Our Portion; November 25, 2017

Posted on December 1, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:57 You are my portion, O Lord;
I have promised to obey your words.

Especially at this time of year, but really all the time, we tend to think about, “What am I going to get?” For the person of faith, the Psalmist here gives the ultimate answer: the Lord. That’s what John 3:16 is all about, and it’s worth more than everything else in the universe put together. When life seem unfair, we need to remind ourselves, “But I get the Lord.” That other person may have won the lottery, literally or figuratively, but if you have the Lord, you are far better off. This is a truth the devil does all he can to hide or distort. Some preachers focus on people getting much lesser things, and because those things are easier to understand, they get a lot of followers. However, all of those lesser things are going to disappear – even our health – when the Lord is the very definition of eternal. When we are in Christ we are blessed in countless ways, but if we focus on the lesser blessings instead of on the Lord Himself, we lose out on so much. The more we know of the Lord, and especially the more we know Him personally, the more full of joy we are, knowing that He is our portion. Any time we are upset with what we get, it means we have lost sight of the Lord.

I’m talking to myself here! There are lots of things I would like to have, both material and otherwise, but I’ve got to remember that I’ve already received something, actually Someone, far better than those other things could ever be. The Christmas season is an excellent opportunity to tell people about the greatest gift that has ever been and could ever be, and that they can receive it as well, if they will choose to do so by faith. Dennis Jernigan captured that in his song, You are My All in All. I’ve got to remember that for myself so that I will be effective in sharing the Gospel with others, so that they too may receive eternal life in Christ.

Father, thank You for giving me the message for the first Sunday in Advent! I wasn’t expecting it this early, but You are certainly gracious in all of Your blessings. Thank You for all that You enabled us to get done yesterday. We have very full schedules today. Help us rest, relax, and rejoice in You, however busy our bodies might be, so that we may indeed delight in Your greatest gift to us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Materialism; November 24, 2017

Posted on November 30, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:36-37 Turn my heart towards your statutes
and not towards selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.

It’s interesting to read the Bible and realize I’m getting more out of it than the particular writer intended as he wrote. Verse 36 is indeed talking about materialism. Where the NIV says “selfish,” the Japanese says “unrighteous/incorrect,” but the thought is clearly that of placing material gain ahead of God. However, it’s in verse 37 that I think I’m getting more than the writer intended. Throughout the Old Testament, “worthless things” is used as a euphemism for idols, and that seems almost certain to be how this verse was intended, but recently we’ve been dealing with disposing of a lot of stuff, material goods that perhaps originally cost even a lot of money but are now increasingly just in the way. We had a one-day flea market yesterday in the effort to deal with it, and disappointingly little of it went out the door. This is serving as quite a lesson that any material thing is ultimately worthless, especially compared to eternity with Christ. I certainly understand Jesus’ instructions: “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) Material things can be nice, but they are certainly temporal and thus temporary, ultimately putting them in the category of “worthless.” On an even broader note, the writer’s use of “turn my eyes away” bring to mind the reality that men in particular are visually oriented. That’s why men have a much harder time with pornography than women do (and also why women spend so much time trying to gook good/alluring to men). Islam tries to deal with this by covering women up, but that doesn’t deal with the fundamental issues of priorities, lust, and self-control. In any case, where we turn our eyes is a big deal, and worthy of concerted prayer. As the writer to the Hebrews said, “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.” (Hebrews 12:2) That’s the answer to materialism, lust, and everything else!

This applies to me as much as it does to anyone. I’m learning the futility of materialism, but my eyes still go to the Internet, and computers in general, more than they need to. I indeed need to fix my eyes more and more on Jesus so that I will avoid idolatry in any form. (Colossians 3:5) As a pastor I encourage others to do that, but I must remember that I need to do it as much as anyone else. As Paul said, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6) Materialism actually extends to the whole physical universe, and compared to eternity with the Creator of it all, it is worthless.

Father, thank You for all You are teaching us. Help us really learn it! Thank You for the idea You gave us last night about a possible avenue of disposal for much of this stuff. Guide me as I check on that today. Help us all seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness and trust You with everything else, (Matthew 6:33) both to give us what we need and help us get rid of what we shouldn’t have, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Being Used by God; November 23, 2017

Posted on November 30, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 118:22-23 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvellous in our eyes.

