May 5, 2017

Posted on May 9, 2017 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 16:17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.

Here we have another hint as to why God tells us to give Him stuff, and specifically proportional things like a tithe. When we approach it this way, giving should be a reminder of just how much God has blessed us, and should be an occasion for gratitude. We tend to live our lives oblivious to how much God has poured out on us and for us, so being required to give a proportional offering should help us open our eyes. Sadly, we are all too likely to slip into an entitlement mentality and just complain that we don’t have more. That’s no way to enjoy what we have! One particular Internet meme has a good purpose, and that’s the one about “1st World Problems.” By contrasting the things we complain about to the problems of people in poor countries, it points out just how absurd our complaints often are. Much of the time we live like spoiled brats! By giving a tithe, for example, we should be prompted to gratitude that God has supplied 10 times that amount to us. Both psychologists and common sense tell us that “an attitude of gratitude” is a prime component of genuine happiness. Even Paul weighed in on this point. “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6)

I fall into complaining about “1st world problems” all too often, but I think I’m getting better about it. Thankfully, the lust for more stuff seems to be abating. I’m in the middle of further training in that right now. The bulb for our projector (that we use for songs in our services) burned out Sunday morning, and we had to make copies of all the songs we used. Because of the absurd cost of a replacement bulb when ordered from Japan, I located a projector with better “specs” online for less than the cost of the bulb, and ordered it. It arrived yesterday, and I spent several hours trying to get it set up. The final conclusion is that because it is designed for a “home theater,” the lens will not focus at the distance from the back of our sanctuary to the front, so it is useless to us and I will have to return it. That was disappointing to say the least, but the the Lord has allowed me to see that this is an issue of degrees of luxury, rather than anything approaching a tragedy. We do need a good projector, but in the mean time we have a good copier! God has provided abundantly in every area, and the better I realize that, the greater my gratitude and joy will be.

Father, thank You for the various lessons You teach us. Help me appropriate them better, so I won’t need so many “refresher courses!” Thank You indeed that I was able to order the projector and have it delivered in the middle of a holiday period. I do ask for wisdom in the return process, and particularly in locating something that will genuinely meet our needs. In the mean time, help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as you have told me to do, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 4, 2017

Posted on May 9, 2017 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 15:4, 11 However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you.
There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed towards your brothers and towards the poor and needy in your land.

At first glance this seems very contradictory. The thing is, verse 4 is followed by verse 5, which says that the blessings are dependent on obedience. Taken that way, verse 11 then becomes a recognition that there will always be those who suffer the consequences of disobedience. Where that gets tricky, however, is that we suffer from the disobedience of others, as well as our own. Sometimes people are in dire straits through no fault of their own. We are not to be holier-than-thou and decline to help people because “they had it coming to them.”At the same time, genuine love gives a hand up rather than a handout. Work requirements for able-bodied people to receive welfare are far more loving than teaching dependence. Even Paul had to be strict on this point. “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat.’” (2 Thessalonians 3:10) That is not aimed at those who cannot work, but at those who choose not to when they are able. Entitlement reform is a huge issue in America right now. They would certainly do well to go with the Biblical pattern!

I’ve encountered all sorts of people needing and/or asking for help of all sorts. It is far easier to be generous toward someone if they haven’t made asking for help a lifestyle! Often divine wisdom is called for to know the difference between a hand up and a handout. One particular homeless man who has come here makes me really want to help him. He doesn’t ask for money, but rather for work to do. The first time he came I did pay him for his work (as well as feed him) but the second time he came he only wanted food, saying that he didn’t make good use of money, and his work was heartfelt and diligent. I would be very interested in helping him get a job, but the places that hire people who don’t have a regular address are often involved in crime, and he’s been stung by that before. I can only pray for him, and ask for God’s wisdom any time he shows up. There are of course many other people around me with needs of all sorts. I am to hold myself ready and available for however God wants to use me to meet those needs, but not run around doing things on my own. It is indeed “more blessed to give than to receive,” (Acts 20:35) but I am not to give without wisdom, because that can do real harm in the long run.

