Timing; August 23, 2017

Posted on August 26, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 29:36 Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.

I’ve come to the conclusion that most of the reasons for God’s timing in doing things have to do with people. After all, He’s outside of time so it’s essentially like it all happens at once for Him. However, sometimes we are ready for things and sometimes we aren’t. Peter was right on when he said, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9) Hezekiah and his people were ready to restore the temple worship, so God said, “OK, let’s do it.” The thing is, often we think we’re ready for something when we really aren’t. Likewise, we need to remember that nothing God does is in isolation, affecting only us. It’s possible that we are ready for something, but other people that will be impacted aren’t ready yet. As Peter said, God wants everyone to come to repentance. Not everyone will, but He wants to increase that number as much as possible. If we desire Christ’s return, as all true believers have done for the past 2,000 years, then we will be active in sharing the Gospel to give as many people as possible the opportunity to come to repentance.

We are in the middle of things happening both very fast and very slowly, to our perception. Sometimes both extremes can be frustrating! I’ve got to focus on letting God be God, and on completing faithfully whatever task He has set before me at the moment. Sometimes that’s a task of preparation for something further down the line, but whatever it is, I’m to do it joyfully, with all my might. (Colossians 3:23) I’m to remember that I exist for God, and not the other way around. I’m also not to fail to complete what I’m supposed to do out of being worried about what someone else is supposed to do. Timing is God’s business, and I’m to seek to recognize His schedule and get with it, not trying to force others, and even Him, into my schedule.

Father, this can be a real issue for me. Thank You for pointing it out to me. Help me release people and events into Your hands, knowing that Your plans are always better than mine. As You have told me, help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You so that I won’t get in the way of what You are doing, either by action or by inaction. Thank You. Praise God!

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Mentoring; August 22, 2017

Posted on August 23, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 26:5 He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.

Zechariah was obviously a good mentor, keeping the king on the right track. However, once Zechariah died, Uzziah thought that he could function as a priest as well as the king, and it did him in. (verse 16 and following) Reading through this chapter, it seems that Uzziah did well through tactics and technology, which indicates he was quite intelligent. That’s certainly not a bad thing in itself, but as Solomon his ancestor demonstrated, it’s not enough. Zechariah taught him to fear/know God, but it was up to Uzziah how he applied it, and he made a real blunder. Mentoring is valuable and can do a lot of good, but it is limited not only by the quality of the mentor but by how the one being mentored receives and applies what they are taught. As is all too common among people of high IQ and/or social position, Uzziah thought he was above the rules, and he discovered the hard way that he was not. There’s no such thing as a perfect mentor, just as there are no perfect mentorees. Humility before God is called for on both sides of such relationships.

I have had a number of mentors over the years, to one degree or another, but no single individual who poured themselves into me. Likewise, I have been able to impact numbers of people, but to a limited depth. Right now I have a committed assistant pastor for the first time in my ministry, and I feel like I’m having to learn how to mentor as we go along. I am not to smother or dictate, but I am not to draw back from teaching and admonishing. (Colossians 3:16) As I seek to mentor him, I am aware of my own limitations, even as I seek to help him deal with his. We are very differently gifted, which is to be expected. I’ve got to be very careful not to demand, even emotionally or subconsciously, that he be like me. That calls for real growth on my part! Above all I am to seek to lead him into a relationship with the Lord that will last and continue to grow long after I am gone, until he too comes before God’s throne. If I don’t model the character traits I desire to see in him, I’ve got no business being a mentor!

Father, thank You for all that You are doing, on so many levels. Help me not draw back or run from any of it, but allow You to do all that You want to do in and through me, to build up the Body of Christ for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Jehoshaphat; August 21, 2017

Posted on August 23, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 20:20 Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”

I have loved this story for a long time. The person who gave the detailed and accurate prophecy was not normally a prophet, not even an anonymous one such as appear in various places in the Old Testament, but was rather a Levite who was a very ordinary person in the temple staff. (verse 14) However, the attitude of the king and the assembled people was such that they recognized a Word from the Lord when they heard it. It is notable that Jehosha­phat didn’t say, “Have faith in me,” he directed the people to God. This was entirely in character with how he had been living to this point, as came out yesterday. Even after this, instead of “being king,” he consulted with others before deciding how they were to respond to what God had said. What he said in this verse is manifestly true. God worked on behalf of Judah so powerfully that all the surrounding nations were afraid to lift a finger against them after that. (verses 29-30) Humility and obedient faith are certainly the way to go!

