August 20, 2016

Posted on August 23, 2016 by jgarrott

Isaiah 26:19 But your dead will live;
their bodies will rise.
You who dwell in the dust,
wake up and shout for joy.
Your dew is like the dew of the morning;
the earth will give birth to her dead.

This is about as clear a declaration of resurrection as you could ask for, and it was given hundreds of years before Jesus demonstrated that death was conquered. My first thought in reading the NIV was that it wasn’t clear whether this was Isaiah speaking or perhaps the Lord speaking directly through Isaiah, but in the Japanese, where the NIV says “their bodies will rise,” it says, “my corpse will rise,” making it very clear that the whole thing is Isaiah’s declaration. However, he could never have made such a declaration without a revelation from the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit speaks this into our hearts we really can be fearless. Natural man is naturally afraid of death, but with this assurance, we can understand that death is no more than a temporary inconvenience. On this note, some people are against cremation because of the promise of resurrection, but that shows how little understanding they have. We are not resurrected as zombies, with the old body; we are given new bodies, and that is no more difficult for God after cremation than it is for people who were martyred by being fed to lions, not to mention the Christians who were vaporized by the atomic bomb in Nagasaki. Paul discussed this in 1 Corinthians 15, and specifies that “the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:53) Bodily resurrection is a very real promise, but we won’t be stuck with the bodies we have now.

Growing up in Japan, cremation has always seemed very natural to me, and having lived in Nagasaki Prefecture for 35 years I’ve certainly thought about vaporized Christians. (The hypo-center of the bomb was right over a Catholic girls school, and very close to a Protestant boys school.) My parents both chose cremation, which was certainly convenient when they died in the US and wanted to be buried in Japan. The whole matter of bodily resurrection seems a little bit of a mystery to me, because my wife and others have had glimpses of heaven, and once there, why would we want to return to the earth? Jesus certainly rose physically, and his resurrected body obviously had abilities, like walking through locked doors, that our bodies don’t currently have. When physics tells us that solid matter is mostly empty space, such an ability would come very naturally if we were in perfect harmony with everything else, and that is certainly something we might expect in the resurrection. Until I experience it personally, I’m not going to be anxious about it. Rather, I am to minister hope to those who fear death, whether that means talking about resurrection or simply eternity with our Lord and Savior.

Father, many people are freaked out by my lack of fear of death. May I indeed “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks [me] to give the reason for the hope that [I] have,” (1 Peter 3:15) so that as many as possible may be brought from death to life, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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August 19, 2016

Posted on August 21, 2016 by jgarrott

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.

There are several very powerful verses in today’s reading, but this very familiar one echoes in my spirit most at the moment. Everyone would like to live in perfect peace, but this verse expresses what is necessary for that: trusting God. Trust is fundamentally a choice, an act of the will. From our temporal human perspective we can’t see what is ahead, however much we would like to, or are afraid we do, actually. Prognosticators abound, especially in election season! We make projections based on past experience and statistics, but there are simply too many factors to calculate it all. The biggest super-computers are used for things like modeling world weather patterns or simulating nuclear reactions, but those things are simplicity itself compared to all the possible factors in a normal human life. It’s not at all bad to plan ahead based on past experience, but we aren’t going to have peace in doing that unless we trust the only One who sees it all and is over it all. The devil is out to steal, kill, and destroy, (John 10:10) and one of the first things he aims for is our peace. Because God wanted children and not robots, or even pets, He created us with free will, the ability to make real, consequential choices. It is when we exercise that will to trust Him that we lay firm hold of the peace that He intends for us.

This couldn’t be any more applicable or pertinent to me! I face an unlimited number of unknowns, and some of them have real potential for anxiety. If I dwell on those things, I am throwing open the door for the devil to come and steal my peace, for starters, and a number of other things as well. As each thing comes up I need to acknowledge that it’s a real possibility and ask the Lord if there’s anything I am to do to prepare, but whether there is or there isn’t, I need to yield control to Him, since I couldn’t do it right in the first place. The Verse for the Year for this church is Proverbs 3:5-6. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” We say that every Sunday morning, but I’ve got to lead the way for all the believers to put it into practice. It is when we do that, that we gain the perfect peace that so many desperately desire.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for getting us through the day yesterday. It had a lot of anxiety-producing factors, but You got us through them all, beautifully. There were moments of real danger, like when I was at risk of falling asleep at the wheel on the expressway, but You protected us. There are risk factors today, and there will continue to be such every day for the rest of our lives. Help us indeed refuse anxiety, and rather choose to trust You fully rather than trying to hang onto the illusion of control, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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August 18, 2016

Posted on August 20, 2016 by jgarrott

Isaiah 25:7-8 On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
he will swallow up death for ever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove the disgrace of his people
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.

