Depending on God rather than Man; June 4, 2017

Posted on June 5, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Sam 13:10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

Saul was eminently human, and so serves as a cautionary tale to us all. We are told that he was distinctly taller than average, (1 Samuel 9:2) and that fact alone probably made other look to him for leadership. He was all too used to depending on his own gifts and abilities, and that was what did him in. When he got into what looked to him like a really tight spot, he thought that he had to do something, so he did. The problem was, Samuel, as God’s representative, had told him to wait. It was his inability to wait that betrayed the fact that he was depending on human strength rather than on God. This is in sharp contrast to the story of Gideon, as recorded in Judges 6-8. God won a magnificent victory for Israel specifically after reducing the number of Gideon’s fighting men, but Saul was so concerned with numbers that he disobeyed what he had been told. We do the same thing all the time, making our plans strictly on the basis of what we can see with our eyes and understand with our minds, rather than seeking God and what He wants us to do. When we do that, we take ourselves out of the flow of God’s grace and power, and that never ends well.

This is of course totally applicable to me. God has gifted me in various ways, to the point that some people think they could never serve God because they aren’t like me, but none of that means anything if I’m not being obedient to God. I have learned the hard way that I can indeed do nothing apart from Christ. (John 15:5) The problem is, at this point my expectation and anticipation of what God is going to do around and through me is muted. That too is foolish, and no way to enter into what God has planned for me and for this church. Today is Pentecost Sunday, but I am physically drained, having gotten in after 11 last night after driving over 150 kilometers to interpret for a Gospel Music Seminar. Being physically drained is a good thing, so I won’t try to make things happen in my nonexistent strength, but failing to be excited over what God might do is not. I desire that God pour His Spirit out on us to use us for His glory, but I can’t begin to make that happen. I need to receive this lesson in waiting expectantly on the Lord, knowing that if I will both wait and expect, He will renew my strength. (Isaiah 40:31)

Father, thank You for Your grace, and for the awareness that I am totally dependent on it. Thank You for getting us to and from the venue safely yesterday, and for the fellowship we had in the process. I have no idea how many of the participants were not Christians, but I pray that all would have been powerfully drawn closer to You. I do thank You for Your plans for today, whatever they are. I pray that not only here but in each of the churches of Omura that there would be total openness to You and Your Spirit, so that we may be empowered to be Your witnesses indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Power of the Spirit; June 3, 2017

Posted on June 5, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 10:6 “The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.”

Language is an interesting thing. Reading the NIV, the implication is that “God’s Spirit will bring power to you.” However, the Japanese comes across as, “God’s Spirit will come powerfully/violently on you.” Once again I wish I knew Hebrew! However, in either case we see that God’s Spirit isn’t something to be trifled with. Encounters with Him certainly change us. For Saul, the sad thing was that it didn’t change him enough. He got blinded by the honor of being anointed king and forgot that he was totally dependent on God. He, along with Solomon, are two of the saddest figures in the Old Testament to me, because after initial, very promising, encounters with God, they descended into depending on the gifts God had given them rather than on God Himself. I am reminded of various prominent figures in the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement in particular who have fallen rather spectacularly. That is a sad object lesson to us that God’s gifts, even His power, aren’t merit badges but tools, to be used in all humility and obedience. Actually, we are all likewise tempted to think that what God has given us is ours, that is, innate and a matter of personal accomplishment. Nothing could be further from the truth! Our very existence is totally dependent on God’s grace and will, and the better we grasp that and live accordingly, the better our lives will be from every angle.

With tomorrow being Pentecost Sunday, the phrase in the NIV caught my attention. I would be thrilled for the Holy Spirit to come upon us all tomorrow, but I can no more make that happen than Saul could have done so in his own strength. Whatever good happens tomorrow, I’ve got to receive it in all humility and gratitude, not just rejoicing in the moment but walking in consistent gratitude and obedience. I’ll be speaking on how being filled with the Holy Spirit is for power to be Christ’s witnesses. That’s something we all desperately need! I need to remember that the tense of the verb in Paul’s famous statement indicates that it should be translated as, “Keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18) I’m never to feel I have been “filled enough,” but remember that I am created to be a pipe and not a bucket. God’s supply is infinite, (John 3:34) so my part is to let Him flow through me more and more.