This is precisely where we are. Yesterday I called the believers to fast and pray, explaining that fasting isn’t trying to manipulate God, but is rather spiritual warfare against the demonic forces that try to block God’s will from being done. Then we had a delicious, abundant church lunch! However, I had already “fasted” computer that morning, and began a conventional fast from suppertime. Indications are, God is already working! We have had many assurances that the senior-care facility is God’s idea, so spiritual warfare against everything that would block that is entirely appropriate. I feel like God’s Word got through to people powerfully yesterday, and I am deeply grateful. The point now is not to relax, but to press forward in obedience to God, so that His purposes may be accomplished on His schedule for His glory.

Father, thank You for all You are doing. Thank You for calling me back to fasting. It’s been too long! Help me hear You accurately and respond obediently, bringing others along with me and not trying to be a lone wolf. May we together move into all that You have planned for us, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Humility and Faith; August 20, 2017

Posted on August 22, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 20:12 “O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”

Jehoshaphat had two strengths: faith and humility. As has come out already, he developed those over time, choosing to follow God day by day. Those strengths were exactly what he needed, because by not relying on himself, or on any human source, he opened himself and the nation up to God’s infinite supply. This is just like God told Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) When we think we’ve “got it covered,” we cut ourselves off from God’s perfect answer. This is a lesson we have a hard time getting into our hearts in practical terms. We are very stubborn in wanting to do things ourselves, to be able to take credit for them. God does call us to be faithful stewards of the resources He places at our disposal, but the minute we think they are ours, rather than His that we are allowed to use, things go off track. He repeatedly puts us into situations where we need to depend on Him, not at all to be mean to us but to teach us that He is our Source, and nothing else is or could be. The Bible teaches this to us again and again. Moses spoke it clearly about finances, which is an area in which we are particularly prone to think it’s “our business.” (Deuteronomy 8:18) Paul’s lesson, already referenced, was in the area of physical health. Like Jehoshaphat, we are never stronger than when we recognize that we have no strength in ourselves, but God is omnipotent, and He loves us.

This is precisely where we are right now. We are faced with a project to which we are committed, but which we have no resources to fulfill. Even beyond that, we are seeking to establish the kingdom of God in a nation that has been incredibly resistant to this point. It’s been a long time since I’ve fasted, but I believe I’m to call the church to fast, in order to recognize and acknowledge our total dependence on God. That’s a little ironic when Cathy and I were at a dinner party last night and we have lunch as a church together today! However, I am to call the church to fast and pray, to focus our hearts on God in order to receive His directions, His supply. This isn’t desperation, because He has proved Himself faithful more ways than we could count, but it is a reminder not to be presumptuous. Besides, most of the church has probably never experienced this sort of prayer, and we need to grow in it.

Father, thank You for this clear Word this morning. I ask for wisdom and anointing as I follow through in obedience. Help me know how much, if any, of the previously prepared message I am to use, and help me speak Your truth in Your words so that it will penetrate into each heart, setting us free from the lies of the enemy in every area in which we are deceived and thus bound, so that all of Your plans for us may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Preparation; August 19, 2017

Posted on August 21, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 19:4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

When you think about it, this was pretty unusual activity for a king. Reading on, we find that he delegated the actual business of running the country to others, with Amariah and Zebadiah pretty much in charge, (verse11) while he spent his time personally turning the people back to Yahweh. He was evidently more comfortable as an evangelist than as a king! This sets the scene for the very dramatic events of the next chapter, where Jehoshaphat’s devotion to God bears some pretty dramatic fruit. Those events, however, would not have come about had Jehoshaphat not been as committed to God as we see here. It is something of a truism, but the time to prepare for a crisis is before the crisis happens. The daily, little things prepare us – or “unprepare” us – for the big things. Had Jehoshaphat been ignoring matters of faith and obedience to God while things were peaceful, then he would have been woefully unprepared for the national crisis that came later. At this time he got the government into good functioning order, and he kept his personal focus on God. That’s a very good example to follow!

