July 8, 2016

Posted on July 10, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 77:11-12 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.

The Psalmist’s inspiration here is a good idea regardless of your situation, whether good or bad. Despair cannot coexist with a right appreciation of God, and joy is multiplied and purified when we are looking at Him. In our humanity we are entirely prone to focus only on what our senses and our intellect tell us, but that is a mistake any way you look at it. We are finite, weak and foolish, but God is infinite, omnipotent, and omniscient. On top of that, He is love! The Bible tells us these things, but often we have trouble believing them. Rather than focusing on what might seem like abstract teaching and commands, it is often helpful to focus on specific things God has done, and that’s what the Psalmist is talking about here. The ultimate thing that God has done, which the Psalmist didn’t even know about when he wrote, is sending His Son to die for our sins and be resurrected as a demonstration of the victory His cross gives us over death, both physical and spiritual. That honestly doesn’t seem as magnificent as it really is unless we recognize our own sinfulness and need of salvation. It is when we realize that we were headed full tilt for hell, by our own choices and actions, that we understand and rejoice in the magnificence of God’s grace. It is no accident that Amazing Grace was written by a former slave trader. It is certainly not a good idea to run around sinning to try to get a better handle on grace. Paul ran into that distortion himself, and dealt with it in Romans 6:1-4. We need to realize that even if we have never done anything that society would condemn, any rebellion against God, any violation of His holy laws, is sufficient cause for our damnation. We don’t like to admit that, but acknowledging it is the key to understanding and receiving the fullness of God’s grace.

I am one who wallowed in the idiocy of spiritual and intellectual conceit. Somehow I thought I deserved all the blessings that had been poured out on me, that I deserved to go to heaven. How blind and foolish, and yet how typical. People don’t want to admit that hell is real because they certainly don’t want to admit that they deserve to go there. I seek to lead people to repentance and faith, but so often they stubbornly refuse to admit that they need to repent, and there can be no salvation without repentance. I deal with depression and assorted other psychological problems in many people, and there too the ultimate answer is a right appreciation of what God has done in Christ Jesus. I cannot rely on my own wisdom and persuasiveness to get this across to people, because I have demonstrated very thoroughly that doesn’t work. I’ve got to seek the help of the Holy Spirit and rely on Him, because He is the One who convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment. (John 16:7-11)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how this fits in with the message You have already been giving me for this Sunday. Help me remember all that You have done for, in, and through me in the past so that I will have joyful expectation of what You will do this time. Help me likewise expect great things of You for today, as we have a concert scheduled but a typhoon coming through. I pray that in every detail Your perfect will may be accomplished, so that the Body of Christ may be built up in every way, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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July 7, 2016

Posted on July 10, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 76:12 He breaks the spirit of rulers;
he is feared by the kings of the earth.

The Japanese renders this as, “The Lord brings the life of rulers to an end.” The thing is, no amount of wealth or political power can enable you to escape death. Those who arrange the death of their enemies are desperately trying to ignore the reality that they also are mortal. I think a lot of people today don’t fear God, but they still fear death. They don’t realize, or they don’t accept, that God is the final arbiter of life and death, both in the temporal realm and eternally. That is why both murder and suicide are so wrong: they claim for a person what is God’s to decide. This whole issue is why the cross and resurrection of Jesus are both so huge. Without the cross, our sins would not be dealt with, and we would have no hope of eternal fellowship with God. Without the resurrection, we would be unable to believe in the eternal life that was provided through the cross. The thing is, those who won’t accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ don’t have the hope of eternal life, and that’s what makes death so fearsome.