Father, I am bombarded with pleas for money from a wide variety of organizations. I tend to turn them all off! Help me understand the purpose for which you have given me everything I have, so that I may make the use of it that You intend, blessing others and above all giving You glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 3, 2017

Posted on May 5, 2017 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 14:28-29 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

It is fascinating that social welfare is specified in the Law of Moses. It’s also fascinating that the provision for it was to come from what had been specified as to be given to God. As I keep being reminded, God is never at a loss for supply, financial or otherwise. He tells us to give to Him because it is to our benefit that we do so, but God Himself has no need of what we give. He therefore specifies what is to be done with what we have given to Him, and it includes not only the operation of the Church but also supplying the needs of those who cannot supply for themselves. In God’s economy, the government has no business being involved in social welfare; it is to be done by believers as unto the Lord. I am reminded of Jesus’ famous parable of the sheep and the goats, in which he specified, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) We are never to think that we are “buying God’s blessings” when we help the poor, but we are to look at opportunities to help the poor as opportunities to serve God. In America today, welfare payments have been used systematically to destroy the family structure of Blacks in particular, destroying motivation and the sense of self-worth. That should be sufficient evidence right there to get the government out of the whole process. It would take at least a generation to correct, but thankfully one of the people newly in charge of the government program is a man who overcame the government system in a big way in his own life, and he is a committed Christian to boot. The situation is indeed horrible, but there is hope.

I have personally benefited from government welfare programs, so I’m not speaking from a high horse. Medicaid paid just about all of the expenses when our younger daughter was born, and I am grateful. However, it would have been much better if there had been an active program in our church at the time to deal with such things. I have been involved in “God’s supply chain” in various ways over the years, and it is always a blessing to me to be able to do that. At the same time I know full well that wisdom is called for: cash is seldom the right answer in meeting needs. I have supplied food, clothing, and bus and train tickets, but seldom cash (though it has happened). I am to seek God for whom to help how, so that my good intentions won’t end up reinforcing destructive behavior. I am not to give just to feel good about myself, but as unto God as He directs.

Father, there are so many things that are “above my pay grade,” but nothing that is above Yours. Help me listen obediently to You, regardless of what society or my flesh tell me, so that I may be Your agent to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and set people free to enter Your kingdom, Your family, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 2, 2017

Posted on May 4, 2017 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 12:28 Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God.

We are back to the purpose of God’s regulations. As John said, His commands aren’t burdensome (1 John 5:3) because they are given in love, for our good. That said, the difference between the English and the Japanese here makes it clear that the Hebrew uses the word shalom. That has about the same gamut of meanings as the Hawaiian word aloha, which can make it very difficult to translate since the nuance depends on context. The NIV renders this as “go well with you,” while the Japanese renders it as “you may be happy.” Language can be a really tricky thing. Even between people who speak the same language, choice of words can either generate misunderstanding or clear it up. Differences in language use between men and women are justly famous, and have caused many conflicts. It isn’t that one is more correct than the other, it’s simply that they’re different. Whether we are reading the Bible or simply talking with another person, we do well to ask the Holy Spirit to show us the meaning behind the words, so that God’s truth may prevail.

I was talking about this with a gentleman yesterday who is past 90, having been a musician and an educator all his life. He was talking about differences in dialect from one region of Japan to another, and he is fascinated by my use of language because I am bilingual. I had to tell him that I’m just as capable of generating misunderstanding as he is! God has given me a gift of language, but I must not take it for granted. I talk freely in either language, but I must remember that Jesus said I will be held accountable for every careless word I’ve spoken. (Matthew 12:36) I would personally assume that would include every careless word I’ve written as well. With today’s electronic communication that’s increasingly an issue. I don’t do Twitter, but I see lots of people getting into trouble over what they’ve written in that! The Bible has a lot to say about words and the power of the tongue. I am to strive to use words as God intends, to accomplish His purposes and nothing less, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word. Help me receive Your words accurately to do them, and not confuse hearing with obedience. Help me not feel that because I’ve said something it’s true. That applies only to what You say! May I be a good steward of the words You supply, so that they may indeed accomplish that for which You send them, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 1, 2017

