Justice; January 23, 2018

Posted on January 26, 2018 by jgarrott

Isaiah 42:3-4 “A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope.”

Since I minister in the islands of Japan, the last line of this has long been a favorite of mine. The first part of this has also been a good guide for ministry, since almost everyone I deal with is bruised or “smoldering” in some way. However, recent events have brought the middle part of this into sharp focus. The Internet has indeed brought about an information revolution, letting us know about things that in the past would have been kept hidden, and the depth of the corruption that has been coming out is mind boggling. When even politicians are astonished, you know it’s bad! It is important that those in the position to do so follow through on what is uncovered, and for the general public to maintain pressure for them to do so, but we need to remember than nothing has ever been hidden from God. Sometimes we forget that, and act like newscasters in our prayers “informing” God of what is going on. I think He smiles sometimes at that. This passage reassures us that no bad guy ever gets away with it in the end. Of course, we also need to remember that we ourselves are accountable not only for our actions but even for our words. (Matthew 12:36) God’s grace is essential for us all! That said, this passage should put us at ease about whether God will deal with “those guys.” God is holy and righteous and just, and He won’t stop until everything is in line with Him.

The past 10 years have seen a major shift in my awareness of politics in particular. At times I have been very stirred up over it all, and needed the reassurance in this passage. Thankfully my faith has continued to grow, and it’s much harder to get me upset. That said, I’m certainly not perfect yet. I’m not to be passive about all that is going on, but add my prayers to those of all the saints who desire to see God’s name alone acknowledged as holy and His kingdom come as His will is done. I’ve got to remember that as far as I’m concerned, justice and righteousness and holiness start with me, and allow the Holy Spirit to shine His light on every place where I fall short, so that I may repent and be cleansed. God told me personally over 20 years ago that there are many things in the world He’s not currently happy about, but He’s got it all in control, and the end will be gloriously perfect. Again as He has told me, my job is to rest, relax, and rejoice!

Father, thank You for being God indeed. Help me never forget that for a moment, but rather delight to be Your child, seeking only to “see You more clearly, love You more dearly, follow You more nearly,” as the song says. May Your will be done in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Fear; January 22, 2018

Posted on January 25, 2018 by jgarrott

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Probably every person alive needs to hear God say this to them at some point. Fear is certainly endemic to the human condition. However, too often we are in such a self-centered tizzy that we can’t hear God. Actually, if we’re relying on ourselves, we have every reason to be afraid! This particular verse is memorably set to music as one line of the hymn, How Firm a Foundation. Just yesterday in the message I was saying that many hymns don’t qualify as praise because they aren’t addressed to God, but they can be very good nonetheless as encouragements and statements of faith. That hymn certainly qualifies as excellent encouragement! A major factor in the fears we all experience is a well-deserved sense of guilt. When we have unrepented sin in our lives, fear is a very logical response! However, we have God’s promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) That is the basis for the boldness I also mentioned in yesterday’s message. (Hebrews 4:16) The world is a very fearsome place, with natural disasters and political turmoil and man’s inhumanity to man. The only way to escape fear of everything else is to fear our Creator, knowing that His power and authority trump everything else, and believing that He loves us enough to send His Son to die in our place. (John 3:16)

The longer I live in fellowship with God, the less fear I have. I do at times have twinges of concern and even anxiety, but lifting my eyes to God is the antidote every time. At this point in my life, my biggest concerns are related to the spiritual health of this church and the physical health of my wife. However, there too I need to remember that those things belong to God rather than to me, and He is more than capable of taking care of them. I am to be submitted and available to Him to use in the process, but He will do all the “heavy lifting,” since I have no real strength of my own. There are those who look at me and call me foolhardy, but they can’t deny I have more peace than they do! I am never to be holier-than-thou, but I am to make it clear that my assurance is in God, who not only created me but who also loves and uses me for His glory.

