Authority; September 12, 2017

Posted on September 16, 2017 by jgarrott

Nehemiah 2:20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

Nehemiah’s confidence was in Whom he served. God had prepared him for this work by having him serve as an official of one of the most powerful absolute monarchs in human history. Here he proclaims that he is serving One even more powerful than Artaxerxes. He had a lot of hard work ahead of him, but his success was guaranteed by the Creator of the universe. He fully understood delegated authority. This puts him in the category with the Roman centurion whose faith was praised by Jesus. (Luke 7:1-10) If we don’t grasp being under authority, we won’t know how to exercise authority. People often crave authority, but they don’t understand the responsibility that goes with it. Politicians and bureaucrats are often guilty of this, failing to grasp that they are under the authority of the constitution and the citizens of the nation. They are responsible to exercise wisely the authority they have been given, in all humility, and are to be held accountable to the people of the nation. Nehemiah was not operating in a democracy by any means, but he was not arbitrary in exercising the authority he was given. Rather, he held himself open as a channel for the power and authority of God to flow through him. That makes him a magnificent example for us.

I am finding enormous applicability and encouragement in the story of Nehemiah. In our case, the one who is against us is the devil, and he keeps lying to us and to others to try to discourage us. Like Nehemiah, we need to be firmly fixed on the One we serve, and so refuse to hold back or be discouraged. It’s just like James said: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) I still prefer the way the Japanese puts it: “Submit yourselves to God. Then, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” It does no good to try to resist the devil in merely human strength, because he will twist our own thoughts and actions against us. We cannot rely on what we have already been given, but rather walk in humble, moment-by-moment obedience. If we will do that, the God of heaven will indeed grant us success.

Father, I didn’t expect to read such an extremely applicable Word this morning. Thank You. Help me communicate this truth effectively to all the believers so that we may be united in faith. I do ask for wisdom, just as You gave it to Nehemiah. May we neither run ahead nor lag behind, but follow Your schedule in full obedience, working faithfully but being anxious about nothing, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Prayer Tweets; September 11, 2017

Posted on September 16, 2017 by jgarrott

Nehemiah 2:4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed to the God of heaven.

Nehemiah really understood what used to be called “telegraph prayers.” Since telegraphs have disappeared with the progress in technology, that’s a very dated expression. Maybe today they would be called “prayer tweets.” The point is, he knew how to pray a very brief, focused prayer in the middle of doing something else. Here, he is praying in the middle of an audience with an absolute monarch, which would seem to demand his total attention. I would guess that the content of his prayer was probably, “Lord, help!” God obviously answered his prayer, giving him wise words to speak. This whole encounter was clearly orchestrated by God to achieve the rebuilding of Jerusalem, but in the middle of it, Nehemiah couldn’t be sure of that. He was literally “flying on a wing and a prayer.” He hadn’t planned to petition Artaxerxes to allow him to go rebuild Jerusalem, but God opened the door and he walked through it. The lesson for us is that it’s not wrong to plan ahead, and it’s generally very wise to do so, but God often has better ideas than we have thought of, and we need to be responsive to Him. Had Nehemiah not been open about what was bothering him, Artaxerxes would not have asked him this question. Had he then answered in his own wisdom, instead of with the words God supplied, the result would have been very different. We need to expect “divine appointments” and be spiritually and emotionally prepared to make the most of them. As Paul said, “making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16) Staying in constant touch with the Lord is the best way to do that.

I’ve never been tempted to use Twitter, but I’m pretty familiar with “prayer tweets.” I find that I pray in the middle of almost every activity, and God is faithful. Sometimes I just vent to God, and He responds amazingly. Sometimes I don’t see an immediate response, but the act of prayer helps me focus on what God wants in the situation. That’s a pretty good answer to prayer, if you ask me. As a pastor I try to teach the believers to “pray without ceasing,” just as Paul said, (1 Thessalonians 5:17) but some of them seem to hesitate to pray at all! I was greatly blessed to be raised in a home where prayer was as natural as breathing, but hardly anyone around me was raised that way. I am not to put them down for it, but walk alongside them, encouraging them step by step, until they can walk and skip and run in prayer on their own, as God wants them to do.

