May 12, 2016

Posted on May 13, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 42:5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

This refrain, which appears again in verse 11 and in 43:5, is very familiar, but I just noticed something in the perhaps more literal Japanese translation. It says, “I will praise the salvation of His face.” That doesn’t click immediately, but going back to some Davidic Psalms (this one is by “the Sons of Korah”) the point comes across that simply being with God is salvation. We forget that sometimes! We are anxious and distressed only to the degree that we fail to be at rest in Him. The world is full of things to upset us, but when we fix our hearts on our unchanging Rock, we have stability that is available no other way. It’s been several years since I heard a presentation by an American psychologist about the great increase in mental illness because of people being unable to handle the rate of change in the world today, and just this week I was talking with a Japanese psychologist who was saying the same thing, though he was saying “stress” rather than “rate of change.” There simply isn’t enough stability in the world today to keep us on an even keel if we don’t have something bigger, more solid, to depend on. Writing that, Jesus’ story of the two builders came to mind. (Matthew 7:24-27) It’s not a question of whether storms will come; they will. The question is rather whether we will have the foundation necessary for us to be able to withstand them. People want to know how to abide in God’s presence, but Jesus said it very clearly: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” (John 15:7) The whole Upper Room Discourse is filled with references to letting the Word of God abide in us, and being obedient to it. When we “hide His Word in our hearts,” (Psalm 119:11) we experience an intimacy with Him that gives stability even in the most violent of storms.

Recently I have been very disturbed by what presidential politics has been revealing about the spiritual state of America, but this applies there as well. If I will fellowship with God through His Word, I will know that He always has the last answer, and it’s a good one. It may often be different from what my imagination would paint, but it will always be better. There is no possible way I could even keep track of all that is going on even in one city, much less a nation or the whole world. God not only keeps track, He is sovereign. He allows some pretty horrible things simply because of His choice to give us free will, but that doesn’t mean He’s abdicated His throne. Over 20 years ago I was lying in bed thinking, “There are so many things I wish were different,” when God spoke up and said, “How do you think I feel?” I was totally blown out of the water! I need to remember that evil is never the last answer, and I should rest, relax, and rejoice in my Lord and my God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me not forget it! You have had to point it out to me so many times over the years, because I am so prone to focus on things other than You. Thank You for the message You spoke through me on that very subject just this last Sunday. Help me live out the truth You speak through me, 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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May 11, 2016

Posted on May 12, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 39:7-8 But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.
Save me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the scorn of fools.

It is always interesting to be struck by verses I had not previously underlined. David has just been talking about the brevity of human life on earth, and here we see his response to that reality. I love the way the Japanese expresses verse seven: “Now, Lord, what shall I wait in hope for? You are my hope.” He then goes on to acknowledge his sinfulness, asking to be saved and not to be made the scorn of fools, that is, those who say there is no God. (Psalm 14:1) It is no wonder David has been held up as an example to all believers, despite his very real failures. God isn’t pleased with formal religion, He is pleased with hearts that turn to Him in humility and faith. (Isaiah 57:15 and many more) This world can get pretty hopeless at times, but when God Himself is our hope, we can get through anything. However, we cannot be presumptuous, but rather repent immediately of sin and walk in the humble assurance of His grace.

I think the current state of America has been most damaging to my hope recently. It certainly looks like America is coming under God’s judgment, and that we could well be fully into the narrative described in Revelation. However, even if that is the case, or especially if that is the case, I should be filled with hope, because God Himself is my hope, and not any human system, political or otherwise. It is sad indeed that such a large percentage of Americans are enthusiastic supporters of manifestly ungodly politicians, of both major parties, but that is sad, not hopeless. My hope is not in a resurgence of America, but in the establishment of the Kingdom of God. That will not come by political means or even by religious means, if religion is defined as human activity. Rather, it will happen by the sovereign will of God, through His children who are fully submitted to Him. I need to be sure of my submission, of my focus, so that I will be useful to Him rather than in the way. I must not define in my mind what He is to do, and so miss what He actually is doing. I want my life to be a testimony and not a laughingstock, so that as many as will may join me in God’s kingdom.

Father, thank You for Your grace and for Your faithfulness. Thank You that when You are truly my hope I have absolutely nothing to fear. Help me stand against every temptation to anxiety but trust You completely, so that all of Your plans for me may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 10, 2016

Posted on May 11, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 35:3 Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation.”