Just yesterday I was talking with someone who is a very active, alert 91-year-old. She knows about Jesus and says she loves Him, but she has not committed to His Lordship, and she fears death. As healthy as she is at this point she can reasonably expect to live a few more years, but she has no hope beyond that, and she acknowledges that. I have the challenge and privilege of sharing the Gospel with her so that the truth may set her free from the many decades of lies that have kept her from salvation. I do not have the wisdom or ability for that task in myself, but God can accomplish it through me, and I need to rest in that awareness. Japan as a whole is in a number of ways a society of death. Suicide is famously accepted, and Japanese Buddhism revolves almost entirely around death, teaching people they must pray to their ancestors and guard the “ancestral tablets” in their home altars. As a Japanese has pointed out to me, since, if your home altar is getting too full of such tablets a priest will come and ceremonially dispose of them for you, what difference does it make to have the tablets in the first place? My 91-year-old friend said yesterday that her current task in life is to guard those ancestral tablets, but that no one will do it after she’s gone. That is absolutely pathetic! I need to share the reality of life in Christ with her by the power of the Holy Spirit so that she may let go of the lies in which she has trusted and receive the glorious truth of God’s grace and love.

Father, there is so much going on around me that I am emotionally exhausted. Help me indeed wait in hope on You, so that Your strength may replace mine that is no strength at all. (Isaiah 40:31) As You have told me so many times, may I indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, allowing You to carry me along by Your Spirit, so that all of Your purposes for me may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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July 6, 2016

Posted on July 7, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 75:6-7 No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt a man.
But it is God who judges:
He brings one down, he exalts another.

This is something we see and yet have a hard time accepting, and at the same time it is something of a mystery. People who are manifestly evil, such as Hitler, rise up and do a great deal of damage before they are brought down. “Back room politics” have gotten quite a few people elected to high office. At the same time, God is still sovereign; nothing can happen without His permission. He created mankind with free will, and most of the time He allows that to play out. The current political situation in America is an excellent case in point. We tend to focus on who seems to be at the top of the heap, but God sees everything that is going on. We draw back from saying that things are “judgments of God,” but the Bible isn’t so politically correct as to hesitate to say that. When unsavory people seem to rise, we need to examine the conditions that allowed that to happen. In America today, the level of ignorance is at times astounding, and the level of morality is too often abysmal. Under such circumstances, what rises isn’t cream, it’s scum; our leaders are a reflection of ourselves. As Franklin Graham and others are pointing out, what America needs is repentance. Daniel is an excellent example in this area, because even though he was personally righteous, he repented of the sins of his nation, his people, and didn’t claim those sins had nothing to do with him. Christians in America have been blind and passive for too long, allowing themselves to be polluted by the rising tide of filth instead of seeking God and His righteousness. As some are pointing out today, if the pulpits were pure, the people would be challenged to righteousness and the nation would be healthy, instead of diseased almost beyond recognition.

The situation in America has been very much in my awareness over the past few years. If I didn’t have children and grandchildren there I perhaps wouldn’t feel it so sharply. However, I must not let other people’s sins blind me to my own; the moral climate around the world is such that no Christian should let their guard down. This is hardly a new problem, and the whole Bible has a lot to say about it. I find the issue raised almost every time I read the Bible! I am to walk in personal purity and faithfulness, never thinking I am above it all, because such conceit lays me wide open to the devil. I am to speak the truth in love at all times, speaking into lives and situations as the Lord gives opportunity, and making full use of those opportunities. (Colossians 4:5)

Father, I get so tied in knots over things at times. You have told me to rest, relax, and rejoice, yet I deviate from that all too often. Help me remember always that You are God, Jesus is Lord, and the Holy Spirit in me is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) May I be an open, available channel of Your grace for however and to whomever You choose to use me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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July 5, 2016

Posted on July 7, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 74:12 But you, O God, are my king from of old;
you bring salvation upon the earth.