Father, thank You for that image You just gave me. Thank You for the reminder that most of the believers here are just toddlers, spiritually speaking. Help me indeed be useful to You in teaching them to make full use of all that You have provided for them, so that as mature Christians they may in turn teach others, destroying the lies of the devil and bringing Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Bible-based Prayer; September 10, 2017

Posted on September 14, 2017 by jgarrott

Nehemiah 1:8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses.”

This one part of Nehemiah’s prayer tells us a great deal about him, which is that he was very familiar with the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, at least. We don’t know how much of the rest of what we consider the Old Testament was available to him, but he applied himself to what he had. Books were hand copied in those days, in drastic contrast to today, when electronic publishing has made even printed books old hat. However, abundance can make us take things lightly. I would dare say the majority of American households has one or more copies of the Bible, but familiarity with it to apply it is a sadly rare thing. In contrast, Nehemiah had no more than what we would consider a Bible fragment, but he knew what it said and applied it to his circumstances, not excusing himself or his ancestors. Our prayers would have more weight if we based them on the Word the way Nehemiah did, rather than just presenting wish lists to God. He hears when we pray to Him, but we need to be in line with Him when we do so, and nothing is more helpful in that than familiarity with the Bible. However, how we use the Bible in prayer is very important. I have known people who delighted to find promises in the Bible and then demand that God fulfill them. Generally such people ignore the conditions that go with virtually every one of the promises, and by failing to fulfill the conditions, they don’t see the promises fulfilled either. In this case, Nehemiah remembered both the “if” and the “then,” and prayed in great humility. We would do well to follow his example.

I grew up steeped in the Bible, but I don’t remember my parents focusing especially on God’s promises. They were too busy following Him for who He is! That is a magnificent example and spiritual heritage for me, but that’s no reason for me to be complacent. I am indeed very familiar with the Bible but not as much as I could be. Most importantly, I don’t apply it as fully as I could. I am to walk in consistent humility, recognizing God’s grace to me and expressing that grace to those around me. I am to lead by word and by example, drawing others into intimacy with the Lord their God. In Japan, that often involves helping them understand who God really is, in contrast to the theology and superstition in which they were raised. I am to be grateful for my own spiritual heritage, but not think that makes me intrinsically better than those who are not so blessed. I am to speak God’s Word, in prayer and however else He allows me to do so, so that it will accomplish everything for which He has sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed receive Your Word to apply it, and not simply to transmit it to others. Help me fulfill Your conditions so that You may fulfill Your promises, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Grace; September 9, 2017

Posted on September 12, 2017 by jgarrott

Ezra 9:13 “What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this.”

This is the place far more people need to come to: recognizing that we have gotten far better than we deserved. We write, and read, books such as Why Bad Things Happen to Good People, and lump ourselves automatically in with the “good people,” when an honest assessment of God’s laws and our actions would bring us to a very different conclusion. Paul put it this way: “Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance?” (Romans 2:4) God’s rules are meant for our good, and on top of that, He is by His very nature worthy of our total obedience. Most of the time we simply ignore Him! We tend to be like the nine lepers Jesus healed, rather than the one who came back to thank Him. (Luke 17:11-19) We accept His blessings and think we earned them, rather than recognizing His grace toward us. We love the song, Amazing Grace, but we understand it very little. If God acted toward us as we act toward each other, the human race would have been destroyed long ago! Of course the ultimate expression of God’s grace is the birth, life, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus. None of us would have sacrificed our own child for such ungrateful wretches as we are! An accurate grasp of who He is and what we are will certainly lead us into love and devotion to Him, out of sheer, amazed, gratitude.

This is something I’ve known intellectually for a long time, but my gratitude isn’t consistent or absolute. I can indeed say, in the words of a song by Bill Gaither, “The longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows.” I have no legitimate room to complain about any part of my life, but I do it anyway. I torment myself with resentment and frustration, rather than trusting my Lord who has been so incredibly gracious toward me. I listen to my flesh or the world instead of to Him, and I fail to do what He tells me and I do what He has told me not to do. That’s no proper response to His love and grace! In the middle of my imperfection, I am tasked with shepherding the flock of God. That should keep me on my face before Him even more than it does. Like Paul, I am well aware that I’m not yet made perfect, (Philippians 3:12-14) and I won’t be until I stand before His throne. Meanwhile, I need to keep working on getting out of the way so that He can manifest Himself through me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I am often tempted to resentment at what happens to me, as well as to the idiocy of thinking I am better than other people. Help me walk in grateful, consistent humility, so that nothing will get in the way of what You want to do through me to draw others to Yourself, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Fasting; September 8, 2017

