Words and Thoughts; October 7, 2017

Posted on October 13, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

This Psalm, and especially the last eight verses of it, are dearly loved by many, and for good reason. David was certainly an anointed prophet/poet. As a wordsmith, this verse could be said to be at the foundation of his life. His words have indeed blessed countless numbers of people down through the centuries, but they arose from the thoughts of his heart. This is what Jesus was talking about when He said, “The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean’. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” (Matthew 15:18-19) David later got caught on this very issue with Bathsheba, and that was not good at all. What we say is of great importance, but the condition of the heart that generates those words is of even greater importance.

I am a wordsmith myself, so this is very close to home. As a pastor, a counselor, and a school teacher, you could say that I make my living with words. My words have lasting value only to the degree they come from the heart of God. That might seem a strange thing to say in terms of my teaching Medical English, but even there my words and attitude need to reflect the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16) This morning we leave for the annual meeting of the Japan Cockayne Syndrome Network. Cathy and I are pretty central to the meeting, even though we weren’t involved in the planning nor are we responsible for running it, because Cathy founded it over 20 years ago as a support group for families of children with this fatal genetic problem. Every word we say will be received as having at least double the weight of things said by others. Cathy will be speaking, and I interpreting, at the session this evening, and I will be leading the memorial service on Monday for the children who have died. Our words need to be pleasing to God first, and only then to the people with whom we are speaking. If we will allow the Holy Spirit to use us, people will not only be comforted and encouraged, but will be drawn to faith themselves. At this point there is only one other Christian couple in the group, but there are others we feel are close to commitment. We can’t force anything, but we must hold ourselves fully available for God to express His love and grace through us, for the salvation of many and for His glory.

Father, thank You for the privilege of being Your mouthpiece. I do pray this prayer of David, and ask that You help me be more faithful in it than David was, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Humility; October 6, 2017

Posted on October 12, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 18:35 You give me your shield of victory,
and your right hand sustains me;
you stoop down to make me great.

This verse first hit me between the eyes the first time I read through the Bible in the NIV translation, back in 1979, I think it was. This whole passage is a beautiful litany of David’s experience of God’s protection and provision, but this verse takes the cake for me. The Japanese translates it as, “Your humility has made me big.” The idea of God being humble is mind-blowing for me. However, logical analysis says that it takes great humility for the almighty Creator to deal with such insignificant elements of His creation as we are. A missionary friend recently sent me a link to a video presentation on the Hubble telescope, and how it has enabled us to understand far more of the vastness of the universe that we ever could have imagined before. All of that, God spoke into being, and yet He cares about us. Absolutely amazing! We have no greatness apart from the value that God assigns to us, but what value that is. Exactly how valuable is shown through the incarnation and cross of Jesus Christ. That was the ultimate humility, the ultimate “stooping down.” Paul expressed that beautifully to the Philippians. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8) That is the humility of God, that calls forth our total gratitude, obedience, and devotion.

The danger for me is in being so familiar with this truth that it becomes old hat to me. I must not let that happen. I need to be filled each day with the wonder of God’s incredible grace toward me. “You stoop down to make me great. Wow!” I have dedicated my life to telling others about God’s gracious humility, but I can’t make them believe it by my powers of logic and persuasion. Rather, I am to share the Good News in all love and humility myself, in imitation of God’s love and humility, so that the Holy Spirit may take my words and actions to open the eyes and hearts of those to whom I minister. If I will do that, people will be saved, the devil will be defeated, and God will be glorified.

Father, the vastness of it all threatens to overwhelm me at times. Thank You that You are bigger than everything, and yet you care about me. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in that assurance, just as You have told me to do, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Lordship of Christ; October 5, 2017

Posted on October 11, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 16:2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”