This passage is famous because Jesus quoted it about Himself, as recorded in three of the Gospels. (Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 12:17) Peter obviously remembered that very well, because he quoted it about Jesus before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:11) and in his first letter. (1 Peter 2:4, 7) The point, I think, is that God has a habit of doing things that confound the “experts.” That was certainly true in the case of Jesus, but Paul pointed out that it continues to be true. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29) That’s a very good thing to remember! It’s not that we aren’t to get advice from people, or fail to research things properly, but it is to say that we must remember that God always has the final word. After all, He chose Moses, a man with a stammer who had no administrative skills, to lead His people out of Egypt. It would seem that God enjoys blowing people’s minds! The interesting thing is, usually those God chooses to use are just as shocked if not more so than those around them. It’s not unusual to recognize God’s anointing on someone when they don’t see it themselves. I have a close friend whom I knew from soon after I met him was powerfully gifted as a pastor, but it took him many years before he finally entered that position. Preaching isn’t his strong suit, but he’s far better at nurturing the flock than I am. As Paul said in discussing this issue, God does this kind of thing so that we will have no basis for boasting, but will rather give Him the glory He deserves. When it comes to God using someone, the question isn’t just why He would do it, but also why would He not? And frankly, no human being can come up with a valid answer to that last question.

One of my major frustrations as a pastor is in getting people to believe that God can, wants to, and will use them for His glory. My pastoral experience in the US was under two years, but in over 30 years in Japan, getting people to volunteer has been a real headache. Thinking about it, right now our numbers are very limited, but the attitude is very good. That’s certainly better than the other way around! Right now we are in a situation of people both inside and outside the church wondering why God would choose this church, of the six in the city, to build a senior-care facility. All I can say is, that’s His business! The very fact that it’s such a human impossibility for us is all the more reason to be assured that this is God’s plan. I need to lead the believers in focusing on God and yielding completely to Him, so that we will do whatever He says to do, even when, and especially when, it’s something we know we can’t do, so that His plans may be fulfilled for His glory.

Father, thank You for all that You are doing. Thank You for dragging us along, even though we sometimes kick and scream. Help us trust You enough to be fully obedient, even when it means getting out of the boat like Peter did. Help us not accuse ourselves too badly when we start to sink, like He also did! Thank You for giving this church that story as emblematic of us. May we rejoice to be Your instruments for Your glory alone. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Love; November 22, 2017

Posted on November 29, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 118:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures for ever.

Most places in Psalms where the English says, “love,” the Japanese renders it as “grace/blessing.” Sometimes that comes across as real insight, because we never actually deserve God’s love, so it is definitely grace. However, I think the fundamental reason for the Japanese translating it that way is the general lack of understanding of love in Japanese society. I’m not saying the translators didn’t understand love, but rather that they were concerned about how their average reader would understand it. I’m told the Japanese didn’t even use the word, love, much at all until the Meiji Era, which marked the end of feudalism in Japan. They have a character for it, but some of the compounds using that character are certainly far removed from a Biblical understanding of love. For example, a pet dog is a “love dog,” and a car that you wash frequently and take good care of is a “love car.” On top of that, the word for “cute,” kawaii, is written as “capable of being loved.” Of the four Greek words sometimes translated as “love,” I don’t think any of those usages get past storge, which simply means to like. However, Japanese society isn’t alone in being deficient in understanding of love. In America today, perhaps a majority of the use of the word would be rendered as eros in Greek. That is a self-centered love, for the satisfaction of the one loving rather than the benefit of the one loved. The connections with sex are obvious, as they were for the Greeks, but we can understand it better with such expressions as, “I love hamburgers.” Given that sort of confusion, translating this verse as “grace/blessing” makes a lot of sense. Humanly speaking, parental love for children is perhaps a good entry point for understanding God’s agape love, because it is completely unconditional, a decision at least as much as it is an emotion, and it is totally focused on the benefit of the one loved. The Psalmist didn’t know Greek, but he knew God, and that’s how we really know love.

As I am frequently reminded, I was enormously blessed by the home in which I was born and raised. My parents loved God, they loved each other, and they loved us children, in that order. I think that is the ultimate home environment! I don’t think I ever doubted any of those three loves in my parents. At this point in my life I frequently do counseling for couples before I perform their wedding. Naturally I talk about the foundation of a good marital relationship, and I make it very clear that romantic love alone is a very unreliable foundation, because emotions swing, first one way and then another. For myself, I think decision was at the foundation of my interaction with Cathy. The Monday night after our first real date on a Sunday, I wrote my parents that I had found the girl I wanted to marry, and we were engaged on Thursday of the next week, before I had received my parents’ response to my letter! That was in February, and we were married in May. Considering that was in 1969, it seems to have lasted pretty well! Cathy’s and my relationship is a wonder to many of the people around us. Some are actually repulsed, thinking it unseemly that we would be this way, but I think the vast majority are admiring and even envious. My point is to help them see it as an illustration of God’s love for us, as Paul said in Ephesians 5. I am enormously blessed by the love that flows between Cathy and me, but that is because it is a pale reflection of God’s love. My task is to make it an ever clearer, more accurate reflection, so that others may be drawn to God who is the true source of agape love.