Posted on September 12, 2017 by jgarrott

Ezra 8:21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

The point of fasting is humility before God. It is an acknowledgment that we can’t do things on our own, but are dependent on God. Considering the social conditions of the day and the sheer quantity of silver and gold they were transporting, (verses 26-27) I can certainly understand their being aware of their need for Divine protection! The thing is, we are all constantly in need of God’s gracious support, protection, and provision, but too often we don’t recognize that fact. Fasting is a way to remind ourselves of how helpless we are apart from God. Jesus was quite blunt when He said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) We don’t like to admit that! Jesus’ word picture was that of a grape vine, which was very familiar to his disciples, and it’s one we can understand pretty easily too. A cut branch can be stuck in water and look nice for a little while, but once it’s cut, that’s really the end for it. Fasting gives us a very minor, physical taste of what it’s like to be cut off from our Supply. It isn’t to try to manipulate God. All too often we labor under the illusion that we could do such a thing, as though our positions were reversed. What fasting does is “clear the deck” so that we can better hear what God is saying to us, so that we may be obedient to Him and walk in what He has for us.

At one point I fasted fairly frequently, but somehow that faded out for several years. A couple of weeks ago I fasted for the first time in quite a while, but only for 24 hours. I felt oddly guilty for breaking the fast, when in the past I have gone as long as a week, but the fact that I was fasting alone was a factor. The flip side of that is that in recent years I have become increasingly aware of my total dependence on God, so in a way the need for additional fasting isn’t as great. However, thinking that way puts me in great danger of spiritual pride, which can be fatal! I have been feeling that we needed to fast as a church, but I think I was the only one who actually fasted after I preached about it. I did lay out the ground rules fairly clearly, I think, but my impression was that no one took up the challenge. I need God’s wisdom to help the people understand what fasting is all about and be willing to try it, as an offering to God. With the magnitude of the challenges ahead of us, we have plenty of reason to recognize our dependence on God!

Father, You’ve brought this subject up several times in recent weeks. Help me follow through in obedience to You, so that we may line up with all that You want to do in and through us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Government; September 7, 2017

Posted on September 9, 2017 by jgarrott

Ezra 7:24 “You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.”

How about that! This is the earliest mention I’m aware of of tax exemption for churches! Taxes were a big deal back then, no less so than today, so this declaration on the part of Artaxerxes was huge. Government often seems to be in the way of a lot of things (even though there are valid things that can be done best through government), but government is not above God. Sometimes politicians and bureaucrats seem to feel they are above God, but that is a sad delusion. Some governments, like North Korea, for example, actively set themselves against the God of the Bible. That can be terrible for believers on this earth, but it accomplishes nothing in the long run. Right now the whole world is anxious about what North Korea might do, but even if it is the trigger for a nuclear war (the worst possible scenario) it won’t ultimately block God’s plans. Human governments of all sorts are limited to this earth, which means they are strictly temporary. The only problem with that is that our physical bodies also are temporary, but the abiding hope of the believer is that there is far better to come. Paul famously tells us to pray for government leaders, for the express purpose of improving society. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Government that functions as God intends can indeed be a good thing, but we are not to be dependent on even a good government. Rather, we are to recognize that we are accountable first to God, and then to human authority. There have been many forms of government down through the millenia and none of them have been – or are – perfect, because human beings aren’t perfect. Modern democracies give the populace far more voice in government than past forms of government, so every believer should seek God’s will in what part they are to play. However, we must remember that God is, after all, God, and never think that any human institution has more power than He does.

It seems a little strange to me that at this stage in my life I am so much more interested in government than I ever was as a young person. I have become something of a “news junkie,” and I’ve got to remember to let God show me what is and what isn’t important. At this point Japanese government regulations tend to be a real irritation, but I’ve got to remember to submit first to God and then to the government. I am to thank Him for His sovereignty over all things, and submit everything to Him in prayer. He can thread any bureaucratic maze! I am to thank Him for the high level of public safety and the reasonable level of personal liberty in Japan, while at the same time finding my own safety and liberty in Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the visit we could make to the group home yesterday, and for the hope that it gave us of being able to get through all the red tape ourselves. I continue to ask for wisdom for each of us involved in this project, and above all faith that it is Your project, and You are going to see us through to a successful outcome. Thank You. Praise God!

