April 15, 2017

Posted on April 21, 2017 by jgarrott

Luke 23:50-51 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.

This is the first hint we have that there were any members of the Sanhedrin besides Nicodemus who were open to Jesus. John records that Nicodemus joined Joseph in giving Jesus a proper burial. (John 19:38-42) My guess is that the two of them were not notified of the midnight emergency meeting that sentenced Jesus to death. They probably felt pretty isolated even within their own circle. That said, the thing that strikes me right now is that these were men who followed Jesus from afar. I don’t know whether today we would say they were saved, since they hadn’t openly professed Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but on the other hand they weren’t lost. We really don’t know who is in their boat even today. Some are actively antagonistic to the Gospel, but some are simply quiet, needing only the right challenge and opportunity to commit themselves to Christ. It is interesting that Matthew specifies that Joseph was wealthy. (Matthew 27:57) Churches that agonize over finances probably need to focus on bringing people to salvation. God always has provision! We aren’t to target people because of their bank balance, but we must remember that wealthy people are just as much in need of eternal salvation as anyone else. We tend to look at the material and think they wouldn’t be interested, when the benefits of life in Christ are something even Bill Gates couldn’t buy. Jesus died for everyone, and we need to let everyone know it.

This applies to this church in two ways. On the financial side, the church treasurer was pointing out last night that to make our budget balance, as we modified it in the business meeting last Sunday, she will have to increase projected offerings by a significant amount. I had said in the business meeting that growing churches approach budgets on the basis of what God wants them to do, rather than on the basis of what they can do with their limited finances. God is testing us on that! More importantly, we have been stagnating, or worse, in terms of numbers in recent years. That is a far bigger issue that finances, because we are talking about eternal souls here. We need to wake up to the “Josephs” that God has prepared around us and draw them into His family, as He desires. Cathy and I are aware of many people who admire us greatly but have never stepped foot in this church building. We need God’s wisdom and anointing to bring in the harvest! I personally believe that God is holding back on that because He wants the believers to reach out on their own, rather than depending on Cathy and me for everything, and especially evangelism. I think He is starting to move us in that direction, and it’s exciting!

Father, thank You indeed for Your plans for us. I can think of several “Josephs” myself, but You know who is ready. Help us reach out, actively and effectively, to bring in all whom You have prepared, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

April 14, 2017

Posted on April 21, 2017 by jgarrott

Matthew 27:42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself!”

It just struck me the similarity between Jesus’ crucifixion and the scene in the movie Silence where a group of believers are being threatened with martyrdom. The biggest unifying point to me is the lack of understanding of salvation. It’s hardly surprising that the people mocking Jesus had no grasp of eternal salvation, but it’s really sad that Shusaku Endo didn’t grasp it either, so he didn’t credit his characters with having such an understanding. Jesus tried to help people understand by saying such things as, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:35-36) Physical salvation, not to mention luxury, is strictly temporal, but we are created as eternal beings. If we focus on the physical we lose sight of the spiritual, when the physical is temporary but the spiritual is eternal. Nate Saint had it exactly right when he said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” In Silence, the brightest point for me was the one believer who was martyred by being tied to a cross on a beach where heavy surf would frequently hit him. It took four days for him to die, but he sang hymns while he waited. Such people experience salvation indeed! Paul learned salvation both by faith and by daily experience. Not only did he write such passages as Ephesians 2:8-9 to explain how eternal salvation is received, he also wrote, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) That’s what Jesus was doing on the cross, and it was what His mockers couldn’t grasp.

This is of course vitally important for me, as it is for every believer. As a pastor I seek to lead others into this understanding, but it’s difficult for us to shift focus away from our flesh. Today I’ll be attending the wake of the mother of one of our church members. She was not a Christian formally, but her daughter and grandson talked about Jesus with her in her final days, and her response seemed to be very affirmative. I cannot say definitively that she is with Jesus now, but the possibility is very real. If so, she is saved, even though her body is lifeless. The irony is that most Christians, even, are so distracted by their flesh and the world that they lose the “eternal hope” that is so central to the Gospel. It is when we keep that hope in sharp focus that our faith becomes so attractive that others beg us to share it with them. (1 Peter 3:15) That is how I want to be, and how I want everyone in this church to be.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I pray that the events of the next few days would draw many to Christ as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. May the believers be renewed in faith so that we may be and do all that You desire and intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

