Doing What God Says; July 14, 2017

Posted on July 19, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 17:5 So he did what the Lord had told him.

This chapter introduces us to Elijah, considered one of the greatest prophets and one who appeared with Moses to talk with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. (Matthew 17:3) The story of Elijah is marked by repeated supernatural provision, particularly of food but also of other things he needed. However, I think this verse gives the key to all that: obedience. There was no humanly logical reason for Elijah to do and say what he did, but he genuinely sought first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, (Matthew 6:33) and God followed through remarkably. We tend to look at things on the basis of our past experience, unable to imagine that things could be different in the future. I think that cuts us off from a great deal the Lord wants to do for and through us. Elijah’s story wasn’t an easy one for him, with danger of death from various quarters, but his commitment was to God in full obedience, and the end result was glorious. We are not to expect, much less demand, that things will be easy, but our focus is to be on God and what He says, trusting that His plans are for our good and His glory. (Jeremiah 29:11)

We are getting into a project that isn’t very big on a global scale, but it’s impossibly big when you consider the size of this church and our past history. As God has pointed out to me very clearly, this project is certainly an impossible one for me and for this church, but that’s all the more reason to believe it is of Him, so that He may receive all the glory. Perhaps my biggest failing to this point has been in the area of sharing the vision with the whole church. I don’t want us to be consumed with this project, but rather focus on God Himself, and like Elijah, do as He says.

Father, thank You indeed for all that You are doing. Thank You for last night’s conference. Help me respond as You want me to so that faith will be built in everyone involved. I have a growing assurance that You are going to use this project to bring many into Your kingdom. I pray that we would not lose anyone along the way, but rather stand against every strategy of the enemy because of our submission and obedience to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Examples; July 13, 2017

Posted on July 18, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 15:11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done.

From here on through the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile we have a succession of bad kings and an occasional good one. Asa was the first really good one after David, and the first good king of Judah after the northern 10 tribes split off. He was actually David’s great-great-grandson. Already Solomon’s great intelligence and wealth are overlooked, because they weren’t the factors that really mattered. Solomon simply enjoyed – and wasted – all that David laid up by his dedication to God. Solomon’s one significant achievement was the building of the temple. By his idolatry with his multiple wives he laid the foundation for great misery down through the centuries, and the writers of Kings recognized that. Asa, on the other hand, is commended for doing what he could to roll back the various abominations of the previous three generations, even having to deal sternly with his own grandmother in the process. (verse 13) We don’t know how he happened to turn out so well, but he is bound to have had someone close to him who taught him about the Lord, probably from a young age. Whether that was his mother or someone else we don’t know; it certainly wasn’t his father. However, God knows, and that person has certainly been rewarded. Throughout the history of Israel and Judah we see a failure to transmit faith from one generation to another. It would appear that fatherhood wasn’t given much thought, other than as a biological function. Even David failed to transmit his faith to his children. The Old Testament is given to us for examples, (1 Corinthians 10:11) but they aren’t necessarily good examples! We need to see what worked and what didn’t, and let the Holy Spirit show us how to live our lives so that we will be good examples for those who follow us.

This, of course, applies as much to me as it does to anyone. I am aware both of physical generations and spiritual generations. I personally have a magnificent heritage in both those areas. I have physical descendants, and many more spiritual descendants, and I am still an example to them. I need to live so that they will be drawn to ever greater devotion and obedience to God, so that the devil will be unable to steal, kill, or destroy that which God has provided.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Someone was talking just yesterday about how they hoped my example would be followed. I pray that my example would be worth following! Keep me from pride and presumption on every level, so that people may indeed see Christ through me and be drawn to their own salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Death; July 12, 2017

Posted on July 14, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 14:12-13 “As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good.”

This story, and this verse in particular, have long stuck in my mind, because this expressly says that the death of a child was a reward to that child. That completely flies in the face of human expectation and understanding. We mourn death in general and the death of a child in particular, but here God is saying that this child would die because he alone in his family was pleasing to God. I would guess that I’ll see that child in heaven, but not any of his family. Our perspective on things is so distorted by our physical frame of reference. We are on this earth to get to know God and to choose to serve Him; absolutely everything else is secondary. We measure our lives in terms of material possessions or power and influence or even accomplishments, when the only thing that ultimately matters is whether we know God. God spoke to Jeremiah very clearly: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24) That’s on the side of things that we view as positive, but it applies to the things we view as negative as well: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) Separation on this earth can be painful, and usually is, for those left behind, but it is a tragedy only if the one who dies does so without having joined the family of God.

