December 30, 2016

Posted on January 1, 2017 by jgarrott

Luke 2:50-51 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.

It struck me as I read this just now that there were communication problems even in the Holy Family! Two people can be using the same words but each have a different frame of reference, so their words and minds don’t connect. It’s also important to note that even so, Jesus was not rebellious toward Mary and Joseph. The English says He “was obedient to” them, but the Japanese says He “served” them. That attitude isn’t so common in most teenagers! What I think we need to take from this is that hearing is far more than taking in the vibrations we call sound. Maybe this sort of experience was why Jesus spoke so many times about “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mark 4:23 and many more) Our problem in hearing God accurately is that always our frame of reference is vastly more limited than His, but even between two people, the more different our life experiences, the more difficult it can be to communicate on more than a surface level. That’s a major factor in male/female communication, because the biological/physiological differences automatically generate different frames of reference. Every one of us needs the grace and help of God to communicate and get along with our fellow human beings!

Recognizing the complexities in communication made me switch from a Chemistry major to an English major in college. (I ended up with a Speech/English major, which was really Drama/Creative Writing.) Having been born and raised in Japan, I had an extremely different frame of reference from my classmates in a school in East Tennessee! One of the biggest factors in my deciding to marry Cathy was that I felt we could communicate. I now know that was because she also had a frame of reference that was strong on music, creativity and faith, but my thinking wasn’t quite so clear at the time. I can’t say there weren’t other factors, too! That said, our communication hasn’t always been smooth in the years since 1969, but we have both worked at it, and that has made a big difference. Ministering in Japan, communication could be said to be 90+% of my life, for good or for bad. Communication difficulties abound, to the point that I probably couldn’t even list them all. I have got to maintain humility, first toward God and also toward the people around me, because the moment I get proud, I stop really hearing them. Different frames of reference isn’t a matter of blame, it’s simply a fact of life. I’ve got to seek and depend on the help of the Holy Spirit to get it as right as possible, and not dwell on misunderstandings. One of the biggest things I have to look forward to in heaven (to hear the reports of those who have been there) is perfect communication!

Father, thank You for this reminder this morning. Thank You for the awareness of communication You have given me over the years. Help me be Your agent all the time, communicating accurately with You and with those around me and helping them to do likewise, so that the lies of the enemy may be exposed and defeated and Your truth set people free indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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December 29, 2016

Posted on December 31, 2016 by jgarrott

Matt 2:15 And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Matthew emphasized the fulfillment of prophecy more than any other New Testament writer, making it clear that he was writing for a Jewish audience. Recent computer analysis indicates that he probably wrote originally in Aramaic, which was translated into Greek for general consumption. (The oldest texts we have are all Greek.) He wanted to show that Jesus wasn’t just some generalized Savior, much less some run-of-the-mill “holy man,” He was the promised Messiah, the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham, David, and many more down through the centuries. Human beings are very prone to focus on right now, on whatever their senses tell them at the moment, but God sees the end from the beginning, and He has it all in His hands. We need reminders of that from time to time, to give us perspective and keep us from losing it over the crisis of the moment. After all, Jesus was “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8) God knew the mess the world would become from the moment He created it, so He had His solution ready from that point as well. When that is the case, why do we get tied in knots over such minor things (however major they might seem to us)? We are in the flow of time and so see things from a linear perspective, but God sees it all at once, and we need to trust Him with all of it.

This is certainly applicable to me right now. This whole business of the land next door has been an emotional roller coaster ride, but that could be said about all of my 35 years of ministry here in Omura. Yesterday at the Prefectural Office I got a fairly warm reception, along with an explanation of the mountain of regulations we will have to deal with in purchasing the land and building the facility, not to mention operating it. At the same time, when I called one of the church board members to ask for prayer about the issue, I found out that for various personal reasons he and his wife and son will be attending a different church from now on, reducing our numbers even further. Though not unexpected in itself, the timing made it a bit more painful. It was a reminder that, as the song says, “In Christ alone I place my trust.” We have nothing else to rely on, but that’s really not a bad place to be. Even now, in the middle of all this turmoil, I am to rest, relax, and rejoice, not letting the devil steal anything from me through doubt and anxiety. I am to look forward each day to what God is going to do, savoring each moment and His presence in it, as His agent for His glory.

