Japan in the Bible; November 1, 2017

Posted on November 6, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 65:8 Those living far away fear your wonders;
where morning dawns and evening fades
you call forth songs of joy.

On some levels it’s silly, but I’ve always taken this verse as referring to Japan. From the Western standpoint, Japan has always been the epitome of the Far East, indeed, “the ends of the earth.” (The Japanese says, “Those living at the extreme of the extreme.”) On top of that, the characters with which the name, Nippon, is written mean “origin of the sun,” that is, “land of the rising sun,” ie. “where morning dawns.” David certainly knew nothing of Japan, but the Holy Spirit did, since nothing is hidden from Him. The reason this encourages me is that this speaks of those living in Japan (as I take it) fearing God and singing for joy. I’m the second generation in my family committed to contributing to that happening. My father had been a missionary for 40 years at the point of his death, and I’ve been serving actively for 36 years so far. It is our family dream to see the Japanese fearing God and singing for joy to Him. If God could make David write about Japan when he couldn’t have imagined such a place, then He can certainly turn the hearts of the Japanese to Himself.

This is of course a very personal issue. Japan is certainly one of the most difficult fields of labor for Christian workers, not because of active opposition, physical danger, or even inconvenience, but because of spiritual barriers to faith and commitment. My mother told me that on at least one occasion my father prostrated himself on the floor, crying out to God, “God, if I am what is standing in the way of revival in Japan, then take me out of the way!” I certainly identify with that. Japan is quite reasonably called “the graveyard of missionaries,” but at the same time, people tend to fall in love with it. My parents are indeed buried in Japan, but that was their willing choice. I too expect to leave my physical remains here, but what is far more important, I expect and pray to leave a spiritual legacy in the hearts and lives of believers. My father left a university, but I’m sure he was far more concerned with the individual souls he led into the Kingdom. I will leave a church, at least, but for me too it’s the individual souls that matter most. I have a great abundance of opportunities for discouragement, but God is more than able to draw people to Himself in any circumstances, and I need to trust Him to do so, even using me. As He has told me personally, I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, allowing Him to use me to bring His kingdom to Japan for His glory.

Father, thank You for this encouraging reminder. We have a lot going on, especially through the end of the year, and exhaustion is a real issue. Help us wait in hope on You so that You may renew our strength as You have promised (Isaiah 20:31) and use us to draw many to Yourself, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Better than Life; October 31, 2017

Posted on November 1, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 63:3-4 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

I learned these verses as a song very early in my exposure to the Charismatic Movement, and I’m grateful. However, that doesn’t mean I’ve grasped their full impact. In the first line, the song says, “Thy loving kindness,” the NIV says, “your love,” and the Japanese says, “your grace.” Any way you translate it, it’s the next line that’s the kicker: “better than life.” All the translations agree on that! David is declaring that knowing God and being in relationship with Him is better than physical life itself, and he didn’t have the New Testament assurances of eternal life through the cross of Christ! When we come to the position David expresses here, all sorts of things come into focus. Priorities and goals change, and we receive peace and joy that can be had no other way. The Japanese starts verse 4 with “Therefore.” When we really value God more than even physical life, we will indeed praise Him as long as we have that life. The last line of verse 4 bothers some people, because they aren’t comfortable with raising their hands in church. Actually, this doesn’t specify, “in church,” or even “in the assembly.” The Japanese actually says, “in prayer,” but I think that is an extension of “in Your name,” since that is how we are to pray. Japanese in general seem very hesitant to raise their hands in worship, but I have met several who have talked about how liberating it was when they finally brought themselves to do it. Raised hands can indicate many things, but I think two are primary: surrender, and offering ourselves to God. It helps to visualize a small child lifting their hands to Daddy, wanting him to pick them up. The wonderful thing is, Father God will indeed “pick us up” and wrap His loving arms around us, if we will stop resisting Him and instead yield ourselves completely to Him, to be and do what He has planned for us.

To me, this passage connects closely to Paul’s confession to the Philippians: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) I’d bet he identified completely with David’s declaration, and I have to say, I’m coming more and more strongly to that position myself. I’ve still got room to grow, because other things keep intruding as conflicting priorities, but knowing Christ and being found in Him is indeed better than everything in this world put together. The thing is, as a pastor I deal constantly with believers who aren’t really to that point yet. They have confessed Jesus as Lord and repented of past sins, but they have trouble lifting their eyes off of themselves and their circumstances and fixing them on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:2) I am not to look down on them, but speak the truth to them in love so that the Holy Spirit may take that truth and use it to set them free from the traps of the devil.

Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of knowing You by Your Son Jesus through the work of Your Holy Spirit. Help me be more and more useful to You in drawing others along with me closer to You, so that we may experience Your full salvation indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Renewing Truth; October 30, 2017

Posted on November 1, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 62:1-2 My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I shall never be shaken.

The Japanese is interestingly different from the NIV in the first line, but either translation is edifying. The Japanese says, “My soul is quiet, and simply waits in hope for God.” Thinking back over other passages that use similar terminology to the two translations, I would guess that the original is something along the lines of, “My soul stops striving, and just waits in hope for God.” Any of those translations is a good way to be! Here David is stating fact, but then in verses 5-6 he restates this truth as a command to himself. We all need to be reminded from time to time of the truths we know. This Psalm as a whole made me think of Donald Trump. He is no David, but verses 3-4 and 9-10 certainly seem to describe his opposition. Recently he has made some public statements that seem to echo verse 8, and that is very encouraging. The world is a complex place, and human intellect alone certainly can’t keep things straight. If he will take this Psalm to heart, he and the nation will be on a good course.

I can certainly identify with the need to remind myself of truths I already know. I’ve lost track of how many dozens of times I’ve read through the Bible, and I still read it daily. Each time, the Lord brings truth to my attention, and sometimes it’s really like a light goes on. I am never to think I’ve “got it all down,” because there is always more depth, more power, in God’s Word than I have previously grasped. I need to continue to pour myself into the intimate, personal relationship with God that David had, not allowing myself to think I’m above any of His rules the way David did one time to his great loss. I am to remember that I am nothing in myself, but God can use me for absolutely anything.

Father, thank You for this reminder, that illustrates the very thing You are saying to me! Help me indeed live out the truth You have planted in my heart, so that I won’t deceive myself. (James 1:22) Thank You for the blessings of yesterday, and for getting us through the packed schedule. I ask for guidance and strength again for today, as I drive a rented truck to pick up more things for the bazaar. There are many things on the schedule for the days and weeks ahead. Help me indeed stop striving and wait expectantly for what You are going to do, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Relying on God; October 29, 2017

Posted on October 30, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 61:2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

To me this seems to be a very representative prayer of David. One of the things that made him “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) was that he was very aware that God was bigger and stronger than he was. Accordingly, when he reached the end of his own resources, he cried out to God. It’s almost amusing that he used the expression, “the ends of the earth,” when he never traveled more than a few hundred kilometers from his birthplace his whole life, but this prayer is from emotional distance rather than physical distance. All of us have moments when we feel like we’re “in the middle of nowhere,” emotionally and/or spiritually. David knew what to do when that happened, so he did it. The imagery of a big rock might not click for us today, but being on top of such a rock was a place of safety and security in the wilderness. Enemies and wild animals would have trouble endangering you there. That’s why in the next verse David speaks of God as his refuge. A major problem for us is that we tend to turn to things other than God for refuge, and that never turns out well. Our reliance on God needs to be more than theoretical. As the saying goes, “when push comes to shove,” we need to turn first to God.

This is a truth God has been teaching me my whole life, so it is ironic when I fail to live it out with full consistency. I think I do turn to Him first, but I also tend to grasp at other things as well. Part of that is the whole matter of “Jesus with skin on,” that is, people who are God’s agents to us in various situations. He does speak to us through others, and I need to be ready to hear Him however He speaks to me. I delight to be His agent in speaking, but I must be sure to listen when He speaks to me through someone else! At this point in my life I am quite aware of some of my limitations, and physically speaking, those limitations will increase as I get older. However, God will continue to be totally unlimited, and His wisdom and strength are available to me as I am yielded and obedient to Him. As He has told me to do, I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for getting me through yesterday’s packed schedule, and that You will get me through today and tomorrow that are similarly packed. Help me recognize Your timing for each thing that needs to get done, so that I may flow with Your Spirit on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Praise and Worship; October 28, 2017

Posted on October 30, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 57:7 My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.