Father, I have more excitement about Pentecost Sunday than I have had in many years. Thank You. Keep me from trying to make things happen, but keep me also fully responsive and obedient to You so that You may do all that You desire to do. You have indicated that You are going to make real changes in this church. Help us welcome whatever You do tomorrow, whether it’s visible or not, so that we may indeed be transformed into the body that You desire here, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Preconceptions; June 2, 2017

Posted on June 4, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 8:19-20 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we shall be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

This chapter is a perfect example of “My mind is made up. Don’t confuse me with the facts.” The people heard Samuel through such a filter of their own preconceptions that they might as well not have heard him at all. Hearing all the warnings from verses 10 through 18, probably each of those elders imagined that they would be high in a king’s court, and all the negatives would fall on other people. We do that sort of thing all the time, fitting – or forcing – any information we receive into the framework of our preconceptions and essentially discarding anything that won’t fit. It’s easy to see how foolish that is when other people do it, but we don’t even realize when we ourselves are doing it. That happens constantly. America is so polarized today because of exactly this sort of thing. The only real solution is genuine humility before God, asking and allowing Him to show us what the situation really is and how we are to act in it. Anyone who does not have that attitude is open game for the devil, who is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44) The tricky thing is, that same devil does all he can to get us to despise those who don’t hold the same opinions we do. Correct or incorrect is entirely beside the point here. Even if we are entirely correct (which most of us are convinced we are) we are to speak the truth to others in love, not try to wield it as a weapon. The Word of God is indeed “sharper than a two-edged sword,” (Hebrews 4:12) but even it must be used without malice or pride. We are to stand firm in the truth God has shown us, but at the same time realize that nothing else comes up to that level. A quick look at history shows that “scientific consensus” has been wrong almost more times than we could count. The elders who came to Samuel had consensus!

I am very much in the middle of this issue, as probably every thinking person is. I am continually amazed at some of the opinions and positions people hold, and sometimes saddened at who holds those positions. However wrong I am sure they are, they are still worthy of love and respect, even when I can’t begin to agree with them. That can be difficult! I am to seek truth, seek God, in all humility and never in pride, convinced that I am the correct one. As Joy Dawson has taught, I am to die to the very issue about which I am seeking an answer. That is, I’m not to prejudge it, but let God show me His truth even if it completely upends what I had thought previously. God is the only one who sees and knows it all; no one on the face of this planet is in that position. (1 Corinthians 13:12) I’ve got to be at peace with that, and rest in God’s love.

Father, I’ve fought with intellectual pride most of my life, and it’s not done me much good. Help me remember that You’re smart and I’m not, so that I can hear You and love others, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Heart Focus; June 1, 2017

Posted on June 4, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 2:29 “Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?”

Here we have God’s statement through an anonymous prophet that the problem in the priesthood was not just with Eli’s sons, as bad as they were, but with Eli himself as well. In 1 Samuel 4:18 it indicates that he was obese, even at 98. He had literally been using his office as a priest of God to fatten himself. That attitude had been what had twisted his sons to the point they acted as they did. Today we don’t usually think of obesity as sinful, but it sometimes is evidence of a deeper problem. We forget that gluttony was once acknowledged as one of the “seven deadly sins.” The reason it can be deadly, other than health issues, is that it indicates a focus on the physical, as opposed to seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) That sin can manifest in ways other than food, though we don’t usually call it gluttony then. An insatiable appetite for anything other than God is a real problem. When that thing is alcohol or drugs we are quick to recognize the danger, but it can apply to other things as well. Society today is so fixated on sex that addiction to pornography is so common as to be beyond measuring. Then, there is the simple matter of never having enough stuff. People go bankrupt all the time buying things they don’t really need. All of these things are symptoms of having something other than God as the focus of your heart. We may not be to the point of Eli and his sons, but this is certainly the proverbial “slippery slope.” Every human being alive would do well to take periodic inventory of their priorities so that they may repent of placing anything ahead of God.

This applies to me as well. People look at me and think I’m in good shape, but I must not be complacent. “Seeking,” as Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, is active; I should not let my faith be passive, coasting on past performance, as it were. If I don’t choose consistently to place God first, the devil will be more than happy to tempt me with anything else. It doesn’t really matter what he tempts me with, just that it isn’t God. As the song says, “In Christ alone I place my trust.” That needs to be the honest confession of my heart, and I need to be vigilant against any deviation.

Father, the longer I walk with You the more aware I am that it is an active, continuing process. You have been more than faithful and gracious; keep me from taking any of that for granted. When temptations come, help me recognize them immediately and choose firmly to place You first. Help me recognize and receive the abundance of blessings You pour out on me, but never shift my focus from You to the blessings. May I be a good steward of everything You provide because I am listening consistently and accurately to You. Thank You. Praise God!

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Things Given to God; May 31, 2017

Posted on June 3, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 2:17 This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.