It is astounding that this clear prophecy of Christ’s victory over death appears in Isaiah, hundreds of years before Jesus was born. The terminology is very similar to that used by John in Revelation 7:17 and 21:4, and Paul quotes Isaiah in 1 Corinthians 15:54. The thing is, God had planned all this from Creation, as Paul points out repeatedly. God wasn’t going to allow the devil to destroy His children through death. As Hebrews 2:15 points out, the fear of death binds all mankind, but in Christ there is liberation from that. The fulfillment of this prophecy by Isaiah is present reality for those who will receive it by faith.

This is particularly important here in Japan. Even the Japanese sometimes describe Japanese society as a “death culture,” greatly encouraged by the extreme focus on death found in Japanese Buddhism. Japanese Buddhists go through a seemingly endless sequence of memorial ceremonies after someone dies, at 7 and 49 days and then annually. Buddhist temples don’t much care how many people show up for actual religious functions, because they make all their money from funerals and the ceremonies that follow. The Festival of the Dead (August 13-15) isn’t a legal holiday but it is still one of the two biggest holidays of the year (the other being New Years). Death is big business in Japan! A major event in confirming my calling to minister in Japan was listening to the sounds of that festival. The emptiness, the hopelessness of it all was overwhelming, and I knew I had to share the hope that is found in Christ alone. I think that Americans tend to ignore death, to pretend it doesn’t or won’t happen, but it is inevitable for all flesh. If it weren’t for Christ, the Japanese obsession with it would be quite understandable! I am to proclaim the hope of eternal life in Christ faithfully and consistently, letting the Holy Spirit take His words through me and use them to lead people into life. I am not to fear physical death myself, but rather rest, relax, and rejoice in my Lord, who has conquered death.

Father, right now we’re in an awkward situation about the ashes of a church member, whose Buddhist relatives want those ashes to be in a Buddhist mausoleum rather than in the church columbarium. I ask for Your wisdom and Your resolution to that, as the strongest possible witness to those family members. Help me navigate the minefield of Japanese society, not in fear but in close obedience to You, so that I may lead as many as possible out of the traps of the enemy, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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August 17, 2016

Posted on August 20, 2016 by jgarrott

Isaiah 12:2 Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.

I have loved this short chapter for a long time, and every bit of it is underlined in my Bible. The overall theme of these readings is prayer, speaking to God, but this verse is something to say to yourself. We need reminders, sometimes frequently, and it is interestingly true that we can give those reminders to ourselves. This is what is called a faith declaration, that is, speaking out the things we believe. As Paul pointed out, faith comes by hearing, (Romans 10:17) and as odd as it might sound, that can be true even when we are the one speaking what we are hearing. Taken too far, this can lead to all sorts of absurdity, with people unable to talk rationally about their circumstances because they think that would be confessing unbelief. True faith acknowledges circumstances, but then says that God is far greater than those circumstances, and He is perfectly capable of transforming them. A perfect example of that is found in Daniel. When Daniel’s three friends, whom we know by their Persian names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were confronted with the options of either idolatry or being throne alive into a blazing furnace, their response was classic. “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18) They were declaring their faith both to the king and to themselves. We do well to declare our faith to those around us and to ourselves as well.

I first heard teaching on faith declarations almost 40 years ago, and after prayer, came up with a set that I still use at least weekly. I based each one on specific Scriptures, because declaring our imaginations becomes “name it and claim it,” and that is a trap indeed. I preface each declaration with, “By the grace of God,” because I am at times painfully aware that I can accomplish nothing good by myself. (John 15:5) I try to be specific, without dictating to God how He is going to do what He has said. I have found this to be very effective in strengthening my faith and keeping me on the right track. That said, I haven’t communicated this very effective tool to the believers here, at least not recently and certainly not very well. I am not to hide the good things God has given me, but rather share them so that others may enjoy God’s grace with me.