Father, at times I am very sharply aware that I am nothing without you. Thank You. Help me also remember that with you, I am anything You say I am, so that I will not draw back from anything Your want to do through me, to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and bring people into Your kingdom, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Waiting in Hope; January 21, 2018

Posted on January 24, 2018 by jgarrott

Isaiah 40:30-31 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

These two verses are so extremely famous that when I started reading I was fairly determined I would write on a different part of the passage, but they were so extremely applicable to our present situation that I knew God was speaking them to me. God really does speak to us through familiar Scriptures as well as through ones we haven’t really noticed before, so there is every reason to keep reading the Bible regularly regardless of how familiar it might be. I’ll confess to burning out a bit on the Christmas story, but even there, further reflection on the miracle of the Incarnation never hurts. As far as these two verses go, they have been set to music numerous times, so probably a large number of Christians are familiar with them. However, they are an example of the fact that every language has some things that are easier to express in it than in other languages. Japanese has a standard expression that means, “wait in hope.” This passage is traditionally rendered in English as “wait upon the Lord,” but the NIV at least picks up on the “hope” part of it. Why English translators don’t use the compound, “wait in hope,” is a mystery to me. Just waiting is passive, but hope is active. Far too many people wait because they have given up hope and can do nothing else. That is hardly a source of strength. Walking and running and flying aren’t passive activities! God doesn’t want us giving up in exhaustion, He wants us to trust in Him so that we will receive His strength to move forward in His good plans for us. That’s what faith and hope are for.

The past year and a half has been a period of rather intense training for us in this area, and we haven’t seen the end of it yet. God gave us the vision of a senior-care facility several years ago, and it looked like it was going to come about. However, one thing after another came in, and we were really tied in knots. At this point we have purchased one plot of land, but it’s not big enough for the facility we have envisioned. To our knowledge, the two adjoining plots haven’t yet been sold, but we have no idea when or how God might supply the funds to get them, or, for that matter, to build the facility itself once we have the land. In the process of all of that, people have left the church, shrinking our already very small congregation. However, God has used all these circumstances to train us to lift our eyes to Him, and that’s very good. That’s what “waiting in hope” is all about! Yesterday a young man in the church came and helped me shovel and rake gravel to make the land we purchased usable as a parking lot. That was an answer to prayer on several levels, because he has been distracted from attending church for most of the period I’ve just been talking about. In between and after the hard labor, he and I were able to do some very good talking, and it was a huge encouragement to us both, I think. The point is, God is still God, and He is more than worthy of our total faith and trust. When we have that firmly in our hearts, waiting isn’t a burden.

Father, thank You for all that You are doing. Thank You for all that happened yesterday, and for all that You are going to do today. Even with what I am aware of, that’s a lot! Thank You that You are working constantly, and that Your plans are perfect. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me to do, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Encouragement from the Word; January 20, 2018

Posted on January 24, 2018 by jgarrott

Isaiah 35:3-4 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”

Some prophecies aren’t much fun to deliver, but I’m sure Isaiah delighted to give this one! I’m not even sure how many songs have been written to the 10 verses of this chapter, but there are a lot, and I know quite a few of them. As is almost always the case, there are a number of ways this content can be/has been translated, and I particularly like the Japanese for verse four. It starts with, “Say to those whose hearts are in turmoil.” Sometimes we don’t exactly feel fearful, but our minds won’t stop running “what ifs” over and over. Then, after saying “Be strong, do not fear,” just like the NIV, it says, “Look at your God.” Most of the time when our hearts are in turmoil it’s because we’ve lost sight of God. This is exactly the problem addressed in Hebrews 12. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:2-3) We have an advantage over those to whom Isaiah was speaking directly, because we not only have the Father to look at, we have the clear example of Jesus Christ the Son. That can be a lot easier to understand in terms of knowing how we are to respond to our own circumstances. We too can endure the “crosses” we experience if we have a firm grasp of the joy that is set before us. Paul put it this way: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) When we get that through our minds and hearts we have the perfect peace that not only Paul (Philippians 4:7) but Isaiah talked about. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)

Well! If I don’t feel encouraged at this point it’s my own fault! This is an example of the joy and blessing it is to have a lot of the Bible in my mind and heart. I did check references for all the Scriptures I’ve just mentioned, but they were already there for the Holy Spirit to pull them up in my memory. I am deeply grateful to have been raised in a home that was steeped in faith and the Word, so that I first read through the Bible by the time I was 10. I received an RSV full Bible after I was baptized at age seven, and my father’s long sermons in Japanese were a great time for me to read it! I have learned the hard way that there’s a big difference between knowing the words of the Bible and having it in your heart to do it, just like James talked about, (James 1:22) but when it is in your memory the Holy Spirit has an easy time of calling it up to guide and encourage you. As a pastor, I deeply desire that each of my flock “hide the Word in their hearts” (Psalm 119:11) through daily devotional Bible reading, and it is a heartache that so few do. Given modern culture, they’d probably do much better at it in electronic form on their phones, so I need to check what apps to recommend. I create a Scripture reading list each month, and I need to start sending it to the believers in electronic form, rather than just printed out. I need to change my methods with the times, without changing the content of God’s truth. God’s Word is never out of date, if people will only realize that.

Father, thank You for this encouragement on several levels right now. Thank You that one of my “wandering sheep” will be coming to help me this morning. I pray that I would be fully available to You in ministering to him as he needs, so that the lies of the devil may be destroyed by Your truth in love, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Teachers; January 19, 2018

Posted on January 21, 2018 by jgarrott

Isaiah 30:20-21 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

This passage deals with a touchy subject. We all need direction at times, but we aren’t always willing to receive it. Men in particular are famous for getting lost because they won’t ask for directions. God knows that in us better than we do ourselves, so He expresses guidance to us in various ways. Sometimes those aren’t a lot of fun! When we are stubborn (which is often enough) they can feel like adversity and affliction, as this passage mentions. The quicker we get a clue and do what the Lord is telling us, the less of that we have to endure. The statement about teachers not being hidden is somewhat mysterious. The Japanese, being rather more literal than the NIV, specifies “You will continue to see them.” I honestly don’t know what that means. However, the promise of direction at every turn is a welcome one for everyone who honestly seeks God. This passage is quoted on the base of a statue of a cadet at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia. Quite a few troubled young people have been straightened out by the ministry of that Baptist school, though not all of their students would fit in that category. This whole issue is echoed in Hebrews 12:1-12. We aren’t called to be “snowflakes,” but to accept responsibility for our actions and be accountable to God, seeking His direction and following it, knowing that His will is always the best possible course.

This has been an issue all my life, and will continue to be so until I stand before God’s throne. Sometimes I have followed God’s guidance and been blessed, and sometimes I have rebelled and had to endure adversity and affliction. As I deal with others as a pastor, I am amazed at God’s patience toward us all. Although we may feel that we would like to “wash our hands” of people who stress us out, God doesn’t do that with us. I need to be more aware of that, and in gratitude express His grace toward everyone. It is often easier for me to see the best course for someone else than it is for them to see it, or for me to see my own best course. I need to walk in full humility, knowing that any genuine wisdom I might have comes from God, and anything that originates with me is going to be wrong. I am to accept the teachers He provides and not shy away from being used as a teacher for others, so that His will may be done and the Body of Christ built up, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. You have gifted me as a teacher, (Romans 12:6-8) with everything that involves. Help me be faithful in that, continually learning from You so that I may teach truth and not falsehood, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Renewal; January 18, 2018

Posted on January 21, 2018 by jgarrott

Isaiah 26:19 But your dead will live;
their bodies will rise.
You who dwell in the dust,
wake up and shout for joy.
Your dew is like the dew of the morning;
the earth will give birth to her dead.

This is a pretty magnificent prophecy! It brings to mind the vision God gave Ezekiel of the valley of dry bones. (Ezekiel 37:1-14) What God was saying to both Isaiah and Ezekiel wasn’t necessarily physical resurrection, because our physical bodies eventually wear out, but He was talking about restoration and spiritual renewal in a hopeless situation. He was reminding the prophets, and us through them, of the reality that as Creator God, He can do anything at all. We have such trouble getting that through our heads! The specific line in this verse that strikes me is the instruction to “Wake up and shout for joy.” The Japanese says “sing for joy,” which appeals to me as a musician, but the message is clear in any case. We get so beaten down by circumstances sometimes it’s like we’re in a coma, but God is telling us to wake up and rejoice! The path of faith is to know that God is still God regardless of how things look to our five senses and our human intellect, and trust and praise Him for who He is. His plan is likely to be something we would never have dreamed up, but it will be good, and we need to trust Him with that.

This is spot on for what we have been through and where we are now as a church. In numbers we are down to what would barely qualify as a “home fellowship” in most places, but God has given us the vision of Omura again being the foremost Christian city in the nation. The difference between where we are now and where God is saying we are going to be is no less dramatic than resurrection! The point is to focus fully on God and His omnipotent love, forgetting our human frailty and failings, and rejoice in Him. It’s been several years now since He told me to rest, relax, and rejoice. I’m still learning how to do that. Over the past week and a half He has renewed me a great deal, but I still have plenty of room to grow as His child. I am to be grateful that He hasn’t given up on me, and won’t, and trust Him with the final outcome, both of my life and of this church.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for all You are doing. It is remarkable to me how small, relatively insignificant things impact me at times. Help me receive the many signs of Your love and grace that You shower down on me, allowing You to strengthen me against every onslaught of the enemy, so that the devil’s schemes may be defeated and Your kingdom come indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Stewardship; January 17, 2018

Posted on January 19, 2018 by jgarrott

Isaiah 23:18 Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord; they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord, for abundant food and fine clothes.

On the face of it, this is a very strange verse. The city of Tyre, one of the historic commercial hubs of the Mediterranean world, is spoken of as a prostitute. I take that as simply being willing to do anything to make a profit. There are plenty of people like that, who throw morality and everything else out the window because of their love of money. As Paul said, the love of money can cause just about every kind of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10) It is sadly ironic that many financially wealthy people are morally bankrupt. However, that’s not what this verse is dwelling on. This verse is saying that those immoral profits will go to bless those who have the right priorities. I don’t remember the details, but I heard a story about a mobster who gave a lot of money to a church, and the pastor was confronted about why he didn’t refuse the gift. His response was, “The devil has had this money long enough!” This verse would certainly seem to support that position. God supplies the needs of His people, and He sometimes uses what seem to us to be very strange means to do that. Another thing that strikes me about this verse is the reference to abundant food and fine clothes. Back then, the poor had neither. Today, even those “below the poverty line” in America live in what would have been considered luxury in times past. Rather than scarcity, obesity is a national problem. It would do us well to wake up to how abundant our lives are, to be better stewards and to give God the thanks and praise He deserves.

This applies to me as much as it does to anyone. I certainly live in what would have been considered “the lap of luxury” not that long ago. I have technology at my disposal that was literally the stuff of science fiction within my own lifetime, yet I take it for granted and complain when it doesn’t do what would have been considered miraculous not that long ago. I too need to put my focus on God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) rather than being distracted by all the stuff around me. I am to be careful that my own income is earned in ways that honor God, but not be surprised if God supplies resources in strange ways. The point is not to focus on the supply, but rather on what God wants me to do with it. It is possible to love money whether I have it or not, and such love will always be a snare.

Father, thank You for Your abundant supply. Help me recognize how much You have already blessed us and be appropriately grateful, not worrying about where the next supply is coming from but rather seeking how You want me to use what is already in my hands, to do Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Receiving Salvation; January 16, 2018

Posted on January 18, 2018 by jgarrott

Isaiah 12:3 With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.

This verse was first brought to my attention by Andrae Crouch, quoted in the process of a music/worship recording, and it has stuck in my mind and heart ever since. To me it brings to mind Jesus’ famous words, spoken in a loud voice at a festival in Jerusalem: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:37-38) John specifies that He was talking about the Holy Spirit, whereas Isaiah is speaking of salvation. English Bibles generally say “wells of salvation,” but the Japanese says “springs.” People in the Middle East are very aware that water is necessary for life, because it isn’t always easy to come by. Jesus famously told a Samaritan woman that He could provide living water, (John 4:10) and Revelation has a marvelously comforting statement. “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17) One phrase in this verse from Isaiah strikes me just now, and that is the verb, “will draw.” What that speaks to me is that there is volition involved; we choose to receive the water. I often tell people that God provided salvation for all mankind through the cross of Jesus Christ, but we have to choose to repent and believe in order to receive that salvation; God doesn’t force it on us. I personally feel this doesn’t just apply to the initial experience of salvation, but to the whole of Christian life. God always has more blessings for us, but we generally have to choose to receive them for them to be operative in our lives. Sometimes we fail to receive because in our ignorance we want something else, and sometimes we fail to receive because we think we “aren’t worthy,” or something of the sort. Pure faith accepts God’s valuation of things, both of us and of our circumstances, and so rejoices to receive all that God provides.

I certainly see this principle in action all the time, both in myself and in those around me. Sometimes I grieve at those who won’t receive, for whatever reason, and I know that God grieves even more, but I am guilty of the same thing at times. As a little child, I need to receive what my Father has for me, responding to Him in grateful obedience. He has poured out more blessings on me than I could possibly count, and I need to trust that He will continue to do so, in the way that is absolutely best for me.

