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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Doing Things God’s Way; July 24, 2017

Posted on July 27, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.”

This particular story is rightly famous for this particular reason. Naaman had his own preconception of how God was going to bless him, and he almost missed the blessing entirely because it didn’t fit his preconception. I think we do that all the time. We decide on goals and how we are going to get there, and then when God leads us by a different path, we despair or get angry or at least complain. How foolish! Naaman was blessed with servants who were able to persuade him to at least try what Elisha had said, but often enough we don’t have anyone who will be bold enough to speak into our lives, or whom we trust enough to pay attention when they do speak. That has been the downfall of countless church leaders in particular. It is quite common to be too close to a situation to see it objectively, but someone with a bit more emotional distance is able to see what really is going on. In such cases we need to be open to advice! Too often we get fixated on short-term goals without analyzing what our long-term goal is, and how that short-term goal might move us in that direction or not. Frankly, life is too short to be distracted by short-term goals that don’t contribute to God’s purpose for our life. Jesus’ words about seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) certainly apply here. If our goal is for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done, (Matthew 6:9-10) then goals of personal aggrandizement won’t enter the picture.

This is certainly spot-on for where we are right now. In the called business meeting yesterday we were blessed to have our newest member, actually, call us into focus as to why we would purchase land and build an elder-care facility. As he very rightly said, if our goal is anything other than the salvation of souls and the advancement of God’s kingdom, we have no business doing it. However, if that is our goal, then no expense is too much and no difficulty insurmountable. To be honest, I don’t want to run such a facility; I’m a teacher, not an administrator. However, if it is going to bring people into God’s kingdom, His family, then it is certainly worth doing. Some excellent questions were brought up by various people, and we ended the meeting with the unanimous decision to purchase the land but study and pray more before deciding not just the details of the building, but especially the level of care we will offer and how it will all be organized. I have great peace with that, but I’ve got to be willing to buckle down and do the extensive work that lies ahead of us. I must remember at every turn that God already has the perfect plan, and my job is to identify and follow that plan. He knows whom He has prepared to fill each position, and He knows the timetable. I am to keep my eyes on Him and follow wholeheartedly, never letting personal pride get in the way.

Father, Thank You for Your plans, and for including us in them. Thank You for all You did yesterday. I’m sure I don’t know the half of it, but Your works are good. I ask not only that we follow Your schedule for each step, but also that we not be anxious about it. We are so prone to worry about two steps down the road, when You have only tasked us with the one in front of us. Help us all rest, relax, and rejoice in You, seeking first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, so that You may be unhindered in doing all that You want to do in and through us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Instruments; July 23, 2017

Posted on July 26, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Kings 4:30 But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.

This story illustrates something that is very common, but which has bothered me somewhat. The woman early on recognized that Elisha was a man of God (verse 9) but over time, as she saw God work through him, she conflated him with God. That is to say, her faith was in Elisha as much as it was in God. That seems to me very risky. Human vessels are imperfect, however much God might use them. Paul put it this way: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7) When you forget that your leader is just a clay pot, you are asking for trouble. What’s even more dangerous is when the leader himself forgets that he’s just a clay pot. When that happens, people are bound to be badly hurt. Examples such as Billy Graham are unfortunately rare. He is one servant of God who has never betrayed his commission. It would be easy to list several others who have not been so faithful. This year marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. One of the central pillars in that was the priesthood of the believer. That is, every believer has direct access to God through Jesus Christ, so we are not dependent on going through any merely human intermediary, for salvation or for anything else. When we fixate on a human vessel we are forgetting that vital principle, and lose a great deal in the process.

