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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March 6, 2017

Posted on March 8, 2017 by jgarrott

Exodus 25:21-22 Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.

God was here providing a physical location that Moses and those after him could identify with hearing from God. Several things about this are significant. In the first place, God never said He would be in the ark, but rather over it, between the cherubim. That was to keep the ark itself from becoming an idol. Also, the contents of the ark were to be the tablets that God Himself would provide. Man couldn’t sanctify the ark, it was God’s doing. And then there’s the matter of the lid to the ark, with its cherubim. The NIV avoids this term, but the Japanese matches the Hebrew by calling it the “atonement cover.” That is very significant, because until the cross of Christ, sins were just covered over rather than eliminated. This again was God’s provision for dealing with sin, because man couldn’t do it on his own. All sorts of wild stories have arisen about the ark, and I have even seen a video of a modern recreation of the ark, postulating that some sort of electrical field was generated between the outstretched wings of the cherubim. That’s just man trying to fit God into the confines of human thinking. The ark, and even the written tablets of the Law, were concessions to human weakness, because without some sort of physical locus the Israelites would have had very little to keep them from simply adopting the religions around them. (They did enough of that anyway, but it would have been even worse otherwise.) God does indeed meet us where we are, providing whatever is needed, but we have to accept His provision and use it as He intends.

This seems like a somewhat esoteric reading, and as a pastor I’m concerned as to how less mature believers will understand and receive it. However, I’ve got to trust the Holy Spirit, in this as in everything else. After all, He directed me to include this passage in the readings! I need to keep pressing in for more knowledge, more understanding, and encourage all the believers to do likewise, while never leaving the foundations of the Gospel. “Deep truth” is never going to replace the Gospel!

Father, thank You for what You spoke through me yesterday, and for Steven Kaylor’s faithfulness in clarifying the Gospel. We have more to do to be fully Gospel-centered as a church, but thank You for moving us in the right direction. I pray that we would not draw back, but rather rejoice to become more and more of what You desire us to be, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 5, 2017

Posted on March 8, 2017 by jgarrott

Exodus 24:7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.”

I find myself a little confused here by something I had never noticed before. This refers to “the Book of the Covenant,” but it is after this that the stone tablets with God’s law and commands are given to Moses (verse 12). The 10 Commandments are given in Exodus 20, but many other commands are given after that, and it certainly would not have all fit on two stone tablets. Moses ended up writing a great deal, from Genesis through Deuteronomy, and I find myself wondering how much of that was in this Book of the Covenant. The people of Israel had a profound ignorance of God and His ways and needed a lot of instruction, but what was given when and how seems less than clear to me. The Books of Moses were obviously edited at least once, and quite possibly several times, after his death, and I can’t help but wonder what additions those later editors might have made. In any case, however much had been recorded at this point, when the people heard it they responded in submission to God. That’s a very appropriate response, but as the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Like mankind throughout history, their obedience was partial at best. Every bit of the Old Testament points to the New, because it is only in Christ that we are truly made righteous, and it is only by the indwelling Holy Spirit that we are empowered to live as children of God.

This of course applies to me as much as it does to anyone. I am not to split academic hairs about what was written when, or even by whom, but submit my heart and mind to God for the Holy Spirit to show me what He meant by it in the first place. I am not to dismiss any of the Bible, but again allow the Holy Spirit to show me how it is to be applied in my life today. I really like the Japanese expression that is used frequently in the Bible. Where English translations just say, “obey,” the Japanese says, “listen and obey” (or, “listen obediently). I need to keep my heart tuned to God to hear Him, and I need to maintain my commitment to do all that He says, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There is much I have yet to learn about You and Your Word. It’s a glorious adventure! Help me keep moving toward You in every way so that I may be effective in drawing others with me, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 4, 2017

Posted on March 6, 2017 by jgarrott

Exodus 18:23 “If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

This story is the best, most explicit teaching on delegation in the whole Bible. No large organization can survive, or even exist, without effective delegation, but it is a weak area for many. The two things most essential for delegation are trust and faithfulness. The one in charge has to trust those to whom responsibilities are delegated, and those receiving responsibilities have to be faithful in discharging them to the best of their abilities. Failure on either side of that is crippling. Sadly, past experience can make people very hesitant to delegate, because of having trusted unreliable people, and some people are either devious in their motivation or simply incompetent, and so are inherently unreliable. However, there’s no way around the necessity of delegation, and failures simply need to be taken as learning experiences and moved past. That’s not always easy! Accountability is vital here. As Paul said, “It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2) Those doing the delegating need to provide accountability structures so that those under them will understand what is expected of them, without micromanaging. That isn’t necessarily easy! Some people are gifted in it, and some aren’t. If there is no structure for accountability, there is no feedback to let people know whether they are doing things right. However, if there is micromanaging, creativity is stifled and the whole purpose of delegation is foiled. God’s wisdom and guidance are essential!