This story is certainly a good example for me personally. I certainly had no plans to build a million-dollar elder-care facility at the point I came to Omura. However, God’s guidance at this point is pretty hard to deny. At the same time, the challenges are immense. We just found out that the lump-sum offering that we’ve been expecting next month isn’t going to cover the cost of the land, even, which means we’ve got to recognize and appropriate God’s provision for that before the contract date in October. If I hadn’t been through all we experienced in building this building, I would be totally unprepared for what we face now. As it is, there are many potential pitfalls, but by God’s grace I have walked with Him in smaller things long enough that my faith is firmly fixed on Him, rather than on any human instrument He might use. That’s not to say I don’t have my moments of panic! I’ve got to remember that God is more than able to deal with every issue, and humbly listen and obey whatever He tells me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. You know better than I do that I don’t have the wisdom, skills, and connections to get this done on my own, but I’m connected to You, and that’s enough. I ask You to show me whom to reach out to and how, so that each person You want involved in this project will be, drawing them to You and bringing You glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Rewards; August 18, 2017

Posted on August 21, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 15:7 “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

We tend to think of Old Testament prophets as those who have books named for them, but there are many others, like Azariah mentioned here and even some whose names aren’t recorded. The thing is, God is constantly speaking to His people, and He uses whoever is available. Availability is time and location, but it is especially heart attitude. For the most part we know nothing of the lives of these prophets, with the most extensive information being about Jeremiah. We know so much about him because he had a secretary for part of his ministry, Baruch son of Neriah (Jeremiah 32 and following), who recorded what he said and what he did. He seems to have been the only prophet so blessed. That actually is quite appropriate, because prophecy isn’t about the messenger but about God and what He is saying. This particular Word from God actually applied to the prophets themselves, as it does to us today. It is closely echoed in Hebrews 10:35 “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” Because God operates on a different time scale from us, (2 Peter 3:8) sometimes it seems like we don’t get rewarded. At the end of the famous Faith Chapter, which comes right after that encouragement not to throw away our confidence, it says, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40) That’s one reason we sometimes speak of someone who has died as having “gone to their reward.” We all have temptations to give up, but God is absolutely faithful, and we need to trust Him, not just with our lives but with our eternity.

I have certainly been tempted to give up. Japan has the lowest “rate of return” of any mission field in the world. There isn’t physical danger or suffering here, like there is in many areas, but the response rate is so low as to be crushing. However, it is not that there is no response, and those who are saved are worth the effort. At 69 in another month, I am at an age where the majority of my classmates from college and before are retired, and in some ways I find I am acting like I am. However the average age of pastors across Japan isn’t much younger than I am; there are many who continue to minister past 80. Right now we are entering into a project that requires a lot of physical and especially emotional energy, and part of me just wants to run away! I’ve got to remember this very simple Word that came through Azariah, trusting God enough to apply myself fully for as long as He leaves me on this earth. Occasionally I envy my father for having “graduated” at 64! However, like Paul, however much I would like to “go to my reward,” I need to rejoice to be and do all that God wants of me for as long as He wants to use me. (Philippians 1:21-26) My reward is sure, and I need to rest in that assurance.

Father, the devil’s tricks can be very subtle. Keep me from laziness of any sort. Rather, help me “press on towards the goal to win the prize for which You have called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 3:14) for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Depending on God; August 17, 2017

Posted on August 20, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 14:11 Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no-one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O Lord, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you.”