These guys were bad all the way around. It says in verse 22 that they slept with the women who served at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, but even that was just a symptom of the fundamental attitude that is condemned here, of treating things dedicated to God with contempt. The Books of Moses talk a good bit about what is holy and what is not, and in general, the simplest way to make anything holy is to give it to God. However, once it is holy, it exerts an influence on all that touches it. By treating such holy things with contempt, the young men were essentially spitting in God’s face. It’s no wonder they didn’t live very long to tell about it! (1 Samuel 4:11) This matter of holiness should impact us far more than it usually does. In the case of clergy, they are often given various things because of their office, in addition to whatever salary they might receive. Those gifts might be casual, but when they are given specifically because the person is a representative of God, then the act of giving makes them holy. I don’t think many clergy think about that very much! It’s not that they aren’t to be consumed or otherwise used, or even disposed of when they wear out or break, but they are to be treated with respect, as things belonging to God. There’s an extension of that principle that is even more important, in my opinion. Every believer should be giving themselves to God, which would make that person holy. The Japanese expression for commitment to full-time ministry is kenshin, related directly to kenkin, which is a monetary offering. I don’t care for that usage, because I believe every Christian should be giving their body to God (which is what the term literally means). If we give ourselves to God, which we certainly should, then that automatically makes us holy, and we need to treat our bodies with the respect that calls for. Sadly, many of us fail to do that.

This of course has great applicability to me, since I am a pastor. I receive a wide variety of things, some of which I’m happier about than others! I don’t think this precludes my “regifting” things, but I do think I’m not to do that casually. I’m also to treat my own body with proper respect, as a holy thing of God. After all, it’s His property! Today I’ll be having outpatient surgery on a suspicious place on my right calf. That’s entirely appropriate, as maintenance of this body He’s allowing me to use for a while. On the flip side of that, there are some things in this building that I realize I don’t treat with proper respect, when they are manifestly given to God. I need to let Eli’s sons’ bad example teach me better stewardship of what is in my care, so that God’s purposes for it all may be fulfilled and His holiness fully recognized and acknowledged.

Father, thinking back I realize I’ve done poorly in this area more times than I could count. Forgive me. Help me acknowledge You as holy by not despising anything that is given to You, including my own body. Help me share this truth with those who need to have it pointed out, so that together we may be the representatives that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Result of Commitment; May 30, 2017

Posted on June 3, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 2:2 “There is no-one holy like the Lord;
there is no-one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.”

This Psalm is evidence of the genuineness of Hannah’s dedication of her son Samuel to God. The very difficulty of her following through with what she had promised brought her to a beautiful depth of worship that has blessed countless generations since. This particular verse has been set to music, and I have liked it very much ever since I first heard it. We are complex beings, but God knows every detail of us. (Matthew 10:30) He knows what has the potential to draw us closer to Him. I tell people frequently that God, being Love, will never allow anything in our lives that cannot be used for our good, (Romans 8:28) but whether it will have His intended result often depends on our response to whatever it is. If we respond wrongly, even things that the world would see as good can turn out very badly. Winning the lottery is a good case in point. From what I have heard, only those who are committed to using everything they have for God are genuinely blessed by such a sudden influx of money, and many are essentially destroyed by it. Hannah responded to her infertility by crying out to God, and then she responded to her conception and motherhood by giving God the credit and returning her son to Him. As a result, she became an example and a blessing to all believers since.

I’ve had a variety of experiences in my life, which could be said of anyone. My experiences haven’t been as extreme as those of some people, but whether big or small, what matters is my response. If I will keep my focus on God, then He will use everything to shape and grow me into whom He created me to be. If I focus on myself instead, then I will become a caricature of what He intends, losing the blessings He has stored up for me. I am called and commissioned to minister to others, but there is always the danger of becoming a petty tyrant, bossing others around for the sake of my own ego. That produces losers all the way around! I am to rejoice at the privilege of serving my Lord. Like Paul, my concern is that Christ be formed in each of my spiritual children. (Galatians 4:19) I am to speak the truth in love, and never in pride. I have a real risk of taking pride in my Bible knowledge. That doesn’t negate the truths of the Bible, but it hinders their effectiveness in my life and the lives of those who hear me. I am to rejoice in God’s incredible grace and mercy that He would allow such a one as I am to serve Him.

