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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Waiting Patiently; October 22, 2017

Posted on October 25, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 40:1-2 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

The last part of this Psalm, from verse 12 on, indicates that David was in a rough spot when he wrote this, but he very wisely starts out by reminding himself of how God has rescued him in the past. He starts out this way, and the Japanese again uses the expression, “wait in hope.” This time the NIV tries to catch the feeling by saying “patiently,” but the well-known song that is based on verses 1 and 4 goes with the KJV and simply says, “I Waited for the Lord.” This is an important reminder when we find ourselves in difficult situations. As has been said, “This too will pass.” Regardless of the circumstances, we will not stop the flow of time while we are on this earth. Everything is temporal, so we do well to focus on the eternal, which is God. All the things that upset us, whether they are things we have and don’t want, like pain and disease, or things we don’t have but want, like money and pleasure, are temporary. If we focus on God and wait in hope on Him, the resolution will be good, always, whenever it comes.

This is certainly an appropriate Word for right now. We are having a major business meeting today, dealing most pressingly with the land next door and what we are going to do with it. The stress of that is having major repercussions in some of those involved, but “this too will pass.” There is no end to the things we don’t know about how to get things done and what is going to happen, but if our focus is on God, He will get us through it all. This is what faith is all about. I have been given faith in this instance, but I have a long history of seeing God’s faithfulness, and I am not to put anyone down for their struggles with faith. In today’s meeting I need to give God full control of my mouth, so that my words may echo His and impart faith, not putting anyone down. I too have struggled with faith many times, and I must not forget that. I need to wait in hope and encourage others to do likewise, so that together we may receive all that God has planned for us, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I ask for a special blessing of peace for everyone who will be here today. I pray that Your Presence would be clear and strong as we worship, so that our hearts may be turned fully to You. Help us stay turned to You as we go through the business meeting, so that together we may hear what You are saying to us and be united in our obedience to You, so that Your name may be recognized as holy and Your kingdom come, right here in this city, as Your will is done in and through us for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Aging; October 21, 2017

Posted on October 23, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 37:25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.

I have been aware of this verse for a long time, but it didn’t hit me so much when I was young! Actually, there is little point in getting old if you don’t learn about God and His ways in the process. David lived a very full life, but even though 1 Chronicles 29:28 says, “He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life,” he probably wasn’t much past 70, since he reigned as king 40 years. The thing is, age is relative. When I was a child I never considered my parents old, even though I had friends at school with grandparents about my parents’ age. However, we have a church member who is just 11 years older than I am, and she thinks of herself as OLD. That said, she is still a baby in her faith, since she was past 70 when she was baptized. Conversely, I was baptized over 60 years ago! The whole point of our being born and living on this earth is to learn to love and obey God as independent human beings, freely choosing to relate to God as our Father. If we achieve that, we have lived a full life, regardless of how many years it does or doesn’t take. If we fail to achieve that, then our life is empty and essentially meaningless, regardless of how long it might be or how much stuff we might have.

It is psychological reality that we don’t perceive ourselves aging as much as others might from observing us. That’s why it’s often a shock to go to class reunions and see how much our classmates have aged! I’ve already outlived my father by five years, and I’m about to hit King David’s record as well, but most of the time I don’t think about my age at all. However, yesterday I was sitting on the floor repairing some audio equipment, and this morning my back is reminding me that I’m not as young as I once was! We are progressing with plans to build an elder-care facility, but objective analysis says it won’t be that many years before I’ll need to be a resident, rather than an administrator. However long, and in whatever condition, the Lord keeps me on this earth, I am to keep my trust and my hope in Him, learning more of Him and sharing Him with others, so that as many people as possible may indeed fulfill the purpose for which they were born on this earth, for God’s glory.