April 13, 2017

Posted on April 20, 2017 by jgarrott

Matthew 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

This is probably the most famous recorded prayer of Jesus Himself, since what is called The Lord’s Prayer is what He taught his disciples to pray. It’s an awesome prayer in many ways. We tend to overlook the fact that along with all His physical suffering, depicted so graphically in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, He also had intense emotional suffering. We have no record of when, as a human being, He became aware that He would go through crucifixion, but He told His disciples about it many times, even though they couldn’t grasp what He was saying to them. That awareness comes to a peak right here, even before His arrest, and the stress is so great that Luke, as a physician, records that he had the rare, but documented, situation of capillaries rupturing so that blood mixed with His sweat. (Luke 22:44) Such emotional distress is intense indeed! I don’t know that it would have been so intense if He hadn’t had the power, as the Son of God, to call “more than twelve legions of angels” to His defense. (Matthew 26:53) His human side desperately wanted to do exactly that! In spite of that, as the only perfect human being, He chose to submit to the Father’s plan, knowing the cost to Himself. In Hebrews it says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) Good advice indeed!

Every time I do a wedding I talk about this as the greatest illustration of the love of God. However, talking about it doesn’t mean it’s always in the forefront of my awareness. I have heard some teachers emphasize “praying in faith” to the point that they discourage praying this prayer of Jesus, saying that for us it’s a cop-out. In some cases it may be, but I never want to place my will ahead of God’s. I’m reminded of the story of when Smith Wigglesworth resurrected his own wife, and she said to him, “Smith, why did you do that?” After about 20 minutes of conversation he submitted to the Father’s will and allowed her to go on to heaven. I would be strongly tempted to at least try the same thing, should it come my wife’s time, but at least I know better, since she’s already been and come back once, and I don’t want to deprive her of all that awaits her there. In some ways it’s harder to pray in submission over smaller things, since we don’t even realize we’re being rebellious. We aren’t to be doormats for the devil’s schemes, but if we’re going to resist him, we’ve got to submit to God first. (James 4:7) I need to keep that in focus all the time.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Passion Week to think about all of this. I pray that You would enable every one of Your children get this into sharp focus, so that together we may indeed submit to You and resist the devil, so that Your kingdom may come and Your will be done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

April 12, 2017

Posted on April 20, 2017 by jgarrott

Matthew 26:22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?”

To me this verse shows the growing spiritual maturity of the disciples. In the first place, they didn’t doubt Him for a moment, even though what He said seemed unthinkable. In the second place, it seems that not one of them discounted the possibility that they might be the betrayer, which shows commendable humility. Actually, it was just minutes after this that Peter made his bold claim of loyalty, even in the face of Jesus saying that he would deny Him, so we know their maturity and humility weren’t perfect by any means. Even so, it looks to me like they had come a long way in the three years or so they had been with Jesus. However, as Paul acknowledged, we always have more room to grow. (Philippians 3:12-14) As long as we are in these bodies, God keeps allowing things that show us our need for growth, if we will only recognize them as such. Things that make us angry, things that tie us in knots, anything that disturbs His peace in our hearts is a gentle reminder that we have room to grow in trusting Him with every detail of our lives. We feel we are entitled to a problem-free existence, and our resentment at not having that is our biggest problem! The failures of others are often involved in our frustrations so we become angry at them, not letting God be God of that specific detail. We protest at the unfairness of others blaming us for things we didn’t cause, but we do the same thing, and often enough our failures really do cause frustration for others. We can’t force anyone else to trust God fully, but we can make that choice for ourselves. We can’t generate faith, but we can choose to accept the faith that God offers to us, and thus mature as His children.