Father, thank You not only for yesterday but for this past year. Thank you that I’m not who or what I was a year ago. Help me keep growing, always looking to You and allowing You to operate through me, so that in every detail Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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December 28, 2016

Posted on December 30, 2016 by jgarrott

Matthew 2:10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

Confirmation can be wonderful indeed. We indeed walk by faith and not by sight, (2 Corinthians 5:7) but occasional visual confirmation is very comforting. Particularly before GPS, spotting a landmark that matched the directions we had been given was quite welcome. God leads us in various ways, and some of those lend themselves to this sort of confirmation more than others. That’s where spiritual growth comes in. It might be ideal if all of us trusted God perfectly all the time and never missed a cue, but reality is very far from that ideal. That’s one of many reasons we need our brothers and sisters in Christ. Not only can we comfort and encourage each other, sometimes one person will spot a confirming sign that another has overlooked. God doesn’t want us wandering around confused and He doesn’t want us losing hope, but He does want us to be strong in faith and knit together in love.

The Lord has certainly had us in a fairly intensive training program for a while now. We have several different things happening simultaneously, and He has given signs related to each one. We need to be encouraged by every one of those signs, even when they don’t seem connected to the immediate issue, because they are confirmations of His faithfulness. For example, the Hong Kong missionary team being interested in buying the house in another city that is being moved out of should be an encouragement that things aren’t going to fall through about the church getting the land next door here. God sees the whole picture, and every bit of it is interrelated. I am reminded that the star appearing again for the Magi did not mean that everything after that would be easy. They had to go home by a different, probably less convenient and possibly more dangerous route, and the Holy Family had to escape into Egypt. It is certainly not wrong for me to rejoice at the various confirmations we are given, but at the same time I am not to presume that the next step will be easy, nor resent it when it isn’t. Today I will be visiting the Senior Welfare Office at the prefectural capital. Much depends on the decisions that are made today, but I am not to be anxious about any of it. Neither am I to take any of it lightly. I am to go in a high state of humility, sensitivity, and expectation. I am to be respectful of whomever I talk with, receiving the information and advice they give me, but letting God tell me what it all means. At no point am I to despair, whatever I am told, but rather keep my heart fixed on Christ. The road ahead will not be easy, because we need more spiritual muscle and God is giving us a workout, but the end result will be very good indeed.

Father, thank You for all this training. It really isn’t much fun in the middle of it, so help us keep our eyes on the goal. (Hebrews 12:11, Philippians 3:14) Help us not decide ahead of time what the path ought to be, but rather trust You with it and follow faithfully, whatever the route. You have said to rest, relax, and rejoice. We are learning just how hard that can be, but Your grace is more than enough for us. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Help us recognize and welcome that grace at all times, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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December 27, 2016

Posted on December 30, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 2:39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.

This seems like almost a throw-away line to advance the narrative, and actually it skips over not only the wise men but the escape into Egypt. However, it brings out an important point: Mary and Joseph didn’t think they were exempt from anything just because their Child was the Son of God. Today people come up with all sorts of reasons (they think) why they are special and don’t need to be bound by everyone else’ rules. We see that big time in politicians, but people lower down on the totem pole do it a lot as well. When it comes to human rules, some are indeed absurd and need to be changed or abolished, but the thing is, until they are, they are still rules for everyone. When it comes to the Law of the Lord, mentioned here, there is every reason for everyone to obey it, but we tend to look for work-arounds even there. It is true that some of the Levitical law was situation-based and therefore expired, and it is certainly true that Christ fulfilled all the Law and therefore completed it and superseded it with the law of grace, (Matthew 5:17, Romans 6:14-15) but such universal truths as the 10 Commandments are pretty evident. Even so, as human beings we search for “wiggle room,” even from the clearest rules. In contrast, Jesus said that even lustful thinking was a violation of the commandment against adultery. (Matthew 5:28) God’s rules always have good reasons, and they are always for our good. The very act of kicking against them makes them much harder on us. As John said, “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3)

