October 21, 2016

Posted on October 24, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 18:17 “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

The Japanese translates this, “cannot enter,” but this time it’s the NIV, backed up by various other English translations, that really makes me think. We do well to consider how a child receives things, in contrast to how an adult might do so. If you offer a child something that seems attractive to them, they accept it, generally with delight. An adult, on the other hand, might calculate what strings might be attached, or even whether they are worthy to receive such a thing. The reason we have to accept the kingdom of God like a child is that it is literally going to cost us the world, since we have to let go of the material to take hold of the spiritual, and we could never be worthy of receiving it in our own right. A little child doesn’t think these things. If they trust the one offering the gift and it seems attractive to them, they take it, period. In this fallen world that can be dangerous for children, since all too many people are not trustworthy and the devil is adept at making evil glitter. That’s why Jesus had such severe words for those who “cause little ones to stumble.” (Luke 17:2) We need to exercise clear discernment when it comes to things in this world, but rejoice to receive the things of God like wide-eyed children.

Perhaps the reason this verse speaks to me so strongly is that I know people who decline to receive salvation precisely because they are too “adult.” Tragically, I have lost some close friends who fit into that category. We have someone who has attended this church for over 10 years and won’t accept Jesus as Savior and Lord precisely because they don’t want to give up a particular pleasure, and at the same time they don’t feel worthy because of that very pleasure. I have never confronted them about that activity, but they have been exposed to Christianity for over 50 years now, and that seems to be their position. They continue to come to church because we welcome them, and they are lonely. I need to keep praying that they would have the courage to act as a little child and receive what their Father is offering them, in all simplicity.

Father, You never said that getting the Gospel across to people would be easy. Help me never give up, but keep speaking Your truth in love so that as many as will may enter in, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 20, 2016

Posted on October 23, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Sometimes Jesus’ disciples asked Him to explain the meaning of His parables and sometimes He volunteered the meaning, but here Luke gives the point even before he records the parable. That could well be because of the extreme importance of the lesson! Where the NIV says, “give up,” the Japanese says “lose hope.” We give up on various things for a variety of reasons, most of them trivial, but losing hope is more tragic. As I am frequently reminded, God’s time frame is different from ours. Peter put it in terms of a thousand years and a day, (2 Peter 3:8) but actually it is even greater than that, because God is outside of the flow of time entirely, acting within time as He wills. Sometimes the answer to prayer is in eternity! It takes a lot of faith to accept that, but such faith is far more likely to see miraculous answers to prayer than a more shallow faith would be. As it says in Psalm 42, (just to mention one example) we are to put our hope in God, not in any merely human agency. Our hope is not ultimately in any specific chain of events, but rather in God’s perfect will being done, in our lives and in this world as a whole. That’s what we are to keep praying for, without ever giving up.

This is something I’ve known in my head for a long time, but sometimes my heart and emotions have trouble keeping up! Like everyone else, I want answers NOW. Just as acceptance of delayed gratification is a major yardstick of maturity psychologically speaking, the same may be said of spiritual maturity. I don’t want to lose childlike wonder at the goodness of my Father, but at the same time I desire the spiritual maturity to accept His timetable without fuss. He has told me personally that there are many things in the world today that are not pleasing to Him, but that means I’ve got to accept His timetable for fixing them all, and trust that He can and will do it. That is utterly beyond my imagination, because it is humanly impossible, so again as He has told me personally, I’ve got to rest, relax, and rejoice, trusting Him implicitly and explicitly. That is praying without losing hope.

Father, thank You for this important reminder. Thank You for the times this computer has crashed in the process of my writing this. That may have been intended by the devil to block me from receiving it, but You used it to repeat Yourself to me to cement the message. Help me apply everything You say to me, not deceiving myself but serving as a demonstration of Your truth and grace, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 19, 2016

Posted on October 23, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 11:13 “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Luke 11 invites many comparisons with the similar content in Matthew 6 and 7. I think it is futile to argue over whether Jesus said similar things more than once (which is highly probable) or whether either Matthew or Luke simply used an edited collection of teachings (which is quite possible). In either case, the similarities and differences give us things to think about. In this particular verse, the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement has seized on the promise of the Holy Spirit. There are a lot of factors here. One is that Luke, as a companion of Paul, heard about Jesus only well after the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Church. He mentions the Holy Spirit a great deal in Acts, from the events at Pentecost all the way through to the end of the book, and was obviously aware that the Holy Spirit was the soul and the engine of the Church. The other factor that strikes me right now is that the implication from the way this is written that the Holy Spirit is the very best thing God could give anyone. I think that was Luke’s own experience, and he didn’t hesitate to report Jesus putting it this way. Children ask their parents for a lot of things. Sometimes the requests are granted, sometimes they are denied, but sometimes the parent gives the child something better than what they asked for. I think God does that with us a lot. The only problem with that is that, because it isn’t what we asked for, we sometimes don’t recognize how good it is. The Holy Spirit is God Himself. He gave Himself to us in the Person of His Son to redeem us from our sins, and He gives Himself to us in the Person of His Spirit to empower us and to remake us in the likeness of His Son. (Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18) If we really understand that, we will ask for, and welcome, the Holy Spirit at every turn.

This is an understanding I have been growing in over the years. I don’t think I’ve ever expressed it quite the way I just did, and I am deeply grateful for the revelation. This actually could be big in my ministry from this point. Just as many people don’t understand their need for Jesus as their Savior, so many Christians don’t understand their need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) As was pointed out to me in 1974, we receive everything from God by faith. I need to encourage people to trust God to give them the very best, and by definition, that is indeed Himself, in the Person of His Son and His Spirit.

Father, thank You indeed for this Word. I feel like it’s huge! Help me communicate it effectively so that as many as possible may receive it, for their salvation and eternal blessing and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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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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