There are some interesting differences between the English and the Japanese translations from the Hebrew. Where the NIV says, “You help the powerless against the mighty,” the Japanese says, “You help the powerful and You help the powerless.” There are other differences as well, but the whole point of this verse is that Asa was very publicly depending on God. That’s a good thing to do! One of the most consistent messages of the Old Testament is that God is always the deciding factor in every conflict. For those who are submitted and obedient to Him, He brings victory, period. Right now the US faces the danger of war with North Korea, while still being at war against the Taliban and ISIS. In past wars, American presidents have not hesitated to call publicly on God, and to call the American people to pray. The current extreme”allergy” against any public declaration of faith is a very new phenomenon, and one at extreme variance from the attitudes and actions of those we call the Founding Fathers. The so-called Freedom From Religion Foundation has worked a great deal of evil in America, and it’s past time for America to return to its roots. The fundamental problem has been that too many of those who claimed faith haven’t stood on and lived out the faith they proclaimed. America currently faces many enemies, “foreign and domestic,” as the saying goes. The answer against every one is turning to God and listening obediently to Him. James puts it into a nutshell: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) I personally like the way the Japanese expresses that verse: “Submit yourselves to God. Then, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” It does little good to try to resist the devil if you aren’t submitted to God first.

This of course applies to me. The more I recognize my dependence on God, the better He is able to act in and through me and my circumstances. We currently face many challenges. If I try to depend on myself, or even on what God has given me in the past, I will fall flat. If I rejoice in His grace, then His power will indeed be made perfect in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I am not to fear “giants” of finances or culture or anything else, but know that my God is able to do anything, and He is even able to use me in the process.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the prayer meeting last night, where You opened my eyes to the reality that our plans for an elder-care facility are probably pretty minor compared to all that You want to do through this church. Help me be willing to change and grow however necessary, and help the church as a whole to do likewise, so that we may be and do all that You intend, on all levels, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Unchanging God; August 16, 2017

Posted on August 20, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 13:18 The men of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers.

Sometimes it feels like the Old Testament is nothing but a record of man’s mistakes, but every once and a while people did things right. This particular victory of Judah over Israel is significant for a number of reasons. In the first place, it was soon enough after the division that Jeroboam was still king in the Northern kingdom of Israel, so it was a rebuke to his “strategic idolatry.” In the second place, he had a much larger fighting force. (verse 3) In the third place, he even used better tactics! (verse 13) The only thing in Judah’s favor was that they were actively and openly relying on the Lord. That was enough! It’s not that resources and tactics aren’t useful, to say the least, but the Bible tells us again and again and again in various ways that “victory rests with the Lord.” (Proverbs 21:31) Gideon is of course a prime example of that. (Judges 6-7) The world sees “humanism” as a good thing, and we are essentially taught to take stock of what we have and act accordingly. The problem with that is that God is far greater than everything else put together, and if He says something, that’s it. After all, He spoke the universe into existence! (Genesis 1) Paul put it in terms of the visible and the invisible. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18) Even physicists tell us that one day the world will be destroyed, but nothing can destroy God.

This is, fortunately, the world view in which I was raised, but I slip from it at times. I too get distracted by all that I see physically. It’s not that the physical is bad in and of itself – I love taking pictures of God’s creation – but I’ve got to remember that it’s all strictly temporary. The cable TV reporter who interviewed me at my recent photo show asked me what attraction I had to photographs, as opposed to video or other art forms. I told him it was the capturing of moments, because everything is ephemeral. Some things, like mountains and seascapes and the like, can seem eternal, but they too will pass away. Living in a volcanic nation like Japan, I am very aware that the earth beneath my feet can change in a moment! I’m reminded of something I’ve heard about more than one geographic location: “Don’t like the weather? Wait a few minutes.” I’ve got to remember that anything not rooted in God is at least as changeable as the weather. As I was counseling someone just the other day, when we find our identity and value in the God who created and loves us, then we won’t be so whipped around by people’s opinions. I know that very well, and I need both to teach it and walk it out myself.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The rate of change in the world certainly isn’t slowing down! Help me rely fully on You, not grudgingly or passively but actively with joy, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Repentance; August 15, 2017

Posted on August 19, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 12:12 Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah.