Father, I had wondered what I was to speak on this Sunday, and You have made it abundantly clear. Thank You. I was surprised yesterday to realize how ignorant some of the believers are of the great stories in the Bible, and just recently I had been telling someone that the story of the fiery furnace was a favorite, and now this. I ask for clear guidance as I lay out the notes, so that it will be Your message indeed, to work Your will in the hearts and lives of my hearers, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

FaithDecs

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August 16, 2016

Posted on August 18, 2016 by jgarrott

Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

The main dictionary definition of “pray” is “ask or request.” However, I prefer to think of it in terms of “speak to God.” This certainly fits into that category. Isaiah’s only request here is that God use him. That’s a prayer God is generally delighted to answer! When Isaiah had a vision of God, his response was entirely appropriate, in full humility and repentance, but he believed it when he was told that his sins were atoned for, (verse 7) and therefore believed that God could use him if He so chose. What a magnificent example! So often we fail to be fully available to God either because of unrepented sin, or because we can’t believe we really have been cleansed. Those two might seem to be opposites, but they have the same effect of keeping us out of the lineup. We need to be humble, certainly, but we also need to believe that God’s forgiveness really eliminates our sin and His power is greater than our weakness. Actually, He told Paul that His power is made perfect in our weakness! (2 Corinthians 12:9) So like Paul, we need to rejoice when we are reminded of our weakness, because that means another opportunity for God to demonstrate His power! It is something of a mystery why God chooses to work through obviously fallible human beings, but He does, and being used by Him is one of the highest privileges in the universe. When we realize that, we will do everything we can to keep ourselves as available as possible to Him for that purpose.

Isaiah is probably my favorite character in the Old Testament, even though tradition tells us that he was martyred by being sawed apart. Even such a physical fate can’t dim the glory of being so intimately connected to God as His spokesman. To date I haven’t been given messages of doom and gloom such as the last few verses of this chapter, but I can’t say that God’s Word through me has always been welcomed. No one involved in evangelism in Japan can say that! However, just as Isaiah didn’t give up, I must not do so either. Another factor of Isaiah is that his life, his family, were part of his message. I feel that our having been in Omura for 35 years now, through thick and (mostly) thin, has been a major part of our testimony to the people around us. Our lives are a demonstration of God’s love, and that is a high honor to me. I continue to pray for an abundant harvest from all the seed we’ve planted, but that’s God’s business. My business is to be faithful, just as Isaiah was.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I need this sort of thing from time to time! Thank You for the people we could touch during the photo show, and that the show is over. I pray that the things You said through us would continue to work in the hearts and minds of those to whom we spoke, drawing them to repentance and faith. May all that we do each day be exactly what You desire and intend, so that Your purposes may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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August 15, 2016

Posted on August 18, 2016 by jgarrott

Isaiah 1:19-20 “If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;
but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Verse 18 of this chapter is dearly loved, but people like to ignore the rest of the chapter. We like to think about God talking with us and erasing our sins, but we don’t like to think about those sins themselves, much less the consequences of failing to repent. One clear memory of my seminary studies was my final assignment in Preaching class. To give the school credit, it was graded by a doctoral student rather than by the professor, but I got a poor grade because I wrote the message on this chapter and titled it, “There’s Blood on Your Hands.” That doctoral student didn’t like my using Biblical terms to address Biblical issues! Isaiah was very far from politically correct, and he shared that characteristic with just about every true prophet of God in the Bible. We don’t hear much preaching like that today! Far too many preachers are like the false prophets mentioned many places who spoke what their audience wanted to hear, instead of what the Lord was saying. We aren’t to offend needlessly, and we are always to speak the truth in love, (Ephesians 4:15) but we must not draw back from what the Lord is saying in an effort to protect our popularity.

This is of course of vital importance to me. I have never been a fan of “hellfire and brimstone” preaching, because much of it that I have heard has seemed on the ignorant side. (That may be what that doctoral student thought of me!) I went to college in East Tennessee, and heard some street preachers there who reinforced every bad stereotype of ignorant Southern religion. However, I judged them for their delivery, not really for their words and certainly not for their hearts. Thinking back, at that point in my life I’m sure they were far closer to the Lord than I was! Today I tend to be disgusted by slick preachers who never step on toes, but even they can be used by God in spite of themselves. Thinking about it, even I can be used by God in spite of myself! I am not to be focused on how others might or might not be true to their commission, but rather on my Lord and how I may be true to Him. I am not to preach at people, but neither am I to fear their responses to whatever the Lord would have me say. I must be careful that I not focus on the sawdust instead of the log, (Matthew 7:3-5) but neither am I to fail to call people to repentance as the Lord directs.

