instrument and agent of grace, allowing the holy Spirit to convict people and not trying to do it myself. I am to rest, relax, and rejoice, not just for my own sake but for the sake of all those with whom I interact, so that their eyes too may be opened to God’s provision and His priorities.

Father, thank You for Your grace. May everyone in this church accept that grace with great joy, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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