It is clear that the Psalms are not arranged in chronological sequence, because this one was obviously late, after the destruction of the temple. In that context it seems a little odd to me that the Levite who wrote this started off with “Why?” Israel and Judah had been flagrantly unfaithful to God, and God had been clear from the days of Moses what would happen if they did that. That said, the writer did turn to God, and that’s the best course in any situation. We don’t see the repentance here that was probably called for, but neither do we see rejection of God, spitting in His face because things happen to be rough. Sadly, that reaction is all too common! Humility before God is always a good idea, and indeed is essential. The Psalmist does make this personal, saying “my King.” Perhaps his personal devotion to God had blinded him to the rampant idolatry in the land. I think that is an issue in America today. Those who personally love God are unaware of how low the nation as a whole has sunk, morally and ethically. It is past time for the people of God to wake up, stand up, and speak up. One of the saddest things about the current political situation is that so many people who claim the name of Christian are actively supporting either a pathological liar who worships power or an immoral egotist who worships himself. Sad days indeed. Those who do know God and love Him need to be active participants in society, being salt and light and so bringing preservation and truth. (Matthew 5:13-16) There must be humility, but there must also be active faithfulness.

I was never particularly political until about nine years ago, when political options became really obvious. Things seem to have escalated rapidly since then, but the foundation for the decay was laid many years ago. Living in Japan, I don’t have many options for participation, but I am certainly to be active in prayer. In terms of speaking up, I am to proclaim God’s truth and righteousness rather than be on any particular political soap box, but I am not to shy away from stating God’s truth even if it might trigger rejection, even from people I care about. I wish I could say that all of my relatives, even, were active in their pursuit of God, but that’s not the case. I am to pray, and recognize the opportunities God provides for me to speak His truth in love, so that the Holy Spirit may take my words and use them to open eyes that are tight shut.

Father, looking back I can see how easily I was influenced by the filth in the world, so I have no place of moral superiority to talk down to anyone. Help me rather speak as a recipient of Your grace, not failing to speak truth because of my own need to apply that truth more consistently. May Your Name indeed be acknowledged as holy and Your kingdom come as Your children choose to do Your will in their daily lives, even as all do in heaven. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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July 4, 2016

Posted on July 5, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 73:28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

It is good to realize that David didn’t write all the Psalms; there were other gifted poets who loved God. This says it is “of Asaph,” but given Hebrew conventions, it could have been written by one of his descendants. In any case, it was written by a Levite, someone whose life revolved around the temple. Today that would be someone who was on the church staff, but not necessarily the senior pastor. Looking at it that way, it’s easy to understand why he would resent the apparent prosperity of wicked people, particularly when his life was far from trouble-free. He had the good sense to realize that grousing about it would be damaging to those who were in his spiritual care, (verse 15) and that when he was consumed by resentment he was no better than an animal. (verses 21-22) Verses 25-26 have been set to music very nicely, and are well loved. All of that leads to the conclusion expressed in this last verse: he is blessed to be near God, he has set his heart to depend on God, and he is going to tell others how good God is. Whatever our circumstances, we too can be near God by faith, if we will choose to turn to Him in all that happens in our lives. When we live like that, we will have plenty to tell others about God, because we will see Him at work in every area of our lives.

This is certainly my testimony! By God’s grace I have indeed been “close to God” all my life, even when I was ignoring Him, but it was when I acknowledged my absolute dependence on Him that I started growing in every area that matters. Resentment is still a trap to me at times, but it is easier every day to rest in the reality that what is waiting for me is infinitely better than what awaits anyone who is rejecting God. My biggest heartache at this point is all the people who refuse to open their eyes to the truth, repent, and believe for their salvation. I was talking with someone just yesterday about how, having a great-grandchild on the way, I realize that material wealth doesn’t matter at all; what matters is people. Jesus didn’t come and die for wealth, or for the environment, or for political power, or any of that sort of thing, He came for people. I am to be focused on the people Jesus came for, sharing the good news of His grace and love so that they may open their hearts to Him. Frankly, that doesn’t come naturally to me, because I am at heart a rather solitary geek, so I need to let it come supernaturally, particularly since I couldn’t save anyone in my own strength anyway. It is nothing short of amazing that God does use me to draw people to Him, and I am deeply grateful.