The Bible is certainly a story of multiple chances. It makes it clear that it’s better to get things right the first time, but repentance brings redemption. There are indeed consequences to doing things wrong, as there were in this case, but acknowledging sin and turning from it is always the right thing to do. Sadly, there are those who count on that and take it for granted, not thinking about the fact that one of the chances they take will be their last. There are indeed deathbed conversions, but they are probably very few, and even such people have missed out on years of walking with the Lord. Jesus’ story of the Prodigal Son is justly famous, but there’s no question that son regretted what he had done. God always desires the very best for us, and the sooner we turn from being headstrong and self-centered, the more of that “best” we will enjoy.

Looking back over my own life, I see this truth demonstrated again and again. God has been incredibly gracious toward me, but my life would have been much easier had I chosen humble obedience more consistently. Right now I minister to people with all different levels of obedience to and/or rebellion against God. I can say to each one, with the assurance of experience, that the more we love God, demonstrating that love by our obedience, (John 14:15) the better things will be for us. God told Paul (while he was still Saul) that failure to submit and obey was like “kicking against the goads.” (Acts 26:14) The more stubbornly we insist on our own way and protest His correction, the more painful it is for us. I’ve tasted that, and I want to spare others from it. However, I can’t make their choices for them. I can speak the truth in love and I can pray for them, certainly, but ultimately the responsibility is theirs, and I’m not to try to carry it for them. That does neither of us any good.

Father, You know who is on my heart as I write. I do pray for them to see through the lies of the devil, each person and each lie, so that they may know Your truth indeed, not just as something abstract but as practical reality, so that they may be set free to walk in all that You have planned for them, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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National Salvation; August 14, 2017

Posted on August 19, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

This verse has been picked up on and quoted many times in the 3000 or so years since it happened, but it’s still just as true today as when the Lord spoke it to Solomon. The incredible thing to me is that Solomon, even after having had and recorded this encounter, still did what he did in terms of idolatry with his foreign wives. As I’ve said before, the only explanation I can come up with is that he got so conceited he thought he was personally above God’s laws; they were just for “ordinary” people. It’s no accident that the first instruction in this verse is for us to humble ourselves. As Solomon demonstrated so tragically, pride is the surest tool of the devil to work our destruction. With humility as the foundation, we are next told to pray. It’s amazing how few people pray with any regularity. If nothing else, prayer reminds us that there is a God in heaven, and that’s extremely important. However, remembering God exists isn’t enough by itself: we need to seek His face. That means drawing close to Him, trying to find out what pleases Him. Then, naturally, we have to quit doing what doesn’t please Him and start being obedient to Him. Some people seem to get all the way to that point and then refuse to abandon their sin. That’s idolatry, because it’s placing the sin higher than God. There’s a big uproar in the US right now over precisely this issue, with even churches refusing to let go of things that are clearly in violation of the Bible. America currently has a president with a decidedly unrighteous past, but who is trying to get the nation away from some of the more prevalent, egregious sins that are so evident. The resistance he is encountering is tragic. He is flawed, certainly, and is not to be unquestioned, but I get the impression he has encountered this verse.

This verse was first trumpeted in my experience back in 1980 or so by Rock Church of Virginia Beach, Virginia. As close as they were to Washington, D.C., the message didn’t seem to penetrate! I heard it quoted again after the 9/11 terrorism, but again that didn’t seem to last long. It has rightly been said that the American system of government is suitable only for a righteous people, but righteousness is a choice that not many Americans seem to want to make. The government is indeed a swamp, but the problem is systemic, and comes down to individual choices. None of us are perfectly righteous, but we need to acknowledge that, which means acknowledging God’s standard and repenting when we fall from it. That’s what this verse is all about. As the Bible says very clearly, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

Father, I never used to be emotionally involved in politics, or really in the “bigger picture” much at all. Help me know what my part is in Your plan, whether it’s just prayer and personal obedience or whether other things are involved. Thank You that You do care, about individuals and about nations. May Your name be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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