I’m in the middle of a lesson in this area big time. Cathy has had a computer problem that has made using her computer awkward at best since the beginning of this week. The replacement part finally arrived yesterday and I installed it, only to have Windows insist that I had made some major change, which I hadn’t, and refuse to boot at all. (I do have fairly extensive computer hardware experience.) My only recourse at this point is to get through to the Microsoft help desk, but their hours are limited, and my past interactions with them don’t make me overly optimistic. My turmoil at that kept me from getting a good night’s sleep, and then this morning there were other, unrelated irritations. Just before I got around to opening my Bible, it hit me that all of these things are “1st world” problems arising from the luxury in which we live. In all of this I have forgotten gratitude! We want our lives to be largely uneventful, and everything to work as desired and expected. The thing is, from God’s perspective WE don’t work as desired! (At least, given His omniscience, nothing is unexpected for Him.) This is simply an intense lesson in getting my priorities straight. I need to be grateful for the abundance He has poured out on me and seek His wisdom for dealing with each issue, not pouting like a spoiled brat. I look down on others for their “entitled” behavior, not recognizing it in myself. I really do have plenty to repent of.

Father, thank You for this lesson. I see that it touches my pride, when I thought I had made such progress in that area! Keep growing me in the humility You know I need, so that in gratitude I may rejoice in the abundance of Your grace toward me. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

April 11, 2017

Posted on April 17, 2017 by jgarrott

John 13:17 “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

I have lost track of how many passages talk about both faith and works, knowledge and action. Lots of passages focus on one or the other, and it can be easy to get off balance. Jesus famously said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) That would seem to focus on the faith side of things, but that has to be paired with this verse to maintain balance. Judas, after all, had the same input as the other 11 disciples, but in doing other than what he knew, he became the most infamous person in history. This verse agrees completely with James 1:22. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” The blessing comes not in memorizing, or even intellectual agreement, but in obedient follow-through. Since none of us are totally obedient as long as we are on this earth, we can look forward to increasing blessing as our level of obedience rises! Yes, it is all grace, and we receive much better than we deserve, but actions have consequences, and obedience brings blessing.

I have received grace and blessing beyond measure, but I still have to keep this reality in sharp focus. I know more of the Bible than many people, but just knowing it in my mind doesn’t bring the blessings; putting it into practice does. As a pastor, I’ve got to teach that we are saved by grace through faith, (Ephesians 2:8-9) but also that it still makes a big difference how we live. Paul argued both parts of that extensively in Romans, countering the idea that if it is all grace, then it doesn’t matter how we live. (Romans 6:1-2) As has come out in the readings over the past few days, our obedience is a measure of our love for Jesus. The more we love Him, the more we appreciate and appropriate His love for us. That doesn’t make Him love us any more, it just increases our capacity to receive and enjoy His love. As both a pastor and a secular teacher I know the frustration, even the heartache, of pouring truth into people and seeing them put it on the shelf, so to speak, and not follow through and do it. I must not be that way toward God, but rather live out all that He has poured into me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I have been aware of this issue for many years, and I still don’t get it right all the time! Help me indeed walk out Your truth so that I may lead others into it, for the blessing of everyone involved and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

April 10, 2017

Posted on April 17, 2017 by jgarrott

John 12:26 “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

There are two minor differences in translation between the NIV and the Japanese. The NIV puts the imperative, “must,” with “follow,” while the Japanese puts it with “be with.” The other difference is that where the NIV says “honor,” the Japanese says “reward.” The point in any case is that serving Jesus means being with Him, and to me that is reward enough. Jesus touched on this theme again in the Upper Room Discourse (John 14:13) and in His Pastoral Prayer (John 17:24). He really meant it! Serving Him and being with Him really are inseparable. There are those who say they want to serve Him but they won’t take time with Him in private each day. There are also those who insist they are close to Him but they won’t do what He tells them. Either situation is a deception, and can be tragic. If we look at serving as an obligation, a duty, then we miss out on the joy and unlimited blessing of fellowship with Christ. That is particularly sad because such fellowship is the purpose for which we were created. Jesus made it very clear that love for Him included obedience, (John 14:23) and in his first letter John stated flat out, “This is love for God: to obey his commands.” (1 John 5:3) That doesn’t fit the feel-good fluff that too many churches have taught. The Bible speaks many times about our being the Body of Christ, but if a part of your body won’t do what you want it to, that’s a major problem. For us to be properly connected to our Head, we have to be responsive and obedient. That’s what being with Him is all about.