I doubt very much that Psalm 35 is very many people’s favorite Scripture. However, as an article I ran across just yesterday in the Internet said, any time we read the Bible we need to ask, “What does this teach me about God?” If we will do that, even passages like Leviticus and Numbers can be channels of real blessing. This Psalm is a protest to God about treacherous enemies, but this phrase really caught my eye. It shows clearly that David was very aware of God as objective reality; he didn’t think it was his own imagination talking to him, and it wasn’t something he had worked up. Atheists down through the centuries have maintained that all religion was a product of human imagination. I can’t say that imagination hasn’t played a part in some of the forms of religion, even within Christianity, but God Himself is objective reality. I am often amazed at the ignorance of God that I see expressed even by ostensible Christians. Rather than get into the Bible themselves, they have gone entirely by what one preacher or another has said, and the result is often a horrible mess. If we start with the basic premise that God is real and that He has given us the Bible to tell us about Him, then a lot of the junk should fall away. Like David, we need to ask God to speak to us, to assure us that He is our salvation and to show us the way we should go. As John said, the Holy Spirit is available to teach us, if we are open to Him. (1 John 2:27) John was present in the Upper Room when Jesus said, “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) We need to get into the Word and ask the Holy Spirit to bring it to life in our hearts.

I had the incredible advantage of growing up immersed in the Bible, in a household that loved and served God. That, with a lifelong habit of daily devotions, has given me a familiarity with the Word that too often I take for granted. I find I often say things that seem so obvious to me as to go without saying, and people around me react as though I had said something unusually profound. That still bothers me! I am dismayed at the level of spiritual blindness I encounter. I am not to give up, but remember that I too still have much to learn, and consistently speak the truth in love in all humility. I am to ask God to speak to me, as David did, and I am to ask Him to speak to those to whom I minister, whether it is through me or otherwise. If they will learn to hear from Him, believing that He really does love them enough to speak to them and teach them personally, then my job is done.

Father, thank You for the privilege of speaking Your words. However, I desire even more that each of my hearers would learn to hear You directly. May my words always point them to You and not to me, so that in faith they may enter into the fellowship with You for which You created them, for their infinite blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 9, 2016

Posted on May 11, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 32:5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord”—
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin.

This verse is one of the most important that David ever wrote, and he wrote a lot! He had discovered the same principle that John wrote so memorably: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) David did not know of the birth, life, and atoning death of Jesus (though he prophesied the crucifixion in amazing detail in Psalm 22) but he had discovered that repentant confession brings forgiveness. The Catholic Church institutionalized confession, which wasn’t necessarily bad in itself, but by formalizing it in a number of ways it removed much of the sincerity for a lot of people. Without repentance, confession can be bragging! Sometimes we do need to confess our sins to our brothers and sisters in Christ, (James 6:16) but that is certainly not limited to priests. We need to confess first of all to God, and then to people as He directs. When we have sinned against a particular person or group, often we need to confess to them, but sometimes the confession will do more harm than good, so we need wisdom. That said, many of the major revivals in human history have at least started with open confession of sins. Revivals in China, Wales, and America immediately come to mind. God responds to genuine repentance, and we must never forget that.

One of the biggest benefits of being raised by a father who had absolute honesty as a foundational principle was that honesty before God has always seemed to be a given for me. I’ve always known I couldn’t fool God. That doesn’t mean I haven’t managed to fool myself! However, when I have come to my senses, talking to God about what I have done has come easily. The danger there lies in taking it lightly, which I must never do, because sin is sin, and must be dealt with in genuine repentance. That doesn’t mean that confessing sin to others has been easy! Since I know that God already knows everything I do it’s not hard to confess to Him, but in my humanity I fear the reaction of people. However, I have found that those who matter think more of me for my honesty, and those who think less don’t really matter. I am coming around to Paul’s position on that point, expressed in 1 Corinthians 4:1-5. Any time the Holy Spirit shines His light on an issue in my heart or actions I need to confess it immediately to God and then, as He directs, to others.