Father, thank You for this expression of Your grace that I can relate to so closely. Help me live out all You have spoken to me and done in me, so that I may fulfill all of Your purposes for me, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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July 3, 2016

Posted on July 5, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 71:23 My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to you—
I, whom you have redeemed.

There is nothing more joyful than singing genuine praise to God. The Bible is filled with examples, but so few people seem to take it to heart and experience it for themselves. Today’s message is on “Singing to God,” but words alone will not communicate the glorious reality that is praise and worship to God; it has to be experienced. In so many churches today “worship” is a spectator sport, and that isn’t worship at all. Too many preachers consider the “worship team” to be an opener for their act, and when that’s the case, that’s all it is. Ministering in Japan as I do, I have been to many conferences that had foreign speakers with interpretation. I have seen some such speakers worship even when they didn’t understand the words, but too many times I have seen them slip into the auditorium only just before they were to speak, or if they were earlier, spend the time with their notes rather than in worship. The most carefully crafted lecture will not have a fraction of the impact of words spoken by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of someone who worships in spirit and in truth. Worship isn’t really for God’s benefit, though it pleases Him. Rather, worship is to get our hearts in line with Him, allowing us free access to Him by the Holy Spirit. That is a privilege beyond the power of human language to express.

Growing up in a family that loved God I had many opportunities to worship, but I also experienced the reality of the saying that familiarity breeds contempt. Church was in Japanese, and since many of the hymns were translated into archaic Japanese (just as a number of English hymns use language that is archaic today) I often “tuned out,” singing the notes but not actually worshiping at all. When we sang as a family at home it was in English, and there were some times of real worship there. However, I experienced the full joy of singing praise and worship only after I was baptized in the Holy Spirit as an adult. Interestingly, I was back in Japan at that time, and I indeed learned to worship in both languages. Now, the majority of my worship is in Japanese, but with full understanding and participation. Today I have an opportunity to help people understand what they see me doing week after week, but my words alone certainly won’t accomplish that. I’ve got to be fully submitted to the Holy Spirit so that He can get through to people through me.

Father, I know that You actively seek those who will worship You in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24) May I be such a worshiper, and may I be fully useful to You in leading others to worship You fully as well, for their eternal blessing and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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July 2, 2016

Posted on July 3, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 71:14 But as for me, I shall always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.

This Psalm has no attribution, but whoever wrote it shared David’s faith. From verse 8 and verse 18 it might be called “The Psalm of the Senior Citizen!” In any case, it depicts someone facing real opposition from people, as well as perhaps physical problems (maybe age related). This verse clearly states the writer’s attitude and the result of that attitude. Every human being desires hope, and it is actually essential to us. It has been shown time and time again that hope or the lack of it is one of the biggest factors influencing medical outcomes, among other things. This has of course been true since the dawn of humanity, and will be true to the end of the universe. That’s why genuine hope is so attractive. Peter pointed out that it is a powerful “bait” for evangelism. (1 Peter 3:15) Actually, “bait” seems to imply some sort of trap, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ is no trap at all! As this writer experienced, when we have a solid hope, gratitude and praise will be the order of the day. When we express praise to God our faith, and consequently our hope, are strengthened, which should in turn lead to more praise. The devil hates praise to God, not only because he desires it for himself and is insanely jealous, but also because he wants to steal our hope, and he knows that he can’t do that to anyone who is focused on praising God.

This is something I have certainly experienced! When I focus on problems rather than on God, those problems loom larger and larger to me and my hope fades. When I focus on God in grateful praise and worship, the problems fade to relative insignificance. It’s not that the problems disappear, it’s that I am able to see that even a worst-case scenario is strictly temporary, and God is going to triumph in the end. Those temporary problems can indeed be severe, but when my focus is on God, I can take them in stride. People marvel when they see that attitude in Christians, and generally they desire to be that way themselves. That’s what Peter was talking about. We are indeed to be prepared to tell people why we have hope, and actually, what our hope is all about. We don’t hope for a problem-free life on this earth. Jesus said otherwise, (John 16:33) and experience certainly validates that. However, when we know and trust the love of God we always have hope, and so can rejoice, just as Jesus said.