I think this is a pretty clear example of what the Word/Faith people would call a positive confession. To this point David has had alternating anxiety and focus on God, but here he says, “Enough of that. I’m going to praise the Lord!” Yesterday I started reading The Power of Praise and Worship, by Terry Law, and in it he talks about how choosing to praise God was what got him out of the huge pit of mourning and depression he was in after his wife was killed in a car accident. I’ve not had anything that drastic to this point, but I’ve had some pretty low times, and I have found the same truth that David and Terry did: nothing helps us correct our focus better than praising God. It can feel like total hypocrisy at times, but if it is a genuine act of the will, the heart and the emotions will eventually come along. The devil is a very clever foe. He tears us down far more with petty resentment and disappointment than with big things. With big things, we almost automatically cry out to God, but with little things we can forget to do that. Staying focused on God is as important, if not more so, in the little things as the big. I think this is a big part of what James was talking about when he said, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) We really don’t know how to submit to God very well, because doing it grudgingly isn’t really submitting. We do it properly only in an atmosphere of praise and worship, because that is when we can know on every level that He is more than worthy of our total devotion and obedience.

This morning I was just experiencing some of the petty resentment the devil loves to use to trip us up, so this is very timely. I am reminded of Nehemiah. I need to respond to distractions the way he did, declining to change my focus to all the things the devil throws at me. (Nehemiah 6:3) I first learned the principles of praise and worship over 40 years ago, but I need to be reminded, because familiarity breeds contempt, and I must not let that happen. I need to recognize the tricks of the devil for what they are and stand against them immediately and firmly. I am to choose gratitude, praise, and worship at all times and in all circumstances. Only then will I experience the full victory God intends for me, not just for my sake but for the sake of all the people with whom I interact, bringing them along with me into God’s kingdom, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You also for Terry Law’s book, and for making it available to me at this point. Help me not just agree with it, and the Biblical principles it explains, but put those principles into practice consistently, not just sporadically as I have done to this point. Everything I’m reading is something you’ve said to me previously, but if I don’t put it into practice, I’m just deceiving myself. (James 1:22) Help me make full use of all the weapons You are placing at my disposal, so that Your victory may be manifested indeed, in Omura, throughout Japan, and across the world, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Getting Things Done; October 27, 2017

Posted on October 29, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.

Once again I find I wish I knew Hebrew. Where the NIV says “sustain you,” the Japanese says, “be concerned for you.” That makes Peter’s statement a direct quote: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) “Anxiety” and “burden” are indeed synonymous in many situations. Physical burdens are often easier to bear than emotional burdens. At the very least, we know how to let go of a physical burden, but emotional burdens are much more difficult to let go of. Often we think we have let go of something and then turn around and discover we are anxious about it again. This is a major test of faith and trust. We aren’t to use “releasing things to God” as an excuse for laziness, but we need to remember that God will enable us to do our part if we will ask Him, and all the things that are out of our control are not out of His. Anxiety kicks in because we want to be in control and we have trouble trusting that He is in control. We are to be faithful to do what He shows us, but leave control in His hands.

I am in yet another training session on this very point. There are many things happening, and sometimes I tend to withdraw emotionally from it all. The problem with that is that such an attitude makes me unlikely to do what my part is in what is going on. A case in point is the church bazaar that is planned for a week from today. I’m not big on bazaars in the first place, but we have a LOT of stuff we need to get rid of, and anything that can be converted to cash for the church would be a huge plus. The problem is, we’ve been focused on getting the stuff ready to sell and haven’t done any publicity. When that hit me, sleep went out the window. Right now, I need to remember that God has thought about this more than I have, and reach out to Him for His plans from this point forward. It’s probably that He originally planned for us to be publicizing this from a couple of weeks ago, but we can’t go back in time, we we need to know and follow His best from this point. The amazing thing about God’s plans is that even when we miss them, He rearranges them for the best possible outcome from whenever we turn to Him in obedience. I need to be active today in what He wants me to do today, and leave the results up to Him. Withdrawing into my cocoon doesn’t accomplish anything good.