This is painfully applicable to me right now, because I am running full tilt into Japanese laws and regulations related to the purchase and use of the land next door. Because some of it is classified as agricultural land (though it hasn’t been used for that for at least decades, if not a century) it can’t even be sold to someone who isn’t a farmer without the classification being changed. That in turn requires approval of the new use, which in our case requires approval of our plans to build a group home. However, in Japan a “group home” is strictly for either mentally handicapped people or people with dementia, and we don’t want to limit our facility that way. That in turn raises other questions, and the list seems endless. I’ve made an appointment at the related prefectural office for tomorrow, but I certainly need to let go of my reactions/rebellion and let the Lord give me the guidance and wisdom I need. I’ve also got to remember that this is something the whole church is doing, not just me, as I was reminded a few minutes ago. All these rules are not without meaning, and going through all the steps is going to grow and polish not just me but this whole church. I am not to panic, much less throw in the towel, but rather take each step at a time, receiving and using God’s wisdom and strength, so that His will may be done on His schedule for His glory.

Father, thank You for all You are doing. Help me remember that You are doing it, and give You thanks and praise rather than resentment and rebellion. As You had me pray a few minutes ago, help me indeed seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness on every level, so that everything I need may be provided in Your way for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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December 26, 2016

Posted on December 28, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

Simeon was one of the last people to experience the Holy Spirit in the Old Covenant way. It is significant to note that this does not say he was filled with the Holy Spirit, but rather that the Holy Spirit was upon him. (The Japanese is also very clear about that distinction.) That said, he was certainly a good man, in right standing with God. It also strikes me that even though he was such a good man, he still hadn’t seen that for which he had waited so long. By the grace of God he was allowed to see Christ, who was the answer to all he had hoped and prayed for over the years, but he certainly didn’t live to hear Jesus teach, much less witness the cross and resurrection. He was actually more blessed than the people listed in Hebrews 11 as examples of faith. As it says there, after giving that list, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40) Simeon was allowed to see the Messiah, and that was enough for him. We are under the New Covenant rather than the Old, so the Holy Spirit is available to fill, to indwell us in a way that He wasn’t for Simeon, so we’re already a step up from him. However, we need the same level of patience he had, waiting for God to fulfill His plans on His schedule. We don’t have legitimate room to complain about His timing, but we tend to complain anyway! We need to trust Him enough to leave our date book in His hands, letting Him decide what happens when and not striving to impose our own schedule.

This has been simultaneously a strong point and a weak point for me. I have tended to “go with the flow,” sometimes to the point of avoiding responsibility, but at the same time I have been jealous of “my” time. I need to be active in my obedience without running off on tangents or trying to run ahead. That’s certainly applicable in the matter of the land next door. It has very much been a combination of “right now” and “not yet.” We first desired it and began praying for it around 18 years ago, when we first started preparing to build this church building. Over the years various people have joined us in that prayer, but it was somewhat on the level of abstraction of “the consolation of Israel.” The house on the land was increasingly collapsing, and in June it was finally demolished and that part of the land cleared. Immediately after receiving word that had been decided, before the work began, one of our church members told me they wanted to give the money to be able to buy the land for the church. However, their money wouldn’t become available until September of 2017. I informed the landowner of that, and he was skeptical. Then in early December I was prompted to call him again, and he told me negotiations were well underway for the land to be sold to a developer, with the final contract to be signed in January, so if we really wanted the land, we had to come up with the funds by the end of the year. That caused a crisis of faith! However, God miraculously moved in the heart of a friend who is not yet a Christian, and she loaned us the $275,000, unsecured. The landowner is in shock! Today I will go to City Hall to deal with some of the legal technicalities, but God is clearly in control. The city will not be issuing more permits for group homes (which is what we want to do on the land) until fiscal 2018, so again there is waiting, but God is certainly teaching us to wait expectantly on Him.

