October 18, 2016

Posted on October 22, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 9:33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

This was one of Peter’s peak, “open mouth, insert foot,” moments. However, we’ve all been there. We don’t know what to say but we feel compelled to say something. It is interesting that the three disciples knew that the two men talking with Jesus were Moses and Elijah, and the question arises as to how they knew that. If it was by direct impartation from the Holy Spirit, Peter’s outburst seems all the more foolish. The disciples had been invited to the mountain by Jesus and their physical/spiritual lethargy had been overcome by the glory of God, but even wide awake they didn’t know how to respond. We may have those moments ourselves. God does something marvelous and we know it, but we don’t know what to do with it. Even here we can’t be sure what Peter should have done, but it’s clear he wasn’t listening obediently to the Holy Spirit. Often what God wants us to do is bask in the moment, to allow His Spirit to work in us on a much deeper level than human intellect or even consciousness. We have the persistent desire to do something, when what God is most after is for us to be something. When we are what He wants us to be, then we will indeed do what He wants us to do, but we tend to put that backwards and really mess things up. As Paul said, we are to be doing the good works that God has prepared for us, (Ephesians 2:10) but too often we tend to think of good works as a substitute for being a child of God. An infant doesn’t have to earn its parents’ love, it just has to be. We have a lot to learn about being children of God!

This is an issue that has tripped me up many times over the years. Peter doesn’t have anything on me! I am very prone to speak when I should be silent. I think I have grown at least a little bit in this area over the years, but my mouth still needs a better OFF button. At times I feel I am spiritually and/or physically lazy, not doing enough in the kingdom of God. However, a few years ago the Lord told me, and had me preach, that He wants us to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him. I’ve quoted that many times in the years since, but that doesn’t mean I’ve got it down pat yet! I am never to hold anything back when God tells me to do something, but at the same time I’m not to go around inventing ways to serve God. Like Peter’s huts, what I do in such cases is of no benefit to what God is doing and it just wears me out. I am to focus on being Christ’s representative, (2 Corinthians 5:20) allowing His power to work in and through me (Colossians 1:29) to accomplish, not what I think would be good, but His perfect will, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this strong Word this morning. When I first read the passage I had no idea what You wanted to say to me. Thank You for the time with my assistant pastor last night, debriefing Him from the time I was gone. I do pray that we would grow as a team so that this church would indeed grow to be what You have planned, however large or small that might be, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 17, 2017

Posted on October 22, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

I have always preferred Luke’s rendition of this famous teaching of Jesus over Matthew’s and Mark’s versions because of the one little word (in English), “daily.” We have a very bad tendency to think that once we’ve done something it’s done forever, when that is seldom the case. Salvation, once received, is a done deal, but the degree to which we receive the benefits of that salvation depends on faithfulness. “5-point Calvinists” might get up in arms over that statement, but the Bible is remarkably consistent on this point. If it were not true, why would Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, and James all urge faithfulness? “Taking up our cross” is not something we can decide to do one day and then a few days later decide it’s too much trouble. As with everything else, this is not something we can do consistently in our own strength; we have to have God’s help, doing it in and through us. However, if the heart commitment is there, God is more faithful that we could ever be, and He will follow through. The devil tries to distract us with everything possible and convince us that such commitment is impractical at best, but as always, he’s a liar. At the same time, this verse is one of the strongest reasons for daily morning devotions. Choosing to spend time with God the first thing every morning is far and away the easiest, and perhaps the best, way to be faithful in taking up our cross to follow Jesus. And make no mistake, He is worth following!

The trip just ended has been strong training in this area. Every day has held new, and in some ways unfamiliar, challenges, and so has required the conscious choice to accept the challenge and follow Jesus. By God’s grace we have made it through, but the relief in coming through the door of our own home to go to bed in our own bed was beyond words. That said, today has its own challenges, some of which I have already run into, and each day to come will be likewise challenging. I am never to run from my cross, whatever form it might take, but rather shoulder it with gratitude and praise that God will always enable me to do whatever He calls me to do.

Father, thank You indeed for Your faithfulness throughout this trip. Thank You for the assurance that You will be faithful each day of the rest of my life, even when I am less than faithful. (2 Timothy 2:13) Help me not forget any of the things You have taught me on this trip, but rather apply each one as You intend, so that I may grow and the Body of Christ be built up, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 16, 2016

Posted on October 21, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 6:36 “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

In a sense this sums up the preceding 9 verses, and it brings to mind another slightly more famous command to be like God: “Be Holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” (Leviticus 18:2) It is mind-boggling that we are called, commanded, to be like God. After all, we are finite and He is infinite; we are fallible and He is infallible. The list could go on and on. However, we forget that we are created in His image (Genesis 1:27) and thus are logically supposed to be like Him. We can’t possibly do it in our own strength, but by His grace His character can indeed be manifested in and through us, if we will be fully submitted to Him. The whole issue of human free will comes into sharp focus here. We can’t do it on our own, but we have to choose to allow Him to do it in and through us. He is absolutely sovereign, but He has chosen to allow us to choose whether we submit to Him or not. That’s what the Garden of Eden was all about. If we choose to disobey, all sorts of consequences follow, but if we choose to obey, His grace overcomes our weaknesses and failures. He is indeed merciful, and He calls us to be likewise.

