Hope; December 11, 2017

Posted on December 15, 2017 by jgarrott

Zechariah 9:12 “Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope;
even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.”

The NIV seems very poetic – prisoners of hope – but the Japanese seems a bit easier to understand – prisoners who have hope. When we let go of our hope, everything tends to collapse. An optimist and a pessimist might go through life with exactly the same events, but the optimist will enjoy it far more! Hope is an inescapable component of faith, and it can be just about as hard to define. However, we all know it when we have it! It’s not quite the same thing as desire, though linguistically, in both English and Japanese, the line between them is very blurry. It is distinct enough that Paul mentioned both in his short list of enduring virtues: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13) The KJV renders that as “charity,” perhaps to distinguish agape from phileo and the like, but faith and hope haven’t changed over the centuries. What God is saying through Zechariah is that He is in the business of restoration. The devil is out to steal, kill, and destroy, (John 10:10) but God’s got all that covered. Even death isn’t final in His book! Hope that is founded on faith in God by His Word is luminous, and marvelously attractive. Yesterday I spoke of how we are to be carriers of God’s light, and this is what it’s all about. This is what Peter was talking about when he said, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15) The devil does all he can to rob us of faith, hope, and love, but we can choose to cling stubbornly to God. If we do, we will be rewarded.

Wow! This puts words to what I’ve been going through in my 36 years of ministry in Omura. I haven’t seen the level of fruit that I have desired, certainly, but God has enabled me to remain faithful. Recently the devil’s really been attacking the hope aspect, but I’ve just been given a renewal! However dark things might seem to my human understanding, by faith I can know that the way ahead is bright indeed. I am not to put down those who cannot yet see that bright future, but rather speak truth to them in love. I cannot change their hearts, but God can use the words He has me speak to do so. I am to model faith, hope, and love at all times, so that the devil’s lies may be defeated in many hearts and lives, for the glory of God.

Father, thank You so much for this Word this morning. Thank You for getting us through the City Christmas yesterday so successfully. Thank You that all the equipment worked well! Thank You that all the human relationships are in Your hands as well. Thank You for the things You have for me to do today. Help me do each one in Your strength and wisdom on Your schedule, so that Your plans may be fulfilled for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Faith; December 10, 2017

Posted on December 14, 2017 by jgarrott

Luke 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God.”

I find I quote this statement by Gabriel fairly often, but it’s still an open question how much I really believe it. I really think God chose a medically impossible method of sending His Son to the earth specifically to demonstrate the reality of this statement. The Bible is filled with the record of many of God’s marvelous works, but Jesus’ immaculate conception takes a back seat to none of them. Mary herself probably didn’t realize just how huge a deal this was, even though she knew full well it would turn her world upside down. For her, as it is for all of us, the joy to receiving the impossible was trusting that for God it was possible. The world is in a major mess, and sometimes we despair of things ever turning out right, but nothing is impossible for God. That applies on the world scene, with such things as a nuclear-armed North Korea, on the social scene, with such things as the breakdown of morality and the family, and in our personal, daily lives, regardless of what challenges we face. Remembering that nothing is impossible for God will get us through the unthinkable, and even give us peace in the process. Faith is a strange thing. The most famous Biblical definition, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see,” (Hebrews 11:1) strikes me as more of a description of the effects of faith than an actual definition. In my own experience, I like the word, trust. Faith in the abstract is easy to confuse with acceptance of a set of propositions. That usage is why we describe a religion as a “faith.” However, Biblical faith is much more personal than that. Biblical faith trusts God to be God and do what He has said, regardless of what our senses or anything else tell us. That is what Mary had, and what we need to receive as a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

I have been in a training school of faith all my life. I have known the facts of the Gospel as long as I’ve known anything, but for all the years of my life God has been teaching me to trust Him, and I’m very aware of the difference between that and simply being aware of the facts. Sometimes that difference can be a huge step! Right now that training school has entered a period of intense practicum. It becomes a question of whether I will trust God or trust a mountain of other voices. That makes it clear that choice is an inescapable part of faith, just as it is of obedience and of love. Some people try to insist that we have no real choices, that our actions are predetermined. Some express that in atheistic terms, insisting we are no more than a product of biology, and some express it in religious terms, twisting Paul’s words about being “predestined” to eliminate human input. In either case, it’s all an attempt to avoid accountability. Practically nothing we have originates with us, but we do have the ability to choose, and for that we are accountable to our Creator. I’ve got to keep choosing to trust Him, to express my love for Him through obedience, (John 14:15, 23) so that His plans for me may be fulfilled on His schedule for His glory.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. Thank You that indeed, nothing is impossible for You. I ask that Your perfect will be done, not only in and for me, but in and for each of the people to whom I minister, that the works of the devil may be destroyed (1 John 3:8) and many set free, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Patience; December 9, 2017

Posted on December 14, 2017 by jgarrott

Isaiah 7:13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?”