Father, there are no words to thank You enough for Your forgiveness. Thank You for loving us so much as to send Your Son to die for us. Thank You that He intercedes for us as one who has been through the same temptations and so can identify with us, even though He didn’t yield to the temptations. Help me be more effective in sharing the marvelous truth that forgiveness is available, so that more and more may repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 8, 2016

Posted on May 11, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 17:14, 14 O Lord, by your hand save me from such men,
from men of this world whose reward is in this life.
And I—in righteousness I shall see your face;
when I awake, I shall be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

This appears to be a very clear reference to eternal life, at least for the righteous, and it’s a beautiful one. First it speaks of people of this world whose inheritance is life in this world, and then it speaks of “when I awake,” that is, from death. David seems to be saying that his enemies are pretty pathetic, because they have nothing better to look forward to than this life. That’s pretty remarkable, when Jesus had not yet been resurrected to demonstrate victory over death. And then there is the last part, which people who don’t enjoy fellowship with God really can’t understand at all: just seeing God will be the greatest reward, and complete satisfaction. I see lots of cartoons that imply that heaven is pretty boring, but they are certainly the works of people who have never tasted God in this life. The attitude of anyone who has tasted God is going to be that expressed in the song, I Can Only Imagine, which talks about getting to heaven. As John and Paul both said, there is much we don’t know, but what we do know is pretty wonderful. (1 John 3:2-3, 1 Corinthians 13:12) There is a lot in this world that can really drag us down, but if our hope is beyond this world we can have peace and joy in the middle of anything.

I will never forget a time when I was in a small prayer meeting with three brothers in Christ and the awareness of God, and the sheer joy of it, was so intense that I felt that one more drop and my physical body would give up, and I had to ask the Lord to back off a bit. When I write it like that it doesn’t seem to make much sense, but I know what I experienced. As David said, just seeing God’s face will more than compensate for anything negative whatsoever. Paul put it this way: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) I know that my current, temporal mind can’t grasp the fullness of what awaits me when I am done with physical limitations, but I know that God is love, (1 John 4:8) and His plans for me are incredibly good. “Incredible” means “unbelievable,” but by the grace of God I do believe, though I can’t begin to grasp the fullness of it all. I am never to fear anything on this earth, because I know that it is totally insignificant compared to what awaits me in my Father’s presence.

Father, thank You for the assurance of heaven. There is indeed so much that seeks to drag me down in countless ways. Help me lift my eyes from all the junk and fix them on Jesus, (Hebrews 12:2) so that You may fill my heart, mind, and spirit with Your Spirit, washing out all the dirt and preparing me for unhindered fellowship with You, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 7, 2016

Posted on May 8, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 6:1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.

I think my head must have been taking a vacation when I chose the passages for this list on prayer, because I just entered “pray*” as a search term and went with what turned up. There are many prayers in the Bible that don’t include that word! David in particular addressed many of his Psalms to the Lord, which makes them prayers whether he used that word in them or not. Any Psalm that starts with “O Lord” is a prayer! John Denver’s song, Rocky Mountain High, has a line that actually describes the sort of prayer life we should aspire to: “Talk to God and listen to the casual reply.” The irony there is that John Denver gave little evidence of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ himself. We should be aware that God always hears us, but that our hearts need to be humble and submitted before Him for there to be real fellowship. The Bible uses the phrase, “God heard me” meaning that a request was granted, but that’s a very limited meaning. Actually, there is nothing that God does not hear, simply because He is God. Today we tend to say, “God answered me” with the same meaning, but that too is inaccurate. Sometimes God’s answer is, “No.” “God granted my request,” would be more accurate. I think Paul’s admonition to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) is talking about being aware constantly that God is listening, not just to our words but to our thoughts. Vocal prayer has great value in focusing our thoughts, as well as in praying in unity with others, but you can’t literally be talking constantly (whatever jokes some men might make about some women). However, you can be aware that God is listening even to all your thoughts, and live in grateful appreciation of that reality.

As I have written before, I grew up in a home where prayer was as natural as breathing, and I think that came from this awareness. I wish my awareness of God’s omniscience had led me to more consistent obedience! Today, even as I deal with my own lapses in obedience, I seek to lead others into the intimacy with God that He desires and for which He created us. It can be a pretty frustrating task! Very few people are comfortable with the idea of God hearing everything they say or even think, because they don’t have a good grasp of the atoning work of Jesus Christ. When we believe in Him, we really are children of God, as the New Testament talks about again and again. As human fathers we often fail to listen to our children, but as the perfect Father, God never fails at all. I have to correct people’s image of what a father really is before they become genuinely comfortable with talking with God. Actually, I can’t do that at all in my own wisdom and strength, so I have to depend on the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s love to people’s hearts. Only then will they delight to talk with Him.