Father, thank You for Your overflowing grace! Help us rest in that without being passive, trusting You totally without being presumptive, so that all of Your plans may indeed be fulfilled on Your schedule, in and through us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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December 25, 2016

Posted on December 28, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Every part of the Christmas story is very familiar, and this verse too has been set to music that I hear in my head every time I read it. As with all such things, there is the danger of over-familiarity making us numb to the reality of what is written. Here, it is helpful to imagine ourselves in the place of the shepherds. The angelic visitation was remarkable enough, but they had just had direct physical proof that the angel and the angelic chorus hadn’t been been a dream produced by something they had eaten for supper. As the angel had said, the baby lying in a manger was indeed a sign to them that every word the angel had spoken was true. That meant that the baby was the Messiah, and there could hardly have been any more marvelous news than that. They were kept from expecting instant liberation from Rome by the fact that this was indeed a newborn infant, so they would have to wait for Him to grow up, but still this was proof that God had not forgotten His promises to Israel. I can’t help but wonder if any of the younger shepherds later became followers of Jesus, 30 years later. It’s for sure none of them forgot this experience for the rest of their lives.

It is always wonderful when God confirms by physical means something He has told us in our hearts. I gained great peace that the land next door would come to the church legally for us to build a group home there when people showed up at the City Christmas because of the fliers I had taken around a few days earlier. I had even specified the sign myself, saying that even a 1% return on my efforts would be very satisfying, and two people showed up when I had distributed less than 200 fliers. As of this moment the process isn’t complete, but things are moving along in the right direction, and I have great assurance. The whole matter of the group home is a sign that God intends to fulfill the vision He has given us of Omura again being the foremost Christian city in Japan. The fact that attendance at the Christmas Eve service last night was good but not spectacular is an indication that it’s not going to be instantaneous, any more than the angel’s words to the shepherds meant that the Jews would be liberated that year. There is still much faithfulness and dedication called for, but the results are in God’s hands, and so are settled.

Father, thank You for this reminder and assurance. Thank You for guiding me as I drove around to the churches of the city just now to pray for the Christian city that You have already decreed in Your plan. Help me indeed walk by faith and not by sight, so that I may not miss any of the things You have planned for me and for this city, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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December 24, 2016

Posted on December 27, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 2:3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

It has been interesting to me that this is something that Japanese understand much more easily than Americans. Japan has had a system of registration for hundreds of years, whereas many Americans, or at least their ancestors, went to America precisely to begin a totally new life, as cut off as possible from the past. In Japan, legal marriage is simply going to the local city office and adding the wife’s name to the husband’s family registry, and divorce is accomplished by X-ing the person’s name from that registry. In addition, each person is formally registered as a resident of the municipality where they live, and address changes must be reported. Criminals have been caught simply because they automatically did this, even though they were fleeing the law. Police go around periodically and check on who is living where, confirming that the registered address information is correct. So, whereas many Americans can’t figure out why Joseph and Mary would have had to travel all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem, for Japanese it seems completely natural. We forget that Judea was not “Western,” much less American! Cultural context is very important in reading the Bible, especially some passages in Paul’s letters, even though the fundamental truths are universal.

