Motives; January 13, 2018

Posted on January 16, 2018 by jgarrott

Ecclesiastes 2:18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.

Solomon’s motives really stank! He was so self-centered and selfish that the idea of leaving what he had worked for to someone else, even his own son, got all over him. How pathetic! It’s no wonder he was so terribly unhappy, because selfishness never leads to happiness. That attitude wasn’t unusual then, and it isn’t unusual now. The Book of Daniel lets us know that “Oh king, live forever,” was a standard greeting for rulers, and rulers in Egypt and China and other places did all they thought they could to “take it with them” into the afterlife. Again, how pathetic! Solomon’s wisdom told him that a person who yields everything to God has the most happiness, as he says in verses 24-26 of this very chapter, but his selfishness kept him from doing it himself. It has been rightly said that there is no success without a successor, especially in any leadership role, but Solomon, for all his vaunted wisdom, couldn’t see that. The answer to the dilemma he expresses here is to do everything for God, rather than for your successor or even for yourself. Paul addressed that wisdom to slaves, who on the surface of things had to do everything for their masters. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24) A person who does that can find satisfaction, fulfillment, and joy in whatever they set their hands to do.

This certainly applies to me, especially since the matter of a successor is increasingly urgent. I have had multiple potential successors over my years of ministry, but each has gone off in one way or another, and I currently have no obvious candidate. That’s not to say I’m to give up, either in seeking a successor or in applying myself to the work at hand. I am indeed to work at everything with all my heart, not for any lesser motive but as a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord Himself. Doing my best for Him is the least I can do, considering all that He has done for me. That has the added benefit of the assurance that if I am doing His work, He will supply everything needed for it. He even supplies the necessary will in me to get it done! (Philippians 2:13) There is no greater pleasure and satisfaction than doing God’s work in fellowship with Him by His Spirit.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The devil works overtime to distract me from this reality. Help me indeed submit fully to You and resist him firmly, just as You have said to do. (James 4:7) May I do Your will in Your way on Your schedule, today and every day, producing Your results for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Fear of the Lord; January 12, 2018

Posted on January 15, 2018 by jgarrott

Proverbs 30:7-9 “Two things I ask of you, O Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.”

If the attribution is right, then Agur son of Jakeh was a wise man. We human beings have a strong tendency to think, when things are going well, that we don’t need help from anyone. That can lead to all sorts of problems, both in interpersonal relationships and spiritually. The simple fact of the matter is that everything in existence is totally dependent on the will and grace of God. He spoke it all into being (Genesis 1) and He could extinguish it with equal ease. When we forget that, we fall into all sorts of traps because of the lies of the devil. Recently there has been a spate of revelations about the abuse of the weak by the powerful. This is nothing new, but has been going on since the dawn of history. The course of wisdom is humble recognition that God is real and we are accountable to Him. The Japanese, for all their polytheism, have a very accurate aphorism: “We don’t live, but we are caused to live.” The moment God removed His support, anything and/or everything in the universe would cease to exist. The better we grasp that, the more grateful and obedient we will be toward Him. I think that is the true meaning of “The fear of the Lord” that the Old Testament mentions so frequently. It is indeed ironic that when we are materially blessed we tend to forget that. Like Agur, we need to remember it, in order to live genuinely successful lives.

I have as much of a tendency to ignore God as anyone. My mother had an expression that is very picturesque: “Independent as a hog on ice.” In other words, totally out of control. The very abundance of abilities with which God has blessed me have caused me to be proud, thinking and feeling I could go it alone. I learned quite a while back that I couldn’t get along without God, but I have been slower to realize how much I need other people. Sometimes I feel like I would like to live on a desert island with just my wife! Thankfully, she is one of the most social, genuinely loving people on earth, and she has taught me a lot about getting along with others. That said, I am still much more comfortable giving help than receiving it, even though I get tired of helping others! At the moment I’m running into computer problems, which is an appropriate blow to my pride because I have worked as a computer consultant. I need to recognize my total dependence on God in every area of my life, thanking Him for His grace and not complaining about the trials/training exercises He puts me through. I genuinely desire to be fully useful to Him, and I need to trust Him with whatever it takes to make me that way.

Father, thank You for Your grace toward me, and toward us all. Help me receive Your grace in all humility and transmit it unstintingly to those around me, so that Your will may be done in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Sovereignty; January 11, 2018

Posted on January 15, 2018 by jgarrott

Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course,
but the Lord determines his steps.

Proverbs has a lot to say about the sovereignty of God. In this chapter alone, verses 1, 2, 3, 7, and 9 touch on it. However, it’s this verse that resonates most with me at the moment. Perhaps that’s because the Japanese expression in the first half is so expressive of my own experience. The NIV says “plans,” but the Japanese says “mulls over.” A literal translation would be, “wanders around in thought.” I couldn’t begin to calculate, even, how many times I’ve done that! We spend great amounts of time going over things again and again in our minds. I even made a tongue twister out of it: “I think I thought this thing through thoroughly.” (I teach pronunciation to speach therapists, and use a lot of tongue twisters.) However, much of that is entirely futile, because we don’t keep God in focus as we consider things. The second half of the verse is also a little more pointed in Japanese: “The Lord makes his walk sure.” In other words, we can create all sorts of pipe dreams, but God is the one who brings thing to pass. This also applies in the negative. “He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.” (Job 5:12) “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.” (Psalm 33:10) The wisest course, always, is to seek God for what He wants to do, and for the part He wants you to have in that, and then apply yourself fully in obedience to Him.