This has bothered me especially because of how some people have fixated on me. I don’t think that trumpeting my failures would be helpful, for a variety of reasons, but I must seek to point people to God at all times, assuring them that He loves them as much as He does me. One danger in this is that it feeds the ego. If I start to believe what some people say to/about me, I’m in real trouble! The flip side of that is when people don’t believe I’ve heard from God and close their ears to what He says to them through me. That isn’t as dangerous for me, but it can bring loss in various ways, to the individual and to the church. Today we are having a called business meeting to talk about the purchase of the land next door and building an elder-care facility on it. I obviously haven’t been fully effective in communicating what God has shown us over the years, but today is an opportunity to set some of that straight. This is indeed a vision God has grown over 19 years, but it has seemed like a pipe dream until the past year, and the pace has really picked up over the past few months. That makes it seem very sudden to some people. The biggest shock to most of them is the large sums of money involved. They haven’t lived through previous “impossible” projects the way I have, so I am to be gentle but firm in expressing God’s faithfulness. If they are fixated on me, of course they will run in terror from all the bad possibilities. If they are fixed on God, then they will rejoice that He is choosing to use us for His glory. I am to speak and act in all humility, but also in conviction and assurance of what God has been showing us, so that together we may treat His name as holy and welcome His kingdom as His will is done in and through us for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word. I do pray for each member of this church, that they will receive faith as a gift from You and rejoice to be part of what You are doing, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Receiving God’s Supply; July 22, 2017

Posted on July 26, 2017 by jgarrott

2 Kings 4:3 Elisha said, “Go round and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.”

It has always been interesting to me that Elijah is considered the “greater” prophet, but there are far more miracles of various sorts recorded for Elisha. It’s possible that’s because Elijah largely acted alone, so we only know what he told someone else about his activities. Elisha, on the other hand, was associated with a “company of prophets,” so he had a number of people paying close attention to what he did. In any case, this particular incident is well known. In my family we’ve used the expression, “widow’s cruse of [whatever]” when anything was lasting a lot longer than expected. The point is, God’s supply doesn’t run out. However, in this particular instance, the widow and her sons were actively involved in receiving that supply. Not only did the widow have to keep pouring oil, she and her sons had to go around asking for jars into which to pour the oil. God uses various methods of supplying our needs, some of them more seemingly miraculous than others, but it is rare indeed that we are to be passive about it all. At the very least, we are to be active stewards of whatever He provides, so that it will be put to the purposes He intends for it. In this particular instance the widow had to sell the oil she was given, in order to have the funds to pay her debts and then to support her sons. Had she just rejoiced at all the oil in the house and not gone out and sold it, the miracle would have been meaningless.

This is certainly a timely reminder for me! We are facing a project that is huge, considering the size of this church. People have promised finances, but at this point we don’t know how much they will give. We do know that however much it is, it won’t be enough for the total project. I need to be active in asking for contributions, but I need to know whom to ask, and how. It’s not easy to ask for money, particularly when most of the wealthy people I know aren’t Christians. However, as the Lord has pointed out to me recently, He can use this to draw them to Himself, and the eternal life they would receive is worth far more than any financial contribution they might make. I woke very early this morning and my mind kicked into “worry mode,” attacking my faith and my peace. That was just an indication of the spiritual warfare in which we are involved. I am not to be foolish, but I must remember that God is never at a loss for supply, whether it be money, personnel, or anything else. My task is to do whatever He indicates to receive that supply, as well as be faithful as a steward of whatever He does supply, just like the widow in this story.

Father, thank You for Your perfect timing. You knew what would happen when, at the point You had me select this passage in creating this month’s Scripture List. Help me receive and operate in Your truth, and not just preach it to others. I ask for clear guidance for each moment of today, not just to be fully prepared for tomorrow but so that I won’t miss anything You have for today, for Your will to be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Speaking for God; July 21, 2017

Posted on July 23, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 22:14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”

Micaiah proved he was a true prophet right here. This whole chapter gives very interesting insight into prophets and prophecy. The other 400 or so “prophets” were opportunists, political operatives who used “prophecy” to curry favor with power, and/or for political ends. They remind me a lot of the global warming/climate change alarmists today, who continue to spout their predictions even when proven wrong again and again. In contrast, Micaiah doesn’t claim to be omniscient, but he does profess to listen carefully to God. Every believer should be that way, whether they have a specifically prophetic calling or not. Sadly, too much of what goes on in churches resembles the antics of the 400 “prophets,” rather than humility and obedience toward God. Sermons are crafted with the tools of public speaking to advance human plans, rather than being expressions of what God is saying to His children. We cannot judge such things by human standards, but rather use the Bible as the standard and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate it, and us, so that we may hear what God is saying.