Posted on May 4, 2017 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 12:7 There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

We sometimes forget that church is to be a joyful place, and gathering before the Lord a joyous occasion. There are indeed times when we need to weep before the Lord in repentance, but those should be the exception rather than the rule. We are to be respectful before the Lord, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t to have fun. We often forget that apart from the burnt offerings, the majority of the animal sacrifices specified in the Books of Moses were actually eaten by the worshipers. That’s why it specifies which part of the animal was to be given to the Levites. Following that logic, it’s not inappropriate that churches should be nice places, benefiting those who have given offerings. However, if the motive for giving becomes your own comfort or pleasure, that’s not really an offering to the Lord. It is important to remember that God supplies everything, so our tithes and offerings are tools to help us remember where it all comes from and to express our gratitude. We are indeed to use church funds for all sorts of projects, starting with missions and evangelism and extending to all sorts of benevolences, but we are to do it with joy, and not as a grinding obligation. Some people indeed give that way, and God is hardly pleased with that. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Yesterday we had a barbecue after the church service, and I think it was entirely appropriate that we did so. It’s easier to get people to come for a barbecue than for a lecture! I need to be careful that I don’t come across as stern and demanding, because like it or not, people’s image of God is going to be colored by what they see in me. The Lord has told me personally to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him. Anything else is disobedience! I am to present the righteousness of God and call people to repentance and faith, but I must never forget that the result of genuine repentance and faith is “inexpressible and glorious joy.” (1 Peter 1:8) Taking God lightly and for granted leads to the sort of admonition James was prompted to give. “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:8-10) Rejoicing before the Lord is never to be flippant, but based on an awareness of who He is and what He has done for us.

Father, I didn’t know where this was headed when I started, but then that’s true of all of life. Help me focus on You as You desire and intend, so that all of Your good purposes for me may be fulfilled, with joy for many and glory for You. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 30, 2017

Posted on May 2, 2017 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.

Moses did all he could to be as clear as possible. The thing is, though, that God’s truth has to be written on our hearts, and then we have to choose to obey it. Transmission of information about God and what He has said to us is vital, but information by itself accomplishes very little. What matters is what we do with the information we have received. I am reminded of how much information the US had about what Japan was doing before the Pearl Harbor attack, and how that information was largely ignored. People in “Christian” nations generally know the outline of the Gospel at least, but far too few of them apply it to themselves in their daily lives. There is a Japanese phrase in this passage which occurs many times throughout the Bible that translates as “hear and obey,” or “obey hearing.” The thing is, we can’t obey until we have heard, but just hearing isn’t the same as obedience. One problem for the Jews was their pride in having the Law of God, without applying that law to their lives and from their hearts. Many Christians are exactly the same way. The Bible is a valued decoration, but little more. Moses here speaks of a curse for disobedience. It’s not that “God will get you for that,” but that failure to follow God has its automatic consequences, and explaining those as a curse is a clear way to help us understand them. It’s precisely because God is love that He wants us to follow the way that will lead to the greatest blessing for us.

As someone who grew up immersed in the Bible, this couldn’t be more applicable. All of my life I’ve struggled with applying consistently the truth I know. As Jesus said, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:17) As a pastor I struggle with training people to apply the truth that I share with them. One pitfall of having Teacher gifting is that I tend to feel subconsciously that all I should have to do is shovel truth on people for them to receive it and be transformed, but that is seldom the case. I should know that from my own experience! I need to grow in walking alongside people to help them apply the truth that will indeed set them free, to the degree they receive it and make it part of themselves. (John 8:32) Just telling them the truth doesn’t make them know it. Intellectual assent isn’t the same thing as obedience.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the video You led me to last night of the young man who spoke so powerfully of his struggles with doubt after having been raised in church. Thank You for the victory You led him to, for your grace toward him and toward me. My path hasn’t been the same as his, but I’ve been in as much, if not more, danger. Help me remember that each person is unique, but Your grace is sufficient for us all. May I never stop speaking Your truth in love, living it out so that others too may do so, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 29, 2017

Posted on May 1, 2017 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 11:2 Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm.