Father, thank You for this further expansion of how to talk about prayer. Like John, I do desire that every one of Your children discover all that position means. (1 John 3:1) Help me delight to operate in that position fully myself, so that You in turn may be delighted with me. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 6, 2016

Posted on May 8, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.

I have written and even preached on this verse, because it expresses an essential part of my lifestyle. Right now the wording of the Japanese translation particularly impresses me. Expressed in English, the second half of the verse comes out as, “At dawn I make preparation (make an offering) for You and am on the lookout.” Getting up early to spend time with God can indeed be a sacrifice. I am reminded of David’s words at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite: “I will not sacrifice to God that which cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24) We tend to give to God only what is convenient, or what feels good at the moment. The focus of society is on making things easy, but sometimes the sports training motto is true: no pain, no gain. The widow’s offering also comes to mind. (Luke 21:1-4) Our gifts to God are far more meaningful when they really cost us something, in time, effort, or what have you. The flip side of that is knowing that we don’t do such things in a vacuum; God pays attention and will respond. The NIV captures that with “wait in expectation.” Sometimes God surprises us when He speaks to us, but we are more likely to hear Him accurately when we are expecting it. Making time every morning to pray and get into the Bible isn’t an obligation, it’s a privilege, and the benefits are beyond expressing in words.

I have had morning devotions as the cornerstone of my lifestyle for many years now, and I am deeply grateful. It is especially when I feel least like doing it that I know I need it most. Sometimes I have to sit quietly before the Lord for a while before I can even muster the presence of mind to pray, much less focus on the Bible to read it. Those are my times of greatest need. I have to prepare my heart and mind to fellowship with my Lord and receive what He has to say to me. However, all my years of experience have taught me without question that He is absolutely faithful, though I am not. I mess up more times than I like to think about, but He never misses a beat. I can indeed approach Him every morning with full expectation that He is going to meet with me, and that is glorious indeed.

Father, thank You for Your grace toward me. Thank You for loving me despite my failures and my petty rebellions. Thank You for preparing the way for me to come to You through Your Son, my Lord Jesus Christ. Help me be more effective in drawing others into Your way, so that they too may walk with You in the light of life, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 5, 2016

Posted on May 7, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 4:2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

I think God is saying this even today. In a footnote the NIV gives “lies” as an alternative to “false gods,” and that is the way the Japanese translates it as well. That broadens this considerably and makes it even more applicable to current events. Americans are demonstrating in droves that they are seeking lies, supporting politicians who ridicule God and His Word by their words, actions, and lifestyles. Such things are lies, and come from the father of lies. (John 8:44) It is some comfort to read the passage where Jesus described the devil that way, because after all the horror of Jesus’ arrest, trial, scourging and crucifixion, resurrection happened. America, and indeed the world, seems determined to go to hell, but God is still God. Like Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, we need to repent of the sins of our culture and nation, recognizing that we have had a part in them, through inaction at the very least, and seek Him for what we are to do and how we are to live now. Light shines brightest when the surroundings are dark, and every child of God needs to take seriously Jesus’ words about light and salt. (Matthew 5:13-16)

I told my wife this morning that I felt like I woke up but the nightmare was still going on. It was a real gut punch yesterday to read that the one presidential candidate whom I felt I could vote for in good conscience had dropped out. I certainly don’t blame him, but I see the circumstances that brought him to that decision as evidence the judgment of God is coming on America, and that grieves me deeply. At the same time, I am not to stop praying and trusting God, knowing that He can and does use horrible circumstances for good, and for His glory. (Romans 8:28) I am to continue to be active in seeking to draw as many people as possible into God’s family, into a strong and active relationship with Jesus as Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit. As the hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” I am not dependent on anything temporal. I was not and am not fearful for myself personally, but I grieve indeed for what America is doing to itself. I am not to focus on that grief, but on the One who will wipe away every tear. (Isaiah 25:8, Revelation 7:17, 21:4)

Father, thank You for still being God. I continue to pray for Your mercy on America and on the world. Thank You that we have the assurance in Revelation that You are going to sort everything out in the end. Keep me from being anxious about how You are going to do that, but rather be active in my obedience to You in whatever part You have for me to play, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 4, 2016

Posted on May 7, 2016 by jgarrott

Job 42:10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.