This is of course extremely applicable to me. I have been used in prophecy many times over the years, but more importantly, each time I stand in a pulpit I seek and desire to transmit faithfully what God is saying, just like Micaiah. I do prepare outlines and I do seek to be an effective speaker, paying attention to Mark Conner’s points on “Preaching to Change Lives,” but if it isn’t God’s message to begin with, all of that is “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1) I start each message confessing that if what I speak is just my own words it will be of no value, and asking God to use me to speak to those listening. I have heard too many sermons that didn’t follow that principle – some from my own mouth! God certainly talks to His people, but if I speak my own thoughts and claim they are God’s, I’m in deep trouble. Sometimes God does speak through me when I haven’t expected it, but feeling self-important or going around saying “Thus sayeth the Lord” is the height of foolishness. I am to expect God to speak through me and be grateful when He does, but never try to leverage that to my own ends. My end stinks!

Father, thank You for a sense of humor. Thank You for Your overflowing grace in so many areas. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice, just as You have told me, keeping myself available to You at all times and in all ways, so that Your name may be recognized as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Our Image of God; July 20, 2017

Posted on July 23, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 20:28 The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

Modern people, and particularly those from traditionally Christian countries, have trouble grasping just what was going on here. Ahab had won the earlier battle through superior tactics, directed by God through a prophet. Whether the Arameans knew about the prophet or not, they attributed their loss to the God of the Israelites, rather than to their poor tactics. They had a theology that seems laughable to us today, of strictly local gods, and God wanted to teach them, and the Israelites, how wrong that was. We may laugh at this today, but often enough our own theology isn’t much better. We mentally put God into various boxes, deciding what He can or can’t do, forgetting that He is GOD, the LORD, Creator of heaven and earth. As He had Gabriel tell Mary, nothing is impossible for Him. (Luke 1:37) He is quite literally infinite. Being finite ourselves, we have enormous difficulty wrapping our minds around that reality. We aren’t so much better than the Arameans who thought He was just God of the hills. We need to let Him reveal Himself to us, not requiring that He do some fresh miracle, but simply grasping how much He has already done. The most miraculous thing isn’t really what He has done so much as that He has done it for us. His love, that caused Him to send His Son as our Savior, is the most miraculous thing of all. That is what we most need to believe and appropriate. With that as a foundation, everything else fades to being merely incidental.

God is in the process of doing something that seems big and miraculous in/for/through this church. I’ve got to remember, and to keep reminding the believers, that this is small change compared to what He has already done for us in Christ. We all need to let Him grow our image of Him, because it will never be as big as He is. I am to teach both how incredibly big and great He is and how intimately, fiercely, He loves us. We are not to presume on Him, but we are not to think for a moment that anything is difficult for Him. Our job is humble, faithful, joyful, obedience. Two Japanese expressions come to mind: waiting in hope, and listening to obey. Both are extremely Biblical concepts, and reassure me that God didn’t leave Japan and the Japanese out of His plan of salvation, whatever their track record has been to this point.

Father, thank You for the marvelous day yesterday. There were so many encouraging things! Thank You for what You told me a few years ago, to rest, relax, and rejoice. I’m still growing in doing that! Help me not just teach others, but allow You to stretch my heart and mind as well, so that I may be an ever more available, responsive channel of Your grace, blessing, and power, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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