This is a sore subject for me because it’s always been a weak area. I have stifled the growth of this church by failure to trust people with more tasks, but I have also been burned by people who have tried to take over without sharing the same vision. Right now, for the first time in my ministry, I have a formally designated assistant pastor. I’ve got to get it right! In the past I have chosen the easy way of doing things myself, rather than the harder way of training others to do those things. That never works out in the long run. I am very aware that, at least at this point in my life, I really need to be working myself out of a job. That’s not to say that I don’t have valuable contributions to make, but it is to say that my abilities, and my physical life, have a “use by” date set by God, and I have no control over that. I am not to run from any task, but I am to remember that I’m not the only person God can use, and I am often enough not the best choice for Him. I am not to use my past failures at delegation as an excuse now, but learn and grow as God desires, so that I won’t be in the way of Him building His Church, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. This isn’t something I’ve thought about sufficiently, and I need to be more intentional. Help me trust You to work in those around me just as much, and even more, than You have worked in me, so that I won’t get in the way of their growth and the growth of this church. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 3, 2017

Posted on March 5, 2017 by jgarrott

Exodus 17:12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.

God’s provision is often people. Aaron and Hur were God’s gifts to Moses, and to the nation of Israel, at this time. Given the simplicity of their task, others could have done the job, but Aaron and Hur would have lost out in that case. We sometimes overlook simple things, wanting “bigger challenges” or more glory, but as Jesus said, God tests our faithfulness in little things before He gives us big things to do. (Matthew 25:21, 32) The point is, we are to be available to God for however He wants to use us, to whomever He wants to “give” us. Sometimes we balk at helping particular people, for any of a number of reasons. They may have hurt us, or we might not like them for some other reason, or we might be prejudiced against them on racial or other grounds. We are always the biggest losers in such cases. We are to serve others as serving the Lord. (Ephesians 6:7) One of Jesus’ most famous parables is on precisely this point. (Matthew 25:34-45) One of the pivotal passages in understanding the Church deals with this issue as well In talking about what is called “the 5-fold ministry,” Paul says that such people are “given” to the Church, that is, they are God’s provision. Whether in big things or in small, if we want to receive God’s provision, we need to be available as His provision for others.

It is my experience that few things feel as good as realizing that I have been God’s provision to someone. Sometimes it’s inconvenient, sometimes it’s exhausting, sometimes there’s no human recognition for what I’ve done, but I know that my reward is in heaven. I wish I could say I maintain that awareness consistently, but I don’t. I need to stay firmly in the flow of God’s Spirit, not just so that He can carry me along but so that He can use me to meet the needs of others. I desire to be fully useful to Him, whatever that means, because I know that His plans are the absolute best, for me and for everyone else. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Father, thank You for using me. Thank You for the privilege of addressing the Rehabilitation College graduates last night. I was given more recognition that I’m used to, and frankly, it felt good. Help me serve gladly, not for human recognition but to please You, so that all of Your purposes may be fulfilled in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 2, 2017

Posted on March 5, 2017 by jgarrott

Exodus 16:17-18 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed.

God’s supply is always sufficient, but we have to cooperate in receiving it. Manna is perhaps the most famous example of God’s divine provision, but the people still had to gather it up. “God helps those who help themselves” is not in the Bible, but it is true that we are not to feel entitled and take God for granted. We aren’t to feel that it all depends on us, because every bit of power and ability we have is a gift from God. However, He gives us those things expecting us to use them. Faith is a delicate balance at times, recognizing that we can do nothing apart from God (John 15:5) but that we are to be active participants in what He is doing. (Colossians 1:29) Jesus’ parable of the talents is justly famous. (Matthew 25:14-30) The money was the master’s to begin with, but each servant was held accountable for what they did with it. He provided it, they were to use it to get more. Likewise, the manna didn’t appear in people’s tents; they had to go out and gather it. Even things that might seem to an observer to be entirely the result of our own efforts have their origin in God. Deu­teronomy 8:17-18 is very clear about this. “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.” We are to be hard workers, but at the same time recognize that it all comes from God.

This is as much a struggle for me as it is for anyone. I have had times of conceit, forgetting that my abilities come from God, and I have had times of despair, seeing only that I couldn’t meet a need on my own. Both are so foolish! I am to be active in seeking to hear God and obey Him, but never think for a moment that I can do anything just on my own. I can’t even take a single breath apart from His grace. However, that doesn’t mean I’m to stop breathing! I am to seek to recognize what He has for me to do each day, each moment, and apply myself to be faithfully obedient. As has been said, where God guides, He provides. As Jesus said, I am to focus on His kingdom and His righteousness, and know that every need will be met. (Matthew 6:33)

