November 27, 2016

Posted on November 28, 2016 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 14:12 Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

The whole issue of spiritual gifts can be a real can of worms from the human perspective. I think that’s one of the reasons some churches teach that such gifts were only for the Early Church. Often people seek spiritual gifts for the wrong reasons, particularly pride. We tend to love the attention such gifts can bring us! At times I find myself wondering how many of the church members genuinely want to build up the church. We get so focused on ourselves, rather than on the kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) If our focus is right, then God delights to pour His Spirit through us in all sorts of ways, but if our focus is on I-my-me-mine, then He holds back. Of all the spiritual grace gifts mentioned in the New Testament tongues is probably the most individual and private, because without interpretation, the expression is entirely between the individual and God. Every other gift mentioned is directed toward someone other than the one exercising it, so that the other person is blessed. I think that’s why the gift of tongues was seized on by the early Pentecostal and Charismatic movements: immature people aren’t worried about building up other people. That’s not to say that the gift of tongues is useless by any means. It is certainly encouraging and strengthening to the individual believer to pray in tongues, (Jude 1:20) and in my own experience it is very helpful to be able to pray for situations you don’t know much about, or are simply overwhelming to our human minds. Those are good things! That said, Paul is pointing out that our focus is to be on the Church, and that means building up others. We need to seek the Holy Spirit’s working through us to build others up, and not just ourselves.

As a pastor I sometimes wonder how much anyone wants to build up the church! However, I need to remember that if He can and does use me, with all my flawed motives and partial obedience, then He can certainly use the members of this church. Right now I am experiencing considerable attack, and the focus is on trying to get me to look at myself and my abilities. That’s an express ticket to despair! As I tell others all the time, I’ve got to get my eyes off of myself, and even off of the mountain of things to be done, and fix them on my Lord, for whom nothing is impossible. (Luke 1:37) I am to earnestly seek that which builds up the Church, but I’ve got to remember that it is Christ Himself who builds His Church. (Matthew 16:18) I will be delighted when more believers seek to build this church, but I am not to think or feel that it depends on me, or on them, for that matter. We are to seek to be yielded and available, but He’s already got every problem licked.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I really needed it. Waking up in the night I was really overwhelmed by the things to be done and the situations to be dealt with, and I let the devil rob me of peace and rest. Forgive me. As many times, and as often, as You tell me to rest, relax, and rejoice, I ought to be better at doing it by now! Thank You for this season, of the year and of my life. Help me rejoice in every opportunity You give me to serve You through serving others. May I receive the necessary emotional, physical, and spiritual strength from You, because mine certainly isn’t up to it. Thank You that just as You told Paul, Your strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I choose to receive Your all-sufficient grace, for it to operate through me to draw many to You, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 26, 2016

Posted on November 28, 2016 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 7:7 I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

The specific gift Paul is discussing here is the rather unusual one of celibacy, but this verse applies equally to all gifts from God. We have the tendency to want and/or expect everyone to be like us, and that just isn’t the case. This actually is the cause of a lot of friction between husbands and wives, because of all the differences between them. Equal rights and equal honor are certainly desirable and worth working for, but ignoring innate differences has made for a lot of problems down through the centuries. That said, this verse applies even to people of the same gender. The teaching on Motivational Gifts, by Don and Katie Fortune and others based on Romans 12:6-8, can be very helpful in understanding this whole picture. Each gift and combination of gifts has distinct characteristics, both strengths and weaknesses, so understanding them can help you understand not only yourself but those around you. Even though he understood that each person’s gifts were different, Paul still wanted everyone to be like him. How very human! We need to recognize that tendency in ourselves and stand against it, allowing each person to be the person God created them to be, while encouraging them to be true to God and the calling He has given them.

That last sentence is a huge part of my job description as a pastor. I tend to demand, subconsciously, that people be like I am in more ways that they need to be. I should not hesitate to say with Paul, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) However, that doesn’t mean, “Do exactly as I do.” That distinction can be pretty difficult at times! I need to set an example, as Paul told Timothy, (1 Timothy 4:12) without requiring lock-step imitation. That produces imitation Christians indeed! Each person in my care is as different from me as they are from each other, but we are all alike created in the image of God and loved by Him, to the point that Jesus died for us. I’ve got to remember all sides of that, and rejoice in God’s perfect plan for us all.