The longer I walk with Christ the more closely I want to do so. My morning devotion times are my first priority, but if that doesn’t translate into obedience throughout the day, it means very little. I tend to draw back from tasks I don’t enjoy – like cleaning my study! That’s no way to enjoy God’s best. Yesterday’s church business meeting was an answer to prayer, with genuine sharing and discussion but no arguing. I believe God is indeed shaping us into the Body that He wants, but for that to happen we have to be fully committed to obedience. I need to stay flexible, not depending on my gifts but allowing God to do things through others in ways that I wouldn’t – and not being up tight about it! I need to remember that obedience to God includes helping others be obedient to Him as well, even when their obedience doesn’t look like mine.

Father, thank You for Your amazing grace toward us, individually and as a church. Help us indeed be and do as You desire and intend, growing spiritually and in numbers, to be a powerful, effective witness for Christ in this city and this nation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

April 9, 2017

Posted on April 16, 2017 by jgarrott

Matthew 21:6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.

The story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is so familiar that I could just about quote the whole thing exactly, but reading it once again just now, the thing that stands out to me is that the disciples did as they were told. This is a very important fundamental principle, as James famously pointed out. (James 1:22) If we don’t do what Jesus tells us, what good is it to pretend to listen? Jesus Himself made this point very clear. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) He followed that up with His parable of the men who built houses on bedrock and on sand, to paint a very graphic picture of what He was talking about. No one is perfect in their obedience, but if the will to obey, to follow through, is not there we are only deceiving ourselves, just as James said. This is an issue for every believer. If our faith doesn’t lead to obedient action it is an illusion. Paul’s famous statement about our being saved by grace through faith, in Ephesians 2:8-9, continues on to verse 10, which talks about our doing the things that God has prepared in advance for us to do. Too often we come to Jesus thinking we’re getting a meal ticket and a ticket to heaven, not accepting that we’re also signing onto a work crew. Whether that actually is saving faith is God’s business, but it certainly isn’t the path of fruitful discipleship.

This is my situation in spades. Whereas some would think I’m some sort of “super Christian” for being a missionary pastor, the ultimate question is whether I have done what Jesus has told me to do. I have baptized people and I have raised up a few pastors, but at the same time I have hardly done the best job of casting God’s vision for this church and equipping the people to fulfill it. We have our annual business meeting today, and after the reports and such we will have a time of prayer and sharing, seeking God’s vision for us as individuals and as a church. To be honest, I don’t know how much I can contribute. I am very aware of my own inability and weakness, so I need to fix my eyes on my Lord, for whom nothing is impossible.

Father, You know what has been running through my mind, and I know that the devil is the accuser. Help me distinguish accurately between Your voice and his, and listen only to You. May Your perfect will be done, for me and for this church, today and every day, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

April 8, 2017

Posted on April 16, 2017 by jgarrott

John 3:20-21 “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

This reads like a commentary on current events! It feels like saying “honest politician” is an oxymoron, but recently bureaucrats have been in very much the same category. The world does not like honesty and frankness, for precisely the reason Jesus gives here. They work at putting up false fronts to cover up what they are doing behind the scenes, forgetting that nothing is hidden from God. (Hebrews 4:13) However, we have to be careful here. Saying “they” implies that we are always innocent, and that’s not the case. It is easy to point fingers at major offenders, but we are prone to doing things “in secret” ourselves. We become adept at fooling ourselves, sometimes even more than at fooling others. It is well known that the first step in dealing with addiction is acknowledging you have a problem. The thing is, God is always ready to help and to forgive, if we will make the choice to be honest and repent. That’s why the Bible talks so much about confessing sins. 1 John 1:9 and James 5:16 are both well known, for excellent reason. Light is a marvelous disinfectant! The Catholic church has formalized confession, but that can both make it less accessible and trivialize it. Our focus needs to be on Jesus Himself, rather than on “designated representatives,” because He is the Light. (John 8:12 and many more)

With my focus on honesty and openness, that doesn’t mean that secrets aren’t sometimes appropriate. Last month I had the privilege of officiating at a surprise “wedding” for a couple on their 50th anniversary. They had never had a ceremony, and their children and grandchildren planned it for them in great secrecy. That was delightful for all involved! Honesty and openness also doesn’t mean we are to spill all we know all the time. On the one hand that can hurt people needlessly, and on the other hand it can be downright boring! I have created problems for myself and others in this area. As John said, I need to walk in the light as He is in the light, both for the sake of fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ and for personal purity. (1 John 1:7) I am to be a carrier of the light in every situation, but never with a holier-than-thou attitude. That will turn my light to darkness! I am to rejoice in God’s grace to me, and extend that grace to all around me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do get disgusted reading the news at times. Keep me from letting that blind me to my own weaknesses. May I rejoice to walk in Your light at all times in all ways, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