Having been born of American missionary parents in Japan, all the cross-cultural issues are an accepted part of life. It wasn’t until my own children were studying at Christian Academy in Japan, in the Tokyo area, that I first heard the term, Third Culture Kids (TCK). I identified immediately! I have been a misfit, in a sense, all my life, looking American and so not being accepted as Japanese, but feeling rather like a fish out of water in America. The thing is, I’m not Japanese, having attended American schools all my life and being raised in an American home. (I have come to the conclusion that the Japanese school system is the biggest factor in the “Japanese-ness” of anyone, which is why Japanese children who have attended school for any length of time overseas have such trouble fitting in when they return.) At the same time, I don’t feel American, having lived 50 of my 68 years in Japan. Rather than labor over that, much less be bitter about it, (which many TCKs succumb to) I need to be grateful for the richness of my experience and heritage and make full use of it in communicating the Gospel across the cultural barriers to the Japanese.

Father, I didn’t expect to run into this issue this morning! There was a good bit of xenophobia in the phone call from the landowner of the property next door last night. He couldn’t believe I know the various things involved in property transfer in Japan, and that I’ve already been through them. Help me dot those I’s and cross those T’s properly, and communicate Your grace and love in the process. I pray particularly that Your Gospel would communicate effectively in the Christmas Eve candle light service tonight, that many people would understand that You sent Your Son for the people of every nationality, every ethnicity, and open their hearts to receive Your salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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December 23, 2016

Posted on December 27, 2016 by jgarrott

Matthew 1:21 “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

What’s in a name? In current American culture, not a whole lot. Back then, it was thought to express the essence of the person, so much so that telling someone your name could be a gesture of great trust, in some cultures. The Bible tells us a lot of names, many of which we mangle when we try to say them, to the point that they would be unrecognizable to someone speaking the original language. That’s certainly true with the name of the Messiah, because in English we go from the Greek form of it, rather than the Hebrew, and even then the emphasis should be on going from. (It’s interesting to me that Japanese, which mangles so many English words, often gets closer than English to the original form of many foreign names from languages other than English, both place names and personal names.) Many people today are aware that the Messiah answered to Yeshua, which in normal English pronunciation would be Joshua. All such considerations aside, the big deal about His name is the original meaning, which is “the LORD saves.” The starting sound is verbal shorthand for the tetragramaton, the covenant name of the Creator, written in the Hebrew Bible as YHWH and never pronounced, lest it be taken in vain. All of this is to say that Jesus was declared to be the Savior even from before His birth. Among Jews of the day Jesus (or Joshua) was hardly an unusual name. Since they didn’t use surnames in that culture, people were identified as “son of so-and-so,” (Bar…, as in Barabbas, or Ben…, as in Ben Hur) or with their hometown, as in Jesus of Nazareth. In His case that was certainly logical, since they would hardly have called Him Ben Yahweh. That, actually, would be His proper name, since He was born as the Savior, the Son of the Creator.

My name and my wife’s come from family members, just as John the Baptist’s relatives and neighbors expected his to. (Luke 1:59-61) When I was an infant someone said to my mother that Jackson Maxfield Garrott was “an awfully big name for such a small baby.” Her response was, “He’ll grow.” I hope I have, and not just physically. For most of my life I have been very poor at remembering names, which sometimes comes across as being self-centered and not really caring about others. I have accused myself that way in fact, and have worked to be otherwise – though I’m still not really good with names! My wife, Cathy, has been the opposite, which is why it has been such a shock and stress to her that since her brain surgery back in February, names have been one of her weakest areas. Now I often have to be the one to supply the names of people we’re talking about, which can be a real challenge! I take comfort in the assurance that God knows all our names, and He cares very intensely about us. I am to rejoice that He is indeed our salvation, and share that good news with as many as will receive it.