Father, thank You indeed for Your grace and mercy. Thank You for getting me through the last of the days I was dreading, and for all You did in that period. I’m sure it was more than I am right now aware of. Thank You for Your plans for today. I pray that each person with whom I interact would be touched by Your Spirit through me, so that the lies of the devil may be exposed and cast down, and people set free to draw close to You. (2 Corinthians 10:4) May we all together grow in Your grace, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Bargaining with God; May 29, 2017

Posted on May 31, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 1:27-28 “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he shall be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah was fully serious in her vow to the Lord, and she proved it. Some very good things came from that, but there were some negatives as well. Samuel grew to be one of the pivotal figures in Jewish history, anointing both Saul and David as kings and in the process proclaiming some fundamental truths. (eg 1 Samuel 15:23) However, the only father figure he had in growing up was Eli, who did a bad job raising his own sons. As a result, Samuel’s sons weren’t fit to follow him in leading Israel. (1 Samuel 8:1-5) That fits right into the pattern of “no success without a successor.” However, Hannah was doubtless long gone by that point, and she was certainly true to her word. Humanity has a long history of people promising God things if He will bail them out of whatever fix they are in, but the vast majority don’t follow through as thoroughly as Hannah did. There are problems from the outset with trying to bargain with God. That we would do so betrays our lack of understanding of Him and of ourselves. He is more than worthy of our total devotion even if He never grants a single request we make, but the flip side of that is, if we are that devoted to Him, our requests are going to be in line with His will. We need to take Him completely seriously, knowing that we are totally dependent on His grace and mercy. However, that isn’t all dull and dark, because such knowledge of God will also teach us His love and grace, and that is joyous indeed.

I don’t think I’ve ever tried to bargain with God, but that doesn’t mean I’ve always responded rightly to Him. I continue to grow in my knowledge of and love for Him, demonstrated by greater obedience. I am learning that it is just as Jesus said: if I love Him, I will do what He says. (John 14:15) I desire that everyone to whom I minister would grow in the grace and knowledge of God, but I’ve got to give them to Him as thoroughly as Hannah gave Samuel to God. I am not to be irresponsible, but at the same time I must remember that my flock belongs to Him and not to me. The balance there can be difficult at times! Like Paul I am not to hold back anything in teaching and training them, (Acts 20:20) but at the same time I must remember that my strength and wisdom aren’t going to get the job done. I can’t carry them, but God can, and He can use me in the process.

Father, thank You for Your plans, just as Takahiro preached on yesterday, and for including me in them. Thank You for getting us through the packed day yesterday, and for the reminder of my own fallibility. Help me remember not to eat stuff that far out of date again! Thank You that it seemed to be a good experience for all involved, and that my food poisoning didn’t keep me from any of my responsibilities. There’s a lot of physical labor on the schedule today, and not as much physical strength on my part as I would like. Help me listen to You accurately and let Your strength operate through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Being Used by God; May 28, 2017

Posted on May 31, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 1:17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

We know from succeeding passages that Eli was not a very good priest, but he occupied the office, and was here operating in it. He was moved with compassion and spoke a blessing that was appropriately God-centered. God acted according to that blessing, and not only Hannah but every believer since has been blessed as a result. The New Testament speaks of all believers as priests (1 Peter 2:9, which is this church’s Verse for the Year) but we tend to disqualify ourselves in our minds, focusing on our imperfections and failures, and think we could never operate as God’s instruments. That’s a lie of the devil! Even Caiaphas, the High Priest who worked actively to get Jesus crucified, spoke a valid prophecy. (John 11:49-51) The only perfect person ever to live was Jesus. We need to stop thinking that our negatives are greater that God. God wants to use us, and He will use any believer who is yielded to Him. If God used Eli and Caiaphas, He certainly can use us! There’s no room for conceit here, because all the power is of God and not of us, but we must not refuse God permission to use us for His purposes and His glory.

This is a truth that I have sought to convey throughout my ministry, both in the US and Japan, but with minor success. Society attacks and ridicules anyone who says they hear from God, much less act as His agent. Recently a person in the US was reprimanded by the school where they worked simply for saying they would pray for a co-worker. I have had people decline my offer to pray for them, but most often people are grateful. I am not to stop seeking to speak and act as God’s representative, and I am not to stop teaching believers that they they have as much potential to be used by Him as I do. The devil doesn’t want believers to know that, but I am to stand firm against him, not in my own strength but in God’s. God has chosen to use people. We may not understand why, but we need to believe it, and hold ourselves available.