As is all of life on this earth, this is aspirational rather than any sort of done deal. Salvation itself is a done deal, provided in Christ through the cross and received by faith, but otherwise, like Paul we have to say, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14) Jesus tells us to be merciful, so when we discover we are being less than merciful, we need to repent and ask forgiveness, choosing afresh to be merciful and so receiving God’s mercy. I’ve got to remember that as much as anyone, never thinking that because I teach others I’ve already got it down pat.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I have not always been merciful over the past three weeks, and people have suffered for it. Forgive me, and heal their wounded spirits. Help me be an increasingly accurate representation of Your Son, so that more and more people my be drawn to receive Your grace for themselves, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 15, 2016

Posted on October 21, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 6:26 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.”

This verse really flies in the face of commonly accepted attitudes. I don’t think at all that Jesus is saying we should have a reputation for being hard to get along with. Rather, I think that He is dealing with the whole issue of political correctness. When we make others’ opinion the sole guide for what we say or how we say it, we are leaving God out of the picture, even if we use Him for window dressing. That is exactly what false prophets do! Words are powerful, and it is entirely possible to manipulate people using them. We are not to be afraid of our words convicting people of sin, because God often uses His prophets to do that, but we must always speak the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15) Failing to speak the truth out of a fear that people won’t like us is placing people ahead of God, and that is dangerous indeed. We should always be more concerned with what God thinks of us than what any person thinks of us. That is what Jesus is talking about here.

As a pastor and as a teacher, words are my stock in trade, so I have to be especially careful on this issue. There have been many times when my words have wounded needlessly, and I regret them, but there also have been times when I have spoken in love and my words have been rejected, to the point of someone rejecting me. I must not be afraid of that! People have left the church over my continually pounding on the need for personal responsibility in each believer, getting away from the demand for spoon feeding and letting the pastor do everything. This verse should give me comfort on that issue! There are many good passages in the Bible on how we should talk, such as “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6) I am to take all of them to heart, but never fear people’s reactions. Rather, I am to be faithful to speak what my Lord is saying, using the words the Holy Spirit supplies, in the love that sent Jesus to the cross.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It is especially timely now, as I am about to head back to Omura, where I’m sure many things have not been done as I would have done them. Help me discern what is in need of correction and what is not, and encourage rather than tear down. Help me remember that the members of my flock are never my enemies, but the sheep that I am responsible to feed and nurture. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 14, 2016

Posted on October 20, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 5:33-35 They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” Jesus answered, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

The religious professionals attacked on the basis of fasting and prayer, but Jesus responded only to the fasting charge. I take that to mean that the disciples were indeed learning to pray, just as they asked Jesus to teach them. (Luke 11:1) We sometimes forget that the disciples were indeed learning and maturing during their time with Jesus. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have had ears to hear or hearts to understand what Jesus said in the upper room before His crucifixion, much less have been able to absorb the fact of His resurrection. They did have a lot of blank spots, and that’s why Jesus said the Holy Spirit would bring to their minds all that He had said to them. (John 14:26) If the 12 apostles needed to learn and grow, so do we, and if they could learn and grow, so can we. Prayer is one of the areas in which we have the most room for growth, and that includes listening obediently to the Lord’s replies. As Jesus said, now that He’s not with us physically, that includes fasting, to teach us not to let our flesh control our spirits. We need to greet each day with anticipation of both what the Lord is going to teach us and how He is going to use us. That is the path of true satisfaction and joy for any believer.

This is of course exactly where I am. Some of the lessons aren’t enjoyable at the time, but if we are willing to learn, the result is always good. (Hebrews 12:11) This trip has been an extended practicum, and I pray that I will genuinely absorb and apply all that the Lord has been teaching me, not just for the benefit of those I serve, but also so that I won’t have to go through the same lessons again! In a few hours we will be back in Japan, and once we get as far as Fukuoka I’ll be back in “ministry mode.” That needs to be different than what it was, based on what the Lord has been teaching me, so that the Body of Christ may be built up for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed hear and apply all that You say to me, through the Bible, through circumstances, and through other people. May I never be stagnant but always growing, just as it says in Psalm 1, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 13, 2016

Posted on October 20, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 5:15-16 The news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

At this point Jesus had what we would call a “successful and growing ministry.” Such circumstances are marked by ever-increasing busyness. Observation will tell you that many gifted ministers have crashed and burned in such situations, but Jesus had the right answer: He prayed. We tend to let other things get ahead of prayer in our priorities, especially when those things seem to be noble, good, and “serving the Lord.” However, nothing is really a higher priority than fellowship with God. If we are in tune with God, then everything else will fall into place, but if we are ignoring God, everything will fall apart eventually, however well it might seem to be going at the moment. That reality is totally unrecognized by the world at large, so it generally takes conscious effort to maintain it. The devil will provide anything he can to separate us from God, even “success!” It is precisely when we think we can make it on our own that we are most at risk. We need to follow Jesus’ example and get private with God. Only then will we really be secure.

This trip has been an excellent practicum in this particular point. I have had to choose to make the time for reading the Bible and praying, and that hasn’t always been easy. As a matter of fact, my very next time will be on a crowded airplane, and even right now I am surrounded by distractions. However, my family is generally understanding, and for that I’m grateful. Heading back to Japan today, life will start to get more “normal,” but I still need to be intentional in placing God first in all my priorities. I would hardly be upset if God gave me a “successful and growing ministry” from this point, but whether that happens or not, I’ve got to keep my focus on Him and not let anything interfere with our fellowship.

Father, thank You for all You have done on this trip, but thank You even more for being so gracious as to lead me into intimacy with You. Keep me from allowing anything to interfere with that. Help me do whatever it takes to stay focused on You, so that I will always be available to You to say, do, and be exactly what You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 12, 2016

Posted on October 18, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 3:21 And as he was praying, heaven was opened.

We must not get away from the fact that Jesus prayed. Even with His intimacy with the Father and the Spirit He still needed times of consciously directing His attention to them. I never cease to be amazed at people who claim to be Christians and yet hardly ever pray. People complain about how God seems distant, but they too would experience heaven being open if they would just pray, in all sincerity and humility. We tend to make prayer all complicated and difficult, when it is really nothing more than children talking with their Father, just as Jesus did. We are not His only begotten Son, but we are certainly children by adoption, (Romans 8:15) and by the Holy Spirit we can call Him Daddy just as much as Jesus did. Anyone who is a parent knows that parents want honest communication with their children, and God is no exception. Many places in the Bible it exhorts us to pray, such as 2 Chronicles 7:14, and yet we tend to run from prayer, just as a rebellious teenager might run from open communication with their parents. How sad! God wants to bless us immeasurably, but we miss the vast majority of that when we fail to pray.

The closest I’ve gotten to heaven was during a time of prayer and worship with three brothers in the Lord. I felt such intense joy that I literally asked God to back off a touch, because one more drop and I was sure my body would be unable to handle it, and I knew He had more for me to do here. I have had other times of prayer when the communication was as simple and natural as a physical conversation, and times when I was more sure of the existence of God than I was of my own existence. Not every time of prayer is like that, but no time of prayer is without its blessings. That makes it all the more strange to me, and sad, that so few Christians, even, really seek God in prayer. I am not to look down on them or consider myself superior in any way, but I am to exhort them to receive the abundant blessings of God that are stored up for them. It bothers me that some people seem to be put off by my public prayers, saying, “I could never pray like that.” I am to make it clear that it is only by the grace of God that I am what I am, and that He loves them as much as He loves me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Our readings have been on prayer for several months now, and You keep teaching me more. This trip has in several ways been a practicum in prayer, as You’ve allowed us to confront things that were beyond us except for Your help. Thank You. Help us apply the lessons You’ve taught us, both for our own sake and for the sake of the people around us, on this trip and after we return to Omura. May Shinsei no Sato be a praying people indeed, so that we may be fully available to You in every way, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 11, 2016

Posted on October 18, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 2:37 She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

In many places the Bible uses hyperbole, using exaggeration to make a point, and this is one of those. Anna certainly slept sometimes, and she probably even left the temple precincts occasionally, but the picture is certainly clear. I think we do well to read this not as a physical description, but rather as a an expression of “she never left the presence of the Lord.” Courtesy of the Holy Spirit, that’s something we can all aspire to! This would definitely be described as a “cameo” appearance in the Bible, since we have no other mention of her, but what an honor nonetheless! God reveals things to those who live in His presence, and Anna was given the privilege of being one of the first people to announce the Messiah to those who had not yet heard. Sometimes we create grandiose dreams and images in our own minds of how we are going to be “mighty in the Kingdom,” but we would do well to follow Anna’s example. Rather than “carving out our niche,” we need to be focused on the Lord Himself, and getting closer to Him. If we will do that, He will use us in ways we would not have imagined, which will not only be for His glory, but also for our greatest blessing.

This really rings a bell for me, because Cathy and I have spent the past couple of days with someone cut from the “Anna” mold. Like Anna, she is a widow (though not from such a young age) and also like Anna, she spends every moment in the presence of the Lord. As a result, she is greatly used across a wide spectrum, from personal counseling to leadership in an international Christian organization. The other morning when I showed up for breakfast she delivered a Word from the Lord to me, and I was enormously encouraged. How individual believers might follow in Anna’s footsteps will look different in each case, because we are indeed individuals, but the common thread will always be total devotion to our Lord, making fellowship with Him the first goal and highest good. If that is the attitude and focus of our hearts, then we will walk in obedience to Him as open channels of His love and grace to those around us, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word. Help me indeed fit the “Anna mold,” neither grieving nor quenching Your Spirit but resting, relaxing, and rejoicing in You, just as You have told me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 10, 2016

Posted on October 16, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 1:11-13 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.”

Even God’s answers to prayer can be scary! We are by definition limited in our grasp of things, even our own situations, so when God speaks to what is really going on it can blow us out of the water. We tend to define how we want our prayers to be answered, so how God chooses to answer them can really catch us off guard. God’s answer to Zechariah was so out of the ordinary that he flat couldn’t believe it! He had probably given up on praying for a child, but God hadn’t forgotten, and His answer fit into His plan of salvation for mankind in a way that Zechariah would never have imagined on his own. We need to pray with boldness and assurance that God is listening and He cares, and thus pray with gratitude and anticipation, but at the same time not try to dictate terms and conditions, much less time frames, to God. That can be really hard! God understands our human weakness and doesn’t put us down for it, but He is constantly urging us to growth, maturity, and yes, perfection. (Matthew 5:48, etc.)

Yesterday was a blessed day of affirmation in many ways, attending a church I pastored in 1979-80 and being welcomed very warmly by members from that time. However, the big event of the day came at supper. We’ve been staying with a long-term friend who is very close to the Lord in many ways, and as I came to the table she said some very powerful words of affirmation to me from the Lord. I was wiped out, and dissolved in tears, causing Cathy some concern when she showed up moments later. I had not been aware of my need, but the day had included repeated times of telling people how small our church is at this point, and I guess I needed a bit of a pick-up. I honestly don’t remember the details of what was said to me, but it certainly included the idea that God was very pleased with me. I am humbled indeed, and grateful. I am to keep walking each day in fellowship with my Lord, being available to Him to say and do what He desires but never thinking I can do anything good on my own. I am to be His agent, not with delusions of grandure but knowing that He can use even Baalam’s donkey, as He had me pray in the church service yesterday. I am to pray expectantly, while leaving all the details – the Lordship – in His hands.

Father, this has been quite a trip. Thank You that we start back toward Japan today. Yesterday may have been the highlight of the whole thing for me, but You might have something even better waiting! Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You at all times, so that I may be fully available for however You want to use me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 9, 2016

Posted on October 16, 2016 by jgarrott

Mark 12:38-40 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”

Jesus’ conflicts were never with prostitutes or tax collectors or even the thief on the cross next to Him, but rather with the religious professionals of the day. From the days of the Old Testament prophets God had a lot to say to and about the people who were supposedly serving Him full time. There were certainly those who served Him with their whole hearts, and He delighted to use them for His purposes. However, all too often there were those who presumed on their office and made a mockery of it, from the sons of Eli in 1 Samuel on. The same holds true today. These days the “devouring widows’ houses” is done by television, with talk of “seed faith” and the like to dupe people into sending in their money voluntarily. They twist valid Scriptures to their financial advantage. Since the Scriptures are valid, sometimes the people sending money, who might be giving it to God in all honesty, are indeed blessed, and the “evangelist” uses those stories to further line their own pockets. Jesus says very plainly that “such people will be punished most severely.”

As a “religious professional” myself, I really need to pay attention here. My bank balance makes it clear I haven’t used my office for financial advantage, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t perhaps misused my office at some point (though I’m not aware of it). In Narita airport the other day I saw some very large gentlemen with huge ornate crosses around their necks, prominently projected by their ample girths, and this passage came to mind. However, I don’t know their hearts, and God does. I’m not to spend my time judging others, certainly, but I am to be discerning and I am especially to be careful of my own stewardship of God’s calling on my life and the gifting He has given me to fulfill it. Today I will be attending a church I pastored many years ago. I am not to push myself forward, but rather to hold myself available for however the Lord wants to use me, in blessing and perhaps even in admonition. God has His plans, and I am to submit myself to them.

Father, thank You for this trip and all You have done in it. Thank You that it is winding down. A week from today I will be attending the 60th Anniversary Celebration of a church my father founded, and then going on home to Omura. You know the rush it gives me to be able to write that! Help me be fully present, today and each remaining day of the trip, so that I won’t miss any opportunity You give me to be Your agent, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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