Father, it’s easier to practice this when I’m the one in trouble, but right now numbers of people whom I care about deeply are suffering in various ways. Help me communicate Your hope to them, so that together we may praise You and experience Your very best for us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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July 1, 2016

Posted on July 2, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 70:5 Yet I am poor and needy;
come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay.

I would call this Psalm a short, honest prayer. It is essentially the same as the last part of Psalm 40, and quite possibly was either written first and then incorporated in the longer Psalm, or extracted from the longer Psalm to be used independently. Regardless, it is clear evidence that, like us, David sometimes got into a panic over God’s timing. Timing is a big issue for us because we are material (or at least our bodies are) and so are in the flow of time. Physics tells us that time cannot exist without matter, which has a huge impact on the question of Creation vs. anything else. Our human, finite minds really can’t conceive of a state without time or matter, whatever we might say, so those who refuse to acknowledge God try to claim that the universe has always existed. However, there is a mounting volume of evidence that indicates a point of origin, commonly called the Big Bang. The irony of an atheist talking about the moment of Creation is extreme! All of that aside, it is clear that God is outside of time, as He is not made up of atoms, so it goes without saying that “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8) It is absolutely astounding that an uneducated fisherman like Peter would have such insight, which proves that he understood this issue by Divine revelation. People in his day struggled with this issue like David did, and we still do so today. God is never late, but He is seldom early. From our perspective we accuse Him often of being late, but there is always a purpose to His timing, just as Peter discussed. The point for us is to trust Him, specifically on this issue of timing, without being passive. We are always to be active in pressing in closer to Him, to hear Him more clearly and obey Him more accurately, but that must include leaving control in His hands, and that includes timing.

Timing is a very personal issue for me, since I hate to be late for anything, so this whole matter of trusting God’s timing has been a struggle, and I’m not over it yet. I find that when I am when I am up­tight about when one particular thing is going to happen, I generally am letting other things that I should be doing slide, sometimes to very bad effect. There are various things in the works right now that I would dearly love to see resolved, but I have to trust God with His timing. That’s especially difficult when my activity is directly involved. At the same time I want God to hurry up and act, I procrastinate! There are all sorts of distractions, but none of them are any sort of legitimate excuse. I need to be humbly, actively obedient, not worried about my comfort zone but seeking first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. If I do that, I will always be operating on God’s schedule, for the blessing of many and for His glory.

Father, You know the things that face me far better than I do. Help me deal with each thing as You want me to, neither being anxious nor making excuses. Help me indeed do what You desire, on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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June 30, 2016

Posted on July 1, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 59:16-17 But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble
O my Strength, I sing praise to you;
you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

Reading through the Psalms, I think it’s pretty clear why the Lord allowed Saul to pursue David for several years. Time and again David was put into situations where he could easily be killed, and God was his only recourse. David’s response was indeed to turn to God, and he often did it poetically. I’m not sure he was very creative as a musician, because several of his Psalms indicate they are to be sung to certain standard tunes. This one, for example, goes to a tune called “Do Not Destroy.” Even so, David obviously loved to sing to God, and that had a profound impact on his life. Considering the musical instruments of the day, with their limited tonal range, his singing would probably sound pretty monotonous to us today, but that’s not the point. The whole point is that David committed himself to God in song, and God responded. Many studies have shown the profound influence music can have on us, especially emotionally. We speak of “singing the blues,” and indeed, some songs can make us sad just by listening to them. David chose to sing thanks and praise to God, and that echoed through his life. I can’t help but think that it had been a while since he had sung to God when he got into the mess with Bathsheba, because if he had been practicing what he says here, I don’t think he would have been very easily deceived by the devil’s trap.