Father, thank You for this reminder. As often and as thoroughly as You have taught me this, I still get exasperated with people for not being like me! Help me appreciate Your patience with me – and their patience with me – and extend patience and understanding to them. May we together grow into the likeness of Your Son, as You intend, (Ephesians 4:15) for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 25, 2016

Posted on November 27, 2016 by jgarrott

Romans 15:30 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

This verse has probably been used by every missionary trying to raise support funds! That’s almost ironic, because the verse says nothing about money, but focuses solely on prayer. That said, the vast majority of missionaries do understand the importance of prayer support. I would almost go so far as to say there can be no effective missions work without it. I say almost, because it ultimately does not depend on human activity, even prayer, but on God. However, it would be difficult to overstate the importance of prayer. There is a difference in nuance between the English and Japanese translations of this verse. Going from the Japanese to English, it comes out as, “Brothers, I earnestly make a request by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of God: exert all your strength to pray with me.” The focus is not on “pray for me,” it is on prayer itself. Paul then goes on to mention specific prayer points that do involve him, but the focus is on the work to be done. It is worth noting that Paul isn’t depending on others to do his praying for him; he will be exerting himself in prayer as well. One of the important facets of prayer is that it takes the focus off of us and our abilities and places it on God. A few years ago the comic strip, Rose is Rose, had a very insightful Sunday strip. Two of the characters in the strip are a little boy and his guardian angel. On that day the angel is telling the boy how he had an enormous amount of work to get done in 24 hours, beyond his ability, so he spent 23 hours in prayer in order to get it all done in the remaining hour. Our activities are important, but they aren’t more important than prayer. Anyone who says they don’t have time to pray doesn’t understand prayer itself, how to pray, their own limitations, or the power of God. It is entirely possible, and even vital, to be in an attitude of prayer even while you are physically active. We still have a lot to learn about prayer!

Last week I was asked to give the short message at a monthly interdenominational prayer breakfast, and I spoke on “Praying for Leaders.” I shared my own experience of coming to Omura in 1981 with a local church in America that was praying regularly for us. However, that church dissolved a few years later over the failures of the pastor. I’m sure there were still individuals praying for us, but not an organized group. At the time I frankly didn’t think much of what it meant for us, though I had been praying for that church in what they were going through. In just a few years, however, I lost my focus on why I was here, to the point that the church work became secondary or worse in my priorities. It is probably no accident that we also went through considerable family turmoil during that period. God was faithful, but I don’t know how faithful I was! In His grace God not only got my attention, He also connected us with a particular home fellowship of an entirely different American church, and they prayed for us even more faithfully than the first church had. Things really turned around! That was quite a few years ago now, and the majority of those people are now in heaven, but the Lord has used the Internet to raise up even more people to pray for us, and I am deeply grateful. Given the choice between financial support and prayer support, I’d choose prayer support every time. God is never strapped for money, but the Body of Christ is bound together by prayer.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me pray for others even as I desire they pray for me. Help me be faithful to pray for leaders, even as You had me talk about last week. I let that slide too easily! May I fulfill the place You have for me in Your family, through prayer and every other way, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 24, 2016

Posted on November 27, 2016 by jgarrott

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

This section of Romans is loaded with pithy aphorisms as guides to life, much like the book of Proverbs. This particular verse is more compact and poetic in English, but the Japanese gives a little more depth of understanding because of the particular characters used. “Joyful in hope” is pretty straightforward, but the characters used for “affliction” explicitly include illness, and are the same combination used in John 16:33. There are those who teach that “Healing is our birthright,” and somehow imply that anyone who isn’t in perfect health is lacking in faith. That is a terrible distortion of Biblical truth. It is indeed true that Jesus healed “all who were oppressed by the devil,” (Acts 10:38) but it is clear that Paul, Timothy, and others had various physical problems. We aren’t more “spiritually advanced” than they were! God is indeed our Healer, (Exodus 15:26) but sometimes physical healing waits for heaven. When it comes to “faithful in prayer” the Japanese tells us what that looks like: “work at prayer without giving up.” That sounds like Jesus’ story of the widow and the unjust judge! (Luke 18:1-8) We don’t like to think about “working at” prayer. Prayer is a privilege and a joy, but let’s face it, we get tired. We are spoiled by an “instant” culture, and have little tolerance for delayed gratification. Psychologists will tell you that traps us in immaturity, since tolerance for delayed gratification is one of the hallmarks of maturity. From our perspective we can see that the early believers indeed “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) in a remarkably short period of time, but for those living through it, it still took years and years. We need to adjust our perspective and leave timing in God’s hands, without giving up either faith or hope.

Well, this certainly applies to me! I am too prone to let things blunt my joy and I have plenty of room to grow in prayer. By God’s grace I have learned a lot about enduring medical problems, but more in my wife’s body than in my own. However, as Paul pointed out, there’s not much distinction there. (Ephesians 5:28) Rather than being complacent about anything, I need to keep pressing in for more of God, being more and more conformed to the likeness of His Son. (Romans 8:29) I need to encourage others, not as someone who has “arrived,” but as someone who is on the road with them, having tasted the grace and mercy of the Lord. I don’t think there’s any honest person alive who can go through this section of Romans and check everything off, but there’s no question that the better we follow this, the more we will be filled with the peace and joy of the Lord.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all that You are doing in and around us. Keep me from being distracted by the “mess of construction,” but rather look forward with joy to the completion that is in store, whether I see it in this life or not. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 23, 2016

Posted on November 25, 2016 by jgarrott

Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

I have no idea when this passage was first brought to my attention as a young child, but it was certainly early. It is of course pivotal to the whole matter of salvation. Jesus did all the “heavy lifting” on the cross, but we aren’t saved until we respond to what He has done for us. This is a point where a lot of people hang up. They say that since Jesus died for all mankind, and thus all sin is atoned for, then everyone is saved, somehow. However, that removes the element of man’s free will, which violates the whole purpose of creation. God didn’t want either pets or robots, He wanted children. We have no real power except the power to choose. If we will exercise that to choose God, then He does all the rest. That’s why Jesus’ message was, “Repent and believe.” (Mark 1:15) Repentance involves recognizing your own sin, acknowledging it, and turning from it. If anything calls for the exercise of your will, that’s it! Believing again involves a choice. Faith is a gift from God, (Ephesians 2:8-9) but we have to choose to accept it, letting go of rationalizations and willful doubt. Paul doesn’t use the word, repent, here, but his equivalent phrase is equally powerful. We have very little grasp of what it meant back then to proclaim Jesus as your Lord. The major legal excuse for killing Christians in the Roman Empire was their refusal to say, “Caesar is Lord.” People testified to the Lordship of Christ at the risk of their lives, and many gave their lives for that testimony. If Jesus is your Lord, then everything contrary to Him is recognized as sin and is discarded. What better definition of repentance! Believing that God raised Jesus from the dead is believing that His death was sufficient to atone for your sin and give you eternal life. That is salvation indeed.

Monday I had the privilege of baptizing someone. Because he lives in a group home for the handicapped and isn’t free to leave at will, I was not able to immerse him as he and I both desired, but with a wet finger I drew a cross on his forehead in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and I welcomed him into the family of God. He does not have a sophisticated faith and would be lost in a theology class, but he knows that Jesus died for him and he has committed himself to Jesus in response. He is saved, for all time and eternity. I deal with others who consider themselves far more sophisticated, but they use their “sophistication” as an excuse not to commit themselves to Jesus as Lord. How tragic! I am neither to condemn them nor give up on them, but continue speaking the truth in love to them, leaving their response as a matter between them and God. I have learned the hard way that I can save no one, but God sometimes uses me as His agent in saving people. I am to rejoice at the honor and privilege, but never think that makes me special. I am to rejoice in the salvation He has given me and make that salvation freely available to all I encounter, so that as many as will may choose to accept it.

Father, You know how my heart breaks for people who stubbornly refuse to accept Your salvation, but I know that Your heart breaks even more. Help me not take people’s rejection personally, but rather keep myself available as Your agent to them, whatever that means, so that as many as will may indeed be saved, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 22, 2016

Posted on November 24, 2016 by jgarrott

Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Here we have one of the best keys to a happy life in the here and now. It is precisely in line with what Jesus told His disciples: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) We won’t get down over what we’re going through if we understand that it’s not worth comparing to what is to come! I frequently deal with people who can only see the issue that is right in front of them, and it looks like a huge mountain to them. The thing is, if they are able to trust God with the issue, they will look back on it later and realize it was a step up the Lord was providing so that they could get closer to Him, and it certainly wasn’t so high as it had looked at the time. As Paul realized, when our focus is on the future God has already provided for us, the mistakes of our past and the struggles of the present fade into unimportance.