Various English translations render this verse using “weary,” and the Japanese uses “make trouble for,” where the NIV uses “try the patience.” It’s clear Isaiah was tired of putting up with King Ahaz! It is risky to anthropomorphize God, because when we do that we limit Him in our minds, imagining Him to be like us, but at the same time we are limited in our ability to understand God, since we are finite and He is not. God, being outside of time, sees the end from the beginning, so patience wouldn’t seem to apply to Him, yet in His own description of Himself He said, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7) “Slow to anger” sounds like “patient” to me! I think the reason even He uses this terminology is that He wants us to copy Him, and patience is certainly something we need more of. We don’t see the end from the beginning, and we need to trust God with that end, however bumpy the road getting there, either in circumstances or in dealing with people.

I am currently faced with yet another training session in this very issue. Sometimes I think the older English term for patience, longsuffering, is very appropriate! (Yes, I know that “suffer” there means “allow,” but I think you get my point.) However, when I am tempted to be impatient with others or with circumstances, I remember how very patient God has been with me. As a matter of fact, His patience was the first thing I mentioned I was thankful for, when we had the church Thanksgiving dinner last month. I could never be as patient, much less more patient, with something or someone than God has been with me. At the same time, as this passage indicates, there are limits to how long God waits for things, and I am not to let “patience” be an excuse for inaction when God is saying to move. I have a strong streak of conflict avoidance, as well as plenty of inertia. I am not to let “patience” be a smoke screen for either of those things. The thing is, I don’t have the wisdom to know the difference! Once again I am back to my total dependence on God, and that’s not a bad thing. I am to seek Him at ever turn, for every decision, so that His name may be acknowledged as holy and His kingdom come as His will is done in and through me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word, and for this current training session. I pray that I would learn all that You are teaching me, for the benefit of those to whom I minister and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Believing; December 8, 2017

Posted on December 9, 2017 by jgarrott

Luke 1:20 “And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”

There are risks to not believing God! Actually, Zechariah’s punishment was very mild, compared to what people will receive who refuse to believe Him their whole lives. When you think about it, Zechariah was being pretty stubborn, because he was receiving an angelic visitation in the holiest of settings and yet he was persisting in looking at things from a humanistic viewpoint. God wants us to be aware of circumstances and to use the minds He has given us, but we must remember that His reality is greater than ours, and He can change our circumstances in an instant. We say we believe, but in a pinch we are all too often like Zechariah. God has given us many great and wonderful promises, and indeed the fulfillment of some of them may come after we personally have left this earth, (Hebrews 11:39-40) but those promises are more sure than the ground we are standing on. As Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

Our faith is constantly being tested. That’s because our faith needs to grow, and growth requires exercise, for faith at least as much as for muscles. Attacks of the enemy don’t mean that God has abandoned us, they just mean that God is wanting to take our faith to a higher level. Right now we are in just such a training period. We are not to take our eyes off of Christ, but rather focus on Him all the more, submitting to and proclaiming His Lordship and waiting in hope for His will to be fulfilled. We have the hardest time with that, it seems, when it comes to money. George Mueller is a good example for us here. He ran an orphanage in England at a time when the government didn’t support such things, and he did it on essentially no money. He didn’t express his needs to people, but only to God, and the provision was always there. Sometimes the timing was what we would call too close for comfort, but God doesn’t want us to be comfortable, He wants us to grow as His children, to destroy the citadels of the enemy and set the captives free. (2 Corinthians 10:4, Luke 4:18-19) We can’t do that in our own strength, but then we never could, whatever we thought. He lets us get to the end of our own strength to teach us to depend on His. He is totally faithful.

Father, this is yet another unexpected trial, but then we hardly ever predict trials accurately. Help us all fix our eyes on You, praying with the father of the epileptic boy, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) Thank You. Praise God!

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Righteousness; December 7, 2017

Posted on December 9, 2017 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 33:16 “In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it will be called:
The Lord Our Righteousness.”

This is the foundation of Paul’s exposition of righteousness by faith, in Romans 3 and following. We like to claim righteousness for ourselves, but as Isaiah said, “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6) Paul said again, in 1 Corinthians 1:30 and 2 Corinthians 5:21, that Christ has become our righteousness, exactly as it says here. We have such trouble accepting that “there is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10, quoting Psalms and Ecclesiastes) We might accept that others aren’t righteous, but we like to think we are the exception! As Revelation 15:4 says, God alone is holy, that is, fully righteous. That is why this statement by God to Jeremiah is so important. We can’t be righteous on our own, but He offers us righteousness as a free gift, if we will accept it by faith. This is absolutely glorious good news, but we have to be humble to receive it; there is no room at all for pride. Sadly, that is a major reason why so many reject it: they want to “do it themselves,” to be able to take pride in their own salvation. How sadly foolish!