Father, help me forgive myself for my inaction. Not really wanting to do a bazaar is no excuse for failing to do it right when it’s been decided. I ask for clear guidance in creating posters quickly this morning, so I’ll have them to take to the nursing school and rehabilitation school and Cathy will have one to take to her rehab, not to mention getting one up on the church bulletin board on the street. Show us how to work effectively so we won’t be spinning our wheels. May this be good training for me in simply getting off my butt and doing stuff, so that You may guide me in doing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Provision of the Holy Spirit; October 26, 2017

Posted on October 29, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 51:10-11 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

This Psalm is justly one of the most famous, not just from the words themselves but from the context in which it was written. It is actually significant that it was not only recorded, the circumstances were noted in the preface. Acknowledging sin and guilt was unheard of among rulers in the surrounding nations, but here David is demonstrating why God chose him. The whole Psalm is worthy of long and repeated meditation, but right now I’ll focus on this little snippet of it. First off, this Scripture list was chosen on the theme of God’s provision. Here David is acknowledging that a pure heart and a steadfast spirit can come from God alone. Many religions teach all sorts of “purification techniques” by which we are to “receive enlightenment.” Paul deals with those in his letter to the Colossians: “Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” (Colossians 2:23) The Bible is consistent throughout in saying that true power and holiness come only from God and only when we acknowledge that we can’t generate them on our own. The second half of this passage is notable for being the earliest use of the title, Holy Spirit. (There are only three in the whole Old Testament, and the other two are in Isaiah.) That’s easy to overlook when we are so familiar with the concept of the Trinity from New Testament usage, but it is quite remarkable that David was given this revelation, and under these circumstances no less. It was when he confronted his own unholiness that David was able to see how holy God is.

I have never stolen another person’s wife, much less had that person killed, but that doesn’t make me a better person than David was. I am certainly as much in need of God’s Holy Spirit as anyone, and I am deeply grateful that He is available to me. It was in 1974 that I opened up to allow Him to fill me, but I certainly can’t say that I’ve never quenched (1 Thessalonians 5:19) or grieved (Ephesians 4:30) Him since. I keep getting my heart dirty in various ways, and on my own, my spirit is about as steadfast as a toothpick in a tornado. I need a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit practically at every turn. One of God’s greatest blessings to me is in making me aware of how totally dependent I am on His grace. On my own I screw up, period, and as Jesus said, apart from Him I can do nothing. (John 15:5) This Psalm, and more importantly, the attitude behind it, needs to be part of me indeed.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your totally amazing grace. Help me be an accurate conduit and reflection of that grace, so that others too may receive it, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Doing Church; October 25, 2017

Posted on October 27, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 49:12-13 But man, despite his riches, does not endure;
he is like the beasts that perish.
This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.

Looking at the Japanese along with the English, I see that the translators of the NIV inserted an interpretation. Where the NIV says, “those who trust in themselves,” the Japanese, sticking with the Hebrew, simply says, “the foolish.” It is certainly foolish to trust in yourself, but that remains an interpretation of the text. That said, the way the NIV puts it certainly brings to mind the founders of many religious cults. Japan has dozens of “new religions,” to the point that younger Japanese today view anything with the word, religion, attached to it with considerable suspicion. That can make evangelism even more difficult, because even people who are spiritually hungry are skittish about turning to “religion” to meet that hunger. That forces us to go back to a more Biblical pattern of evangelism, that is, one-on-one telling people about a heavenly Father who loves them enough that He sent His Son to die in their place, getting them born again before they ever step foot in a church building. That is how the Church grew in the 1st Century, and we need to get back to it. Flash and glitz and show can attract crowds at times, but they can’t get anyone saved. This Psalm as a whole is talking about the foolishness of wealth, but even Christians often seem to be seduced by wealth. As it says in the last verse of this Psalm, “A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:20) You could replace “man” with “church” in that statement as well.

I don’t know when I came to this position, but I have long been convinced that “event evangelism” was largely futile. It’s not that it never works, but rather that the efficiency is extremely low. The problem is, if you can’t grow the Church through events, that puts the onus on individual believers to witness to their neighbors. Surprise! That’s exactly how Jesus said it was to be. (Acts 1:8) We want to leave “doing church” to the “pros,” when the New Testament knows very little of “professional Christians.” There are indeed functions in the Body of Christ that are performed by specific people, (Ephesians 4:11-13) but even there the emphasis is on individual believers doing the actual work. When it comes to evangelism, it generally takes a personal connection to convince someone the Gospel is real and that it applies to them. Japanese are very hesitant to open up to others, and matters of faith are considered extremely personal. I must not let that discourage me, but keep speaking the truth in love so that each of the believers in this church may have the joy of leading someone to salvation.