Father, thank You for Your absolutely incredible grace, mercy, and love. Help me be an ever more open channel for You to flow through to draw others into Your loving family as well, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Giving God the Glory; November 21, 2017

Posted on November 29, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.

This Psalmist had his head on straight! Human beings tend to be “glory hounds,” seeking credit not only for what they’ve done but even for things they haven’t done, but this Psalmist wants to get that straight right from the beginning. He writes various important truths about the sovereignty of God and the futility of idolatry, but he starts with this, and that shows where his focus very rightly is. We tend to think that when God blesses us it’s because we are so wonderful, when actually God blesses us in spite of ourselves. His love (the Japanese says “grace”) and faithfulness are magnificent indeed, but they are His, and we can take no credit for them. The better we have that straight, the more available we are for God to pour His blessings through us. God told Isaiah, “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.” (Isaiah 42:8) When we try to take credit for what God does, we are on dangerous ground indeed.

I have done far too much boasting over the years, at times even trying to get glory out of poor performance, so the Lord has had to drive this point home to me. He has blessed me with various abilities, but every one of them comes from Him and I am responsible for my stewardship of them. When He enables me to do something well, I must recognize that is what has happened and give Him thanks and praise. I am not to practice false humility and pretend that whatever it was wasn’t good, but I am to direct the praise to God who enabled it. Right now He has us on a major project with a lot of potential, so I’ve got to be very careful I don’t derail things by trying to take credit for them. I do need to apply myself fully to each task involved, but remember that it is His power that works through me, and not my own. (1 Corinthians 15:10) Likewise, I am not to resent anything He calls on me to do, but do each thing faithfully unto Him, regardless of who might be the direct recipient of my efforts. I need to pray this verse sincerely and consistently, to that I won’t get in the way of what God wants to do through me.

Father, thank You for the lessons You gave me in this area just yesterday. Thank You for Cathy insisting I do something I didn’t feel like doing, but which obviously was Your idea once I’d done it. Thank You for enabling me to choose joy in doing something else I initially resented. Help me do that consistently, particularly throughout this busy season, so that I won’t allow the devil to steal any blessings You intend for me or for those around me. Thank You. Praise God!

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True Worship; November 20, 2017

Posted on November 22, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 111:1 Praise the Lord.
I will extol the Lord with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

And here we have a replay of yesterday’s message! In fact, where the NIV says “extol,” the Japanese says, “thank,” which is exactly what yesterday’s message was about. We do indeed need reminders to thank God for His goodness toward us, because otherwise we are all too prone to overlook it. We tend to look down on others who act “entitled,” not recognizing how much we do it ourselves. This particular verse talks about thanking God in the presence of like-minded people. I talked yesterday about how non-believers are surprised (and possibly offended) when we give God thanks verbally, but that doing so can lay the foundation for sharing the Gospel. However, this is talking about thanking Him where everyone around us should be doing the same thing. The sad thing is, too many churches’ “worship” services are focused on man rather than on God. That is evident in the songs they sing as well as in the messages proclaimed. “Your Best Life Now” is an abomination on the face of it, because the focus is entirely in the wrong place. In church services and in small-group gatherings, the focus needs to be on God and what He has done, and that is exactly what this verse says. We can have worship teams and special music and the like, but when the focus goes to performance, it ceases to be worship and God doesn’t receive it. It is possible to do almost anything moral as an act of worship, if that is the attitude of our heart, but if our heart is not in it, religious ritual and custom ceases to be worship. As this verse says, we are to serve God with all our heart. That is when it becomes worship in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

Having been in church from my mother’s womb, I can “play church” with the best of them, so I’ve got to be doubly careful I’m not just going through the motions. Yesterday I was really down and discouraged. I recognized it was a spiritual attack, but I had real trouble focusing on God sufficiently to climb out of the pit. Then a sister shared how she has “come to realize what we’ve been talking about,” experiencing more joy than any time since she was baptized almost 40 years ago. It was confirmation that my labors aren’t in vain, and my heart lifted – just in time for the message! Right now I’m being called on to do a lot of different things, only some of which I actually feel like doing. I need to do each thing as unto the Lord rather than as for man, (Ephesians 6:7) so that it will be worship and not drudgery. I need to remember what the Lord spoke through me yesterday: gratitude is the antidote for selfishness, and is the path to true happiness.

Father, thank You for straightening me out, even through things You have me say. Thank You that I was able to help a fellow pastor with programs for the wake he had unexpectedly last night, in the middle of my busyness. I ask for wisdom as I do the programs this morning for the memorial service from 1pm. Help me rejoice and give you thanks and glory for the things You enable me to do, even when they aren’t on my preferred schedule. I’m going to have plenty of practice in that over the next 40 days. Help me not draw back from any of it, but serve You with my whole heart indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Learning from History; November 19, 2017

Posted on November 22, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 107:43 Whoever is wise, let him heed these things
and consider the great love of the Lord.

This verse gives the purpose of the whole Psalm, and it’s an important one. It fits in with the secular proverb that says, “Those who don’t know history are condemned to repeat it.” (And no, that’s not talking about failing a history class in school!) This verse agrees completely with other verses in the Old and New Testaments. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:11) God doesn’t change and human nature doesn’t change, so it stands to reason that we can learn a lot about how we should live by knowing what people did in the past. It’s interesting that in this verse, where the NIV says “love,” the Japanese says, “grace.” God’s love is part of who He is, (1 John 4:8) but it is also grace, because we don’t deserve it. Also, where the NIV says “consider,” the Japanese says “understand,” or “grasp.” It’s the same term the Buddhists use in talking about “enlightenment.” We talk about the love and grace of God, but often we don’t really understand it, particularly because we don’t understand how totally we are dependent on it. We indeed do well to look back over history and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us how to live.

This certainly applies to me as much as it does to anyone else. I have many good examples to learn from, starting with my own parents, but they were no more perfect than I am, and I need to learn from their mistakes as well. The same may be said for countless people in the past, from Biblical figures all the way to people who are still alive today. My big trap is in feeling I am exceptional. My gifting and weaknesses may be different from someone else, but we are identically in need of God’s grace and love. Likewise, my failures are nothing special; others have failed more grandly than I have, and God has still redeemed and used them. My goal should be to leave a good example to those who follow me, either in the present or after I am gone. I am very aware that the reason we exist is that God wants children, and I am to strive to be the child He desires me to be and lead others to do the same, for His pleasure and glory.

Father, yesterday contained a real disappointment, but Your plans haven’t changed. I was feeling pretty negative when I went to bed last night, but You’ve scolded me gently this morning. Thank You. The schedule through the end of the year is certainly packed, and I get tired just thinking about it. Help me indeed not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present my requests to You, so that Your peace may guard my heart and mind, for Your glory. (Philippians 4:6-7) Thank You. Praise God!

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Response to Trials; November 18, 2017

Posted on November 21, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 107:19-20 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
He sent forth his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.

This whole Psalm is a marvelous recitation of the foolishness of man and the grace, mercy, and faithfulness of God. Whatever our circumstances, God intends them to turn our hearts to Him. If things are going well, He wants us to turn to Him in thanks and praise. If things are going badly, (in our eyes at least) He wants us to turn to Him in repentance to receive the help we need. We have such a hard time getting it through our heads that God never picks on us. Everything He does, even everything He allows, is because of His great love and mercy. He has made it clear to me personally that there is much that goes on that He would like to be different, but we are in the age of free will, and we are impacted not only by our own choices but by those of others. However, when by our free will we turn to God and seek Him in all humility, He is then free to act as He would like to, rescuing and blessing us. The important thing in reading this Psalm is to see ourselves in the various types of people mentioned, and recognize God’s great grace toward us. That’s precisely where the song, Amazing Grace, came from: John Newton cried out to the Lord in extreme emergency, God answered, and John Newton responded as God intended, eventually becoming a pastor.

I have had some rough/tight moments, but not as severe as I see some people going through. I’ve got to remember that it’s all just differences of degree, and I am no more innocent than anyone else. I am to turn to God in every situation, whether it feels good to me or bad, and seek His will for how I am to respond to whatever is going on. I am to maintain an awareness of God’s grace, love, and mercy at all times so that my life may be lived in gratitude and praise. Not only does that give God the glory He deserves, it is also the path of greatest blessing for me by far.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the aches and pains I’m experiencing right now, as a reminder of all that You have enabled me to do physically over the past couple of days. Thank You that You will give me the strength of body and will to do everything You have for me today. I ask particularly that You guide me in making this a genuinely happy birthday for my wife, expressing Your love and mine to her in ways that she can recognize and receive it, for her blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Purpose of Blessings; November 17, 2017

Posted on November 21, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 105:43-45 He brought out his people with rejoicing,
his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
he gave them the lands of the nations,
and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—
that they might keep his precepts
and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord.

This Psalm recounts the events of the Exodus, and here we have both the result and the purpose of that. Verse 44 is rather brutal, when you think about it, and very politically incorrect. However, the nations that Israel dispossessed were idolatrous in the worst way, sacrificing their own babies to their gods and using sex as an element of cultic worship. (To be blunt, that sounds a lot like America today, with widespread abortion and depraved sexuality.) Verses 43 and 44 give the “perks,” so to speak, of being chosen by God, but verse 45 gives the purpose: obedience to God. The problem was, and is, that human beings are easily distracted from following God, and Israel did that big time. God delights to bless His children, as Psalm 85 says very accurately. “I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints— but let them not return to folly.” (Psalms 85:8) I feel sure the “peace” in the English is actually shalom, which can also mean prosperity and general well-being. God blesses us, but those blessings aren’t random or arbitrary. Rather, every blessing is intended to draw us into right relationship with our Creator, which certainly includes obedience to everything He tells us. God gives us far better than we deserve, but our response must be humble obedience, or we will throw it all out the window.

When I look back over my life and see how much God has blessed me I am somewhat overwhelmed. I have indeed been given far better than I deserved, and I need to seek God for His purposes for all of it. I have learned that nothing God gives is exclusively for the direct recipient. Even the gift of tongues, which is the most personal of the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the New Testament, is to build us up spiritually to make us more effective as God’s servants, (Jude 1:20) as well as to pray effectively when we don’t know the details of the situation for which we are praying. (Ephesians 6:18) I am called to be a faithful steward of all that God has placed in my hands, never thinking I have created or even earned any of it, but walking in humble gratitude. I too am prone to folly, as the Psalmist said, and I must avoid it like the plague.

Father, thank You indeed for the abundance of Your blessings to us. Thank You for giving wisdom and physical strength for the things we got done yesterday. I’m very pleased, and a little surprised! Thank You that You will likewise provide all that is needed for today. Help me flow with Your Spirit on Your schedule to accomplish Your will throughout today, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Giving Thanks; November 16, 2017

Posted on November 19, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 105:1-4 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.

When you get going reading this Psalm, it’s hard to stop! (I really wanted to go through verse seven just for this quote.) That’s because we were created to praise God, and it really feels good to do so. When we unite in praise and thanks our hearts do rejoice, just as it says in verse three. Giving God credit for His goodness is an excellent method of evangelism. Generally when we speak of “acts of God,” we are talking about natural disasters, from lightning strikes to earthquakes to tsunami and the like. We need to recognize that all the good stuff comes from Him too, and focus on that. James reminds us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17) Remembering that goes a long way toward putting us on the right footing with God. When we recognize God’s goodness and talk about it to others, they are drawn to seek Him themselves. We all have a naturally selfish bent, wanting to know “What’s in it for me.” When we realize that everything we really want comes from God, then we will seek Him! The problem is, most people don’t realize the truth of James’ statement, and seek security, pleasure, peace, and everything else in all sorts of different ways. What we need to realize ourselves, and then communicate to others, is that any other avenue of getting those things is at best secondary, just a tool God uses to bless us, and often enough is a complete illusion. The more God opens our eyes to see His goodness, His abundance, the more we need to tell others about it as well.

I was taught to express thanks from childhood, and I’m grateful. We weren’t raised with Santa Claus, for example, but with the understanding that every gift, Christmas or otherwise, came from someone, and we were to express thanks for it. That prepared me for discovering praise as connected to worship back in the early ’70s. I have sought to make this a praising, worshiping, praying church, but with mixed results. Some people have caught the vision, and many have not. I’m not to give up! We have a tradition now of decorating the building for Christmas the last Sunday before Advent and then having a Thanksgiving dinner. People are always thankful for good food! This is an opportunity for us to express our thanks to one another and to God, but it should not be so unique in the Church year. As this Psalm says, I need to encourage everyone to recognize God’s blessings to them throughout the year and proclaim them in thanks and praise to Him, so that others may know that He exists and that He is good indeed.

Father, I know that You wanted me to speak on this Sunday, and here you’ve practically dumped the notes in my lap! Thank You. Help me express Your goodness in such a way that people will both expect good things from You and recognize them when You give them, overflowing in thanks and praise, not only for Your glory but so that many more will be drawn to You as well, for a great harvest. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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