Lately there have been many revelations of evil doing on the part of politicians and media personalities, to the point of being nauseating, but honest introspection will show us that “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” Looking back over my own life I can see that I had the potential to be as bad or worse than any of those who have been exposed recently, and it both humbles me and gives me a deep gratitude for the grace of God. My present lifestyle is such that people see me as a “holy man,” but they know neither my past nor my heart. God is my righteousness, and I place my trust in Christ alone. It is exactly as I proclaim at every wedding I perform: it is the love of God that caused Him to send His Son so that we might be saved by faith in Him, receiving His righteousness since we have none of our own. I am called and commissioned to proclaim this Good News in Japan. The low rate of acceptance is distressing and at times discouraging, but I am to remember that my righteousness could never get the job done in the first place, and so walk in complete, grateful, obedient dependence on my Lord.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There is no end to the attacks and trials we experience, but that is just as Jesus said, and as He said, I need to rejoice. (John 16:33) You have told me personally to rest, relax, and rejoice. I’m not fully there yet, but I’m learning. Thank You. Help me be an open channel of Your grace and love to all those around me, drinking deeply myself as You flow through me, so that the works of the devil may be destroyed (1 John 3:8) and many set free, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Light Through Us; December 6, 2017

Posted on December 8, 2017 by jgarrott

Isaiah 60:1,-3 “Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

This is a very famous passage, and we have used verse 1 as the Scripture for the Year in the past. The thing that strikes me right now as I read it is that the glory is the Lord’s, even though it makes us shine. In terms of translation, the Japanese is essentially identical to the NIV for verse 1, but there are some interesting differences in verse 3. The Japanese says, “Nations will walk in your light, and kings will walk illuminated by your shining.” Since from verse 4 on it speaks many times of people coming to Zion the NIV translation seems reasonable, but the thought of God’s people illuminating the way for others to walk seems significant. Time and again I keep coming back to the awareness that God’s blessings aren’t exclusively for the direct recipient, even though that recipient does benefit greatly. When God enlightens us, we are to let that light shine through us for others to see the truth as well. However, as Peter cautions, we are to do so with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15-16 The NIV puts that admonition in verse 15, and the Japanese in verse 16.) Again and again and again the Bible tells us not to get proud over what God does for and through us, but rather give Him all the glory. The minute we try to take credit, we lose the benefit.

This is something the Lord has had to tell me many times. He has blessed me greatly in many ways, but I’ve got to remember it is all because of His grace, and not because I earned or deserved it. I’ve also got to remember that every blessing is to flow through me to others, and actively seek His will for how that is to happen. The most basic, and most important, element is simply that of knowing Him. The more I know of Him, the more I want to share Him with others, and the more it breaks my heart when others reject Him in one way and another. It’s also a reminder of how many times and in how many ways I have rejected Him myself, but He has always patiently called me back to Himself, just like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son. (Luke 15:11-32) If I fail to be a channel of God’s blessings to others, it shows I don’t know God sufficiently myself. As John said, “This is love for God: to obey his commands.” (1 John 5:3) If I fail to bless others, I fail to love Him.

Father, You know what is going on in and around us right now. I pray that Your perfect will for each detail may be fulfilled, changing us all more into the likeness of Your Son and drawing many more into Your family, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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Shepherding; December 5, 2017

Posted on December 7, 2017 by jgarrott

Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

The Bible gives us many word pictures of God, but none are more gentle and comforting than this. When so few people have direct interaction with sheep these days this doesn’t necessarily click, but when understood, it is powerful. To a degree we tend to reject the image of being sheep, because of their herd instincts and general lack of intelligence, but in very many ways the comparison is apt. We too are not up to many of the challenges of life, and we too are easily influenced by those around us who don’t know any better than we do. However, the picture here is of Christ meeting us where and as we are, doing what is called for to compensate for our weaknesses. That should be comforting indeed.

My personal reaction to this verse is complex. I am acutely aware of my own inability at times, my “sheep-likeness,” but at the same time, I am called and appointed as a shepherd of God’s flock here. I am to interact with those in my care the way Christ interacts with me, but at the same time realize that I can’t possibly do it right, and so allow Him to do it through me. At the very point I want Him to hold me in His arms, I am called to hold another sheep. I’ve got to trust Him enough to let go of my insecurities so that they won’t get in the way of what He wants to do through me. As long as I am focused on my needs I won’t be able to appropriate His supply, either for myself or for those to whom I minister. Yesterday in my walking I had first a dog and then a cat decide that they wanted nothing better than to be with me. The dog was on a leash with its owner, so separation was not so difficult, but the cat was a stray, as far as I could tell, and at one point was so under foot that I stepped on it. Even so, it didn’t want to abandon me. I managed to get away by walking very quickly, but when I came back through it was more than ready for me again. God wants to hold me the way I held that cat, and through me to hold those to whom I minister. I’m not to focus on my ability, which is inability, but on His, because that is more than up to the task.