Father, this is a difficult thing. Thank You for Jesus’ example of not failing to speak Your truth even when it made people leave in droves. (John 6:60-66) May I be fully obedient to You and get my affirmation from You, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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August 14, 2016

Posted on August 17, 2016 by jgarrott

Proverbs 30:7-8 Two things I ask of you, O Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.

I would personally say that this writer was a very wise, perceptive man – but that may be because I have a similar philosophy! There are many pitfalls in life on this planet, but these two points go a long way in helping you avoid them. In the first place, since the devil is a liar and the father of lies, (John 8:44) sticking with the truth at all times in every situation is one of the best defenses against him. That isn’t easy to do in the world today, because we are surrounded by lies of all sorts, and political correctness demands that we lie in turn. Not to be sidetracked, but political correctness is certainly an all-too-effective work of the devil! Once we start accepting the “white lie,” it is all too easy to progress to the point that we lose our grip on the truth completely, feeling that there are no absolutes in life. That is a major cause of the breakdown of society and the increase in mental illness, particularly depression. God’s truth is the antidote! The second request expressed here is also vital in today’s society. We are bombarded with advertising that has the specific purpose of generating felt need where there was none. That too is a lie of the devil, but it is a very particular one. The Bible says countless times, in the 23rd Psalm and many, many other places, that when our focus is on God, He is our supply and we have absolutely nothing to be anxious about. As Paul said, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6) The current epidemic of obesity is one symptom of the issue, because we tend to keep eating even though we’ve really had enough. God will give wisdom to avoid the traps of the devil, but we have to be receptive to His supply, to act in the wisdom He gives us.

Following my father, I’ve long held to the principle of absolute honesty in all things, and I’ve found it really simplifies life and makes it more enjoyable. I don’t have to backtrack to cover for things I’ve said! At the same time, I need to be careful not to be needlessly offensive. I don’t always have to say everything I know to be true! I do say things that are incorrect at times, but only out of ignorance – with which I’m quite sufficiently supplied! On the other point of contentment vs. avarice, I’ve come a long way over the years. I’ve never been one to have big material goals, such as a specific car or yacht or the like, and in observing others, I find that such things rarely if ever bring the anticipated joy and satisfaction once achieved. I need to remember that my treasure is in heaven, (Matthew 19:21) and be grateful for whatever the Lord supplies in the mean time.

Father, thank You for this reminder. You have certainly met our needs very graciously. Help us trust You with every challenge, knowing that where You guide, You provide. May our lives accurately represent Christ and so draw people to Him, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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August 13, 2016

Posted on August 17, 2016 by jgarrott

Proverbs 28:9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law,
even his prayers are detestable.

We are back to the fact that God sees and pays attention to our hearts, rather than to whatever facade we put up to show the world. The NIV says “the law” here, implying God’s law, which is true enough, but the Japanese is far broader, translating that phrase simply to “teaching.” In other words, if you don’t have a teachable heart, it’s not much use praying. It’s amazing how often we pray with our minds made up, demanding that God do things our way. That is counterproductive, to the point of being detestable. One of the great struggles of faith is the whole matter of leaving control in God’s hands and being at peace with that. That’s not at all to say we aren’t to express to God how we would like things to be; Jesus explicitly told us to ask, seek, and knock. (Matthew 7:7) However, we must do so with teachable hearts, letting God show us how He is going to fulfill our needs, and even our wants, far better than we could have imagined. The devil and our flesh constantly tempt us to try to be God, or at least a god. That’s what got Lucifer thrown out of heaven, (Isaiah 14:12-15) and it got Adam and Even thrown out of Eden. (Genesis 3:4-5) We need to make full use of all the abilities and opportunities we are given, but always remember that God is God, and let Him teach us all that He wants us to know.

