November 17, 2016

Posted on November 20, 2016 by jgarrott

Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

I have heard a wide variety of opinions about this verse. Some have said this shows Paul’s stubborn streak, and that had he listened to the warnings he wouldn’t have been arrested and thus would have had many more years of productive ministry than actually was the case. However, it was precisely while he was imprisoned that Paul wrote many of the letters that are now included in the New Testament. Had he not gone through that, he might not have been tempered to the point that he could write those letters. Also, as I have written recently, it was while Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea that Luke at least did the research and probably did the writing of the Gospel that bears his name. I personally feel this was all part of God’s perfect plan, just as the cross of Jesus was, and He was giving Paul these repeated warnings so that he wouldn’t be shocked when it all happened. It is a sign of the strength of Paul’s faith that he kept going despite the warnings. Most of us would cut and run! Paul’s hope and treasure were in Christ alone, and that was fine with him.

I have been pushed this direction by my upbringing in a missionary household, but this sort of thing always comes down to individual commitment. I have certainly been pulled and pushed by various things in and of this world, but I find myself more and more in agreement with the attitude Paul expresses here. As the old song says, “This world is not my home; I’m just a-passing through.” I do enjoy life in many ways, but at the same time I am increasingly aware that it is all temporary, and what awaits me is far better than anything here. Life in Christ is more than worth anything I might have to endure here. That doesn’t mean I enjoy, much less seek out, pain, either physical or emotional. I get enough of that! However, as Paul said, “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18) I am to receive each day from the Lord’s hand and rejoice in it, whatever it holds. At the same time I am to expect great and good things from my Lord, because He doesn’t allow anything in our lives that He can’t or won’t use for our blessing and the blessing of others, for His glory. (Romans 8:28)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Life these days is quite a jumble of promising, hopeful things and unpleasant, depressing things. Help me keep my heart fixed on Jesus in full trust, resting, relaxing, and rejoicing in Him, just as You have told me to do, so that I will be available at all times as Your agent to do whatever You desire, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 16, 2016

Posted on November 18, 2016 by jgarrott

Acts 20:24 “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

I am honored to say that I have known many who have had this attitude. I’m part of an Internet mailing group that includes retired Japan missionaries and MKs (missionary kids), and in the past couple of days we have been asked to pray that one retired missionary would be able to hold on until his son arrived. That prayer was answered, and yesterday the word was that the missionary was dividing his time among “sleeping, praying, and preaching!” What a glorious testimony! The better we understand that our time on earth is for getting to know our heavenly Father and serving Him, rather than any personal agenda, the more joy and satisfaction we will have and the more ready we will be to spend eternity with Him, whenever He says we’ve been here long enough. We are so easily distracted by things that ultimately make no difference. Jesus’ instructions to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) aren’t just so that we will have our needs met, they are a guideline for all of life. There is no higher privilege than being used by God to draw someone into His family, His kingdom, and yet so many have never had that joy. An amazing number of Christians think they can’t, when the power isn’t theirs to begin with. No merely human being can give anyone eternal life, but God can use anyone who is yielded to Him to perform that miracle. You can’t force anyone to repent and believe for their salvation, but you can be faithful to speak the truth in love so that the Holy Spirit may use your words to draw someone into life. The better we understand that, the more we will have this attitude expressed by Paul.

I think I can honestly echo Paul here, and I am deeply grateful. I have had a lot of excellent examples to follow! Growing up on the mission field I learned that missionaries are just as human as anyone, and they can be a lot of fun. We MKs referred to them as “Uncle” this and “Aunt” that, and we were indeed family to each other, particularly because of physical distance from “blood kin.” It was pretty unusual that one of my mother’s first cousins was a missionary in Fukuoka with us, so he and his family were “double kin!” In such an environment, it’s not surprising that Nate Saint’s famous statement has always seemed totally logical to me: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” Life on this earth is temporary, period. Life in Christ is eternal, and is worth sharing with as many as will receive it.

Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of drawing others into Your family. I’ve not been “an Evangelist,” but You have been faithful. I would love to see many more! Keep me from trying to set my own agenda. Rather, help me hear You accurately and obey You faithfully, so that I will have no regrets when You say it’s time to come home. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 15, 2016

Posted on November 18, 2016 by jgarrott

Acts 16:30-31 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

This incident is quoted with considerable frequency in Japan because of how many Christians are the only believers in their families. It is taken as a promise that if they believe, their whole family will be saved. I wish it meant that! As I read it, the offer of salvation by faith is being given to the man and his family, but salvation is always contingent on faith, and some people refuse to believe. I have heard some marvelous testimonies of families that did believe eventually for salvation, but I have also known of far more where that did not happen. I certainly don’t want to dash hope, but nothing in the Bible says anyone can skip over repentance and faith. At the same time, this passage brings up the whole question of just what is salvation. The jailer was probably not thinking in theological terms when he asked his question. Rather, he had been faced with being held accountable for all the prisoners whom he thought had escaped, and suicide was a better choice to him. Since none had escaped he was already saved from that, but he was in total emotional turmoil, triggered initially by the earthquake itself. (People who have been through a major earthquake can identify with that.) Whatever he was thinking, the Holy Spirit prompted Paul and Silas to give their famous answer, and the whole world has benefited.

I am faced with the question of salvation very frequently. People want to be saved from all sorts of things, and it’s not unusual for them to confuse those with the matter of eternal salvation. I have had people insist on being baptized, and then when their temporal problem wasn’t solved, they disappeared. At the same time, I have had people come to Christ precisely because of a temporal problem, but encounter Him in truth and be gloriously born again. I’ve had to come around to leaving it all in God’s hands. (Imagine that!) I am to present God’s offer of eternal life by repentance and faith to all who will listen, but how they receive it, or not, is between them and God. I am often grieved at how people fail to accept that offer, but I am not to let that tear me down. My call is to speak the truth in love, faithfully and persistently.

Father, this is a huge issue in Japan, with such a low rate of return on evangelism. Keep me from despair or apathy. Rather, help me trust You and expect great things of You, so that as many as will accept Your offer may indeed be saved, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 14, 2016

Posted on November 15, 2016 by jgarrott

Acts 16:10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

This is a very momentous verse in Acts, because it is the first time Luke uses the 1st person plural pronoun, “we.” In other words, it was at this point that Luke joined Paul in his ministry. Luke steadfastly declines to write about himself, focusing rather on what God did, especially through Paul. Many scholars have noted that Luke was a very careful, precise writer, which seems appropriate when he was a doctor. (Colossians 4:14) (In a side note, it is interesting that it was long thought Luke used the wrong title for Galio in Acts 18:12, but several years ago archaeologists found a cornerstone in Corinth with Galio’s name and exactly the title Luke used.) Luke didn’t want to use his own name as he wrote, but he wanted to make it clear when he was a direct participant/observer in what was going on. That attitude helps us understand why Paul called him “beloved” (the NIV just says, “dear friend”). We don’t know if he was a believer before he met up with Paul in Troas, but at the very least his faith was very strong, causing him to go through real hardship and danger as he traveled with Paul, apparently for the rest of his life. We have no idea what happened to him after they arrived in Rome in Acts 28, other than the fact that he used the time while Paul was in prison to write Acts. (The Gospel that bears his name was quite possibly written while Paul was in prison in Caesarea.) He was clearly, even extremely, aware of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. We owe him a great deal, because Acts ties together the earthly ministry of Jesus and the letters that make up the rest of the New Testament. Our theology and even our faith would have gaping holes without what Luke was faithful to record as God directed.

In all honesty I’ve never really thought that much about Luke, though I’ve known all the facts I just mentioned. The Lord has given me a gift for words as well, though I certainly haven’t used it as powerfully as Luke did. I have started on a memoir, but haven’t worked on it in many months. I need to get back to that, so that others may have reason to praise God for His faithfulness to me and to those around me. I need to be as careful with the facts as Luke was, not inflating anything and doing all I can to keep the focus on God. He has been incredibly gracious to me, and He deserves all the glory.

Father, I certainly didn’t expect this when I sat down to read and pray this morning! Help me be faithful with all that You have placed in me, just as Luke was, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 13, 2016

Posted on November 14, 2016 by jgarrott

Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

The more I think about this the more it blows my mind. That’s because I’ve been to seminary and had formal ordination and have been in ministry for over 35 years since. I guess it comes down to trusting Jesus with His Church. The new disciples in these towns had been believers only a matter of months, and here they were being appointed as elders! In his letters to Timothy and Titus Paul gives several guidelines for choosing such people, but still the process wouldn’t pass muster in practically any denomination today. We make it so hard to serve God! The key is in the last part of this verse: “They committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed/trusted.” They had no means of follow up other than letters or physically going to see them, but they knew that God had no such limitations. We get in knots over churches and people because we think we are in charge. I think a major reason God allows some problems is to teach us we aren’t in charge! A major factor in the growth of the early Church was that they weren’t tied down by bureaucracy. They knew they were powerless but God was omnipotent, and that was OK. I think the Church today would be far better off if we really trusted the Lord in whom we say we believe.