Father, thank You for this Word this morning. My sense of task overload is acute at times, tempting me to resentment. Help me recognize what You do and don’t want me to do and act accordingly, allowing You both to carry me and to carry others through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Bearing Light; December 4, 2017

Posted on December 7, 2017 by jgarrott

Isaiah 9:2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.

This verse applies to everyone without the hope of eternal life in Christ Jesus, but the problem is, so much of the world doesn’t realize it. The flip side of that is what Jesus said: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (John 3:19-21) Some people aren’t happy about the light! They don’t realize that without it, they are literally in the shadow of death, a more terrible death than the merely physical. The challenge for believers is to show those around them what it’s like to walk in the light instead of in the dark. I’m reminded of the words of a song by Andrae Crouch: “You don’t know what you’re missing until you’ve met the Lord.” That is quite literally true. We might have a dull ache, a longing for something but we don’t know what, but we certainly don’t imagine that something is a vital relationship with our Creator through His Son. When believers live out that relationship they are being witnesses, just as Jesus said, (Acts 1:8) and people will be drawn to ask how they acquired the hope that is so evident in their lives. (1 Peter 3:15) When they do that, it shows they are at least starting to realize how dark their lives are without Christ, and that is a huge step.

This of course applies to me. I’ve got to walk in the light myself, not just tell others to do so. (1 John 1:7) Another song that comes to mind is Children of the Light. It has a line that goes, “Don’t try to drive the darkness out, you just turn on the light.” When I feel oppressed by all the darkness in the world and the people around me, I just need to turn to the light of Christ and let Him shine through me. In practical terms, the way to do that is through praise and worship from a grateful heart. It’s very appropriate that Christmas is celebrated using various forms of light. I am to make use of that symbolism, but most especially rejoice in Christ myself, so that His light may indeed shine through me. That’s far more important than any amount of Christmas decorations, or even Christmas programs.

Father, the devil is doing all he can to squash our joy. Help me be actively submitted to You so that I may resist him. Thank You for the message You spoke through me yesterday. I pray that all who need to receive it would do so indeed. It looks like You have given me another Advent message this morning, when I don’t speak again until the 17th! Help me know when and how to share Your truth in love with all who need to hear it, so that they may be set free to walk in Your light indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Interpreting the Bible; December 3, 2017

Posted on December 6, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 89:26-27 He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, the Rock my Savior.’
I will also appoint him my firstborn,
the most exalted of the kings of the earth.

This Psalm is taken as Messianic by many, but it is primarily talking about David, who was the physical ancestor of Jesus. This particular passage is used as “proof text” by those who claim Jesus wasn’t fully divine, but was simply the ideal human being who was appointed the Son of God. By itself you could take it that way, but there are too many other passages speaking of His divinity to leave it like that. The eternal scope of His line, mentioned in verse 29, isn’t because of an unending succession of descendants, as it would be for a merely human king, but because He is eternal in and of Himself. Going past that verse, the Psalmist talks about David’s physical descendants in ways that clearly could not apply to Jesus, who obeyed the Father perfectly. This sort of thing is why we need the Holy Spirit as our guide in reading the Bible, since after all, He is the Author! (2 Timothy 3:16) It is also why we need to read the whole Bible, since the Old Testament provides the foundation for the New, and the New Testament is the best commentary on the Old. Numbers of heresies have arisen from people getting an idea and then “proof texting” it, instead of humbly asking God to show them what is true.

I can’t say that my theology has never been unbalanced, but I have had a Japanese pastor accuse me of being too balanced! His reasoning was that something perfectly balanced isn’t going to move forward, so I needed some imbalance to “get me rolling,” so to speak. I can’t say that I’ve moved as strongly or as fast as I should have, perhaps, but I wouldn’t blame balance for that. I am very grateful to have been raised on the whole Bible, and the vast majority of my messages include passages from both the Old and New Testaments. That doesn’t make me immune to deception, however. I always need to remember James’ admonition: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22) As my Systematic Theology professor, Dr. John Kewiet, used to say, theology is meaningless if it isn’t applied. Even if I had perfect knowledge of the Bible, if I didn’t live it out it would do me no good. After all, that applies to the devil, who uses “proof texting” to snare many sincere people. I need to let the Holy Spirit show me not only the truth of the Word but how to apply it, so that it will have its full work in and through me. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Father, thank You for Your Word. Help me receive, digest, and apply it as You intend, so that I may be Your agent in all that I am, do, and say, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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December’s Readings

Posted on December 5, 2017 by jgarrott

I need to point out to my regular readers that for December we have taken a pause in the theme of God’s Provision and are going with passages based in Immanuel, because of the Christmas season.

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