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Asking; September 6, 2017

Posted on September 8, 2017 by jgarrott

Ezra 7:6 The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

This points out a very important truth that comes out again and again throughout the Bible: God provides, but He often uses people as His instruments to do so – even non-believing people. There is also another truth here: often, we have to ask for what we need. That truth is most famously found in the words of Jesus: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) We generally take that as telling us to ask God for things, but sometimes it means we are to ask people. Actually, this applies in many human interactions. James said, “You do not have, because you do not ask God,” (James 4:2) but that applies to asking people, too. Our passage says Ezra got all he asked for because the hand of God was upon him. That’s a very important point. Jesus spoke many times of asking “in His name.” That doesn’t mean just tacking His name onto whatever request we come up with, but rather asking in line with His character and who He is. Ezra was making requests of a Gentile king, but he was doing so as a representative of the God of Israel, so God saw to it that his requests were granted.

I find myself in precisely this position today. I believe God is going to provide all the funds we need for the land, building, and operating expenses for the senior-care facility He is directing us to build, but I’ve got to ask for those funds. I’m not to be pie-in-the-sky about it, but have a concrete business plan drawn up. Right now I don’t have enough information to be able to flesh out that business plan, so I’ve got to do the necessary research. One thing that is a complete question mark right now is how many employees we will have and what we will pay them. That being the bulk of our operating cost, having that nailed down is essential. I need to be proactive in seeking out and setting up visits to similar facilities in the area. We have made contact with a church-run facility in another prefecture and their attitude is very helpful, but we need to know what the local pay scale is for such workers. I am to operate in faith, but be hard-headed and practical at the same time. I am not to miss God’s provision, of information, money, or anything else, for failing to ask!

Father thank You for this very clear, specific Word this morning. Help me follow through in full obedience. Thank You for all the things You are doing to assure us that this is Your idea and You are in charge. Help each of us involved to recognize and fulfill our part in Your plan, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Solutions; September 5, 2017

Posted on September 8, 2017 by jgarrott

Ezra 6:3 In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:
Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid.

This is one of the more delightful stories in the Old Testament. The enemies of the Jews tried legal means to block their rebuilding of the temple, and it backfired on them big time. Darius located the original decree by Cyrus, and he not only validated it, he ordered the enemies of the Jews to provide for its fulfillment! God indeed has a way of turning things around, using people and circumstances that would seem to tear His children down to instead support and strengthen them. As Paul said, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) We are quick to panic at what faces us, but God sees the end from the beginning, and His plans are good. That’s not to say that our way will be easy; Jesus promised that in this world we would have trouble. (John 16:33) Likewise, the lessons and discipline God knows we need are often pretty unpleasant at the time. Just as it says in Hebrews, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11) The point for us is to trust God and look forward to what He is going to do through whatever we are experiencing. We won’t see the final results in this life, but even the mid-term results can be a huge blessing, and we need to look forward to them.

We are in the middle of this, but then this is the story of all of life. When we focus on the difficulty of the moment it can seem like a huge mountain. Sometimes God wants to strengthen us by having us climb it, but sometimes it disappears in a moment, just as in this story. The thing is, we don’t know which it will be, or whether (most probably) it will be something in between. Paul went through a lot of stuff, and we need to remember what He said about it all. “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13) The thing is, I may have learned that secret, but as a pastor I am to teach it to the flock. It’s not a lesson we learn very easily! I can’t change anyone’s heart directly, but I can speak the truth to them in love, and allow the Holy Spirit to impart that truth to their hearts so that they may receive it and be set free from the traps of the devil. (John 8:32)

Father, You know who is struggling, and how. I ask Your grace and mercy for each of us, so that together we may receive and walk in all that You have planned for us, allowing You to replace our weakness with Your strength, (Isaiah 40:31, 2 Corinthians 12:9) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Emotions; September 4, 2017

