Youth; August 28, 2017

Posted on August 31, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 34:3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, carved idols and cast images.

We really have very little emotional grasp of what life was like back then. Current life expectancy in developed countries would have been unimaginable to them, because there were so many ways to die. Josiah himself died in battle at 39. That was all the more reason to get an early start on life! Since they made him king when he was 8, after his father was assassinated, the 8th year of his reign was when he was 16, which the writer acknowledges was still young. When we think about the activities of 16-year-olds today, this is all the more impressive! With considerable wisdom he waited four more years before making his move to rid Judah of idolatry, but the course was set at 16. There are many impressive young people today, but in general we expect too little of them, especially in matters of faith, and so fail to challenge them to be and do all that they can be for God. Teenagers have impacted the world in various ways down through the centuries. In a negative way, many of the members of the notorious MS13 gang are even in their early teens. For the most part they were sucked in by their need to belong, to be accepted as part of something, which is often acute at that age. Those caught in that net have not been given the acceptance and sense of purpose they needed by adults with a firm grasp of morality, and the results are tragic. We need to accept and value young people as they are right now, challenging them to be all they can be. We never know when we will encounter another Josiah!

Thinking back, I was still 16 when I started college, and I made a lot of decisions around then that have impacted my life ever since. Some of those decisions were good and some not, but most of the adults around me weren’t really aware of the decisions at the time I made them. Even so, I had a far more supportive environment than most young people, I think. Right now I have very little interaction with anyone under 18, but a man in this church is wanting to get a ministry to teenagers going, and I need to be fully supportive of that. I need to help people “remember their Creator in the days of their youth,” (Ecclesiastes 12:1) so that they may make the best use of their lives, however long they might be.

Father, when we are so involved in planning for an elder-care facility, this isn’t something that’s been very big on my radar. Thank You for bringing it to my attention. I pray that the middle school/high school ministry would indeed catch fire and many young people be born again, to live their whole lives – and throughout eternity – as Your children, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Listening to God; August 27, 2017

Posted on August 31, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 33:10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.

This is a very sad statement that could be repeated many times about many different people. The idea that the Creator would indeed care about and speak to His creation seems absurd to many. Even such minds as Einstein, while seeing that the complexity of the universe demanded a Creator, couldn’t bring themselves to accept a genuinely personal God. The thing is, so long as we think He’s impersonal we think we can get by with ignoring Him. If He genuinely cares, as the Bible insists He does, then we are personally accountable to Him, and many people don’t like that. However, if we refuse accountability, then we are also refusing salvation: you can’t have it both ways. Either God doesn’t care, or we are responsible to listen and obey. Just as it was with King Manasseh, God in His mercy will allow circumstances that cause us to recognize our dependence on Him and cry out to Him, but how we respond is ultimately up to us.

God has indeed spoken to me many times and in many ways, but I haven’t always listened. As the Bible says, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” (Hebrews 1:1-2) He has spoken to me through various individuals, through reading the Bible, and even directly. My response has sometimes been good, but I feel it has at best been incomplete. I find myself thinking about what Jesus said: “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” (Luke 17:10) I can’t even say I’ve done everything I was told to do! I desire to listen accurately to God, but all sorts of things seem to get in the way. I need to remember that God is greater than any or all of those obstacles, and rest in the assurance that He will guide me. Right now I find myself second-guessing my own decisions, and the devil is attacking my mind with doubt. I need to remember that God is greater than my weaknesses, and He can and will use even my mistakes for blessing and for His glory. (Romans 8:28) His Spirit in me is greater than the devil! (1 John 4:4)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Resting, relaxing, and rejoicing in You can be difficult at times! Help me let go and trust You fully, with the little things and the big things, so that I may be fully obedient, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Active Obedience; August 26, 2017

Posted on August 27, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 31:21 In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.

This passage gives us a glimpse of the duties of the Levites that I don’t recall seeing anywhere else. When people were bringing their offerings of foodstuffs to the temple, that in turn had to be distributed to all the priests and Levites who were eligible to receive it, and here we have a listing of who did what. However, the key element in all of this is expressed in this verse. Hezekiah got it all set up and running properly because he sought God first and foremost. (It’s interesting that where the NIV says, “he pros­pered,” the Japanese says, “he met his goal.”) Seeking God and working wholeheartedly are certainly the keys to success! We seek God because we know we can’t do it on our own, but we work wholeheartedly in service and obedience to Him. Too often we either fail to seek Him in the first place, trying to accomplish things in our own strength and wisdom, or else we become passive, expecting Him to do it all without our participation. Neither course works! We need to remember, and believe, what Jesus said: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) At the same time, we need to follow Paul’s admonition: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” (Colossians 3:23) The wisdom and power are God’s, but we are often called to participate.

This is something I have tried to operate by for quite a few years now, but I can’t say I always succeed. Right now is certainly more training in it. I can’t do or provide what is needed on my own, but that doesn’t mean I’m to be passive. It can be very hard to balance the demands of the larger project with all the little details of my life apart from that project. I’ve got to remember that though I can’t keep it straight, God can, and so make listening to Him my first priority. That of course fits perfectly with what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 about seeking first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. I’ve got to remember that it’s His Church and His world and His plan, and commit myself to humble, joyful participation as He directs.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for what You enabled us to get done yesterday. Keep me from the poison of resentment about anything I am called on to do. May I indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me to do, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Tithing; August 25, 2017

Posted on August 27, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 31:10 Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok, answered, “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the Lord has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.”

When God’s people get right with Him, the blessings are abundant. What was brought to the temple was simply a proportional representation of the blessings to the whole nation. That they returned to the Lord genuinely and in large numbers is indicated by verse one of this chapter, when it speaks of the people continuing the destruction of idols as they went back to their homes. They had encountered Yahweh in truth, and they weren’t going to abide that trash any more. The flip side of that is that they were instructed in tithing, and they followed through. Over the years I have encountered many people who resented tithing, and/or insisted that it was just for Old Testament times. In a sense they are right: in the New Testament, everything belongs to God! A tithe is simply a reminder that God is the source of everything; it’s more for our sake than His. As comes out here, it is also God’s plan for supplying the needs of the priests and Levites, which in New Testament terms would be the pastor and church staff. (verse 4) When God’s people are in right relationship with Him, the Church never lacks for supplies.

I was taught tithing from childhood, but somewhere along the line it went by the wayside. Sometime around the birth of our second daughter in 1973, I started to feel under conviction about that. We were in a very tight situation financially, so much so that Medicaid paid for the c-section and related care. Cathy and I knew we should tithe, but we never had a tenth left over at the end of the month. Finally we decided to trust God enough to give a tithe as soon as the money came in. What do you know, we even had a little left over at the end of the month! We have tithed faithfully ever since, and though we have had somewhat tight periods, our needs have always been met. This church has also been pretty good at giving, particularly considering the size and financial status of the congregation. I don’t receive net income from the church when you consider what I give, but as a matter of principle I receive a tithe of the general offerings. The only real way to increase that is to increase the number of members. That’s not a very good motive for evangelism, but it’s a fact of life. Right now we are involved in a project that couldn’t be internally financed even if every member liquidated all they have. That’s a good reminder that God isn’t limited by our weaknesses. As God supplies, however He does it, I need to keep the church’s focus on Him rather than on the finances. Frankly, that’s not so easy even for me. I need to lift my own eyes to Him, even as I have been telling others to do for many years, and rest, relax, and rejoice in Him.

Father, thank You for all You are allowing us to experience. Help us learn all that You want to teach us in this, as well as be faithful to fulfill the part that You have for us to play, so that all of Your plans for us may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Unity in Obedience; August 24, 2017

Posted on August 26, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 30:12 Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.

Genuine unity comes from God. We know from Jesus’ high-priestly prayer (John 17) that unity among God’s people is His desire and design, so we should seek it with assurance. In this particular instance, God directed the king and his officials, and the people had unity in doing what they were told. Often in churches we have people who say, “Well God didn’t tell me that,” and there is a rupture in unity. That’s one of the problems with democratic church government. Of course, the flip side of that is the problem of church leadership that isn’t listening to God. As our Scripture for the Year proclaims, we are indeed all priests and kings (1 Peter 2:9), but God does set shepherds over His flock. (Ephesians 4:11-13) As Paul says, a major purpose of such shepherds is to lead the flock into unity of faith and purpose. The devil hates such unity and will use every trick at his disposal to thwart it, so we’ve got to be on our guard. Every one of the devil’s weapons is a lie, but the flip side of that is that lies are his greatest weapon, because we are so gullible. To maintain unity we have to stand on the truth of God, and thus be set free from the lies of the devil. (John 8:32)

Right now we are involved in a major project, and the devil is coming at me in a full-court press. I can name several missionaries who got involved in real-estate-related projects whose work has seemed to peter out into nothing, and I am being told I’m doing the same thing. However, this wasn’t something I wanted to do in the first place, and I see too many things coming together to not see God’s hand in it. At the same time, I see huge challenges/obstacles, and frankly, I’m tired. One factor is that the Lord has recently brought a brother to join us who has a real burden for evangelism, who called us to account at our called business meeting, saying that if we were doing this project to bring souls into the kingdom of God then we should give it all we’ve got, but if not, we shouldn’t touch it. That brother has just started an outreach on his own to middle school and high school students. I’ve got to keep my focus on God’s kingdom and His righteousness and rest assured that He will supply everything I need, especially for the things He directs me to do. (Matthew 6:33)

Father, I find myself wanting to know better how to submit to You, so that I may better resist the devil and have him flee. It’s no fun to wake up in the middle of the night, under mental attack. Help me trust You fully without being passive, doing faithfully all that You have me do without feeling I have to supply the wisdom or power necessary. As You had me pray in the prayer meeting last night, help me hear and obey You, not leaning on my own understanding, so that You may make Your path straight ahead of us, (Proverbs 3:5-6) for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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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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