Father, thank You for reminders that my “tent” is temporary. It’s not good for anyone for me to act like I’m going to be here forever. Help me recognize and fulfill Your purpose for each day You keep me here, as an open channel of Your grace and blessing to Cathy, to my children and this church, and to all with whom You put me into contact, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Trusting God; October 20, 2017

Posted on October 22, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:

The NIV translators felt uncomfortable without indicating what the pronoun at the end of this verse pointed to, so they used a colon to connect it to verse 6. However, the Japanese language is famously indefinite, so here it says, “and He will get it done,” without specifying what “it” is. I think that’s actually better. If we try to limit what God will do, we cut ourselves off from blessings we can’t imagine. To me, this verse ties in with Jesus’ talking about Him being the vine and us the branches, in John 15. Whatever our “way” might be, we can’t really get it done on our own. (John 15:5) It is only when we abide in Christ that God’s good plans for us are accomplished. We tend to be unsure of how to “abide,” but this verse gives us a good framework: commitment and trust. Too often we are weak in commitment and if anything, even weaker in trust. The whole issue of trust is illustrated by the fairly well-known story of Blondin, a French tightrope walker of the late 19th Century. He walked a tightrope across Niagara Falls, to the delight of the crowd. Then he pushed a wheelbarrow across and back, to even more acclaim. Then he asked the crowd, “Do you think I could push the wheelbarrow across with a person in it?” The crowd roared their approval, but then he asked for a volunteer! Eventually he did push his manager across and back, but the clear point was made of the difference between belief and trust. Everyone “believed” he could do it, until it came to trusting him with their own life. It’s often that way with us and Christ. We say we believe in Him, but then we get tied in knots over all sorts of things, failing to trust Him to “get it done,” as the Japanese says here. God has great and wonderful things planned for us, “more than all we could ask or imagine,” (Ephesians 3:20) but to receive it all we have to trust Him.

We are in training in precisely this area right now. God is laying out a plan for us that is big enough that several people are going into a panic over it. The numbers have too many zeros behind them! As many people have pointed out down through the years, we aren’t to look at what we have and figure out what we can do, we are to look to God and ask what He wants us to do, knowing (and trusting) that He will provide everything necessary for His plans. That doesn’t mean we are to be stupid, running ahead when He hasn’t made things clear, but it does mean we’ve got to take our eyes off of our own resources (as we see them) and trust God. At this point He has made His provision clear for the purchase of the land next door (though some people are still shaky about that). He hasn’t shown us how He is going to provide for building a facility on that land, but He is giving us all sorts of indications of how He is going to provide the staff we will need for the facility. Lack of trust is causing all sorts of needless anxiety. I’ve been told I’m to be a “faith engine” for this project, but that’s obviously something I can’t do on my own! We have a major business meeting coming up Sunday. I am to allow the Holy Spirit to speak faith through me so that the people can understand the difference between conceit and trust, and choose to trust. As long as our focus is on us, we will never be adequate for the job. When we place our focus and trust in Him, nothing is impossible. (Luke 1:37)

Father, I find myself wanting to preach every day, because Your Word is so rich and so good! Show me when and how to communicate what You speak to me, so that the believers may indeed have their eyes lifted to You to walk in grateful obedience, for their incalculable blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Enlightenment; October 19, 2017

Posted on October 22, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.

This verse first grabbed me many years ago. At first glance it seems somewhat nonsensical – in your light we see light – but David is playing on different Hebrew uses of the word, light. There are many places in the Old Testament where “light” is used to mean “life.” Sometimes English Bibles say, “the light of life,” where the original Hebrew just says, “light.” David has just said that the fountain – source, wellspring, origin – of life is in God, so then he goes on to say that in the light – illumination, understanding, enlightenment – of God, we see life. Conversely, this could be taken as saying that in the life of God, we receive the illumination, understanding, enlightenment we need. Either way, it’s both true and profound. Jesus Himself said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Again, right after His most famous saying in John 3:16, He said, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19) When He commissioned Paul He told him, “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:17-18) Even without knowing about Jesus, David was given real insight into the importance of light, and he passed it on to us.

I have an interesting relationship to light. When I was a photo lab technician I literally worked in a darkroom, and when we moved to Omura I created one of my own to process my own pictures. My eyes are sensitive to light, and sunglasses are a necessity to me. I navigate in the dark pretty well, and very seldom turn on a light if I have to get up in the middle of the night. That said, I like good indoor lighting, and am frustrated by homes that seem dark to me. I am even more frustrated by people who decline to be illuminated by the light of reason, or especially by the light of God’s Word. I am sharply aware of the truth of what Jesus said in John 3:19, which I just quoted. People accuse me of conceit when I try to shine God’s light into their darkness, but I am in no way the source of the light; I merely reflect it. I am to speak the truth in love, but not stop speaking the truth. Those who reject the light seal their own fate. I am to grieve, but not take it personally.