Posted on September 6, 2017 by jgarrott

Ezra 3:13 No-one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

Intense emotions of various sorts can indeed become jumbled both to an outside observer and to the person himself. Emotion can and does cloud thinking and reasoning. It can at times be very inconvenient. However, it is indeed the “spice of life;” without it, existence is grey indeed. One of the more pathetic things I have seen is people who are over-medicated for bipolar disorder. Their emotions of all sorts are flattened, and they just exist. That’s no way to live! I personally think emotions are one of the ways in which we were created in God’s image. (Genesis 1:27) Some people protest that is anthropomorphizing God, but the Bible speaks many times of God’s emotions in various ways. How that would be is a mystery, since He certainly doesn’t have our human endocrine system secreting hormones of all sorts. However, Josephus reported that Jesus was known for mood swings, going from laughing to crying and the like. Some people would insist that was because He was mentally unbalanced, claiming to be the Son of God, but I think it was because He was having to deal with His Father’s emotions in the confines of a human body. In any case, emotions are part of what it means to be human, and we aren’t to run from them. At the same time, we aren’t to be controlled by them. We are to accept emotions of all sorts as gifts from God, and seek Him for how we are to be stewards of those emotions. That includes negative emotions, because if we never knew sorrow, for example, we couldn’t appreciate joy. That’s one reason the devil attacks us in the area of emotions: the more pure and holy something is, the more he wants to steal, kill, and destroy it.

I certainly have my share of emotions. However, in general I am more the cerebral, dispassionate type. I say that, but honest self-examination says that is probably an illusion. I do have a gift for objective thinking, but that can lead to a kind of pride that is very dangerous. “Objectivity” can be simply another word for lack of empathy. If I am indeed to love my neighbor as myself, (Matthew 12:31) that means getting emotionally involved. At the same time, emotions can shake us around like a terrier with a rat. As I mentioned, Jesus seems to have had to deal with that. I am to submit my emotions, along with everything else, to God, because He has a good purpose for every detail of how He created me, and I am to rest in that assurance.

Father, yesterday was a good example, with a wide variety of emotions. Thank You. Help me indeed apply the emotions You allow me to have in the way You intend them, so that in every way I may be and do what You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Giving to God; September 3, 2017

Posted on September 4, 2017 by jgarrott

Ezra 2:68-69 When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings towards the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 drachmas of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments.

When you think about it, this was a pretty remarkable offering. These people were described as “heads of families,” but those families had been in exile for over 70 years. Half a ton of gold and 3 tons of silver is a lot of money! Perhaps this reinforces the veracity of the Book of Esther, where in chapter 9 it describes the triumph of the Jews over their enemies. It says they “didn’t lay their hands on the plunder,” (Esther 9:10, 15, 16) but I wonder if the government didn’t give them the resources of their enemies, rather than it being “plunder.” In any case, these heads of families had a lot of money at this point, and they gave it for the rebuilding of the temple. It certainly wasn’t enough for the total cost, but it was a start, and they did what they could. God later provided the rest of the resources they needed through the Persian government, actually, but these believers were given the opportunity and privilege of giving what they could. The principle of giving in proportion to what we have been given is repeated in the New Testament. (2 Corinthians 9:7) God never asks us for anything He hasn’t given us in the first place, and He gives us the privilege of participating in His “supply chain.”

This is extremely close to home for us right now. We first began to believe that we would be able to purchase land next door to build a senior-care facility when one of the believers said they wanted to give the money to buy the land, when some major funds came in this month (which was over a year in the future at that point). Recently we found out that they had been mistaken as to the timing of the funds coming in, but meanwhile we had signed a contract and made a down payment on the land. Part of what they were expecting has come in, but now they are having second thoughts about giving what they have available. That is certainly frustrating, but it teaches us to rely on God and not people. If they hang onto what they have promised, they are keeping company with Ananias and Sapphira, (Acts 5) and that is dangerous company indeed! I am not to threaten, but I am to make it very clear that they aren’t dealing simply with people, but with God. I need God’s anointing and wisdom in talking with them, that they may be liberated from this trap the devil has set for them. God will provide all we need, but we all need to get in line with Him.

Father, as You have reminded me, I can’t change anyone, but You can. I continue to pray for each of the people involved in this project that they would recognize Your leading and follow it. May we all rejoice to participate in what You are doing, in whatever way You direct, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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