As a school teacher as well as a pastor, I certainly know the difference between a teachable heart and an unteachable one. I sometimes get students whose minds are like steel traps – rusted shut! They never really hear what I try to impart to them, much less seek to take it in to make use of it. I don’t want to be that way toward God! Just as the way to stay young mentally is to keep learning, the way to stay like a little child (Matthew 18:3) spiritually is to keep learning from God. It’s interesting that the longer I walk with the Lord, the more I know that I don’t know. Even as I have assurance of some bedrock truths, I realize that the scope of what I don’t know is literally infinite, so I seek to stay open for the Lord to teach me all that He wants me to know. I am to share what the Lord has taught me, but with humility and grace, learning even as I teach, so that I and those to whom I minister may together grow as God intends, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for what You are going to teach me today. Help me be open to all of it, to You, 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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August 12, 2016

Posted on August 14, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 145:1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.

Prayer and praise have an important point in common: they are both addressed to God. It might seem counter-intuitive, but we are all too capable of leaving God out completely in both of those activities. Jesus spoke of a Pharisee who “prayed to himself,” (Luke 18:11) We might dispute translation on that verse, but He also talked about people who pray to be heard by people more than by God. (Matthew 6:5) In one sense God hears everything we say, but what He listens to is our hearts, and sometimes our hearts are far from Him even while we are going through all the right motions. (Isaiah 29:13) In terms of praise and worship, that would seem to be addressed to God by definition just as much as prayer, but I have been to church services where there was zero focus on God. All the songs, all the activities, were focused on humanity rather than our Creator – and some of those churches were in “Bible-believing” denominations! Such churches are no more than clubs, existing for the members and serving only to make the members feel good. God has nothing to do with such churches, and especially in recent years they have done a great deal to bring shame on the name of Jesus Christ. David had his spiritual head on straight, and his prayers, his praise and worship, were focused clearly on Yahweh. He invited others to join him and he wasn’t embarrassed to be seen and heard, but other people weren’t his focus. For all his failures, that focus on God made him a man after God’s own heart indeed, (Acts 13:22) and we would certainly do well to follow his example.

Growing up in church as I did I have certainly seen and heard a wide variety of churches and Christians. Personal style can vary a great deal and still be pleasing to God. I must not insist that only my style is acceptable! I am to be open to being enriched by others and their styles, but I must always keep my focus on God and not on the style. If I am critical in my heart of others and yet fail to keep my own focus on God, I am a self-righteous hypocrite. I am to love God first and foremost, with all that I have and am, but I must not forget to love my neighbor as well. If I am properly focused on God then I will be all the more aware of the people He created and loves, and love them as I love myself.

Father, this is a strong Word. Show me when and how and with whom to share it. Help me keep this church properly focused on You. I see people all the time who have trouble maintaining their focus. Help me be gracious and gentle, yet unyielding toward them, not giving in to their being self-centered or man-centered but consistently pointing them to You, so that they may escape the traps of the devil and walk in the glorious liberty of Your Spirit, (2 Corinthians 3:17) for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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August 11, 2016

Posted on August 14, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 142:3 When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way.

The attribution for this Psalm says that David wrote it “when he was in the cave.” That places it in the period when he was running for his life from Saul. Not too many of us have our faith tried like that! However, all of us have times when we are simply worn out, when, as David says here, our spirits grow faint. In times like that we need to remember, as David did, that God knows the way for us; all we have to do is follow Him. Emotional exhaustion will blind us to what is really going on around us, so we’ve got to keep our primary connection in place, seeking God first regardless of our circumstances. It’s amazing how easily we forget that and try to depend on other things: on people, finances, even our own abilities. All of those have their limits and are ultimately unreliable. God alone really knows our way and can get us through it.

I consider it a blessing that I am increasingly aware of my own inability, while having a growing assurance of God’s omnipotence and grace. As a pastor I am frequently asked for guidance and counsel. If I rely on my own intellect and experience there’s a possibility I’ll get it right, but a very large possibility I’ll get it wrong. It is God who knows our way! I’ve got to keep that in focus as I talk with people and pray for them. It is interesting that often the words I use in praying for them turn out to be God’s words to them, giving them assurance of His love and pointing out the next step, even if they can’t see more than the one step ahead. I’m not to be proud or presumptive about that, either, but remember that apart from Christ I can do nothing. (John 15:5) I don’t know my own way that well, but I do know the final destination, and I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in that assurance.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me stay humble before You, like a weaned child with his mother, as You pointed out just recently. (Psalm 131:2) Help me reject every temptation to anxiety, but rather trust that You indeed know my way, and will guide me in it. Thank You. Praise God!

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