I can’t say that I have this down perfectly myself yet, but I’m certainly growing. Dealing with so many people who struggle in this area helps me see what’s going on in my own life, but sometimes those people are the very thing I need to realize isn’t such a big deal! The vast majority of my struggles are related to people, but people are why God created the universe, they are why Jesus came and died, so I must not complain. After all, I’ve put Him through worse than they are doing to me! As I counsel others to focus on Christ rather than on themselves and their problems (Hebrews 12:1-3) I must not fall into the trap of thinking that because I teach truth I’ve got it mastered myself. The Lord has told me personally to rest, relax, and rejoice. I will succeed in doing that only to the degree that I maintain the attitude that Paul expresses here.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You also for the CDs of Graham Cooke that I was able to listen to yesterday. He dealt with this issue in considerable depth, and I need to listen to that set again. Like him, may I be faithful both to communicate and live out the truth You have revealed to me, so that many may be built up as Your children, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 21, 2016

Posted on November 24, 2016 by jgarrott

Romans 1:11-12 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

Good things happen when Christians get together. However, expectation plays a big role in what goes on. That’s a major reason we are blessed when a “special speaker” comes to town. They may not say anything different from our pastor, but because they say it a little differently, and look different, we are more likely to receive the truth that is being expressed. The things Paul talks about here – imparta­tion of spiritual gifts and mutual encouragement and strengthening – can and should happen among us any time believers get together. Particularly in the area of impartation, we are more likely to receive through someone we don’t know so well, because we tend to focus on the vessel rather than on the contents. Even Jesus said that a prophet isn’t well received in their own hometown! (Matthew 13:57) We receive far more from God when we focus on Him rather than on the person we see with our senses. Conversely, we are far more likely to be used by God to bless others when we get our focus off of ourselves and onto Him and those He wants to touch through us. Even when we fall short in that area it feels good to get together with other believers, but we should not settle for just feeling good. We need to remember just Whom we serve, and expect Him to act among us.

I have experienced the blessings of Christian fellowship countless times, but those times have certainly run the gamut from mildly nice to a powerful move of God. I prefer the moves of God! I need to expect God to show up without presuming on Him or trying to make Him do anything. That can be a hard line to walk! Yesterday in the service, lunch, Christmas decorating, and the culminating Thanksgiving dinner, God did a number of good things. I wasn’t aware of any direct impartation, but people were certainly encouraged, and I think several people who are not yet Christians were drawn closer to faith. I need to expect that more and more! For much of my life I have tended to be a loner, and I have not particularly enjoyed gathering in groups, but the Lord continues to work on me. I need to look at gatherings as opportunities to be with Jesus, since He said that He is among us when we gather as His children. (Matthew 18:20) I need to be ready and expecting to receive from Him through my brothers and sisters in Christ, and be available to Him in imparting gifts to them.

Father, thank You for all You did yesterday, both what I was aware of and what I wasn’t. I pray that You would confirm, seal, and strengthen what You did in each heart and life, so that those who don’t yet know you would commit themselves to You in repentance and faith, and those who already know You would grow to be more of what You created us to be, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 20, 2016

Posted on November 22, 2016 by jgarrott

Acts 28:8-9 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured.

This is an example of what has been called a “divine appointment.” Nothing about this was planned, except by God. There was a need, and God used Paul to meet the need and reinforce the message that I’m certain all the believers in the group, and not just Paul, were communicating. I’m sure that by the time they got to Rome, the centurion and probably most of the other soldiers were believers too, with all they had seen in traveling with Paul! There are lots of reasons God allows things in our lives, and all of them are good. How we respond to those things is probably the most powerful testimony we can give. If we are always, “Poor little me,” no one will think we have a God worth following. However, if our focus is on God, thanking and praising Him, then people will be drawn to know more at the very least. We need to be aware that God wants to use us as instruments of blessing and look forward to opportunities for that. Paul did exactly that in this case, and many were healed as a result.

This has been a relatively unanticipated result of my wife Cathy’s medical problems. It has been rough on her, but her attitude in it all has been such that at the place where she has physical therapy, the other patients say, “Get Cathy to pray for you. Her God is powerful!” We would not have chosen her laundry list of medical problems, but God has supported us through them and people have noticed. When we came to Omura I wanted, and rather expected, God to work many healing miracles through us to confirm the Gospel we shared, but that hasn’t happened. Now, He is using our own problems to draw people to us and to Him. It was recently commented that Cathy is the best-loved foreigner in this city, and I don’t doubt it. I am not to try to dictate to God how He is going to use us, but I must keep myself ready for and sensitive to His appointments. I am to speak and act as He directs, at all times and in all situations, so that His will may be done in and through me for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I need such reminders from time to time! Thank You for all that will go on today. You know my feelings about some of it. Help me go through it all as unto You, not nursing resentment of any kind but keeping myself fully available to You, rejoicing to be Your child and Your servant, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 19, 2016

Posted on November 21, 2016 by jgarrott

Acts 26:29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

When you think about it, this was a remarkably bold declaration for someone in Paul’s shoes. King Agrippa had enormous temporal power over Paul, yet Paul proclaimed the necessity of repentance and faith. Oh that more believers would be like that! His desire for God and His kingdom was greater than any consideration of his own physical situation. In today’s world of “political correctness,” such an attitude is seen as conceited and bad. “How dare you think yourself so superior!” The thing is, Paul didn’t think he was superior in and of himself, he had simply discovered the grace of God and knew that everyone needed it as much as he did. Having discovered and accepted it automatically put him in a better place than anyone who had not done so, even including King Agrippa. The thing is, he was desiring that everyone join him in that place of advantage. Some people react badly to evangelism because they don’t like being told they are inadequate as they are, and resent that anyone would claim to be better off than they are. That makes a lot of Christians fail to share the Gospel because they fear that reaction. The thing is, if we don’t share and give them the opportunity to repent and believe, they are headed for hell. Too many Christians, even, don’t believe in hell! We need to love people enough to risk rejection, understanding God’s grace and love toward us and seeking to extend that grace and love to others.

I’m really talking to myself here! I am very big on conflict avoidance. I hate confrontation! However, running from confrontation creates more problems than it solves. Just last night I was talking with some people about how the Bible talks about escaping temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13, though some translations avoid that wording) but it doesn’t talk about escaping confrontation. Paul does say “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18) We certainly aren’t to seek confrontation, but we must not let fear of confrontation keep us from sharing the Gospel. As a pastor, one of my weakest points has been a failure to correct, to lay down God’s law. That’s not the same as a failure to share the Gospel but it’s closely related. I need to love people enough to risk their not liking me. I have seen churches torn apart by a failure to exercise proper discipline, but I’ve still let it happen here. I must not do that! I’ve got to get out of my comfort zone to impart life to others, warning them of their destructive behavior even if it means they don’t like me as a result. Frankly, that’s scary. In the conversation last night I had no trouble speaking God’s truth, but now I’ve got to follow through and act on it, or I’m only deceiving myself.

Father, thank You for what You are doing, and for making it clear to me just now. Thank You that You don’t leave any of us where we are, but keep drawing us to greater maturity in Christ, and that you use us to do that for each other. May I not run from this opportunity to grow, but rather accept and transmit Your grace faithfully, and eventually with joy, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 18, 2016

Posted on November 21, 2016 by jgarrott

Acts 22:16 “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”

The three different records in acts of Saul/Paul’s conversion each give slightly different details, enriching the record. Since Luke was the one doing the writing for all three, that gives us all the more reason to trust their veracity. Acts 9 is simply the historical record, and here and in Acts 26 Luke records how Paul himself told the story. This particular statement by Ananias, as Paul quotes him, is one that I want to say to a lot of people! We all have times of wavering, of being indecisive. The Lord through Ananias told Saul, “Cut that out! Get moving in what you know you need to do.” We all need that sort of “kick in the seat” from time to time, but in the case of commitment to Jesus as Lord and Savior, it’s a matter of life and death. The longer the devil can get people to delay, the more of their joy and peace he can steal, and that’s what he does. (John 10:10) For many people who are born again, one of their responses is, “Why didn’t I do this years ago?” I’ll never forget the testimony of one man I baptized in his 70s, as he was confessing his faith before entering the baptistry. “I feel like I have been living in a fog up until now. What was I doing?” In his case he hadn’t heard the Gospel in his youth, but so many who know the facts of the Gospel fail to commit to Jesus as Lord. This verse certainly applies to them!

I can think of several people I want to say this to even right now! For me, the difficulty is in not giving up on people who hesitate for years, literally. I need to remember how patient God has been with me and extend that patience toward them, but at the same time say what this verse says when the Holy Spirit indicates it’s appropriate. I am not to try to make things happen on my schedule, but always be available to act on God’s schedule. I am to speak the truth in love, allowing the Holy Spirit to use my words to strip away the lies of the devil and help people see themselves and see Christ. When that happens, they will indeed stop wavering and will be born into God’s family.

Father, thank You for this reminder. You know the people who came to mind as I wrote. Keep me from hesitating to say or do anything You want me to. May I walk in the fellowship of obedience, acting as Your agent to all around me, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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