This is of course extremely applicable to me. I had the privilege of ordaining an assistant pastor about two months ago, but I’ve been moving fairly slowly with him since. I did trust him to preach the four Sundays I was gone, but that’s about it. I’m not retiring or leaving any time soon (that I know of) so the question arises as to what his position, and mine, really are. We need to seek God, individually and together, and be obedient to what He shows us. A missionary friend is holding a “succession ceremony” today, though he himself won’t be leaving the country at this point. Tomorrow I will be driving about two hours to baptize someone who will then have very little support network (though he does call me frequently). All of these things make me examine myself as to how well I really trust God with His children. I am not to be irresponsible, avoiding work He wants me to do, but I’ve got to remember it’s ultimately not up to me.

Father, this raises at least as many questions as it answers. Help me hear You clearly and obey You faithfully. Keep me from running away from anything, but also keep me from getting over-comfortable in my routines. May I trust You enough to get out of Your way, so that Your Name may be hallowed and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 12, 2016

Posted on November 14, 2016 by jgarrott

Acts 13:4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

This was the start of what are called Paul’s missionary journeys. One striking characteristic of how Luke records them, and indeed all of Acts, is how frequently the Holy Spirit is mentioned as guiding or directing things. For some people today that seems highly improbable, or unlikely at best, but they are simply going on the basis of their own experience. For others, likewise on the basis of their own experience, it seems totally normal. So what’s the difference? To hear and receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit there needs to be a prior commitment to obedience. He isn’t going to give you guidance He knows you aren’t going to follow! Sometimes His guidance takes the form of specific prophecy. That might seem easy to follow, but I have seen people make major mistakes that way, either because they missed the timing of what was said or because the “prophet” was actually speaking their own thoughts rather than the heart of God. Directive prophecy must always be prayed over and confirmed. More often, the Holy Spirit will open doors of opportunity. There too discernment is called for, because the devil loves to dress up his temptations as doors of opportunity. Sometimes we miss the genuine guidance of the Holy Spirit because we either are afraid to go through the door He has opened or we think we aren’t worthy, it’s “too good.” In both cases the problem is that our focus is on ourselves rather than on Jesus. We are never “worthy” apart from the grace of God, and He will always provide and protect in the path He has for us. In my experience, the Holy Spirit most often guides simply through an impression, which can grow to a conviction, a “knowing,” of what He wants us to do. Sometimes that might fit in the category of a “word of wisdom,” as Paul mentions in talking about the grace gifts of the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11) The point is, if we expect the Holy Spirit to guide us and are committed to following His guidance, we will find our paths are straight indeed. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I have experienced the Holy Spirit’s guidance many times, but I can’t say I’ve always been listening. I can say that when I have listened obediently it’s always turned out well in the long run, whatever it has looked like in the short run. One thing the Lord has used to train me in listening has been lane changes when driving. That seems utterly inconsequential, and often it is, but it is remarkable how smoothly I get through traffic when I’m listening rather than trying to figure things out on my own. The value of that as a training tool is that the consequences are so minor if I slip up, but it still teaches me to seek Him rather than depend on myself. I’m happy to say that I’ve gotten better at listening over the years, but I’ve still got plenty of room to grow!

Father, thank You for Your guidance. I deal with so many people who say they want Your guidance but are so full of themselves they can’t hear what You’re saying to them. I ask for grace and patience to keep speaking Your truth to them in love so that it may break through and set them free from the the traps of the enemy. May we all hear You obediently so that Your will may be done right here, even as it is in heaven, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 11, 2016

Posted on November 13, 2016 by jgarrott

Acts 12:14-16 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”
“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

This is one of the most miraculous, and at the same time one of the funniest, stories in the Bible. What God did to get Peter out of prison is the stuff of fantasy. Even Peter didn’t believe it while it was happening to him! Then, we have the scene here. From our current perspective it seems downright hilarious, but I doubt very much we would have done any better than the people at the prayer meeting had we been in their place. In their defense, James the brother of John had recently been executed, and they had every reason to think Peter would be next. Even so, they were praying earnestly, just as Jesus had said, (Luke 18:1-8) even though they couldn’t imagine how God might answer their prayers. That’s something we need to emulate! We have a strong tendency to formulate scenarios in our minds and ask God to fulfill them. We aren’t God’s movie director! We are to pray earnestly, just as these believers did, but at the same time leave the whole matter in God’s hands for Him to do what He knows is best. His best for James was martyrdom!

I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to this sort of thing. I know in my mind that “God’s ways are higher than my ways, and His thoughts than my thoughts,” (Isaiah 55:8-9) but I still try to tell Him what to do! This is part of the whole paradox of prayer. It makes no sense that the Creator of the universe would listen to life forms on an insignificant planet in an unremarkable solar system in a mediocre galaxy, but He does. Why is a total mystery, except that He is love itself, (1 John 4:8) and He delights to express Himself in this way. I am not to try to figure Him out, because I can’t, but I am to accept what He has revealed of Himself through the Bible and trust that He will always be true to Himself, and thus to me. I am to pray persistently and in faith, without insisting on how He is to answer.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There are several things facing us right how that we don’t know how You will resolve. Help us be faithful on every level, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule in Your way for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 10, 2016

Posted on November 13, 2016 by jgarrott

Acts 11:18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”

We have very little grasp of how imperfect the various characters of history, and even the Bible, were. We idolize and idealize them, when they were just as human as we are. The only human being ever to be without sin was Jesus, so we need to adjust our perspective. We think of the believers in the Early Church as superhuman, since they accomplished so much and endured so much, but I’m sure it didn’t feel that way to them. Life “on the ground” is always messy, but God uses even our weaknesses for His glory. (2 Corinthians 12:9) We have trouble grasping how prejudiced the leadership in particular of the Jerusalem Church really was. Even Peter required the dramatic events of Acts 10 before he could understand that God loves every­one and invites all to be saved, and these people in Jerusalem were no different. We tend to be horrified when we learn of Martin Luther’s antisemitism, but that is only the flip side of these people. God is always bigger than we are, but that is why He can use us in spite of our weaknesses. We tend to disbelieve that God could use us, or others, because of the imperfections that seem so big to us, but that is seeing human imperfections as bigger or stronger than God. God can and does use very imperfect vessels to accomplish His will for His glory, because that’s what He’s got to work with! Paul rightly called us clay pots, filled with the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:7) If the early believers, and early churches, had been perfect, then most of the New Testament would never have been written, because the letters were both to encourage and correct.

This is something I deal with constantly as a pastor. I deal with my own faults and failures, and I deal with those of others. I find that one of my most frequent admonitions is for people to take their eyes off of themselves and fix them on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:2) Anyone who will do that will discover that they are doing things impossible for themselves, because God will be manifesting His power through their weakness. We are not limited by our past if we will abide in Christ. That is one of the most magnificent truths of the Gospel. (2 Corinthians 5:17) I’ve got to remember that about myself and about those I deal with. Their past or even current failures don’t dictate their future! God’s plans are indeed to give us hope and a future, (Jeremiah 29:11) and I must never forget that.

Father, thank You for this Word. Thank You for what You have done in the past 24 hours or so in America, blocking those who would exclude You from public life. Donald Trump is manifestly someone with flaws and a less-than-admirable track record in a number of ways, but he is learning humility. That is very hopeful! I pray Your grace and blessings on him and on the nation. I pray the same for this church. Our difficulties seem trivial compared to those of America, but You care about them nonetheless. Help me trust You for the answers even before I see those answers, resting, relaxing, and rejoicing in You, so that Your purposes may be accomplished in and through me, in and through this church, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 9, 2016

Posted on November 11, 2016 by jgarrott

Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”

This was the moment when Peter really understood the vision he had on the rooftop a few days earlier. (Acts 10:9-16) He had understood it enough to accompany the Gentiles who had come to get him, but it wasn’t until he arrived and heard Cornelius’ invitation to tell them the things of God that it really got all the way through to him. We can be amazingly dense at times, but God loves and uses us anyway! I am reminded of Benjamin Berger, who had a direct visitation from the Lord (though it was audible but not visual) to let him know personally that Jesus is the Messiah, but it still took him a year before he had the courage, as a Jew, to receive baptism. Even so, he has been mightily used by God in the years since. Reading the Bible today we might think, “Well, duh,” about some of the things people were slow to accept at the time, but we have the advantage of many centuries of perspective. We aren’t really any more perceptive than they were. That’s why God often teaches us the same lessons again and again, to deepen our understanding. We might think we’ve got it down, but God knows better! The thing is, God will do whatever is necessary to teach us what He wants us to know, so the more sensitive and yielded to Him we are, the sooner and more easily we can get on to the next lesson.

I am reminded of this truth from time to time as I recognize review lessons for what they are. Spoken lessons of that sort are fine, but sometimes object lessons can be painful! I would like to grasp each lesson fully the first time, but looking at the Biblical record I have to be satisfied with things as they are, not accusing myself too much for being dense. I also need to remember this as a pastor and teacher, exercising the patience toward others that God shows to me. I have failed to do that more times than I like to think about. I’m giving a special examination to some nursing students tomorrow who failed to show sufficient mastery of the material before. I am not to give them results they haven’t learned, but I am also not to put them down because they took longer to learn it. I need to respond to the people in this church the same way, speaking the truth in love as many times as necessary, growing along with them as we all draw closer to Christ.

Father, this time this morning is an illustration of what I have just written! This is not new truth to me, but I don’t walk in it with sufficient consistency. Help me be a “doer of your Word” (James 1:22) more and more and better and better, so that I may participate fully in Your plans for me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 8, 2016

Posted on November 9, 2016 by jgarrott

Acts 10:33 “Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

What preacher wouldn’t love to hear this! This would really “pull the preach” out of anyone! And sure enough, reading to the end of the chapter shows us that Peter couldn’t even finish his remarks before the people hearing started responding fully to the work of the Holy Spirit. Hearing ears and hearts are so important! I’ve done pre-wedding marriage counseling for the past four days in a row, and this is something I always talk about in terms of husband/wife communication. One partner can be expressing their heart and the other not really hearing at all. That’s the sort of thing that can lead to divorce. The thing is, God is always ready to listen to us, but too often we aren’t ready to listen to Him. In the first place, many people can’t seem to grasp that God would really talk to them. We tend to make that all mystical, stuff for saints and gurus and the like. We forget that as parents, we don’t limit talking to our children to when they are being good. If anything, we might talk to them a bit more when they aren’t (or at least more strongly). God speaks to us in many ways. Because of our differences in personality and the like, some people are more likely to hear Him one way and some another way. The two Josephs who feature prominently in the Bible, one in Genesis and the other the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus, both heard from the Lord frequently through dreams. I have a pastor friend like that, and my wife has had quite a few dreams from the Lord. However, I can hardly remember any dreams that I knew were from the Lord. On the other hand, I feel like the Lord talks to me daily as I read and meditate on the Bible. I have been involved in prophecy, both giving and receiving it, when the Lord speaks clearly through a human vessel. (Actually, true preaching should be this way, just as it was when Peter spoke to Cornelius’ household.) That can be the easiest to understand, but those hearing must accept it as the Word of the Lord or it isn’t very effective. The risk here is that not all who claim to speak for the Lord really do, and even those who do sometimes aren’t necessarily consistent. God can speak through donkeys, even, but that doesn’t mean we should hold church in the barn! The lesson is, we are to have our hearts turned and tuned to the Lord so that we can recognize and receive whatever He says to us, however He chooses to do it.

As a pastor/teacher this is a major issue in my life. Not only do I seek to hear from the Lord myself, I am often used to speak His Word to others in various ways. Their receptivity is all over the map! Sometimes I am aware that I am speaking for God and sometimes I’m not, but He’s using me anyway. It’s always fun when I discover that’s happened! It is joyous when people receive gladly what the Lord says through me, just as it was for Peter in today’s story, but it can be heartbreaking when people steadfastly refuse to listen. Jeremiah and other Old Testament prophets experienced this, and just about everyone in the New testament did, from Jesus on down. I am not to take it personally when it happens to me, but rather pray God’s grace and mercy for my hearers. I am not to decline to speak because I have prejudged my hearers, but rather be faithful to speak whenever and whatever the Lord says to, without interjecting my thoughts on my schedule. I’ve made some real blunders doing that! It all comes down to being open and available to the flow of the Holy Spirit through me, because only then is God’s will accomplished.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed speak what You are saying, as well as hear and obey what You are saying, so that Your will may be done in and through me consistently, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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