March 16, 2017

Posted on March 19, 2017 by jgarrott

Numbers 3:45 “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the Lord.”

This whole thing is a rather fascinating transaction. We don’t like to think of people as possessions and property, because that is slavery, but slavery was a completely accepted element of society back then. (That’s not at all to say that we should accept slavery today, but context is important in reading the Bible.) What God is saying here is that the first-born are His in a special way, whether of people or of livestock, but trying to keep that straight in terms of accounting would be an absolute mess. So, in a very logical solution, He is taking the tribe of Levi instead. It is very interesting that the numbers, even, are so close, with just over a 1% deviation, which was made up with cash. The ultimate “plague” by which the Lord liberated the Israelites from Egypt was when He took (in that case, killed) all the first-born of people and livestock. That was recent enough in their history that they couldn’t argue with His claim on their first-born, and substituting the tribe of Levi probably relieved everyone, Levites included. All of this was part of God’s provision for the nation, actually, because there needed to be a large group of people committed to transmitting the rules and regulations He was giving them for their good. We need to remember that the majority of people were probably illiterate at this point, so preserving and transmitting information required much more active participation than it does today. We just hit “save” and “send” and it’s done! The negative of that for us is that we probably internalize far less of what we hear, and even transmit, than those people did. All of this is to say that God was providing the manpower necessary to transform the Israelites into a demonstration of His reality to the world.

This applies to me to the extent that, as a pastor, I am in the position of a Levite today. That said, under the New Covenant all believers are called to draw near to God and serve Him. As was pointed out in a conference I attended recently, probably 99% of churches fail to practice, really, the Reformation concept of the priesthood of the believer. I need to do more to get this church out of that 99%, helping each believer understand that they are special to God and that He wants to use them for their blessing, the blessing of others, and for His glory. In Jesus, God gave His First-born for us, so we are His in a special way. I find that people are remarkably resistant to that idea. Either we want to run off and do our own thing, or we feel we aren’t at all worthy to be used by God – and sometimes both of those feelings at once! I am to continue to speak the truth in love so that the Holy Spirit may open their eyes to God’s plans for them, for their blessing and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how You are firming up the message You are birthing in me for this Sunday. I pray that I would hear and obey You accurately so that Your Word would flow through me unhindered to accomplish that for which You send it, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 15, 2017

Posted on March 17, 2017 by jgarrott

Numbers 3:10 “Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death.”

If we aren’t aware of this verse we don’t understand just how revolutionary the New Covenant is. When we do understand, a very familiar verse becomes earth-shaking. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) This was the meaning of the veil of the temple being torn from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross. (Matthew 27:51) That had to be initiated from the top, from God, because man certainly didn’t have the authority to do it. We tend to forget the absolute holiness of God, and so think stories like the death of Aaron’s two older sons indicate a capricious, vengeful God. That was no more capricious and vengeful than the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11. God is indeed “slow to anger,” (Exodus 34:6) but sometimes we need strong object lessons to teach us just what a big deal it is that God allows us access to Him at all. That access is a precious thing and is to be enjoyed to the fullest, but at the same time it must not be taken lightly. The same book of the Bible that talks about coming boldly before the throne of grace also says, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31) Jonathan Edwards’ message based on that verse sparked the revival that is called The Great Awakening. America needs such a revival today!

I have never been much of a “hellfire and brimstone” preacher, but I must not ignore the reality of God’s holiness and our accountability before Him. This past Sunday’s message, delivered by my assistant pastor, was a strong one about hating everything else in comparison to Christ. I knew it would be that way as soon as I saw his root Scripture, Luke 14:25-27. That’s not a bad thing! I need to keep God’s holiness clear in my own heart and mind and I must not skip over it in my teaching and preaching. The biggest danger for me is the all-too-accurate proverb about familiarity breeding contempt. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know about God, and I have always known Him as love. (1 John 4:8) I must remember that genuine love disciplines, sometimes severely. The grace of God comes to mean very little when we take it for granted, and I must not do that.