Father, thank You for Your grace. Thank You for the privilege of being Your agent in a wide variety of situations. May I be more consistent in my availability and obedience! We have a huge day today, with a wedding here on top of all our usual Sunday activities. Help me not try to get through the day in my own strength, but rather rest, relax, and rejoice in You, taking one thing at a time and delighting to be Your agent in it, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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By God Alone; May 27, 2017

Posted on May 29, 2017 by jgarrott

Judges 7:2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, …”

This verse should be a comfort and encouragement to any church in Japan! In America, a church of 100 is considered small, but in Japan, that’s a pretty big church. However, the issue is not numbers, but pride. The bigger the group, the easier it is for it to do something, even if it has nothing to do with the will of God. I’m reminded of a group of Chinese pastors who were able to visit the US some years ago. Dealing with persecution from a capricious government at home, they found American churches to be very different. As they were preparing to leave, they were asked what their biggest impression was. They replied, “We are amazed that you can accomplish so much without the Holy Spirit.” What a condemnation! The one “advantage” of active persecution is that it forces reliance on God. We are so quick to rely on ourselves and our own resources! God didn’t want that to happen, so He cut Gideon’s numbers to less than 1% of what he started with. That’s pretty drastic thinning! In the process He delivered a lesson that is repeated throughout the Bible, stated most clearly in Zechariah 4:6: “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” We sing that set to music, but too often we don’t really grasp it. We want to see what we’re depending on, and depend on what we can see. That’s not the way of God’s kingdom! We need to grasp, deep down to the core of our being, that man’s greatest power can’t compare with God, so we’d better not rely on man. Even physically, compared to the power of even a small star, man’s biggest hydrogen bomb is equivalent to a small burp, barely noticeable! God wants us to trust and depend on Him, so sometimes He takes away everything else.

Of course this applies to me. This church is no more than a small group fellowship, by American standards, even though we have our own building, by the grace of God. I am all too prone to look at our circumstances and fail to expect God to do great things. Cathy and I have the strong feeling that He is going to do some remarkable things in this fiscal year (April through March), but we don’t really know what. We need to be aware that it won’t be without opposition. Yesterday I was in an emotional funk such as I thankfully haven’t had in a long time, and for no logical reason. I need to submit to God and stand firm against all such attacks, because when I’m wobbly, that negatively affects those around me. I do have a packed schedule ahead of me, particularly tomorrow and the next day, but that’s no big deal for God, certainly. As He has told me to do, I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, looking forward to what He’s going to do next. If I could do it on my own, I’d be tempted to steal His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for yesterday, to pound it home to me that I can’t do it on my own. Thank You that it’s no big deal for You. May Your plans, for today, tomorrow, and each day, be fulfilled on Your schedule in Your way for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Strength; May 26, 2017

Posted on May 28, 2017 by jgarrott

Judges 6:14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

This statement by the angel seemed totally absurd to Gideon because he didn’t recognize that he had any strength. The thing is, everything we have comes from God, so if He says we have it, we do, whether we recognize it or not. He never asks us to do anything for which He does not equip us, but we need to keep our eyes on Him for it to be fully operative. When we start depending on what we see as our own strength we are limited to the merely human, and that runs out in a hurry. When we are fully focused on God, then we become conduits for His strength, which is infinite. Sometimes God has to allow circumstances to make it clear to us that we have no strength on our own. He certainly had to do that with Paul, using some sort of physical problem in the process. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) Jesus said very clearly, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) That said, His grace is all we really need, (2 Corinthians 12:9) and we can do everything He calls us to do through Him and His power. (Philippians 4:13) Having said all of that, it’s still true that we often fail to recognize what God has already provided. I think that what is called for is expectant humility: knowing that He is the Source and He is enough. To the outside observer that can look like conceit, but it is the farthest thing from it. Rather, it is recognizing that God is bigger and greater and stronger than all of our weaknesses and failures, and He can use even us for His glory.

This, of course, applies to me, and it feels pretty timely at the moment. Right now I feel somewhat overwhelmed by all that is on the schedule for the next four days. On top of that, my digestion was acting up yesterday, and I don’t feel much physical strength. That’s all the more reason to rejoice, because God’s strength is demonstrated perfectly in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I am to prepare, in terms of having things lined up to be used, but I am to trust Him to supply the wisdom, the skill, the strength, to do what needs to be done when and how it needs to be done. It’s all part of resting, relaxing, and rejoicing in Him, as He has told me to do. From a human perspective it is ironic that resting, relaxing, and rejoicing can be very active indeed! I need to let Him carry me through all that He calls me to do, for His pleasure and glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder and for how timely it is. I know Your truth; I just need to walk in it more fully. Help me be fully focused on each task as I do it, not being distracted by what is ahead. Thinking about it as a whole is why I feel overwhelmed! As the song says, help me indeed take one day at a time, indeed one step at a time, so that I may allow Your power to flow through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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