Father, thank You for Your truly amazing grace. Help me not reject it in any way, but receive and transmit it as You intend, giving You the thanks, praise, and glory that are due You so that many more will be drawn to Your salvation as well. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Aging; January 15, 2018

Posted on January 18, 2018 by jgarrott

Ecclesiastes 12:1, 7 Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

The first part of verse one is quoted a good bit to young people, but the passage as a whole is a very depressing picture of aging. It shows that Solomon sought his joy in the wrong places, or he would not have found his senior years to be so gray. At the end of his litany of negatives he does make one very important acknowledgment: our spirits come from God, and return to Him when our bodies are finished. If he had acted on that understanding consistently throughout his life he would not have found it to be meaningless, as he says in verse eight. It has been pointed out that whereas average life expectancy has grown by leaps and bounds over the past century, if you could avoid wars and certain diseases, you had about an equal chance of living to advanced age back then as you do now. Then as now, the big question is whether you grow old well. Since Solomon didn’t do it, the key is obviously not in wealth (though having resources certainly doesn’t hurt). I am convinced the key to aging well lies in the first verse of this passage, and that is remembering our Creator. It does little good to think of God when young and then forget Him as we age. Apparently that is exactly what Solomon did. If we remember Him and order our lives in relation to Him, He provides joy and satisfaction “from cradle to grave,” as the saying goes. When we see Him in all of life and live in gratitude for His grace and mercy, then all the physical things that tend to accompany aging are minor in our awareness and priorities. When we understand how much He loves us and what He has prepared for us, then we know that our troubles are indeed “light and momentary,” (2 Corinthians 4:17) and much easier to put up with.

I am very aware of this issue, since I am currently 69, and my wife is not only a few months older, she also has Parkinson’s Disease as well as the after effects of brain surgery. Those things aren’t fun, but when viewed from the perspective of God’s love and grace, they don’t eclipse the many joys and pleasures God still has for us. I will be going to the doctor this morning for an inner ear issue that came up again a couple of days ago, but that too will pass. The point is that God still has us here according to His plan, and His plans are always good. (Jeremiah 29:11) We are to receive each day from His hand, looking forward to the blessings He has prepared and being grateful for them even ahead of time, in faith that they will be good indeed.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It really fleshes out the message You have for me to give at the interdenominational prayer breakfast on Wednesday. Help me recognize and make full use of every opportunity You give me to bless others with Your truth, so that the lies of the enemy may be defeated and people built up, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Things; January 14, 2018

Posted on January 16, 2018 by jgarrott

Ecclesiastes 5:11 As goods increase,
so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owner
except to feast his eyes on them?

Over the past two years I have really had this truth brought home to me as we have helped someone move out of their house where they had lived for many years. I was overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of things, physical objects that perhaps had intrinsic value and perhaps not, but which did no good to the owner at this point. Even so, the owner had great difficulty letting go of it all, even though, at 80, they got no benefit from them. Up to that point they had largely measured their life by possessions, and the reality that “you can’t take it with you” was no more than words to them. That was a powerful and beneficial lesson for me. Solomon had discovered the futility of material wealth, but he never seems to have discovered the immeasurable benefits of spiritual wealth. That’s one of the reasons his life was essentially a tragedy. As Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21) Spiritual treasure is good for a lot more than just looking at it!

I was raised by parents who essentially lived by Matthew 6:33. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” That gave me a huge advantage in developing a Biblical world view myself. I can’t say my parents didn’t want material things, or that they didn’t accumulate a good bit of them. I inherited quite a few items myself, but the question becomes, what to do with them now, since my descendants have no interest in them? Physical objects are ultimately ephemeral, which seems like a contradiction to our natural self, because physical is the opposite of ephemeral. However, God is the “ground of being,” and He is spiritual and not physical. I am learning more and more that physical objects are never more than tools. What is important is the souls of human beings, and our relationship with our Creator. I have been blessed on more levels than even I am aware, but every one of those blessings is to be held loosely, keeping it available to my Lord for Him to use as He sees fit. Not just material things, but physical and mental abilities and even life itself are ultimately His, and I am to live in active recognition of and gratitude for it all.

Father, thank You for all that You allow me to go through to teach me what is really important. Help me be a faithful steward of all You place in my hands, for as long as You want me to deal with it. May I rejoice to serve You however You direct, and not try to hang onto things when You say that time has past. May my attitudes and actions point people to You consistently, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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