We tend to forget that other people haven’t experienced God in the same way we have. God loves and deals with each person equally, but that takes a different form with each individual. We tend to gather with those who have had similar experiences of God and then wonder why others don’t join us. The answer is often that they haven’t experienced God the same way we have. That’s the whole point of testifying of our experiences. We have the Biblical record of what God has done with mankind (which Moses was just starting to write) but for the average person it seems distant and unconnected to them. That’s why the most effective evangelism is simply one person sharing with another what they have actually experienced of God. Precisely because it is effective, the devil does all he can to keep it from happening. Making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20) starts with being witnesses (Acts 1:8). Sometimes we think our experience of God is too insignificant to be worth sharing, but that is a deception of the devil. A small percentage of people have dramatic experiences with God that awe everyone that hears about them, but even they often hesitate to share. The vast majority of Christians have only had smaller, less dramatic experiences, but that’s the kind of life most people live, so sharing such experiences is all the more persuasive. If we think, “I could never testify because I’ve never been saved from drug addiction,” or whatever, then we will deprive others of the opportunity to encounter God who loves them regardless of what they have or haven’t done.

My own life experiences have been unusual, from the viewpoint of most of the people around me, precisely because I’ve been steeped in faith from before my birth. That’s pretty hard for a Japanese who has never entered a church building to relate to! That, coupled with my Teacher gifting, has tended to make me focus on sharing Biblical truth exclusively. Biblical truth is great, but if I don’t connect it to where people are in their daily lives, it simply isn’t going to penetrate. I have tried to encourage believers to share more, but they look at me and think they could never do it the way I do, and so they don’t want to try. My point is, my way isn’t the most effective for drawing people into the family of God! An exegesis of Paul’s theology might be appropriate for a believers’ Bible study, but it’s hardly effective evangelism! Tomorrow will be a service of singing and testimonies, with no “sermon” as such. We don’t expect many, if any, non-believers to be present, but I hope to use the CD I will make of the service to share with several people. My prayer is that this will mark a break-through in this church, with the believers realizing that what God has done for and with them is significant, and He wants to use them to draw others to Himself.

Father, the feeling that You really are taking us to a new level in Your plan is exciting. Help me not get in the way or try to control what is going on, but keep me also from being passive, failing to apply myself in the ways You indicate. May we change, may I change, in the ways You know are needed, so that we may be the powerful, effective part of the Body of Christ that You intend us to be, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 28, 2017

Posted on May 1, 2017 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 9:6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.

God’s blessings are grace, and we had better not forget it. Jesus’ biggest opposition came from hypocritical self-righteous people who thought they had earned right standing with God. We aren’t to wallow in sin, certainly, but we must never think that we have arrived, that God has perfected us. Paul wrote memorably on this subject in Philippians 3:7-14, and followed it up with a note of caution: “Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” (Philippians 4:16) It’s not that God hasn’t done good stuff in us, or that we aren’t in far better shape than we once were. We certainly don’t need to be paralyzed by self doubt. However, to again quote Paul, “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:4-6) Our confidence, our assurance, is not to be in ourselves but in the One who created, saved, called, and sends us. We are to rejoice in all that He does for, in, and through us, but we are not for a moment to think that we earned it by being so wonderful. That’s what Moses is saying here.

I have fought with conceit for most of my life. God has been extremely gracious to me, and there have been times when I have forgotten where it all came from. I well remember the liberation that came when I finally got it straight, down to the core of my being, that God’s smart and I’m not. There is a sharp irony in my not being able to figure that out for so long! Realizing that has made me much better able to take advice, which is certainly a valuable trait. I feel like God is about to pour out incredible things on me and on this church. When that happens, I’ve got to keep the reality that it’s all grace in sharp focus. If I take any of the glory for myself, I will lose the benefit of what He is doing, and He will have to use someone else. I don’t want that! I have no room for personal pride in what He has done to this point, and I will have no room for such pride in the future. I am to keep myself open and humble before Him, for Him to do in and through me whatever He desires, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me not hold back from anything You are doing, but grasp Your vision and run with it in Your strength, so that Your name may be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 27, 2017

Posted on April 29, 2017 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 8:3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

This verse is most famous for being the one Jesus quoted when tempted by the devil to place His physical needs ahead of obedience to God. (Luke 4:3-4) Even so, we don’t think about it sufficiently to apply it consistently. We have a strong tendency to let our flesh rule the roost in all sorts of ways. Some of those ways are more obvious than others, and often they are more obvious to those close to us than they are to us. That’s always a mistake. We are to take good care of our bodies so that they will serve us, and by extension the Lord, well. However, one of Jesus’ most famous teachings was all about how God is perfectly aware of our physical needs, so rather than our focusing on them, we need to focus on being and doing what He intends for us. (Matthew 6:25-34) God has been trying to teach this lesson to His children ever since the Garden of Eden, but every generation has to learn it for themselves. The Biblical record is a huge help in that, but we can be remarkably obtuse at times. Some years ago a book came out that briefly reached best-seller status, called Looking Out for Number One. I’ve never read it, but from the title I’d say it’s the antithesis of what God said through Moses in this verse. If we focus our hearts on God, He will look out for us. That certainly sounds like a better arrangement to me!

I have experienced God’s protection and provision more times and in more ways than I could count, and in far more ways than I am even aware of. Even so, I still get anxious at times. How foolish! My focus needs to be on obedience, gratitude, and praise. I must not forget the obedience part of that, but with that in place I am to rest, relax, and rejoice, just as He has told me to do. Thinking about it, that is also an area of obedience! Any time I get anxious that shows I have taken my focus off of God. Paul’s words on this subject are justly loved: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) That in turn brings to mind Isaiah’s words: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3) That is what God intends for me, and for all of His children.

Father, thank You for Your perfect provision. Thank You for the things You allow me to go through to teach me to trust You and Your provision. Help me recognize the many, often subtle ways the devil works to take my eyes off of You, so that in obedience to You I may stand against him. (James 4:7) May I walk in all that You have prepared for me so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 26, 2017

Posted on April 29, 2017 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 7:12-13 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you.

I don’t know Hebrew grammar, but in Japanese you don’t hit a period from the beginning of verse 12 all the way to the end of verse 13. The impression is of an unstoppable torrent of blessing for God’s people who follow His laws. It’s interesting that where the NIV calls this a “covenant of love,” the Japanese calls it a “covenant of grace.” Those really are inseparable, because as Moses points out in verse 7, God does all these things not because of who we are but because of who He is. Some people try to follow God because of what they think they will get for it. This list is pretty impressive! However, that motive is ultimately insufficient. The real reason to love and obey God is that He is worthy, not only of our obedience but of all our love and devotion. We need to get to the place of Job, who would not reject God even though everything had been taken away from him. (Job 1:21; 13:15) God provides abundantly, but if we love Him only for what He gives us we haven’t really tasted His love.

This is an issue I have dealt with off and on over the years, both in myself and in others. I am as prone as anyone to fall into conditional, rather than unconditional, love. (In this case it really is a descent, rather than the usual “falling in love.”) However, if I love others just for what they do for me, I can’t begin to open up to the magnificence of God’s love for me. The whole Bible is a story of God’s unequal love. We can’t begin to love Him, much less other people, as He loves us unless we open our hearts to receive His love. I put it that way in my standard “wedding sermon,” because even a husband and wife can’t love each other fully apart from the love of God. God gives us rules because actions do have consequences, but even if we violate those rules He still loves us, because He has given us the rules to protect us from the consequences of our foolishness. As a pastor I try to help people understand that, but we can be remarkably stubborn! I have been amazingly blessed, but if I love God only for what He has done for me, I have missed the greatest blessing of all.

Father, this is really deep and really important. I have had times of real discouragement because of the low rate of return on my labors. Help me grasp, at the deepest level, that such things in no way diminish Your love for me. Help me receive Your love fully so that I may give it back to You fully, and to those around me as well, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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