I have lost countless hours of sleep running over things in my mind, when what I needed to do was release things to God and trust Him with them. God allows circumstances that provoke me to that precisely to teach me to let Him be God. It’s not that I have no part in what I do; I am totally accountable to God for every moment of my life. It’s also not that I’m never to plan things out. I have a tendency in that direction, and it doesn’t end well! I am to plan and prepare, but always in submission and obedience to God. If God said to do it, that settles it. My responsibility is to seek Him for how to do it, and not to hold anything back in my obedience to Him. God has given me a vision of Omura again being the foremost Christian city in Japan, as it was over 450 years ago. I couldn’t begin to bring that about in my own strength and wisdom, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have anything to do with its coming about. The past 15 months have been intensive training in this area, and the score card isn’t complete as to how I’ve done. I need to keep remembering that God’s plans for me are good, (Jeremiah 29:11) and that He’s the one who brings things to pass, as this verse says.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You have done already this week to heal and reassure us after the battering we have endured. I continue to pray that Your will would be accomplished on Your schedule and that we would be fully obedient in our participation, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Emotions and Health; January 10, 2018

Posted on January 14, 2018 by jgarrott

Proverbs 15:30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones.

There are various passages in the Bible that speak of how interconnected we are emotionally and physically. Speaking of an illness as “psychosomatic” is often taken as a put-down, as in, “It’s all in your head.” However, that’s simply a fact of the human condition. Countless studies have shown that a person’s attitude and emotional state have a drastic impact on medical outcomes. That’s not to say the physical symptoms aren’t real. It is possible, through hypnosis, to give a person a very genuine burn by touching them with a cold object, if they have been told the object is extremely hot. This is why a doctor’s “bedside manner” is so important. If the patient feels, “This person cares about me and they know what they’re doing,” the probability of a good outcome is greatly increased. However, this principle applies far more broadly than specifically medical situation. As this verse says, what we see/perceive greatly affects our mood, and what we hear can affect our total well being. By extension we can see that this applies to faith. When we are convinced that God is not only omniscient and omnipotent, He loves us deeply and genuinely cares about every aspect of our lives, every part of our being is lifted up and strengthened. When we are shaky about who God is and who we are to Him, then the devil has a much easier time of robbing us of peace, joy, and even physical health.

We have just had a bit of a practicum in this. Events of recent weeks have taken their toll on us, but in the past two days we have interacted with various people who have expressed love, concern, and encouragement, and we have been lifted up in every way. The devil is without question a liar, and some of his lies have been exposed through the kindness and faithfulness of others. The lesson for us is not only to keep our eyes on Christ, (Hebrews 12:1-2) but also to be available as His instruments in blessing others in their times of need. We are to be bearers of good news that brings health! Even when circumstances seem horrible, we can always tell people of God’s love and faithfulness, and that is good news indeed.

Father, thank You indeed for the past two days, and for each person who was available to You as an instrument of blessing to us. We are greatly renewed. I do ask Your guidance and anointing for each of the things that need to be done today. May we have wisdom and presence of mind for each step, culminating in a genuinely blessed prayer time tonight, so that this church may be built up and Your name hallowed, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Desires; January 9, 2018

Posted on January 14, 2018 by jgarrott

Proverbs 11:23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

I find this verse very comforting at the moment, particularly as the NIV has interpreted it. The Japanese translation is more spare, not supplying the word “ends,” but it also specifies “fierce wrath.” What comes across to me either way is that motives matter. If our hearts are right before God, our desires bring good, whether we get exactly what we wanted or not. That brings to mind “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4) Sometimes we desire something that is less than God’s best for us out of simple ignorance that anything better is possible, but if we are seeking first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, (Matthew 6:33) the outcome is going to be good anyway. I have long thought that the promise in Psalm 37 included God giving us the desire itself, and not just the item desired. When our desire is fundamentally for God Himself, then the result will always be good. That’s why “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10) Love of anything outside of God is idolatry, and can only end badly.

This, of course, applies to me as much as it does to anyone, but by God’s grace He has been teaching me to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness for many years now. I don’t need to worry that my desires will end badly! I can’t make God’s kingdom come by my strength and wisdom, but I know that the end of all things will indeed be His total dominion, and He can even use me in the process. I am to keep myself available to Him and not worry about the steps in the process. My short-term goals are always subject to the long-term goal of God’s kingdom being established everywhere, and I’m not to get upset about bumps in the road.

Father, thank You for this very encouraging Word. Thank You for the conference we’ve attended over the past two days, and for the love with which You’ve surrounded us. I do submit myself and the ministry You have assigned to me, as well as the church that has resulted, to You afresh. I ask You to use each of those things according to Your plan to bring about Your will on Your schedule, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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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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