This has certainly been my experience. When I encounter temptations, either to do things not pleasing to God or to despair and lose hope, if I will choose to sing to God, He straightens me out. I was blessed by being raised in a musical family by parents who loved God. Some of my sweetest memories are of being gathered around the piano singing hymns together. I’m sure that’s why I could read music before I could read the words. Relatively few people are so blessed, so I must not presume on people’s background, but I am to teach them how to sing to God. So many churches today have been caught in a performance mentality, with the “worship team” up on the stage performing and the congregation as no more than the audience. That is a terrible trap of the devil! It has been shown that very few people are actually tone deaf, unable to hear differences in pitch, but very many people are so lacking in training and opportunity that they “can’t carry a tune in a bucket.” I’m not to put them down for that, but rather give them as much support and training as possible so that they can make the best use of what they have. The biggest thing is in removing the embarrassment of not singing as well as someone else. That will come when they learn to focus on the One to whom they are singing rather than on people who might overhear them. I need God’s wisdom, because to this point people have tended to be intimidated by my singing and so be as quiet as possible. That’s no way to raise up a praising congregation!

Father, You started talking to me about this yesterday, and now You’re making it very clear. However, at this point I have the “what” but not the “how.” Help me listed to You carefully and accurately, being neither presumptive nor hesitant, so that the Body of Christ may be built up as You intend, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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June 29, 2016

Posted on June 30, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 57:2-3 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.
He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me;
God sends his love and his faithfulness.

The last three verses of this Psalm have been set to music very beautifully, but the Psalm as a whole is another marvelous example of David’s combination of sincere devotion and gifted craftsmanship. This little section speaks of David’s heart attitude and God’s response to it. His prayer is to God, but in that polytheistic society it is significant that he specifies “God Most High.” He wasn’t praying to the storm god (Baal) or to the moon god or any other god claimed by the nations around him, he was praying to the Creator of the universe, above and before whom there is and can be no other. In the next descriptive line the NIV supplies “his purpose,” to try to flesh it out in terms of contemporary English, but the Japanese says “everything.” You name it, God gets it done. In the next section, where the NIV says “those who hotly pursue me,” the Japanese says, “those who step on me.” In both translations, however, it is clear that God sends love and faithfulness from heaven to work salvation. David the poet was a master of personification, and here he speaks of Love and Faithfulness as though they were two warring angels on a rescue mission. I would think that word picture would be very comforting to any believer! David knew to whom he prayed, so he never lost hope regardless of his circumstances. No wonder he could say in verse 7 that his heart was steadfast, unshakable!

My years of walking with the Lord have made me less and less shaky, spiritually speaking, though I still have plenty of room to grow. Like David, my response to almost any situation is to sing! (verse 7) I have found there is nothing that redirects my spirit to God better than singing praise to Him. The nice thing is that there is so much material to choose from, and David was a great contributor to that body of work. Having studied poetry in college, writing a bit of it myself, and doing a good bit of song translation work, I am very aware of the craftsmanship involved, but if I look at it just that way, the end result of my singing is just noise. My singing to God must be from my heart, as David’s was, or I am no more than “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1) I need always to remember to whom I sing and why, giving Him my heart along with my words and my voice. As a pastor, I need to lead and teach all the believers to do likewise. Some are intimidated, not having had the musical training I have enjoyed, but as much as I might cringe at someone who is off pitch, that isn’t the issue. I need to help them understand that if their heart is in it, God is pleased, whatever it sounds like to the spiritually insensitive.

Father, thank You for this. The idea of doing a session of vocal training from the pulpit hadn’t occurred to me, but I’ll do whatever You say. Help me indeed teach and train the believers to turn their hearts to You in every situation, whether they sing or not, so that together we may be fully submitted to You, firmly resisting the devil, (James 4:7) so that Your kingdom may come for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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