April 7, 2017

Posted on April 11, 2017 by jgarrott

John 11:48 “If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

On one level this is an absolutely astounding statement for religious leaders to make, but on another level, if we see them as political leaders, they could be clones of some of the people in the news today. On a religious basis, they have just acknowledged that Jesus was performing miraculous signs. You would think that would make them want to know more about Him and follow Him themselves. However, religion was just window dressing for them; they were really politicians at heart. As such, their primary concern was for their own position, influence, and authority, with no real concern for what was actually right and even best for those under their authority. We see that going on every day in the news. The good thing is, even though they did horrible things for the worst reasons, God was still in control, and the redemption of all mankind was accomplished. We aren’t to stop opposing evil people, exposing their activities for what they are, but at the same time we are to trust God to bring good out of whatever transpires. It seems unthinkable that Assad is using poison gas against children and babies, but God can use even that to bring about His purposes. The world is indeed a messed up place, but God is still God, and we haven’t seen the end of it all yet.

This is something I have known intellectually for a long time, on the basis both of Romans 8:28 and my own experience, but it can be hard to remember. I’ll never forget watching the second plane hit the World Trade Center on live news. The man on the scene reporting the first plane strike was facing the camera and didn’t see it, and the people in the studio here in Japan were crying out in horror. I was too. God used even that horrible incident to bring about the repentance of many, and more miracles took place that day and in the days following than we will know. Sadly, the repentance didn’t stick for all too many people, but the fault there was certainly not with God. I am to seek God all the time, but particularly when events seem bad. I am to remember that He will allow nothing that He can’t turn around to use for good, (Romans 8:28) and trust and praise Him. That isn’t always easy by any means, but the more I do it, the more I will grow in faith as His child, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me remember, and proclaim, that we wouldn’t have Easter without Good Friday. Help me be a carrier of faith to all, so that as many as will may repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

April 6, 2017

Posted on April 8, 2017 by jgarrott

John 11:40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

Here Jesus continues His dialog about faith with Martha. She began (this time around at least) by stating, in verse 22, that Jesus was greater than any circumstances. Jesus responded to that in agreement, including verses 25 and 26 that are used at most Christian funerals. It is interesting that here He says, “Did I not tell you,” but if he had said these exact words to her it wasn’t at this time. What He had said to her was, “Your brother will rise again.” (verse 23) God speaks to us again and again about faith, about trusting Him more than we trust our own senses or intellect, but He has to repeat Himself because we are so slow to listen. Our faith tends to be weak for any of a number of reasons – or all of them. We are prone to ask for things without checking with Him first, so we end up asking for what won’t be good for us. We ask with a specific time frame in mind, and when He doesn’t meet our schedule, we give up. We ask for entirely selfish motives. The list could go on and on. Hebrews 11:39-40 makes it clear that the reward for faith may well not come in this life, but it is absolutely certain. When requests are always answered promptly and affirmatively, you end up with presumption and entitlement rather than faith. God is a better Father than that! We need to rest in the assurance that He will do what is best for us, regardless of what it looks like to our natural selves.

We are in a continuing lesson in this very area. We have felt like God was telling us He would give us the land next to the church building, but then our plans fell through and it was sold to a developer. Then the Lord renewed the assurance of His plans to my heart just a few days ago. Last night in the middle of the night Cathy was up but hadn’t turned on any lights, and she saw a light moving around on the property next door. We cannot predict how, but we are being affirmed that God is going to manifest His glory by giving us that land. The point now is to keep praying, keep believing, and keep praising Him.

Father, I hesitate even to write this, because it seems so absurd to my human intellect. Thank You that You aren’t limited to what I can figure out, not now any more than You were in Bethany 2000 years ago. Help me walk in faith and obedience whatever my senses, my mind, and especially the world, are telling me, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment