The Zeal of God; August 3, 2017

Posted on August 6, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Kings 19:31 The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

“Zeal” is expressed in Japanese as “hot heart.” There are real risks to thinking of God anthropomorphically, as though He had a physical body like ours, but we have difficulty thinking of Him any other way. God doesn’t have a heart in the sense of a blood-pumping organ, but in another way he is all heart, because He is love. (1 John 4:8) One of the things about God that is so remarkable to human intellect is that He cares. After all, why would the Creator of the entire universe care about such insignificant beings as we are? There are mysteries of time and dimension that cannot be explained even by string theory, which to our intellect makes God unknowable, but from His side He has revealed Himself to us in various ways and given us the gift of faith by which we may know Him. Insisting on being able to figure everything out is pride, and that drives us farther from Him. That’s why Jesus said that we have to come as little children before we can see, much less enter, the kingdom of heaven. (Luke 18:16-17) Like little children, we need to trust Daddy. That’s not to say that we are to turn off the brains God has given us. That’s a frequent accusation made against those who live by faith and not by sight, (2 Corinthians 5:7) and some people do seem to use “faith” as an excuse to throw common sense out the window. We are to exercise all the gifts God has given us, intellectual and otherwise, but we must remember that they are ultimately not enough. We have to choose to trust that God’s “hot heart” is going to accomplish everything necessary for our salvation.

We are certainly in a time of training in faith and trust. Had yesterday’s conference taken place a year ago, we would not be embarked on our current project. As it is, we are being reminded not to trust in any human instrument but in God alone. In a number of ways we are feeling around in the dark, but as it says in a song by my friend Chu Kosaka, “Jesus is the Light; He’s shining in the darkness, and you know that He’ll lead you.” It’s not that we aren’t to plan, but that we are to submit our plans to Him and be at peace with whatever changes He makes. The more that we are aware that we are unable, the more we are to rejoice that He is more than able. He has made it clear in various ways that this is His plan, and we are to be faithful in our obedience so that all of His purposes for His plan may be fulfilled.

Father, thank You for making it clear that You, and no human individual, are our supply. Help us trust Your “hot heart” to accomplish all that You intend, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God-centered Prayer; August 2, 2017

Posted on August 4, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Kings 19:19 “Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”

Somewhere in the centuries from David to Hezekiah, monotheism took root. David certainly had a grasp of it, but it was in a very polytheistic context. Hezekiah has just said that it was no wonder the Assyrians were able to destroy the gods of other countries because they were “only wood and stone, fashioned by men’s hands.” (verse 18) Here he’s asking God for deliverance, not for the sake of Judah but to demonstrate that God is who He really is. It’s no wonder God delighted to answer that prayer! Even today we get far better results when we pray because of who God is, rather than because of what we happen to want. Self-centered prayer is extremely common. I don’t think it’s bad, but I think it’s the lowest level of prayer. We grow spiritually when we pray for others on the basis of who God is, and not just to make ourselves look good. It does feel very good when God grants what we ask for, but if we treat that like a merit badge, we lose the real benefit. Hezekiah gives us an example of what God-centered prayer looks like, and we do well to emulate it.

I am often asked to pray in public situations, precisely because prayer is as natural to me as breathing. However, any time I take pride in that, my prayer ceases to be genuine. Jesus had strong words for those who pray to be seen and heard by people. (Matthew 6:5-6) I am not to hesitate to pray in the presence of others, because I often experience people being blessed by the words that come from my mouth, but my focus must be on God, first and foremost, even more than on the situation about which I am praying. Like Hezekiah, my concern should be that people would know God for who He is and so give Him the love and glory He alone deserves. If I am focused on what I want out of the situation, my prayer is blunted at the very least.

Father, I am often brought back to how Jesus taught us to pray. I do ask that Your name be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done perfectly, in every part of my life, in every part of this church, and throughout the world, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Naysayers; August 1, 2017

Posted on August 3, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Kings 18:30 “Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.'”

Those who come against people who are following God will even use the name of the Lord in their attacks. Earlier this commander had claimed specifically that the Lord had told him to destroy Judah. (verse 25) That shouldn’t be surprising, when the devil quoted Scripture in his temptation of Jesus. (Luke 4:9-11) This calls for discernment, certainly, but we should neither be conceited nor despairing. Conceit would lead us to insist that only we can hear from God, (when in fact, God will sometimes speak to us through our enemies) while despair would lead us to think we can’t be sure of anything at all, and cut us off from any stability. We are to be aware of God’s many promises of guidance, supply, and everything else we need, and focus on Him in assurance and peace. Frankly, that’s much easier said than done! We are always in the process of spiritual growth; none of us can claim to have arrived. However, like Paul we are to act on what we know from where we are, (Philippians 3:12-14) allowing God to grow us as we choose to follow Him.

This is certainly where we are right now. Those who have spoken against our current plans aren’t our enemies as such, they just have grave reservations about the validity of those plans. I need to hear and act on their concerns without letting their negativity pull the whole thing apart. This is indeed a project that is beyond us, far outside of my experience and expertise, certainly. That’s actually part of my assurance that this is God’s idea, because only He can bring it about. I need to be methodical and not haphazard, checking things off rather than just assuming they will happen. I need to seek out those who have relevant knowledge and experience, but at the same time listen to them through the filter of faith, rather than simply swallowing what they say. The flip side of that is that there are numbers of people who are cheering us on, but they don’t have knowledge or experience either. As I said to begin with, this calls for discernment, so I’ve got to ask God for that. As the song says, “He didn’t bring us this far to leave us.”

Father, thank You for all You continue to do in, around, and through us. Help me not neglect the fruit of the Spirit (which the devil tries to tell us are little things) because of being preoccupied with what needs to be done. Help me remember that the only things I can take with me to heaven are souls, and so focus on drawing as many as possible into Your family, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Idolatrous Traditions; July 31, 2017

Posted on August 3, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)

We don’t know Hezekiah’s history before he became king, except that he didn’t ascend to the throne until he was 25. Perhaps that gave him a little more maturity than some of his predecessors. In any case, he was dedicated to the Lord rather than to tradition, and that is something we certainly need to emulate even today. Verse 5 says he trusted the Lord and verse 6 says he obeyed all the laws of Moses, so he certainly didn’t throw the baby out with the bath water. However, it took a lot of courage to destroy the bronze snake Moses had made, in addition to destroying all the other objects of folk religion that were leading the people astray. In some ways that would be equivalent to attacking the liberal agenda today, that has led so many people away from the principles on which America was founded. That should give an indication of the level of resistance Hezekiah probably encountered. Genuinely following God takes courage, sometimes toward enemies but sometimes toward the people you are leading. The matter of the bronze snake stands out here. There were doubtless logical, pious protests against its destruction, but Hezekiah recognized that it was an object that had come to be worshiped, and that by definition made it an idol. I preached not long ago on “Idols of the Heart,” and I don’t need to repeat that here. We are all too prone to let things, be they objects, people, or traditions, usurp the place in our hearts and minds that belongs only to God. Hezekiah was right on.

It’s interesting that this is coming up again right now. I need to be careful that the land next to the church isn’t an idol in my own thinking, since we have desired it for 19 years now. I need to be careful that the approval of people isn’t a higher priority in my heart than the approval of God. I need to be alert to anything that pulls my heart, my devotion, away from God, especially those things that seem admirable or even pious in themselves. For example, my daily devotional time is meaningful only as it connects me to my Lord. When it becomes a goal in and of itself, it is impinging on “idol” territory. I want my life and this church to be dedicated to Christ alone, and not be distracted by anything else.

Father, You know me better than I know myself. You know my genuine priorities better than I do. Keep me dedicated to You and Your kingdom and righteousness, not pulled away by anything else. May we as a church walk in total obedience, allowing You to use us however You please, drawing many into Your kingdom for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Who or What You Follow; July 30, 2017

Posted on August 2, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Kings 17:15 They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless.

This one part of this one verse speaks volumes, not only about the 10 Northern tribes but about the human condition in general. The Bible warns us in many places about the dangers of association. We end up being like those we choose to associate with. This passage is talking about spiritual association, which we often don’t even think about. The devil would have us believe that all religions are the same, but even logically speaking that’s not true. In the past year a famous British atheist has angered his atheist friends by coming out and declaring that the only real answer to the horrors of militant Islam is genuine Christianity. He claims to believe in no god, but even he can see that it makes a huge difference what God you choose to follow. Actually this doesn’t apply just to formal religion. Hedonists are exposed for the emptiness of their pursuit of pleasure, and financially greedy people bring spiritual ruin on themselves. (1 Timothy 6:10) It all comes back to the reality that our choices have consequences. Free will is genuine, even though God sees the end from the beginning and so knows what choices we are going to make. Some people insist that we are not free, since if we weren’t free we would bear no responsibility for our actions, but that is a lie of the devil to persuade us to make wrong choices. God has given us the Bible to help us understand what the right choices are, and to understand the consequences of wrong choices, as this passage does. The logical choice is obviously to follow God’s Word!

I am an illustration of the truth that simply having the Bible, and even knowing the Bible, doesn’t guarantee that we follow the Bible. I have been steeped in the Bible since before my birth, and first read through it by the age of 10. However, at various times in my life I have chosen to do things that a genuinely objective observer would recognize immediately were in violation of the Bible. By God’s grace He has enabled me to repent and return to Him, but I can attest from personal experience to the truth of this passage. As I strive to follow Christ (which is the opposite of what this passage is talking about) I also seek to draw others with me in following Him. I don’t want to be worthless, and I don’t want those around me to be worthless either. So many people have a poor self-image, but if they follow the One, who alone is worth more than everything else put together, they understand the value He has assigned to them.

Father, I am faced with this constantly. Help me indeed draw others to follow Christ as I follow Him myself, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Getting Things Done; July 29, 2017

Posted on August 1, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Kings 12:6 But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple.

This is a very interesting and practical story about how to get things done. The priests felt the temple was their property, so they should be in charge of the repair. However, they weren’t craftsmen, they were priests, and either through corruption or simple incompetence, the work never got done, regardless of how much money was thrown at the problem. That situation is still very common today, in churches, companies, and especially government. In this story, once the funds were properly directed to those who knew how to get the job done, they followed through faithfully. Verse 13 indicates that previously the funds had been used for peripheral things that pleased the priests, rather than the more fundamental things that needed to be given priority. That shows that in any organization there needs to be a clear vision, both of goals and how to get there. Without such a vision, very little forward progress is made.

This certainly applies to me! I have had difficulties with this issue for most of my ministry. Our ultimate vision, of Omura again being the foremost Christian city in the nation, is magnificent and worthy, but at the same time it is nebulous. I haven’t had much success in bringing that down in practical terms to what we are to do right now. Our current project of creating an elder-care facility is much more concrete, and actually is right in line with our vision, because a Christian city will have many such Christian institutions. We have members who are struggling to grasp that the kingdom of God is more than churches, so they can’t see how the elder-care facility will help this local church. I need to help them understand both that it will indeed help this church and that the kingdom of God involves all of society, so this would be worth doing even if it didn’t help the church directly. That said, we need to be very careful that the funds involved go to those who know what needs to be done and will be honest in follow-through. (verse 15) God will supply, but we are responsible as stewards.

Father, thank You for all that You are doing, both around us and in us. May we learn the lessons You have for us, however You give them to us, so that we will grow as faithful servants, children who are pleasing to our Father. Thank You. Praise God!

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Recovering from Mistakes; July 28, 2017

Posted on August 1, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Kings 8:4 The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, “Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.”

Sometimes the Old Testament narrative leaves questions about chronology. It seems possible or even probable that later editing put some things out of sequence. My impression from this story is that it would have happened after the death of Elisha, but Elisha appears again immediately following this. We also have the question of Gehazi and his leprosy. (2 Kings 5:27) It seems unlikely that he would have been talking to the king like this had he been thought to be contagious. All of that aside, it is significant that the simple fact that he had been associated with Elisha was sufficient to get Gehazi an audience with the king, at the king’s pleasure. We deal with the consequences of our actions, but blessings also linger, sometimes to a surprising degree. Gehazi benefited from his service to Elisha longer and in ways that I’m sure he hadn’t imagined when he started that service. He made mistakes and suffered for them, but that didn’t mean God was through with him. Peter is, of course, the outstanding example of that in the New Testament. The devil tries to tell us that once we’ve stumbled we’re done for, when nothing could be further from the truth. Often it is those who are painfully aware of their own human weaknesses who are humble enough to be used mightily by God.

I’ve made my share of mistakes, and the devil has certainly been true to his lying nature toward me about them. It has been as I have believed and accepted God’s forgiveness and cleansing that I have been liberated from besetting sins. (2 Peter 1:9) As a pastor I have yet to deal with any perfect people! We indeed stray from God’s perfect plan for us, but like a GPS that recalculates after we miss a turn, God always has the best possible plan for us from where we are right now. That plan will always involve blessing and serving others and drawing closer to God. I need not only to teach that but also to remember it in my own life, and rejoice. God has told me personally to rest, relax, and rejoice. The biggest thing standing in the way of that is me! As my assistant pastor preached this past Sunday, joy is a choice. I need to choose peace and joy through choosing obedience, and vice versa. God can always use me, and I need to look forward to it.

Father, life is filled with frustrations of various sorts, but You warned us about that. (John 16:33) Help me indeed rejoice in Christ Jesus my Lord, whatever my immediate circumstances look like. Help me always seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness (Matthew 6:33) so that I will be available for however You want to use me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Prophecies and Faith; July 27, 2017

Posted on July 31, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Kings 7:2 The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?”
“You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!”

This story is a somewhat stark illustration of the dangers of unbelief. Humanly speaking, this man’s unbelief is entirely understandable. A prophecy of normal prices for food the next day, when the inhabitants of Samaria were literally starving to death because of the siege, certainly sounded like a fantasy. However, the person expressing it was Elisha, a prophet with a very solid track record. Rather than rejoicing at the grace and mercy of God, this man belittled the messenger, and it ended up costing him his life. (verses 19-20) Paul tells us to “not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21) We aren’t to accept every prophecy blindly, but we certainly aren’t to treat them with contempt. The KJV says, “Despise not prophesyings.” I have known people who turned off the minute someone started prophesying, and that’s dangerous. It’s true that I’ve heard people speaking out of their own imaginations and calling it prophecy, and the Bible is loaded with examples of false prophecies. However, there is a real difference between letting the Holy Spirit illuminate what you hear to help you “spit out the bones,” and “throwing the baby out with the bath water.” There is no shortage of prophecies today, and the Internet allows them to be spread widely. We are to be discerning, but not unbelieving.

This is very close to home for me since I’ve been used to deliver quite a few prophecies over the years, even though that’s not a significant part of my ministry today. The thing that stands out to me in this particular story is the risk of unbelief. We have had several people leave this church over the years because they couldn’t believe God was going to provide and bless us. Their departure was painful for us, but I think they suffered more. Fortunately, none of them were trampled to death that I know of! We are once again in a situation that what God seems to be indicating is far too big, far too grand for us, and some people seem to be having a “faith crisis.” I am not to put them down, but rather encourage them gently. I am not to be blind and foolish, but I am not to let their struggles with faith be contagious. I am to speak the truth in love at all times, letting the Lord use me to open their eyes to the magnificence of His grace, while being faithfully obedient in all that He says I am to do in following His plan.

Father, thank You for what You did yesterday. It was enormously encouraging! I still have no clear idea of how You are going to provide the funds for what You are telling us to do, but I have more and more assurance that it is going to happen. May we all follow You together, not leaving anyone behind, so that our love for each other may be a powerful testimony of Your reality, for the salvation of many. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Numbers; July 26, 2017

Posted on July 31, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Kings 6:16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

This is a story and a verse that I have liked for longer than I can remember. It certainly brings to mind what John said: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) We like to be on the stronger side! It has been said that “One plus God is a Majority,” which is true enough, but our faith often has trouble getting to that assurance. One of the strongest Biblical lessons on that point is that of Gideon. God reduced the numbers of those who were with him again and again because they were too many for God alone to get the credit that He deserved. (Judges 7:2-7) We tend to be very dependent emotionally on what we can confirm physically, whether it is numbers of people or numbers in a bank book. One of the lessons that is repeated throughout the Bible is that such things are never the final answer. If our focus is on God’s kingdom and His righteousness, then He takes care of all the rest. (Matthew 6:33)

We are certainly in the middle of a practicum on this very point. This church is embarking on a project that will cost close to a million dollars, when we don’t have much more than $10,000 in the bank. That’s certainly no problem for God, but it stretches our faith big time! The question is not how much we have on hand, but simply what God wants us to do. It has been said, very rightly, that “Where God guides, He provides.” Where we are right now in planning is deciding the level of care we will be offering in the elder-care facility we will build, because everything else will flow from that. I’ve got to do the research called for, but most of all be open to hear what God is saying. We can’t count on His provision if we aren’t being obedient! This is a major lesson in faith for all of the believers here, and a massive testimony to many in this city. I am to walk in assurance without presumption, which is certainly going to take the help of the Holy Spirit, because I can’t do it on my own. I am to look for, and look forward to, what God is doing, and stay in step with Him.

Father, these are exciting times. Thank You that I now have a ballpark estimate on the cost of the building, so that I can approach potential donors. Some I feel I am to approach are too old to consider lending us money, because they wouldn’t live to the payment date. I would be thrilled with offerings that would make loans unnecessary, but You know how You want to work this. Help me walk in peace, wherever Your road takes us, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Living Out What We Say; July 25, 2017

Posted on July 27, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Kings 5:20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

Gehazi would be a comedic figure if the consequences of his stupidity weren’t so severe. He had just seen that God was able to do anything, but his greed completely took his focus off of God. It is rather deliciously ironic that this records him using the stock phrase of the day, “As surely as the Lord lives,” even as he was thinking of ignoring the Lord and providing for himself. He wasn’t acting like he believed the Lord was alive! His behavior reminds me of those in valid Christian ministries who have embezzled funds, or of Judas, who did the same even as one of Jesus’ 12 apostles. (John 12:4-6) We are back to Jesus’ statement that “No-one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24) Gehazi was seeking material things rather than the kingdom of God. (Matthew 6:33) God did actually use him again later on, (2 Kings 8:1-6) after he had had time to repent and realize that God was real after all. However, I don’t think we want to use him as an example to follow!

I would perhaps laugh at Gehazi if I hadn’t been equally stupid at times. Like him, I have spoken of the omnipotence and benevolence of God and then turned around and acted like those things weren’t real. In the current situation I have allowed myself to get tied in knots emotionally, while at the same time proclaiming that God’s plans are good and nothing is impossible for Him. How foolish! God in His grace allows me to speak His Word fairly frequently, but if I fail to appropriate that Word myself and live it out, it does me no good personally, whatever it does in those who hear it through me. I must not deceive myself, (James 1:22) but live out all that I know of God’s Word.

Father, You are indeed doing marvelous things in, around, and through us. I know the devil is going to keep trying to rob me of peace and joy through the bumps in the road along the way. Thank You for Your Word through Takahiro on Sunday that joy is a choice. May I consistently choose Your joy, Your peace, exercising the faith You provide, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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