The way I read this, Job had to forgive his friends before God could/would restore him to full prosperity. There was ample opportunity for Job to hold a grudge, considering all that his friends had said to him, but holding grudges is poisonous. Job also had to forgive God, but God had taken care of that in the interchange that preceded this. Nothing blocks the flow of God’s blessings more quickly or thoroughly than unforgiveness. Jesus said essentially that it can even block our salvation. (Matthew 6:14-15) The world is full of sayings like, “Revenge is a dish best served cold,” but someone who lives like that has already poisoned themselves. Much of the violence in the world comes from this very thing, as individuals and nations “pay each other back” for wrongs real or imagined. The thing is, if that is our attitude, then we will indeed imagine wrongs done to us so that we will be “justified” in our actions toward others. That is evident in the news every day, with every imaginable form of violence. The incredible thing is how many of those perpetrating the violence seem to feel no remorse, because the devil has told them they only “gave the other person their due.” The thing is, the devil is a liar, and he only wants to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) We need to be like Jesus, who forgave incredible, and very real, wrongs done to Him, even as He hung on the cross. (Luke 23:34) If we will do that, we will experience unimaginable blessings.

I am constantly dealing with the issue of forgiveness because it is such a thorny one in Japanese culture. The Japanese have glorified revenge in such stories as The 47 Samurai. (The Japanese title for that is The Storehouse of Faithful Hearts.) The language itself clouds the meaning of forgiveness, because the word is a homophone for one that means permission. The average Japanese doesn’t even know the character that means “forgiveness,” and instead uses the one that means “permission” for everything. I teach on the issue at every opportunity and have written a brief tract on the subject, but the issue is far deeper than intellectual understanding, and the truth takes time to sink in. For that matter, people in other cultures get deceived on this issue as well! I am never to give up, but keep speaking the truth in love, as well as demonstrating it in my daily life, so that the Holy Spirit may use that truth to set people free.

Father, You know what bondage this issue brings to the Japanese. I ask You to pour Your Spirit out on this nation so that people may understand their own sin and Your forgiveness that is available to them, and so choose to forgive those around them, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 3, 2016

Posted on May 4, 2016 by jgarrott

Job 33:29-30 “God does all these things to a man—
twice, even three times—
to turn back his soul from the pit,
that the light of life may shine on him.”

Elihu is an interesting character in the Book of Job. He is not among the three friends, and so does not come under God’s words of correction at the end. What he says is similar, but in a number of ways subtly different from what they say. Some interpreters/theologians feel he is a representation of authentic truth, in contrast to the platitudes expressed by the three friends. In any case, this particular monologue is a striking one, expressing God’s motivation for allowing trials in our lives. It is confirmation that God is never mean, however rough our circumstances might be. The Book of Job does not speak directly of eternal life, but in several places, including this one, it may be taken that way. After all, the “light of life” in Christ is indeed eternal! From the New Testament we understand that the trials we endure include physical death, but that is far from the end. We need to so live that our physical death is a graduation, a release into the glory that God has prepared for us in Christ. Those without that hope very reasonably fear death very much, and many try to mask that by saying that death is purely a negation, and there is nothing at all afterward. That’s easier to face than full accountability for how we have lived! The Gospel states that we indeed have an Intercessor, as even Elihu refers to. That intercessor is Jesus Christ, who took on our human form so that He could also take the weight of our sins on Himself, so that those who believe in Him could have eternal life. (John 3:16)

This is of course the message that I try to communicate to everyone. I have experienced the Lord’s correction a few times myself, and as the Bible says, that’s not much fun at the time. (Hebrews 12:11) However, I have also experienced peace and joy, even in the middle of the hard times, to a level that those who don’t know Christ find remarkable. Such times are the best validation of the Gospel I speak, so I don’t draw back from them. I desire to take as many people as possible with me to heaven. After all, people are all I can take! I am not to “kick against the goads,” (Acts 26:14) but allow God to guide and correct and use me, so that all of His purposes for me may be fulfilled, for His glory.

Father, thank You for all You allow me to experience. Thank You for the little irritations that I so often fail to release to You. It is much easier to recognize big things as trials and learn from them! Help me be a good student, learning and applying all that You teach me, so that people may see Christ in me and be drawn to You for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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