One reason this issue is so clear for me is that when my father didn’t wake up from heart surgery a few days after his 64th birthday, my honest first response was, “He won’t have to retire.” He had been dreading being forced to retire and leave Japan, where he had served as a missionary for over half of his life, but God said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come on home.” I missed him drastically, but I never felt God was mean to him. At this point I’ve outlived him by almost five years, but that is a meaningless statistic. What matters is whether I am walking with God, doing what He wants for however long He wants me to be here.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that I don’t have a “bucket list,” but rather a desire to be with You both now and throughout eternity. Thank You for making that possible through Jesus Christ my Lord. I do ask that You enable me to take as many as possible with me, that they too may experience Your salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Results; July 11, 2017

Posted on July 14, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 13:6 Then the king said to the man of God, “Intercede with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and became as it was before.

It is interesting that the man of God in this very dramatic encounter remains anonymous. His words were confirmed on the spot, which satisfied the Mosaic standard for a true prophet. (Deuteronomy 18:22) Of course, Josiah had not yet been born, but that was obviously a future event, and the sign the prophet specified of the altar splitting indeed happened on the spot. Even so, Jeroboam didn’t fear God until he experienced instant paralysis in his own arm, and then we have this verse. You would think that such a dramatic experience would be enough to bring about genuine repentance, but it obviously wasn’t. It’s possible that Jeroboam’s paralysis shocked even the man of God and he feared retribution, prompting him to pray as the king asked. I can’t help but wonder if the results might have been better had he not prayed, letting Jeroboam taste the power of God in his own body a little longer, but we’ll never know the answer to that. In any case, this is a demonstration that external events are often ineffective in bringing about repentance; that is internal, a change of heart that causes a change of action. That’s why you can’t force anyone to repent; they have to do it themselves, under the ministry of the Holy Spirit. (John 16:8-11) We are to speak the truth in love, allowing the Spirit to use our words in our hearers’ hearts, but the results are ultimately up to them.

This issue is very central to my life, because I am dedicated to sharing the good news of salvation in Christ Jesus. I have encountered many who have liked what they heard, but they never followed through with repentance and faith. (Mark 1:15) That’s tragic, but it’s not my responsibility. Like the man of God in this story, I am to be personally obedient, but leave the results up to God. (I also need to take warning from the rest of that man’s story and not let others dupe me into direct disobedience to God!) I am to seek to recognize the opportunities God gives me to sow seed, water, and harvest. Sometimes all I’m doing is preparing the soil! Be that as it may, if I am faithful, the results are God’s business, and I’m to be at peace with that. After all, I can’t see what might happen with those seeds many years down the line!

Father, thank You for the various opportunities You’ve been giving me recently. Help me make full use indeed of each one, so that as many as will may repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

True Religion; July 10, 2017

Posted on July 12, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 12:28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

Jeroboam got advice, but it was entirely humanistic and spat in the face of God. He had logical, human concerns about the loyalty of his people, but his solution was horrible. The fact that it worked, for the most part, is proof of how cultural the people’s religion was. They still weren’t out of the general polytheistic mindset of the age, and certainly didn’t have the image of the omnipotent Creator that Solomon declared at the dedication of the temple. It’s very interesting that Jeroboam chose golden calves as his idols, specifically referencing the exodus, when that was the sort of idol Aaron made while Moses was up on the mountain receiving the Law. The attraction was probably the association of gold with wealth and bulls with virility. Plenty of people today in all nations worship wealth and/or sex! This brings to mind a short movie I watched yesterday that was created by the US to educate American occupation forces in Japan right after WWII. That movie pointed out how the Shinto religion had been hijacked by the militarists as a tool to convince the Japanese people they had a manifest destiny to rule the world, so the task of the occupation was to liberate the people from such twisted thinking. That’s why MacArthur asked for 2000 missionaries (though he only got about 1,000). Religion has been used politically to control people throughout history, which is a total travesty. America, if we read the Founding Fathers correctly, was an attempt to go the other direction, creating a nation that would be appropriate to the worship of the Creator. It was commented that what they came up with was appropriate for a just, moral population, but would fail without that foundation. The problems we have seen and are seeing in America stem precisely from the degradation of that foundation. Today, people who are in rebellion against God won’t rest until their activities aren’t just tolerated but are accepted as normative. Golden calves, anyone?