Father, thank You indeed for Your grace. Help me grasp its reality more and more through grasping Your holiness more and more. Help me lead more and more people before Your throne, not presumptuously but in humility and gratitude and joy, so that all of Your plans for us may be fulfilled, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 14, 2017

Posted on March 17, 2017 by jgarrott

Leviticus 26:3 “‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, …'”

Here we have the carrot for the Old Testament Law. (The stick starts from verse 14.) The blessings listed in the next 10 verses deal primarily with abundant provision and ample protection and victory. Certainly desirable things! Actions have consequences, and here the Lord is making it clear that obedience to Him is certainly no exception to that. It is interesting that from verse 10 through verse 39 it talks about the horrible consequences of disobedience, but then from verse 40 it talks about repentance and grace. All of this was necessary to lay a foundation for understanding our accountability before God. We would like to appropriate the good stuff and ignore the bad stuff, but life doesn’t work that way. Frankly, the accumulated weight of the sins of mankind has the world in a pretty horrible state right now. Far more people need to wake up to the reality of accountability to God and live accordingly. That said, the New Testament makes it clear that whereas we are incapable of keeping the Law in our own strength, God has opened the way to salvation by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9) The danger for many Christians today is in taking God’s grace lightly, failing to understand the seriousness of their ignoring God in much of their daily life. I’ve preached recently on the twin pillars of the Gospel: God’s love and God’s righteousness, both as expressed perfectly in Christ Jesus. (Appreciation to Steven Kaylor, who expressed that clearly in a conference I attended.) When we ignore the if/then statements in the Bible we are negating God’s righteousness, and we have abandoned the Gospel. As has been said, “Where God guides, He provides,” but we had better be following His guidance if we want that provision.

This of course applies to me as much as it does to anyone. Like everyone else, I am prone to take my own sins lightly and be judgmental of others. That doesn’t pass God’s smell test! Such activity grieves the Holy Spirit, (Ephesians 4:30) and must be repented of. I have been blessed greatly, but I’ve got to remember that every bit of it is grace. I am to walk in gratitude and obedience as a good steward of all that God has provided, both materially and spiritually. Hoarding is not a Kingdom mentality! I am to listen and obey, submitting to God and resisting the devil, (James 4:7) so that all of God’s plans for me may be fulfilled. And I know those plans are good indeed! (Jeremiah 29:11)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your plans for today, for the opportunities to be obedient to You and to resist the devil. Help me make full use of each of those opportunities (Ephesians 5:16) so that Your grace and love may flow through me unhindered, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 13, 2017

Posted on March 15, 2017 by jgarrott

Leviticus 10:8-9 Then the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.”

The start of this story does not say that Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu were drunk when they did what got them killed, but to me this passage is a strong indicator that was the case. I’m reminded of the somewhat tasteless joke that says that a redneck’s last words are, “Here, hold my beer and watch this.” There is literally no end to the number of foolish things that are done under the influence of alcohol. Both Old and New Testaments warn of the dangers of alcohol, but mankind hasn’t paid much attention. It’s not that ethanol doesn’t have its uses. It has been demonstrated that one drink a day actually improves the circulatory system, and in situations where the water isn’t safe, diluted wine can be the wisest choice to drink. The problem is, so few people who drink limit themselves to that. That said, the reverse problem is the imagined moral superiority of those who don’t drink and despise those who do. That’s an instant recipe for hypocrisy, because no one is perfect. The thing is, it makes no sense to expose yourself to unnecessary temptation. Different people have widely different responses to alcohol, and finding out you have an addictive personality is a tragic discovery indeed.

I feel I am blessed never to have liked the taste of beer, or even of most wines. It has always seemed ironic to me that people invent ways to disguise the taste of alcohol in order to be able to drink it. I find bourbon coke quite palatable, but the question becomes, why drink it? If I drink to escape the pressures of life, then I am turning to something other than God for my “salvation.” I have had many friends and acquaintances who drank, and it has always seemed very appropriate to me that one term for “drunk” is “wasted.” When we numb ourselves with alcohol we are wasting either our God-given intellect or an opportunity to grow spiritually and emotionally, or both. I have had many delightful times without alcohol, and find it sad that some people can’t seem to relax without a glass or a can in their hand. That said, I must not be holier-that-thou about it all. I am to walk in personal sobriety but not confuse that as a substitute for genuine holiness. Just because I don’t drink doesn’t mean I’m holy! I need to recognize we are all equally in need of God’s grace, and so operate as an open channel of that grace to all around me. I need to teach people the joys of being “high on the Holy Spirit.” As I have said many times, there’s never a hangover from being drunk in the Spirit!

Father, thank You for Your grace toward me. Help me remember always that it is grace indeed, and not something I have earned. Help me extend that grace effectively to others, so that they too may repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 12, 2017

Posted on March 15, 2017 by jgarrott

Leviticus 7:34 “From the fellowship offerings of the Israelites, I have taken the breast that is waved and the thigh that is presented and have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons as their regular share from the Israelites.”

God provides for those who serve Him. The interesting thing about this passage is that these parts of the sacrificial animal were to be directly offered to the Lord by the worshiper, (verse 30) but they were then to be given to the priest. We do indeed give to God by giving to those who serve Him. However, that must not be abused by those in the priestly office. We have the record of the two sons of Eli, who “treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.” (1 Samuel 2:12-17) Paul also warned against such an attitude in the context of the New Covenant. (1 Timothy 6:5) Today we see some “ministers” who seem to have forgotten the meaning of the word, ministry, and revel in great wealth. I think those who give to them are rewarded by God if their motive is indeed to give to God, but the “ministers” are held accountable to God for how they seek and how they use those offerings. We cannot buy favor with God; He cannot be bribed, since He created everything. The whole matter of offerings, both financial and otherwise, gets complicated because of human greed. God sees the heart of the giver, but He also sees the heart of the one receiving. Both are open to Him. Paul pointed out that it is entirely appropriate that those who dedicate their lives to God’s ministry would receive their living from that ministry. (1 Corinthians 9:3-11) However, if the focus of the minister becomes their livelihood rather than their ministry, everything goes down the tube. I have known people who fell into that exact trap, and they are really pathetic.

This is of course intimately connected with me, since I am not just a pastor, but a self-supporting independent missionary. In the 35+ years we have been in Omura, in no year have I received as much from the church as I have given in tithes and offerings. That said, God has provided. As a matter of principle I do receive a set percentage of the undesignated offerings to the church, but the majority of my income is from teaching medical English and performing weddings at a “wedding palace,” and now I receive US Social Security as well as a Japanese pension. That said, my financial income isn’t to the point that either Japan or the US claimed any income tax from me for the past year. However, God meets our needs beautifully, and I am deeply grateful. I have had to learn to accept graciously when people have wanted to give to God by giving to me, and I have also had to confront myself for wondering how much I was going to be given for a funeral, for example. Things given to God are holy, and I need to treat them as such. At this point the whole situation is complicated by the fact that I now have an assistant pastor, who likewise has a secular job. I need to be fully open as a channel of God’s provision to Him, so that anxiety over finances will not be a snare to him.

Father, it’s interesting how complicated this all becomes, when You are the Creator and never lack for anything. Thank You for the opportunities You give us for spiritual growth and faithfulness in the matter of giving, directly to You and to You through others. May we make the full use You intend of every opportunity You provide, for the blessing of all the people involved and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 11, 2017

Posted on March 12, 2017 by jgarrott

Exodus 36:5 “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.”

When God’s people catch the vision, they rejoice to be part of His supply. I am reminded of Paul’s description of the believers in Thessalonica: “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” (2 Corinthians 8:2) Any time we are able to take our eyes off of ourselves and fix them on God and what He is doing, everything gets easier. I am constantly dealing with the bad effects of self-centeredness, most often in others but sometimes in myself as well. Given the human condition, navel-gazing is a guaranteed recipe for misery! When I look over the list of materials God specified for building the tabernacle and everything in it, I am amazed that the people had hauled all that stuff that far out of Egypt. I’ve never even seen a tanned dugong skin! (Exodus 25:5) The KJV “ram’s skins” seems more probable, but some postulate dolphin skins. That aside, the quantities of gold and everything else were overwhelming, and the craftsmen had to put a halt to the supply. What a nice problem to have! We forget that the God who created everything by speaking it into being is never going to be short of anything. We give that fact lip service, but when push comes to shove, we tend to panic. We need to remember both sides of this situation. On the one hand, God will always supply everything needed for what He has directed. On the other hand, He offers us the privilege of being channels of His supply, and that is what this passage is talking about. More of God’s people need to discover the joy and blessings of giving, instead of being focused on receiving. In a rare quote that is not in the Gospels but that Paul preserved for us, Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) That’s true, but too often we don’t believe it!

I’m a fine one to be talking about this. I am very careful about tithing, but I tend to be skimpy with other financial gifts. I do, however, enjoy giving objects, and particularly things I have created. As a pastor, I am to model giving to the flock without trumpeting that I am giving, and that can be awkward at times. I am learning more and more about God’s provision. Bureaucracy got in the way of our being able to purchase the land next door to the church, but when it came to the money to do so, God materialized almost $300,000 out of thin air, so to speak. We have returned that, but the experience certainly has grown my faith. God has more plans for us. I need to be fully assured of His provision for all those plans, and I also need to be fully willing to be a conduit of that provision, for His glory.

Father, thank You for all the lessons You teach us. Help us be humble and submitted enough before You to recognize and receive those lessons, rather than “kicking against the goads.” (Acts 26:14) May all of Your plans for us be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 10, 2017

Posted on March 12, 2017 by jgarrott

Exodus 34:32 Afterwards all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.

Once again we are reminded that when God gives something it is rarely just for the direct recipient. Some things are more that way than others, but everything God provides, whether materially or spiritually, impacts more than just one person, even if not immediately. That impact might be as simple as food giving us energy to serve others, or it might be as profound as God giving the Law to Moses so that it could be transmitted to all mankind. Especially in America we tend to glorify the individual, but that can blind us to what God is doing. In Japan there is great stress on social harmony, but that can blind us to God’s individual love and plan for each person. We need to grasp that God cares for us individually so much that He would have sent His Son just for one, but that He loves all of us, so, as my father pointed out, His plan for any one individual fits in perfectly with His plans for every other individual. We have trouble understanding that God is big enough and powerful enough to do that, because it is so obviously beyond human ability. We need to rejoice in what God gives us, whether it is simply a Word of encouragement or some material provision or anything in between, but we always need to be on the lookout for how that can bless someone else as well. If we are encouraged, we can encourage others. (2 Corinthians 1:4) If we are blessed materially, we can meet others’ needs. (2 Corinthians 9:11, Ephesians 4:28) In God’s economy, our blessing is multiplied when we pass it on as He intends.

This is something I’m continuing to learn. I’ve never been much of a financial giver, (other than tithes) but then I’ve never had that much in the way of finances. I’ve been given photographic ability, but my enjoyment is multiplied when others are blessed by the images I create. I hear from the Lord day by day, through His Word and otherwise, and that invariably has wider application than just to me. I have this blog and I’ve put out a book and I preach regularly, but I’ll still talk your ears off if given a chance, sharing what is stored up in my heart. There is an immense satisfaction to transmitting the Word of the Lord. I understand completely what Jesus meant when He said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34) There is joy and satisfaction, fulfillment, in transmitting God’s blessings as He intends that can be had no other way. I am to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) with the understanding that He wants to transmit those things through me to others as well, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me be a better steward of all You have provided, and help me be a better judge of when, where, how, and to whom You want me to share it, so that neither I nor others will be frustrated, but rather Your plans and purposes be fulfilled, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 9, 2017

Posted on March 10, 2017 by jgarrott

Exodus 33:13 “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

This verse reveals why Moses was pleasing to God. He was human and imperfect like us all, but he sought to know more of God, to press in closer to Him. The responsibility of leading the nation weighed heavily on him, and he was extremely aware that he was unable to do the job right in his own wisdom and strength. We tend to forget that Moses was past 80 at this point. He had lived enough of life to know what he could do and what he couldn’t do, and he had learned that God’s help was absolutely essential. The sooner we learn that the better! Any time we feel responsibilities are more than we can handle, we would do well to remember Moses. He grew up in privilege, but then tried to achieve a good goal in his own strength at age 40 and failed miserably, and then spent the next 40 years doing a low-level job that was totally removed in every way from his upbringing. Then, God stepped in and gave him the very assignment that he had tried to do on his own, but this time God was in control, and miracle after miracle happened. We need to learn what Moses knew at this point, and place closeness to God as our first priority in everything.

I’m not 80 yet, but I’m pushing 70. God brought me to Japan, “the graveyard of missionaries,” and planted me in the very town where the first Christian feudal lord was 450 years ago. I have tried to evangelize and disciple the people, but with very little success to this point. A few years ago God told me to “rest, relax, rejoice.” I’m still learning how to do that, but at the same time I need to learn better how to respond to His leading in the “good works he has prepared for me to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) I’ve just been told my teaching load at Nagasaki Rehabilitation College has been reduced, which was a shock to me. Rather than be anxious over the loss of income, I need to seek the Lord for what He wants me to do with the time. His plans are good, and give me hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Much has been going on in recent months, and some of it hasn’t been much fun. Help me keep my eyes on You, remembering practically, and not just in theory, that You are Lord, and You don’t allow anything in our lives that You can’t use for good. (Romans 8:28) Help me recognize Your plans for me and rejoice to participate, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 8, 2017

Posted on March 10, 2017 by jgarrott

Exodus 31:6 “Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you.”

Where the Japanese, following the Hebrew, says “wisdom,” the NIV says “skill,” but that’s not unreasonable in this context. The point is, abilities are gifts from God, and as such we are responsible for their stewardship. Oholiab and others were appointed to help Bezalel, so part of their responsibility was to do what he said. We sometimes balk at the idea of serving God by being obedient to a person, but that idea comes out many times in the Bible. If we don’t know how to be obedient to a person, we aren’t going to be very obedient to God. The other side of that is that Oholiab and others were given to Bezalel, and all of them were given to Moses, to get the work done. God had given detailed plans to Moses, but I’m sure that if he had tried to do the actual work himself it would never have gotten completed, and would probably have looked horrible in the process. Many times in the Bible God gives people tasks that are beyond their ability, and He still does that today. Sometimes He gives the ability called for, like He gave Moses management ability that he certainly didn’t have when he started, and sometimes He gives people who are gifted in that area to come alongside and enable the work to be done, as is going on in this verse. When God tells us to do something we know full well we can’t do, we need to ask Him which way He wants to get it done, rather than simply running from the issue.

This is very appropriate and topical for me. The land next door seems to be taken out of our hands, but at the same time it seems clear that God wants us to build an assisted living facility, elsewhere if He doesn’t work a miracle about the adjoining land. The thing is, I am quite aware that I don’t have the management skills necessary either to navigate the maze of necessary permits and get it built, or to run it effectively once it’s built. I am not to be afraid to tackle things I’ve never done before, because God might give me what is needed, but I also must not let pride keep me from recognizing when He has someone else for a particular task. That in no way detracts from His having given me the vision, any more than it did for Moses. God has created us to need and to work with each other, and that’s a good thing.

Father, thank You for this reminder this morning. Thank You that You indeed do all things well. Help us rest in that assurance so that we will keep ourselves available to You however You want to use us, not insisting that it be one way or another but allowing You to fit us into Your overall plan in the way that You know is best, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 7, 2017

Posted on March 9, 2017 by jgarrott

Exodus 28:3 Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so that he may serve me as priest.

It’s very interesting to have this passage when I spent yesterday at a seminar on the practical implications of the New Testament concept of the priesthood of the believer. That aside, the turn of phrase in the Hebrew (preserved in the Japanese, ignored in the NIV) is very interesting. It says, “Those wise people whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom.” What is especially interesting to me about this is that this is talking about craftsmen, not academics. Today we tend to associate wisdom with academic credentials, but these men were quite probably illiterate. This is closely associated with a current crisis in America, (one of several) which has people with college degrees out of work, but a real shortage of welders and the like, who are exactly the sort of people referred to here. We tend to have a very skewed definition of wisdom. There are no academic degrees in common sense, probably because it’s extremely hard to teach. Here, God is saying that He fills people with a spirit of wisdom. I think that’s closely connected to what James said. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5) That doesn’t sound like an academic degree to me. Opportunities for formal education are wonderful, but they aren’t the definition of wisdom. The Bible is very clear: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10 and other similar passages)

I feel like America has a severe shortage of the Spirit of Wisdom at this point! However, focusing on that sets me up as a “wise one” in my own mind, which can be very dangerous. It is very human to feel your own opinions are correct, and that you have all the facts needed for correct decisions. However, in practical reality that is seldom the case, so my focus must be on the Biblical definition of wisdom. The more I press in to know more of God, the more His Spirit will fill me and express His character through me, and that includes the wisdom I need for all the decisions of my life. I grew up in a family replete with academic degrees, which is nice, but a greater blessing was that I was raised by parents who cared far more about God and His Word than their academic degrees. I am to look to God and apply His standards, His Word, to everything, myself included. That should keep me humble! I have spent far too much of my life mired in pride of intellect, proving that intellect is not the same as wisdom. Some Nazi scientists were very intellectual, and I certainly don’t want to copy them.

Father, thank You for this Word. Among other benefits of yesterday’s seminar was the awareness that academic credentials have very little to do with serving God. Thank You for that reminder. Help me receive and apply Your wisdom, rather than leaning on my own understanding, just as You have said, (Proverbs 3:5-6) so that Your will may be done in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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