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do still struggle with this, accusing myself at times of laziness, yet at the same time being painfully aware that when I attempt something on my own it’s guaranteed to fall flat. Help me hear accurately what You tell me to do and be fully committed and faithful to follow through, not in my strength but in Yours, so that Your will may be done through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 1, 2017

Posted on March 4, 2017 by jgarrott

Exodus 16:8 “Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”

When leaders are genuinely following God this is a valid defense, but this sort of statement has been misused by dictatorial leaders down through the centuries. Moses had been humbled by his encounters with God to the point that he could say this in all honesty. (Numbers 12:13) An article I read just yesterday in Ministry Today (a monthly magazine) was talking about how pride is the hidden weakness that trips up more ministers than anything else. One of the many dangers of pride is how often we fail to recognize it in ourselves. We have little trouble spotting it in others, but it is a very common blind spot. However, when we are operating in pride we think everything depends on us, and that can destroy us. Quoting Moses here in a manipulative manner is evil, but barring that, recognizing the truth in this statement can be very liberating. Jesus said that we aren’t to take people’s reactions to us personally, because they actually are reacting to Him in us. (John 15:18-21) The biggest danger comes in choosing the world’s approval over God’s approval. That’s fatal, spiritually speaking, which is ironic because we do it to “save our own skin,” so to speak. We forget Jesus’ very pointed words: “Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?’” (Luke 9:23-25) We need to live our lives recognizing that the physical world, and physical life itself, is temporary, and be fully committed to our eternal Lord.

This is a subject that has been on my mind a great deal since seeing the movie, Silence. I have a close friend who feels the priest in the movie who apostasized to try to save some believers from martyrdom was very noble, but I cannot have peace with that. At the very least he was severely deceived. I am both to proclaim and live out the truth in love, whatever the short-term consequences for me or for my hearers. Someone who commits to Jesus Christ and then is tortured to death for it is far better off than someone who lives a long and easy life without Christ. I am to recognize my own weaknesses, but at the same time I am not to shrink back from people looking to me as Christ’s representative, because that is what I am. Any believer who is operating in humble obedience to God has more spiritual authority than the greatest human ruler. (Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-20) I am not to think for a moment I can do anything good on my own, but I also am not to doubt that God can do whatever He likes through me.

Father, this is a continuing issue in my life. You give me opportunities daily to speak and act as Christ’s representative, and I am grateful. Thank You for showing me my pride so many times, and for enabling me to repent. I’m going to have to keep that up until I’m before Your throne! Help me be fully, consistently submitted to Your Spirit, releasing everything to You, for Your will to be done in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 28, 2017

Posted on March 2, 2017 by jgarrott

Exodus 13:21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.

Sometimes God’s provision is pretty obvious, and that can be nice indeed. This image of the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire is one of the more famous in the whole Bible, perhaps because it is so easy to understand. Since the Holy Spirit was poured out we understand that God isn’t limited to physical locations, but the people at this point couldn’t grasp that. By being “in” the pillars of cloud and fire, God assured them of His presence, and that was what they needed fully as much as they needed guidance. In terms of guidance, it’s important to note verses 17 and 18, which specify that God didn’t lead them the short way, and why. We often don’t recognize the why of God’s leading until much later, if at all, but we need to trust that He has His reasons, and they are good. He knows what we need better than we do, and following Him will indeed take us the best way, whether short or long. Sometimes we would like to have something as obvious to follow as a visible pillar, but our faith grows more when we learn to follow His invisible guidance.

Sometimes I have real assurance of God’s guidance, and sometimes I feel just as blind as the next guy. There have been times when His guidance seemed as obvious as the pillars in this story, and times when the way ahead was a total mystery. Frankly, those aren’t much fun. I am often called on to give guidance to others. That can be scary! Humility is the first requirement, along with faith that God is greater than my weaknesses, so He can use even me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) It’s not hard to remember that my own ultimate destination is settled, but I am committed to getting as many people as possible to share that destination, and that’s where it really gets difficult. Just yesterday I attended the funeral of someone with whom I have shared the Gospel for the past 35 years, and he never received it as applying to him. Japanese see religion as integral to culture, and they have no grasp of a transcendent God who is also intensely personal. On top of that, Buddhism has no real concept of salvation. The ultimate good is “nothingness.” It’s no wonder they have trouble grasping that Jesus is the Way, (John 14:6) because they don’t know where they’re headed in the first place. I have demonstrated definitively that I can’t open their eyes by my own wisdom and strength, but God has used me from time to time to accomplish that miracle, so I must never give up. I am to strive always to lift up Jesus (John 12:32) and let Him do the drawing, the guiding, so that as many as will may be saved.

Father, I ended the day yesterday in a state of real emotional exhaustion, but You know that. Thank You that I can release my burdens to You. (Matthew 11:28-30) Help me trust You enough really to do so, to stop trying to carry them myself. Help me be humble enough to recognize Your guidance in every detail, so that I may follow You without wavering. Thank You. Praise God!

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