I have been amazed at the degree to which social norms have changed in my lifetime. Things that would not have been mentioned without horror and/or shame are now regularly presented on TV shows as “completely normal.” In a way I have been complicit, because the Church has failed to stand up against the tide of idolatry and filth – probably because so many church members were attracted to it! I am not to attack people, but I am to stand clearly for what God has laid out for mankind. I am to speak the truth in love and seek to live out that truth in every area of my life. Specifically, when I seek advice I am to be sure it’s Godly, and give the Holy Spirit veto power at every turn. Our plans at this point might seem to have very little to do with morality, but they have a great deal to do with presenting God for who He is. I need to be sure that what we do draws people into God’s kingdom, His family, and doesn’t divert them in any way.

Father thank You for all that You are doing. Thank You for the many reasons to thank and praise You that You pointed out to me yesterday. I pray that all of Your plans, for each individual in this church and for the church as a whole, would be fulfilled on Your schedule in Your way for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Getting Good Advice; July 9, 2017

Posted on July 12, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 12:8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.

This is a classic example of shopping for advisers until you find one who tells you what you want to hear. From our perspective the results were entirely predictable, but we see the same sort of thing all the time, and are prone to do it ourselves. There are other examples scattered throughout the Bible, and not a one of them ends well. Paul refers to the fundamental problem by calling it “itching ears.” (2 Timothy 4:3) Sadly, we see it specifically in the Church today, with people seeking out preachers who won’t confront their sins but rather stroke their flesh. That is tragic indeed. We forget that those God loves, He corrects. (Hebrews 12:5-6, quoting Proverbs 3:11-12) Refusing good advice and always seeking the easy way out is a guaranteed recipe for failure, as Rehoboam demonstrated.

I have no high horse from which to proclaim this, because I’ve fallen into this trap myself. My personal pattern has been not to reject good advice so much as not to seek advice in the first place. That is pride, pure and simple. I am not to take human advice over what God says to me, but I must remember that God often speaks through human instruments. I am to weigh advice under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but not reject advice because it doesn’t agree with my preconceptions. Yesterday, following God’s provision and guidance, I signed a contract for purchasing a plot of land next to the church for us to build an elder-care facility. We are now faced with one decision after another, and we don’t have the background, knowledge or wisdom to make all the right choices. I’ve got to know from whom to seek advice, and then listen in all humility. That said, God is still in control, and my first priority must be to listen to Him. I also need to be sure the members are in the loop, understanding what is going on and being a part of it, so that we may have full ownership. At the same time, this facility must not become “the tail that wags the dog.” We are to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and treat this facility as no more than a tool to that end.

Father, yesterday it started to hit me how many decisions and choices will have to be made. It’s rather intimidating! Thank You that You do care and You do guide. Help me not fear any of this, but also not be presumptive or know-it-all. I do ask for good counselors, not just about the building but especially about operations and finances. I don’t know how much to charge residents, how many employees we need, or how much to pay them. I know that if I am proud, I will fail and do considerable damage to people’s image of the Church and of You. May I be fully obedient to Your Spirit, so that all of Your purposes, not just for this project but for this church and for me personally, may be fulfilled in Your way for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Following God’s Plans; July 8, 2017

Posted on July 11, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 11:38 “If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you.”

Don’t you know Jeroboam was blown out of the water by this prophecy! The problem was, just like we all tend to do, Jeroboam focused on the promises and overlooked the conditions. He was obviously a man of great ability and potential, but he tried to figure out how to make all this happen humanly speaking, instead of inquiring of God as to His plan of action. One wonders how history would have changed had he been more like David spiritually, recognizing his utter dependence on God and acting accordingly. However, he had never known David personally, so the references to David in the prophecy just made him think of military victories and the like, from the stories he had heard. Much like King Saul, he doesn’t seem to have had a personal relationship with the God of Israel. Having received a personal prophecy of this magnitude, he probably figured that he was fixed for life, and didn’t have to worry about anything. Like Solomon, he is a case history of how not to respond to the blessings of God. The Bible has a lot of those! We are back to Paul’s admonition: “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12) The minute we think we’re OK in our own strength, we are in grave danger. When we are submitted and obedient to God we indeed have nothing to be anxious about, but thinking we can go it on our own puts us on the edge of the tallest of cliffs.

This is something we all need to be reminded of from time to time. Right now it looks like things are falling into place for the elder-care facility we want to build, but the hazards and pitfalls are myriad, and I know I don’t have the skills to navigate through successfully. That knowledge may be my biggest strength! In the first place, the finances involved are huge, compared to the history of this church, not to mention my own personal history. I know that God is never at a loss for money, and “Where God guides, He provides.” However, if I am presumptive, I won’t receive that provision. I know that organizational and administrative skills that I don’t have are called for, both in the planning and the operation of the facility. I am to seek God at every turn, not simply to know what I am to do but more importantly, whom to ask to do what I cannot. I have a life history of attempting anything at all on my own, with varying degrees of success. This project is too important, and affects too many people, for me to let my pride get in the way. As Don Moen’s song says, “God will make a way where there seems to be no way.” However, if I try to make my own way, I will miss His.

Father, thank You for this very timely Word. I go this morning to sign the contract to purchase the land. That’s a major step, but it’s just one of very many. Help me be humble before You to recognize each step in turn, not trying to run ahead or lag behind, but listening obediently to You. May all of Your plans for this facility and for this church be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory, drawing many into Your kingdom for their salvation. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Genuine Wisdom; July 7, 2017

Posted on July 11, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 11:4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

Here we have the incredible stupidity that for me negates all of the wisdom for which Solomon was so famous. I get stirred up and angry every time I read this passage. What on earth is one man doing with 1,000 women in the first place!? The writer here pulls no punches, talking about how God had expressly forbidden the Israelites to take wives from specific idolatrous nations, for exactly what brought Solomon down: they would lead them into idolatry. When Solomon spoke such an exalted concept of God the Creator at the dedication of the temple, it is mind boggling that he would descend into idolatry with any god, much less the truly detestable gods of the nations from which he chose women. The passage repeatedly uses the word “love” in describing Solomon’s relationship with his wives and concubines, but I certainly wouldn’t dignify it with that word. After 48 years of a blessed marriage, I can’t see how Solomon had anything remotely approaching what I have. No wonder he became so bitter, as comes out in Ecclesiastes! He could have avoided that tragedy had he followed the instructions in Proverbs, that supposedly includes a lot of material he himself wrote: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) Solomon trusted in his own understanding, and so was quickly deceived. He failed to hold the Word of the Lord as an absolute standard against which to judge everything else, and so fell horribly.

I may have something of a fixation with Solomon because I have a high IQ, and he is such an example of how that can go horribly wrong. The interesting thing is, I’ve got to be careful not to be proud of my humility! I have certainly not been the steward I could have been of all that God has placed in me, but by God’s amazing grace He has kept me from going the way of Solomon. It wasn’t so many years ago that He finally got through to me that He’s smart and I’m not, rather than my simply being a lot less smart than He is. My intellect is simply on a different plane from His, and there can be no comparison. As He told Isaiah, it’s on the order of the distance from here to another galaxy, versus going down to the corner store. (Isaiah 55:8-9) I have got to go by what He says, rather than simply what seems “reasonable” to me. I am frequently asked for advice and counsel by various people. I am not to ignore what I have learned over years of walking with the Lord, but I still am not to rely on what I have already been given, but rather seek God for right now. He will not violate His Word, but He may well apply it in ways that would never occur to me, and His way is always best.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the person who came for counsel and comfort last night, and for what You did in that time. It certainly wasn’t anything I did! Help me be available to You at all times, allowing You to take me by the hand and lead me to do Your will, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dealing with Wealth; July 6, 2017

Posted on July 7, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 10:1 When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.

This story is a Hollywood favorite, because it has all the themes they like to use. I’m not sure how many movies have actually been made of it, but for movies with a Biblical source, it’s probably second only to the Exodus. However, Hollywood dwells on the wealth and the sex, and not on what this first verse says. (There is a strong tradition that one of the things Solomon gave her that she asked for (verse 13) was an heir, who became the progenitor of Ethiopian Jews.) This verse, however, talks about Solomon’s “relation to the name of the Lord.” What Solomon had prayed for the temple was definitely coming to pass. It was evident that all of Solomon’s wisdom and glory were from the Lord, but he clearly got distracted by all the glitter and forgot where it came from. Having no limits (Ecclesiastes 2:10) isn’t good for human beings! We have the secular proverb that “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I don’t know if we would say that Solomon was absolutely corrupted, but he certainly did himself in by focusing on the flesh, on the things of this world. Paul got it right when he said, “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) That’s the way to true joy and satisfaction, rather than the nihilistic dead end that Solomon found.

I’ve never had to deal with great wealth. The joke says, “I’d like to give it a try,” but I’m not so sure I would. There have been times when more money would definitely have made things easier for me, but I’m not sure easier would have been better in the long run. I’m dealing with someone right now who has never had any financial worries, and frankly, I feel sorry for them. Their view of life and of people is definitely skewed, and not for the better. The constraints of age are upon them, and they can’t grasp that money won’t fix it, nor should it. Right now as a church we are in the position of God pouring out funds to us for something He wants us to do, but the money is just numbers. I need to be sure it stays that way! I don’t know where all the necessary funds are going to come from, but I have great peace and assurance that they will be there when needed. My task is to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, (Matthew 6:33) and not be distracted by the tools I am given to that end.

Father, thank You for this very timely reminder. This church, and frankly, Cathy and I, are known for our relation to You. May our actions and words consistently be as You desire, drawing people to You and giving You glory, so that many may come from death to life, in a chain reaction that will impact the city, the nation, and the world. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

One with the Lord; July 5, 2017

Posted on July 7, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 8:61 “But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

Once again we have clear proof that being the instrument for speaking God’s truth doesn’t necessarily mean you do it. Solomon spoke the conditions for continuing to receive the blessings of God, but then he didn’t fulfill those conditions himself. One phrase in this summation is translated differently in the NIV and the Japanese, and it is the key to the whole issue. Where the NIV says “your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord,” the Japanese says, “Your hearts must be totally one with the Lord.” I can understand how those could each be a good translation of one original, but the Japanese brings to mind Jesus’ words in the Upper Room, where He talked repeatedly about our being in Him and Him being in us, using the metaphor of a grape vine. (John 15:1-10) Then in His final prayer in the Upper Room He doubled down on the issue, praying for succeeding generations of believers with the words, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21) That’s what “one heart with the Lord” is all about. That does require consistent choice on our part, which is why “fully committed” isn’t a bad translation. God supplies His Spirit to indwell us and transform us into the likeness of His Son, (Romans 8:29) but we must choose to yield ourselves to Him, to receive and operate in the unity He desires of us and offers to us. To the degree we do that, walking in all He has said to us, we will enjoy the totality of His blessings.

This is as true of me as it is of anyone. As a preacher, speaking the Word of the Lord regularly, I have the huge temptation to feel that because I’ve said it I’m doing it. If only it were that simple! The words of my mouth are important, (Romans 10:9-10) but words without action are empty. (James 2:14) I must choose to draw near to my Lord, not just daily but continuously. I don’t want to be like Solomon, who squandered the riches of God by feeling he deserved them. I’ve got to walk in constant awareness of my total dependence on God, staying focused on Him so that His Spirit may flow through me and His power be manifested in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) We are in intense spiritual warfare right now, so this is of utmost importance. I know that He who is in me is greater than all the forces that are against me, (1 John 4:4) but I’ve got to abide in Him for His victory to be manifested fully in and through me.

Father, thank You for this very timely reminder. Thank You that the real estate agent agreed to sell us all three building plots, just as we had prayed. The devil is not at all happy that Your plans for us are proceeding, and he’s doing all he can to mess with us. Help us keep our focus on You and on what’s really going on, so that we won’t attack one another by mistake. May we not be deceived into using fleshly tools in the battle, but rather let Your truth flow through us all in love, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment