Rewards; August 18, 2017

Posted on August 21, 2017 by jgarrott

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

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

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

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

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Depending on God; August 17, 2017

Posted on August 20, 2017 by jgarrott

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

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

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

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

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Unchanging God; August 16, 2017

Posted on August 20, 2017 by jgarrott

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

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

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

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

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Repentance; August 15, 2017

Posted on August 19, 2017 by jgarrott

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

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

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

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

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National Salvation; August 14, 2017

Posted on August 19, 2017 by jgarrott

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

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

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

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

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Stewardship; August 13, 2017

Posted on August 18, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 1:7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

There are moments, I think in every person’s life, at which we have to decide what we want. Counselors of all sorts have to ask this question, because there is no real forward motion without a goal. Solomon famously asked for wisdom, which was a far better thing to ask for than any of a number of possibilities, but then once he had it, he didn’t use it very well. We are responsible not only for what we seek, but for what we do with whatever we get. Few of us get the kind of blank check Solomon was given, but we all need to examine our goals and our stewardship. “Stewardship” is most often used in church settings in relation to money, but it applies to everything we have. As Paul rightly pointed out, “It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2) The King James puts that as, “It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful,” and that’s where we get the whole terminology of “stewardship.” The whole point of a steward is that he manages stuff that doesn’t belong to him. Frankly, we have trouble with that. We tend to think of the abilities and resources we have on hand as ours, to be used however we like. However, the Biblical perspective is that since God created everything, it belongs to Him and we only have use of it for a while. Sadly, not very many people really live that way, but for those that do, there is doubtless abundant reward. (Matthew 25:21, 23)

One time I had an experience similar to Solomon’s, and at this point I don’t know if I responded rightly. I was having a very intense, rather free-form prayer meeting with just a couple of other believers, and I felt like the Lord was telling me, “Ask for anything.” I asked for the salvation of a particular individual who had been coming to our English Bible Class. Within a couple of weeks, he announced that He wanted to be baptized, and he has given evidence since that he is genuinely saved. At this point, I wonder what would have happened had I asked for the city of Omura, or even the nation of Japan! Also, that particular believer was successfully pulled away from church attendance/participation by his non-believing wife. I don’t know if I was faithful as a steward of that soul that was placed in my care. There are various gifts and abilities I have been given that I am pretty sure I’ve not been good at stewarding. I am dependent on the grace and mercy of God. However, recognizing that dependence is a huge blessing, and I am grateful.

Father, You are the judge of my life. Thank You for never leaving me alone, either in the sense of abandoning me or of giving up on me. Thank You for the multiple opportunities You give me for learning what You are trying to teach me. Help me make full use of every opportunity, (Ephesians 5:16) so that Your purposes may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Giving to God; August 12, 2017

Posted on August 18, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Chronicles 29:14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”

The truth that David expresses here is one we have a hard time remembering. We are quick to try to bargain with God, offering Him something if He will do something for us. When it came from Him in the first place, what sense is that? Or, we think that because we have given stuff to Him, He is somehow obligated to us. That is likewise absurd. All we can genuinely offer to God is our obedience, and that is due Him anyway. Good parents do thank their children for obedience, but it’s something the children should do even without being thanked. What we can offer to God that is pleasing to Him is humility, gratitude, and praise. All of those actually bless us probably as much as they bless God. We are so much better off when we can abandon pride, countless studies have demonstrated that genuine happiness is predicated on an attitude of gratitude, and every genuine believer has experienced how good it feels to praise God. God doesn’t ask these things of us because He needs them, emotionally or otherwise, but because we do. Likewise, He doesn’t ask us to give materially because He needs anything, but because we benefit from the experience of giving. We need to remember that because God is infinite, there is no such thing as a “zero-sum game” in His economy. Giving to Him is a recognition that He is the Source of everything, and a participation in His nature.

This is a very relevant issue for us right now, as we are planning something at God’s direction that is going to take a lot of money. We are to give and we are to allow others to give, but we’ve got to remember that God is the source of it all. He is the Source not only of the finances, but also of the wisdom and skill necessary not only to build it but to operate it. We give that fact lip service, but much of the time we are either anxious (when we don’t see the supply) or proud (when we think we have met the need). I can’t control anyone else’ heart, but I can pray for them, and I must keep watch over my own heart. I am not to be presumptuous, but I am to trust God totally. He made it all, and He’s going to arrange it to fulfill His purposes.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I keep creating scenarios in my mind of how You might supply this or that, but I seldom get it right. Help me release it all to You and indeed rest, relax, and rejoice, as You have told me to do, so that all of Your purposes may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Joy of Giving; August 11, 2017

Posted on August 15, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Chronicles 29:9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

The fact of the matter is, there is joy in giving. Paul quotes Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) The devil does all he can to hide that truth from people, because avarice, covetousness, and selfishness are some of his favorite weapons for destroying lives. This is timeless truth, but in recent years scientific studies have been done that show the surest way to be happy is regularly to do good things for other people. Giving materially is just one of those good things, but it is an important one. It really boils down to practical expressions of love. Love in the abstract is extremely hard to define, because genuine love will be active. When Jesus defined the two greatest commandments as love for God and love for our neighbor, (Matthew 22:36-40) all of this fits together very logically. Some people are givers because of their motivational gifting, (Romans 12:6-8) and taken to extremes that can cause problems for them and for their families, but those of us who are not so gifted need to learn the joy of giving. When we are rightly related to God, we realize that His supply is quite literally infinite, and as we give we are merely acting as channels for that supply. That’s not to say that we are to be indiscriminate in our giving; there’s such a thing as damaging by giving. Some people are finally waking up to the reality that inappropriate giving can destroy motivation, initiative, and even morality, as is so evident in the US welfare system. Sometimes the best gift we can give someone is firm encouragement, without any material toys. That takes wisdom and strength of character, and can be hard, but we must not let that deter us from the joy of being an agent of God’s supply.

This is of course extremely applicable to us right now. We are in need of fairly major supply of funds in relation to the project the Lord is leading us into, but we must not let that blind us to the opportunities He gives us to supply others’ needs. We must not let our own needs blind us to how the Lord wants to use us to bless others. We’ve got to remember that God is never at a loss about anything. He wants to bless us and many others through this project into which He’s leading us. We need to give, and we need to allow others to give as well. I need to teach on giving, and not forget to give myself – and give of myself. God wants us all to have the joy of giving.

Father, thank You for this very timely reminder. I pray that You would show me how to market my photography better, so that I will have more to give. Thank You for the response to my current show. Keep me from being self-centered about anything, but rather honor Jesus as Lord in every detail, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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God Cares!; August 10, 2017

Posted on August 15, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Chronicles 28:19 “All this,” David said, “I have in writing from the hand of the Lord upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan.”

When we look at everything listed in verses 12-18, our eyes tend to glaze over at all the detail. From this passage it seems clear that, though Solomon supervised the actual construction, this was David’s temple through and through. The important point, though, is that it was God who directed it all by His Spirit, as it says explicitly in verse 12. God cares about every detail of our lives, and He gives us as much direction as we need. Much of it doesn’t much matter, like what color of socks to wear on a given day, but even such insignificant things as that can impact how people react to us, so God cares. We aren’t to go OCD about it all, but we do need to remember that God cares, all the way down to the number of hairs on our head. (Luke 12:6-7)

This is a matter of great relevance to us right now. We aren’t planning to build a temple, but the elder-care facility we are planning should be no less dedicated to God. There are an amazing number of details involved, and God not only cares about each one, He will give us the wisdom and guidance necessary to make all the right decisions. It’s all part of the great mystery of faith, free will, and predestination. God already knows what we are going to do, because He is outside of time and sees the end from the beginning. That’s why He always knows what is best, because He sees all the repercussions. That’s also why He cares, because He is love and He desires the very best for His children. We need to ask Him every question and receive all His answers. The biggest reason we don’t recognize His guidance is that we have already decided in our own heart what we want to do. I must stand my guard against that, choosing to yield every issue to Him. That doesn’t mean I don’t care, any more that Jesus didn’t care in the Garden of Gethsemane. Rather, it means that I must choose obedience to God just as firmly as Jesus did, so that God’s plans may be fulfilled in every detail, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this very timely Word. Thank You for speaking it through me just now as I was in charge of this morning’s prayer meeting, even though I hadn’t finished my personal time with You. Thank You that I have no reason to be anxious about anything at all, because You care about it more than I do. (1 Peter 5:7) Hallelujah!

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Solomon’s Pride; August 9, 2017

Posted on August 14, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Chronicles 28:9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”

David really laid it on the line to Solomon in this formal ceremony of succession, but Solomon took it as a ceremony rather than as personal reality. I really think Solomon’s downfall was his pride. He was greatly blessed and gifted, but instead of recognizing God’s grace toward him he thought he somehow deserved all he had. He felt – whether or not he consciously thought – that all of those things made him above all the rules. That is a sadly common thing. Today we are seeing lots of people who think they are above the law, that their wealth or political connections or whatever make them immune to the rules that govern everyone else. Just yesterday I was reading an article that said better-educated people are actually more likely to try various drugs than people with less education. I think that’s part of the same phenomenon. Solomon was so gifted, in intellect and a number of other areas, and so blessed materially and in social position, that he felt he was above not just the laws of the land – which he made – but above the laws of God. To me that makes him one of the most pathetic figures in the whole Bible, because he squandered it all. His father David was very aware, as he made clear even during this ceremony, (verse 4) that everything he had was God’s doing and not his own; the best he could do was cooperate and not get in the way of what God had planned. Had Solomon possessed that sort of humility, who knows how glorious the story of Israel would have been down through history. God ultimately redeemed it all through David and Solomon’s descendant Jesus, but there was incredible suffering and destruction along the way. Today we need to remember that even those who make rules and laws are not above the laws of God, or even the laws they insist everyone else follow.

This has always been an issue for me. My life has been a battle between feelings of inferiority/rejection because I’ve never been good at sports, for example, and pride to the point of hubris because of my intellect and other gifting. Neither side of that has done me any good! My identity is in Christ, so it matters very little how people evaluate me, (1 Corinthians 4:3-4) but every good thing about me is a demonstration of the grace of God, not something I have earned. I am not to deny or ignore what God has done for me, but I am not to think or feel that makes me better than others in terms of my value before God. I am certainly not to think it gives me the right to ignore God’s commands! Because this has been a struggle for me it makes it easy for me to spot it in others. I am not to look down on them, certainly, but speak the truth to them in love, and pray for them that they may receive it.

Father, thank You for this reminder this morning. With the photo show that started yesterday, people are saying lots of complimentary things about me. Help me point each of them to You, so that You may receive all the glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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