This Psalm, and especially verse 6, was a favorite of my father and grandfather before me. On top of that, Peter quoted verses 8-11 at Pentecost (Acts 2:25-28). Accordingly, all but two verses of this Psalm are underlined in my Bible. However, right now it’s this verse that strikes me. This verse is a confession of faith, and a good one. It’s extremely simple, but it has the most important element of Lordship. Sadly, there are people who recite the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Westminster Creed, or some other grand confession of faith who have never made Jesus Lord of their lives, and by New Testament standards, that excludes them from the family of God. (Romans 10:9-10) The Lordship of Christ isn’t some trivial thing, or even something to be aspired to by “super Christians,” it’s at the very foundation of salvation. David didn’t know directly of Jesus or the cross, but he was committed to follow God, even though he did so imperfectly, as we all do. The other half of this confession of faith is likewise important, even if not quite as essential. Even if we count God as our greatest good, we tend to hold a lot of other things in our hearts as “good” as well. If we aren’t careful, those “goods” can become “gods,” and we’re in deep trouble. That’s not to say that family and the like aren’t good, it’s to say that we need to recognize 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) As came out a couple of days ago, priorities determine our lives. If this confession of David is at the foundation, we will have good lives indeed.

I was incredibly blessed to be raised in a home where this confession was true. That protected me to a large extent from materialism and a number of other traps of the devil, though I stubbornly managed to get into some of them anyway. I didn’t come around personally to a full commitment to Christ’s Lordship until I was an adult, though I was baptized at seven. Spiritual pride blinded me to how I was making choices without seeking God and considering Him first. As a pastor I see so many people who get into all sorts of needless problems by making exactly the same mistake. If Jesus is Lord, then we will seek His will at every turn. If we recognize that He is the source of all good in our lives, then we will live in grateful obedience to Him. So many of the vital issues in life are simply expressed, but not so simply carried out! I am not to look down on people who struggle, but speak the truth to them in love, so that they may receive the faith and strength God offers them so freely (Isaiah 40:31) and come into His full salvation.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I feel like You keep calling me back to basics, and that’s a good thing. I listen to various teachers expounding on various issues, and some of them are very good. Help me, and them, not be distracted by peripherals, but stay true to Your core truth, without adding to it, so that as many people as possible may be liberated from the traps of the enemy to come into Your kingdom indeed, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Internal Struggles; October 4, 2017

Posted on October 11, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 13:2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?

I would dare say there’s not a person alive who hasn’t experienced internal struggles like this; they are part of the human condition. However, thinking they are God’s fault and accusing Him over them is hardly wise. Rather, the answer to such internal struggles is given by David himself in this very Psalm. Verse 5 says, “But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation.” As has been said, “Jesus is the answer. Now, what was your problem?” We struggle internally only to the degree we are not submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Such struggles have the very good purpose of showing us where and how we are not trusting Him, to teach us to make the choice, the heart commitment, to submit everything to Him. Frankly, that’s often easier said than done. We don’t have the wisdom or strength to do it fully ourselves, but there too God will supply all we need if we make that choice. It’s like forgiving people. Sometimes we literally can’t forgive someone, but if we confess that to God and ask Him to help us want to want to forgive, He will take it from there. There are levels of forgiveness that are indeed humanly impossible, but nothing is impossible for God. The same thing may be said about absolutely every other problem we face as well. Apart from Christ we can do nothing, (John 15:5) but “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

I’ve certainly had my internal struggles, but God has been more than faithful, He’s been gracious and loving. The past year has been a real time of further training in that. I have even had some sleepless nights. That’s certainly a waste of time and energy! I have learned more and more to release things to God, and as I have done so, He has poured faith into me. I don’t really think the faith came first: it was the choice to trust. That doesn’t mean I’ve become some great giant of faith, but rather that God has supplied the faith I needed when I made the choice to trust. Right now I am dealing with numbers of people who are struggling with this very issue. I need to help them understand that trusting God isn’t being irresponsible (which is what the devil wants them to think) but is simply recognizing our own limitations and that God is far greater than those limitations, because He is infinite. I must not let faith be an excuse to be lazy. Like Paul, I am to cooperate fully with what God wants to do in and through me. (Colossians 1:29) I must never forget that it’s not a dichotomy of faith and works, but rather that faith works – with both meanings of that statement.

Father, thank You for this clear reminder. Thank You for the various answers to prayer You’ve been showing us in recent days. I ask for physical and emotional strength and anointing for today. The meeting that is planned is important. May it be as joyful and loving as You want it to be, accomplishing Your will in and through each participant, so that Your plans may progress on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Priorities; October 3, 2017

Posted on October 4, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.

There are some interesting differences between the NIV and the Japanese here. For starters, the NIV makes a statement (You hear my voice) where the Japanese makes a request (Please hear my voice). Then, where the NIV says, “lay my requests before you,” the Japanese says, “make provision (that is, give an offering) for you.” Finally, where the NIV says “wait in expectation,” the Japanese says, “stand in watch.” All of that said, the point is the same: David got up early to come before the Lord and hear what He had to say. (Actually, the Japanese specifies, “at dawn.”) That’s an excellent example to follow. The pace of modern living is so hectic that it takes a very clear choice to make time to be alone with God. On top of that, recent statistics indicate 80 percent of adults are chronically short on sleep. We feel we can’t possibly get up early enough to spend time with God before starting the day, but that’s just because we don’t really consider going to bed early enough to get in enough sleep before getting up early. I really think that’s the big sticking point for most people when it comes to morning devotions. We are addicted to “screen time,” TV and/or computers and/or cell phones, and that takes priority over getting the rest we need and spending time with God. Actually, for many people it takes priority over spending time with other people as well. When we cannot make time for God because of anything, that thing has become an idol to us, whether we recognize it or not. David lived in simpler, less hectic times, that’s true, but the pressures actually just took different forms. Most of us aren’t on the run for our lives, or, later in his life, having to run a kingdom. It all comes down to priorities. What do we value? What do we seek? In terms of value, Jesus told us to lay up treasure in heaven, (Matthew 6:19-21) and to seek first (priorities, remember) God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). If we are genuinely doing those things, making time for God first thing every morning will seem the most natural thing in the world.

I have been blessed by a very strong pattern/habit of morning devotions for so many years that it’s hard to imagine life without it. However, only recently have I been pulling my bedtime forward so that I would have plenty of sleep as well. Even with my previous bedtime of 10:30, many if not most people who have learned of it have been shocked that I went to bed so early! The difficulty for me is not in maintaining the schedule, but in avoiding the temptation to self-righteousness. I am able to maintain this lifestyle only by the grace of God. As a pastor I certainly desire that each of the people in my care have a vital devotional life with our Lord, but I cannot be legalistic. I am to recommend and encourage, but always in love and never looking down on anyone. I have my own weaknesses, and I need to let the Holy Spirit work on all of us to transform us into the likeness of Christ. (Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18)

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for Your grace to us all. I ask for wisdom and anointing in conveying Your truth to as many people as possible, so that they may be set free to be Your children, (John 8:32) with all that means. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Anger; October 2, 2017

Posted on October 4, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 4:4 In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.

When I read this in the Japanese Shinkaiyaku translation, I was shocked. Rather than the traditional English, “In your anger do not sin,” it says, “Be reverently fearful. Then do not sin.” I have heard this verse used many times in teaching on anger, but the Japanese doesn’t say that at all. It really makes me want to discuss this with a Hebrew scholar! In teaching on anger, the point is made that anger itself isn’t sinful, but what we do with it can be. Jesus certainly got angry at those who were desecrating the Temple, most particularly in the Court of the Gentiles, and by definition that wasn’t sin, so the point can be made without this verse, but this translation makes that point much harder to teach. James got it right in any case: “The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20, ESV) One of the standard Old Testament descriptions of God is that He is “slow to anger.” We do well to copy Him! We also need to be careful about the target of our anger. The devil is our enemy, not people. The Sermon on the Mount tells us how to interact with people, and anger isn’t on the list. Anger can be a powerful motivation, as it was for Jesus in cleansing the Temple, so it is not without value. However, we need to be very careful to use our anger as God intends, rather than letting the devil use our anger to control us.

I personally don’t like to get angry, so it makes me angry to get angry. Cathy says when that happens, it can be scary! I can’t say I have “this anger thing” totally under control myself, but I see many people who are consumed by anger. In the process, they have allowed the devil to steal their peace, joy, and sometimes even humanity. The devil doesn’t deserve those spoils! In Japan, people are taught to suppress and/or control emotions, so a lot of people have buried anger that comes out in different ways. That’s one of the reasons for the high suicide rate, because some people finally vent their anger on themselves, instead of on the people they feel have wronged them. I have learned that anger needs to be released to God, rather than either stuffing it or “letting it rip.” That’s not an automatic response! I need to choose to let Jesus be Lord of my emotions, and as a pastor and counselor, I need to lead others to do the same.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for giving us emotions, even though they can be tricky at times. Help me make the use You intend of each of my emotions, and lead others to do the same, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Sleep; October 1, 2017

Posted on October 3, 2017 by jgarrott

Psalm 3:5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

This is a very simple verse, but it says something rather profound. Though scientists are still not sure why, sleep is essential to all animals, but many things can interfere. One of the biggest of those, in humans at any rate, is anxiety. If we are worried about what might happen to us while we sleep, we generally don’t sleep very well. Genuine faith says, “God is still God even if something does happen to me.” That’s the basis of the famous little prayer: “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” That was from back when all sorts of diseases weren’t as well controlled as they are today, so dying was a more immediate possibility. David, who wrote this psalm, had an immediate military threat against his life, so the faith expressed is all the stronger. We get insomnia for far lesser reasons! Trusting God is the best possible “sleep aid.”

I’ve certainly had my times of lying awake because I couldn’t “shut my brain off.” Sometimes that hasn’t been anxiety so much as thinking and planning for things, but there too, the answer is releasing things to God. He knows what I need and He already has the ideal plan for supplying it, so my lying awake plotting it out is a waste of my physical and emotional energy. We are in the middle of further training in this very issue. God has already demonstrated His love and omnipotence by supplying the funds for us to purchase the land next door, and He’s going to supply not only the funds but the personnel and the wisdom necessary to build and operate the elder-care facility He is directing us to have. I’m not to be lazy or irresponsible, but I’m also not to think or feel I’ve got to do it in my own wisdom and strength. That’s clearly impossible, so I’ve got to release it to Him and rejoice as He carries us along. Sleep is a very real issue, and it’s a good barometer of my “faith pressure.” He has already told me to rest, relax, and rejoice, so this is further training in doing that!

Father, thank You indeed for Your perfect plan. Thank You for all that is going on around us. Yesterday was a full day, but You carried us through it and You did some good things. Today also has a lot going on. May all of Your plans for each person involved in this church be fulfilled in every detail, blessing in many ways and destroying the works of the devil, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Encountering God; September 30, 2017

Posted on October 3, 2017 by jgarrott

Job 42:5-6 “My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”

A genuine revelation of God changes whoever experiences it. We don’t know how the Lord appeared to Job, but obviously the visual was involved, as a concession to Job’s limited understanding. The more we know of God, the smaller we understand ourselves to be. It then follows that we understand the greatness of God’s grace better, that He would love and care about and forgive such as we are. A genuine revelation of God is a sure cure for pride! Job had no way of knowing God’s plan of salvation, sending His Son to take on the sins of mankind and die for them, so he was mostly just blown away by God’s power, and that He would talk to him personally. We, however, know the facts of the Gospel and so understand God to be love. We still need the foundation of awe and reverent obedience that are called “the fear of the Lord,” but because of Jesus our grasp of Him can be much higher and deeper and more intimate. The danger, especially for Christians today, is a “love and blessings” faith that essentially ignores the fear of the Lord. Such “faith” doesn’t bring repentance, and so is not saving faith. We are in dangerous territory indeed when we fail to recognize what it means to proclaim, “Jesus is Lord,” and do so from our hearts.

I spent quite a few years in that territory myself, being baptized at seven, after having proclaimed my love for Jesus for a few years before that. I won’t say I wasn’t saved, but I certainly lived in pride, and that may be the greatest barrier to salvation. I had a good knowledge of the facts of the Bible from childhood on, so when the Lord essentially tapped me on the shoulder and showed me myself, for an instant, in a “spiritual mirror” of sorts, my reaction was to fall to my knees and cry out, “My Lord and my God.” I understand Job’s feelings here very well. I was certainly changed by that encounter, as I’m sure Job was by his, but that doesn’t mean I was “made perfect,” any more than Paul was by his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. What did happen was a blow to my pride that I was very much needing. I wish I could say that I’ve never been prideful since, but I continue to grow. I cannot generate such an encounter with God for anyone else, but I can pray that their spiritual eyes be opened, to see themselves and to see God, so that they may indeed repent and believe for their salvation. (Mark 1:15)

Father, thank You for this reminder, and thank You especially for Your totally amazing grace. Thank You for all You are doing in, around, and through us in these days. Thank You for the faith You have been pouring into me, and hopefully, through me to others. I pray that everyone in this church would indeed believe that You are greater than all our weaknesses put together, and You can and will do great things through us for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God our Creator; September 29, 2017

Posted on October 2, 2017 by jgarrott

Job 38:36 “Who endowed the heart with wisdom
or gave understanding to the mind?”

From chapter 38 we have God answering Job, and all the way through the end of chapter 39 it is a succession of rhetorical questions to point out the differences between God and human beings. In other words, God is saying, very gently, “I’m omnipotent and omniscient, and you’re not.” This particular section is about God’s provision of what His creatures need, and this particular verse deals with the very things we are most likely to think are our own, and be proud about them. God is gently pointing out that apart from His gracious provision, we wouldn’t even be self-aware, much less able to investigate the world around us logically and scientifically. That makes it all the more ironic that so many people think that their “science” disproves God! More and more genuinely wise people are realizing that the degree of complexity of the universe absolutely demands a guiding intellect/will, that is, a Creator, because chance couldn’t possibly account for the universe as it is. We don’t like to admit that, because if there is a Creator, His creation is logically accountable to Him, and we don’t want to be accountable to anyone. That is so sad! God’s plans for us, His Creation, are for good and not evil, (Jeremiah 29:11) so submitting to Him in humility, gratitude, and love is the only logical course.

I see so many people rebelling against accountability to God, and it never does them any good. It’s easy for me to recognize because I’ve done it myself! I am not to look down on them or talk down to them, but lift them up by speaking the truth to them in love. I am to remember at all times that everything I have comes from God and so take no personal pride in it, but rather be a good steward of however much wisdom and understanding He allows me to have. In this church we are involved in a far bigger project than we have ever considered before, and the things we don’t know far outnumber the things we do. I am not to pretend knowledge when I’m ignorant, but rather seek God for the sources of the information we need. I am not to try to do things myself when God has someone else in mind for that particular job. I am to remember, at all times and on every level, that nothing is impossible for God, (Luke 1:37, Matthew 17:20)) but I can do nothing apart from Him. (John 15:5)

Father, thank You for this very timely reminder. Help me not just give this intellectual assent, but rather walk it out moment by moment, bringing others along with me, so that together we may be and do all that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God our Teacher; September 28, 2017

Posted on October 2, 2017 by jgarrott

Job 36:22 “God is exalted in his power.
Who is a teacher like him?”

God is indeed the ultimate Teacher, so the question is the caliber of His students. God provides lesson after lesson, but if we react in resentment instead of humility, (verse 13) we don’t profit from those lessons. In great patience and mercy He will send us through a fresh variation of the same training course, but until our response changes, we don’t really grow. God is not mean; He doesn’t pick on us. However, He knows our weak points and He is going to keep working on them until we either learn our lesson or die. Sadly, too many people die rather than “graduate.”

Having taught in school for 38 years at this point, this is an image that really comes home to me. I have had literally thousands of students and they have certainly run the gamut, from real delights to sad frustrations. Native ability is indeed a factor, but the biggest element is attitude. I have had people come into class with the attitude that “You aren’t going to teach me anything,” and they’ve pretty well been right! I have also had students who came into class feeling they were horrible at languages (I teach Medical English and Speech Therapy) and ended up with a good grade and a different self-image. Every year I have students who fail the examination and are retested. Some of them get their act together and pass on the retest, and some get a worse grade on the retest than the original! All of those things happen from people sitting in the same classroom receiving the same instruction from the same teacher. Good or bad, the teacher isn’t the issue. That tells me that God may be the perfect teacher, but to benefit fully I’ve got to grow as a student. As a pastor I deal directly with the issue of other people learning God’s lessons. Time and time again I ask people, “What do you think God is trying to teach you in this?” Even when they give a good answer to that question, they don’t always accept God’s lesson! In my own life there have been many lessons I’ve had to repeat, some more times than I could count! However, as I have grown they have seemed easier, like refresher courses and not like punishment. Sometimes I get into new territory, because I wasn’t ready to learn earlier, rather like needing to master algebra before tackling trigonometry. Instead of panicking at the new material, I need to rejoice that I’ve advanced a grade! Above all, I need to trust my Teacher, knowing that He’s far better at it than I ever could be, and rejoicing to learn and grow as He directs, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word. Thank You for the message You’re giving me for Sunday, on New Things. Thank You for being patient with me until I was ready for what You’re leading us into at this point. Help me never be presumptuous, but follow You boldly in full humility, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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