Father, thank You for the sister who, at the end of Sunday’s business meeting, called us as a church to consider what we want, and what You want, this church to be, so that we may work toward that. Thank You that Word didn’t come from me. I pray that each person in this church would indeed yield themselves to Your Holy Spirit, so that we may move into all that You intend for us, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Natural Disasters; October 24, 2017

Posted on October 26, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

This Psalm was evidently written shortly after an earthquake. Natural disasters are called “acts of God” for the simple reason that man couldn’t do them, and they certainly get people’s attention. Nowadays, underground nuclear tests register on seismographs like earthquakes, but they are pretty weak imitations of the real thing. The verse ahead of this talks about God making wars cease, because it’s pretty hard to carry on a military campaign in an earthquake! In Japanese, (and the Japanese know a thing or two about earthquakes) this verse starts with, “Cut it out!” There are lots of things people do that are not pleasing to God, as He has let me know personally, and sometimes He uses drastic methods to get us to stop. I’m reminded of the recent floods in Texas, where racial divisions were completely forgotten as people struggled for their own lives and the lives of their neighbors. Natural disasters can really rearrange our priorities, and that can be a very good thing indeed. God never allows anything, even things we call disasters, that can’t be used for blessing.

I’ve never been in a disastrous situation myself, for which I’m very grateful, but living most of my life in Japan, I’ve certainly been close to quite a few. The closest it came to being disastrous for us personally was in a typhoon about 25 years ago which tore the storm shutters off of our windows, giving us a clear view down on the neighbor’s roof to see heavy roof tiles floating away like they were feathers. God’s hand of protection was on us, and whereas our car was surrounded by broken roof tiles, it didn’t have a scratch on it. We have also been dusted with ash from a volcanic eruption. I’m not to think all of that makes us better than others, but rather remember that we all exist only by the grace of God, and strive to help others understand that as well. When disasters hit, the Biblically accurate response is not, “Why me?” but rather, “Why not me?” (Luke 13:1-5) I am to proclaim the grace of God, but always in the context of His holiness and omnipotence.

Father, help me never take Your grace for granted. Thank You for Your protection over the years. I can think of many times that could have turned out very differently! Help me indeed cut out anything that is not pleasing to You, and focus on living in harmonious fellowship with You by Your Spirit, to lead as many people as possible to join me in Your eternal salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Tools; October 23, 2017

Posted on October 26, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 44:6-8 I do not trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring me victory;
but you give us victory over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.
In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name for ever.

The Bible is loaded with passages that talk about what we trust, what we rely on. The point here is not that you don’t have a bow or sword, but that they are not the source of success. It’s interesting that the NIV repeatedly says “victory” in this passage, where the Japanese says “save,” or “salvation.” There are all kinds of salvation and victory, so the bow and sword can be metaphors for any sort of tool we might use to achieve our goals. Good weapons and/or tools are certainly desirable, and good skill in using them is even more valuable, but we must not forget Who is behind and above it all. The minute we forget that everything we have comes from God and is to be used strictly in obedience to Him, we are on shaky ground. God is our salvation, not science or medicine or skill or anything else. We are to be grateful for those things and not despise them, but we must always keep them subservient to God in our thoughts and affections.

I enjoy woodworking and a number of other physical/mechanical activities, and I can be a sucker for good tools, so this illustration hits home for me. As a photographer, I would like the “latest and greatest” equipment, but I know that it is God who gives me opportunities to take pictures and the skill to capture them, even with less that “top tier” equipment. Far more importantly, it is God who has called me into ministry and uses me in interactions with all sorts of people. I have tried all sorts of techniques to win people to Christ, but those techniques have been remarkably ineffective. I have found that the only “tools of the trade” that really count are integrity and faithfulness. I desire to see people’s hearts changed, to see them repent of unbelief and turn to God in joyful faith and obedience, but I can’t make that happen. What I can do is continue to speak the truth to them in love and allow the Holy Spirit to take His words through me to work in their hearts and lives. The success that I desire is for God’s name to be acknowledged as holy and His kingdom come as His will is done. I cannot accomplish that in any real sense of the word, but I can be available to God for Him to do it in and through me.

Father, yesterday’s business meeting was in some ways very frustrating, but You came through beautifully in the end. I pray that each member of this church would continue to grow in faith, trust, and obedience, so that together we may become all that You desire for and of us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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