Father, This is yet another reminder of my own imperfection, so thank You. Help me be an instrument of Your salvation, imperfect though I certainly am, so that as many as will may be born into Your family, for their eternal life and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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December 22, 2016

Posted on December 25, 2016 by jgarrott

Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”

This was the passage the teachers of the Law had no trouble finding when Herod asked them where the Messiah was to be born. (Matthew 2:4-6) It is interesting that this points out Bethlehem’s smallness, both physically and politically. God is not limited by human standards. It doesn’t matter how insignificant someone or something might seem, God can use them mightily if He so chooses. This is something we have trouble believing, even though it happens all the time. The current president-elect of the US was totally discounted by all the “experts” from the point he first started indicating an interest in the office. After all, he was “just a reality TV star.” So far, God has used him to totally upend the US political picture, and he hasn’t even taken office yet! It remains to be seen what is going to happen, but at the very least he is a reminder that it is dangerous to decide how things will be, without allowing God full sovereignty. James pointed that out on a personal level, (James 4:13-15) and it is true on every level. We need to have our focus on God and listen to what He has to say, walking in humble obedience. That doesn’t mean we won’t have problems, (John 16:33) but it does mean we will get through them with peace and joy, as God’s perfect will is done in and through us.

I feel like we’re in the middle of just such a situation. Tuesday I was able to send an official Statement of Balance and Letter of Intent to the owner of the land next door. When I called him last night he seemed almost shaken, because he has not believed we would be able to come up with the money to buy the land. All he could say to me was, “I will consider it. I will contact you with my conditions.” He has looked at my statements to this point as no more than wishful thinking, and he laughed when I told him that nothing is impossible for God. We still don’t know how all the details will play out, but God has done so much to this point that I can’t believe it won’t all work out as He has been birthing in our hearts. The road ahead is long, and we are called to faithfulness, (1 Corinthians 4:2) but we can walk in faith that God is in no way limited to what seems possible to human eyes.

Father, thank You for this reminder. We are faced with a great deal of busyness and uncertainty, but what’s new about that? Help us not look at the tasks and despair, but rather look at You and rejoice. May we indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in Christ Jesus our Lord, today and each day, so that Your will may be done in and through us for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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December 21, 2016

Posted on December 25, 2016 by jgarrott

Philippians 2:6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped…

Once again I like the turn of phrase in the Japanese here. It says, “He did not consider equality with God as something He could not discard (let go of).” That’s the absolute opposite of a hoarding mentality! If Jesus was willing to let go even of that for our sake, what business do we have hanging onto anything at all, if it gets in the way of our serving Him? We hang onto all sorts of things, which just proves we don’t fully trust God as our total supply. I’m reminded yet again of Nate Saint’s famous statement: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” He was speaking of physical life and eternal life, and he indeed gave his physical life as a missionary in South America, killed by indigenous people who later came to Christ. On a much lower plane, I’m also reminded of the entirely fictional story of the man who was such a fine Christian that God let him take some of his wealth to heaven with him. After he got there he was talking with a friend who had arrived earlier and showed him the bar of gold he had brought. The friend was incredulous, and said, “You brought PAVING??” (Revelation 21:21) We hang onto so much that is temporal, and that benefits no one. It’s not that temporal things aren’t useful, it’s that we forget that they are temporary. We are stewards of absolutely everything we have, even our physical lives and the bodies we inhabit. We need to be willing to let go of anything and everything in order to lay hold of what God has for us, for His glory.

Helping a 79-year-old woman move, really for the first time in her life, has brought this into very sharp focus. Cathy and I are searching for the right people to make good use of what she doesn’t need to hang onto at this point, but there is just so much of it! That makes me look at all the stuff I have, with the same frame of mind. I too could make a mountain of material stuff that is immaterial to me (if you’ll pardon the play on words). When Jesus is my Lord and my example, I need to be willing to let go of anything and everything. That’s not to say I’m to haul everything to the dump today, but it is to say that I am to keep stewardship in sharp focus, remembering that nothing is ever permanently mine other than my relationship with God in Christ. I am indeed to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,” (Matthew 6:33) on every level, all the way down to my physical life and my emotional attachments. Sometimes the sentimental stuff is the hardest to get rid of! If I will do that, God’s “riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19) will indeed be mine, for His pleasure and glory.

Father, thank You for all that You are teaching me. It is so like You to be teaching me to let go even while You are giving us the land next door. Help me keep everything in perspective, seeing things and people through Your eyes, so that Your will may be done in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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