Father, You have commissioned me as a “light-bearer.” I am never to take that lightly, (no pun intended) but seek to be ever closer to You so that Your light may shine ever brighter through me. Use me indeed as Your agent, indeed bringing people “from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God,” (Acts 26:18) just as You told Paul, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Redemption; October 18, 2017

Posted on October 20, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 34:22 The Lord redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

It is interesting how much of the New Testament we can find in the Old. We tend to think of redemption strictly in terms of Christ giving Himself for us, but this was centuries before that. The idea of forgiveness by grace through faith is one that David experienced and clung to. It is instructive that the Japanese translation for what the English renders as “condemned” is, “convicted of sin.” We are, to use a common expression, guilty as hell, but when we take refuge in the Lord , the sentence of judgment doesn’t come on us. David pushed that to the limit, committing adultery with Bathsheba and then having her husband killed so he could take her as his wife, when he already had many others. He experienced repercussions from that for the rest of his life, but his repentance was real and he was not rejected by God. This Psalm was written years before that, and David remembered this truth when it was essential to him.

I certainly have my share of reasons to be grateful for this truth. It is indicative of our fallen nature that we tend to overlook our own sins and condemn those of others, even when they are the same sins. Especially as a pastor I must be careful to apply the same standards to myself that I preach to others, recognizing that I need the grace of God as much as anyone else. Some people look at me and only see the “shiny spots,” not noticing the dark blotches that are there as well. I’m not to fool myself that way! That said, I’m also not to dwell on my failures past, or even present, but recognize that God’s forgiveness is real and His cleansing effective. (1 John 1:9) I am to recognize that I, and everyone else, am a work in progress, but God will bring that work to completion. (Philippians 1:6) My focus is to be on bringing as many people as possible to repent and believe, trusting the Lord to redeem them from their sins, so that together we may experience His full salvation.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me be an open channel of Your grace at all times, so that I too may receive the grace that I need, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Plans; October 17, 2017

Posted on October 19, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 33:10-11 The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the Lord stand firm for ever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.

This passage is a vital reminder to any believer these days, if they are to have any peace of mind. Various nations and people-groups are stirring things up these days, and it’s easy to get caught up in assorted “what if” scenarios. We need to remember this truth from both sides. Not only will those nations that plot against us not succeed (if we are following the Lord), we will not succeed unless we are following the Lord. The Bible speaks many times of man’s plans versus God’s plans, and there’s never any real contest. Not only do God’s plans succeed, as this passage says, His plans are simply better in every way. Sometimes from our perspective we can’t see that. The Lord told Isaiah that was because they were on a different plane altogether. (Isaiah 55:9) Right now we tend to get stirred up because of the plans of North Korea, Iran, and the Islamic State. The Islamic State is about to lose the last of its geographic territory, but diffuse terrorism is still very much an issue. Iran is on the road to nuclear weapons and North Korea already has them, and they have rapidly been developing missiles to deliver them. Such plans are naturally concerning, but we must remember that God is still God, and this passage is true for eternity. Our focus needs to be on getting our plans in line with God’s, not trying to get Him on board with whatever we cook up. Only then can we have any long-term success.

This is an extremely important point for us to remember, as we are in the beginning of a major project. I have full assurance that the project is God’s idea, but as the secular proverb says, “The devil is in the details.” I must not assume that because the plan as a whole is His idea that however we go about it will be blessed. We need to seek Him at every juncture, asking Him to guide our minds by His Spirit, and by circumstances. Already to this point things have not gone as we had imagined, but He is in control. We must not presume, but walk in diligent humility. This project is worthy of our best effort, but our best effort is worthless if it’s not in line with God’s plans. He will give us the wisdom and strength and resources we need for each step, but we must remember those come from Him and not from us. If we will do that, the outcome is indeed guaranteed, even if it’s not the outcome we had originally imagined. It will be better!

Father, thank You for this reminder especially as we are leading up to a church business meeting this Sunday. I pray that we would have very good attendance and that people would participate fully. I pray that we would all seek You, and that everyone in the church would own the project as their own, in obedience to You. May we grow in all areas as we follow through in faith and obedience, for Your kingdom and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Control; October 16, 2017

Posted on October 19, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 32:9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.

This verse struck me a long time ago, but I think I’m only now coming to understand it more. David is speaking of a run-of-the-mill horse, not one you’ve raised and trained personally. A horse that is properly raised can sometimes be ridden with hardly any equipment at all, though it is rare to have one that doesn’t need reins. Such a horse will delight to come to its master, and sometimes will come even when not called. However, the thing that came to me just now as I read it was the matter of what things in our lives are analogous to the bit and bridle mentioned here. God doesn’t put such easily identifiable things on us, but he uses various things to “rein us in,” to keep us from going off on the wrong path. Many of those things we tend to blame on the devil, when he doesn’t deserve the credit! God sometimes has to bring us up short to force us to look to Him. Frankly, that’s not much fun. The thing to remember is that God is never mean to us, so whenever something happens we need to ask Him why He allowed it. I started to say, “something we don’t like,” but we need to ask Him why He does nice things to and for us as well! The fastest way to get out of unpleasant circumstances and into pleasant ones is to hear and obey what God is saying to us through them.

This is much closer to home than I like to admit. I get upset at things just like anyone else, and it’s not much fun. I need to be more careful to listen to what God wants me to do and what He wants me not to do. I’m not supposed to be paralyzed by indecision, but I am to submit everything to God and allow Him to change my plans however He likes. I am not to hold back from anything He is saying to do, but I also am not to rebel when He is saying not to do something, or even to rest. Right now the pace of what is going on seems to be very fast, with packed schedules. That’s not necessarily bad, but I’d better be listening carefully so that God doesn’t have to do something drastic to get my attention. Sometimes “mule” might be a very appropriate description of me! As a pastor, this issue can get tricky. I’m to speak the truth of God in love, but I’m not to condemn others, much less “play God” with their lives. I am not to say, “That’s God’s bit in your mouth to control you,” but I am to encourage them to seek God for His purpose in allowing whatever it is.

Father, thank You for this Word this morning. I ask for Your words to share it, that I may not come across as holier-than-thou or condemnatory in any way. May we all grow ever more responsive to You, so that Your perfect plans may be manifested in our lives, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Growing Faith; October 15, 2017

Posted on October 18, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 30:4-5 Sing to the Lord, you saints of his;
praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.

The last part of verse 5 is extremely famous, but the average person doesn’t even know it’s from the Bible, much less where to find it. From a strictly physiological/psychological standpoint, it is indeed easier to be optimistic when rested, and morning hormone levels help a lot in that area as well. David didn’t know about hormones, but he did know about the faithfulness of God. One of the reasons his Psalms are so loved is his complete openness about his emotions. When he was down, he didn’t hesitate to say so, and when he was up, the whole world heard about it! I have liked a musical arrangement of the King James Version of the last two verses of this Psalm ever since I learned it many years ago. Those two verses express the “joy in the morning” he is talking about here. That said, mature faith finds joy and peace in the assurance that morning is coming, even when everything is black at the moment. That is one of the most powerful testimonies possible. “How can you have peace and even joy with all that is happening? Tell me!” I think any child of God would be thrilled to be asked that.

I know from personal experience that such a level of faith isn’t arrived at overnight. God keeps working on our faith for as long as He keeps us on this earth, and sometimes that work can be painful. Faith is indeed a gift, (Ephesians 2:8-9) but it’s one we have to choose to receive and then to exercise and apply. I’m reminded of the humorous expression of how we sometimes feel: “Lord, give me patience, and give it to me NOW!” I’ve learned the same thing applies to faith. I have to apply the faith I already have if I want that faith to grow. Since faith is the victory that overcomes the world, (1 John 5:4) I certainly want my faith to grow! As a pastor, I also want the faith of each believer to grow. The Lord has told me I’m to be the “faith engine” for the church in relation to the project He’s given us, but I’ve got to listen and obey carefully as to how to do that. Several people I’ve talked to about our project have been very encouraged, but they haven’t been members of this church! I have another opportunity to instill faith through the message this morning. I am not to browbeat, certainly, and I am not to indulge in wishful thinking, but I am to speak the truth of God in love so that people may be set free from the various traps that have hindered their faith. I can’t do that on my own, but God is more than able to use me to do it, and I’m to expect that and rejoice!

Father, thank You for this encouraging Word. We don’t expect many chairs to be filled this morning, but others will hear by CD and Internet. I pray that Your Word through me may indeed accomplish everything for which You send it, (Isaiah 55:10-11) for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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