April 12, 2016

Posted on April 14, 2016 by jgarrott

2 Kings 4:30 But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.

This is a very touching story, and an instructive one to us today. The woman being given a child in the first place was a response to her generosity that really wasn’t seeking a reward. That should be an encouragement to us all that, though we aren’t to serve God for the sake of the rewards, our labor won’t go unrewarded. (1 Corinthians 15:58) The second point in the story is that God didn’t tell Elisha immediately what the woman’s immediate problem was right here; he had to deduce it himself from what she said. God does expect us to use the brains he gives us! The third point is in this verse itself: This woman knew she had no solution to her problem, but that if God could give her a child miraculously, then He should be able to raise him from the dead, and Elisha was His servant. He was her only hope. That’s actually pretty clear thinking. Today we tend to cling to medicine or to any of a number of other things rather than to God Himself, who might or might not make use of any or all of those things. What Elisha did for the boy when he got to him has been described as “CPR” by some people, but the time lapse was too great for science alone to account for his recovery; it had to be God. I have read stories just recently of several people who medically had been dead too long to be resuscitated without major brain damage, but who came through without a hitch. God is still in the miracle business!

I’ve seen some miracles, but not a resurrection – yet! Recently my wife has been experiencing rapid recovery from multiple major surgeries, but nothing that would be called miraculous as such. However, I found out just yesterday that her rapid recovery has been discussed among the staff at the rehabilitation center where she goes for her Parkinson’s Disease, and the man who has known us longest said, “It’s because God is with her.” It made me very happy to hear that! Unfortunately, since Japan describes itself as “the land of 8 million gods,” the average Japanese might take that as, “A god is with her.” That wouldn’t do them very much good. However, most of the miracles in the Bible were in a polytheistic context, so I shouldn’t let it discourage me. I need to remain faithful, and make it clear that every good thing that people see in me is because of the Creator of the universe, who loved us all enough to send His Son to die for our sins so that we might live in Him.

Father, I do have the reputation of being Your servant, but I still haven’t seen many people committing themselves to You in faith. I have no idea what the solution is, but I offer myself to You for You to use me however You like, to draw as many as possible into Your family, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 11, 2016

Posted on April 12, 2016 by jgarrott

1 Kings 19:4 He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

This should be an enormously comforting passage to every true servant of God. Elijah was one of the greatest prophets, who appeared with Moses to consult with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, (Matthew 17:1-9) and yet he was so human as to be subject to a depressed pity party. Thankfully he wasn’t to the point of actively taking his own life, but he certainly wanted to die. The cause was very simple: he had relaxed his guard and taken his eyes off of God, putting them instead on himself and his circumstances. Even the situation was common enough: right after a major triumph. Some might try to peg him as bipolar, but I think such labels are greatly overused; everyone has ups and downs. One of his problems was that he didn’t have a real support structure, people to come alongside and keep him from the emotional isolation that can be so deadly. The story as a whole shows us that despite all these things, the Lord got through to him, encouraged him, and continued to use him. The solution to such problems is always to shift our focus from ourselves and our circumstances onto God. Sometimes that’s not easy, but habit can be a big help. If we make it a regular practice to start each day focused on God rather than on all we have to do, correcting focus when we get distracted becomes much easier. We are no better than Elijah, certainly, and even Jesus got up early to spend time with His Father. Regular devotional time with God is not an obligation, it is a privilege and a necessity, and often a life saver.

I am definitely personally familiar with depression. When I was a teenager I called such episodes “pink-and-purple-polka-dotted-funks,” to distinguish them from normal “blue funks.” In college I tried to commit suicide through auto-hypnosis (I had become quite proficient in hypnosis in high school) but the Lord stopped me. Since I have no fear of death itself, suicidal thoughts have come to me many times over the years. However, I have come to realize that suicide is the ultimate self-centered act, which is what makes it sinful. Everyone is born essentially self-centered (though recent studies have shown that altruism is also innate). Perhaps that’s a component in “original sin.” At any rate, yielding to that impulse eventually deprives us of everything genuinely good in life, but we are generally slow to realize that. According to Jesus, both the first and the second Great Commandments are other-centered, loving God first and then loving our neighbor. (Matthew 22:37-40) As a pastor I try to get this across to people, but I have very mixed success at it. Yesterday one person gave me feedback from the message that was encouraging. I must never give up, but keep my own focus first on God and then on those to whom He allows me to minister, so that He may use me to draw them to Himself as well.

Father, thank You for loving and using us in spite of our weaknesses. I pray that Your Spirit through me would cause more and more people to wake up and see through the deceptions of the devil, to walk in all that You intend for them, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 10, 2016

Posted on April 12, 2016 by jgarrott

1 Kings 18:21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”
But the people said nothing.

This story is one of the most dramatic scenes in the whole Bible, and that’s really saying something. However, the question that Elijah asked the people is one that really needs to be put to a lot of people today. In traditionally Christian countries, vast numbers of people go through the motions without having any real faith, and so are easily distracted by their flesh and the world. I personally know someone who became a missionary, and then discarded Christianity and is now a Buddhist priest. He knew the culture well enough to fool the mission board, saying all the right words, but he didn’t, and doesn’t, have a relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord. I won’t go into what I think induced him to abandon true life, which is found in Christ alone, but sadly, he has a lot of company. The devil is a skilled liar, and he plays on human weaknesses all too well. The saddest thing is, though the people Elijah addressed came back to the Lord after fire fell from heaven, Revelation indicates that many will refuse to do so even with such signs as that. God is incredibly patient and merciful, but we must still face the consequences of our choices.

One of the biggest heartaches for any pastor is when people who have seemed to be genuine turn their backs on Christ. One particular young man stands out in my memory. He seemed very much on fire for the Lord, but when his father developed cancer and was not completely healed (though he lived several years despite having been given six months from the original diagnosis) the son decided it was all a lie (under the strong influence of his mother). We tend to do what he did, setting up tests for God and then if He doesn’t pass them, in our judgment, we abandon Him. How incredibly foolish! However, I know I am capable of that or worse, so I must not look down on people who are so deceived. I am to welcome whatever signs God provides and give Him glory for them, but not make my faith and obedience dependent on signs I set up in my mind. I need to be like Daniel’s friends, who proclaimed, “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 3:17-18) They literally put their lives on the line, and I should do no less.

Father, You know better than I do that I haven’t been fully faithful to You even without major “excuses.” Thank You for Your patience and Your grace. Help me extend that patience and that grace to those around me, but at the same time be fully forceful and effective in drawing them to You. May their eyes be opened to see themselves and their situations accurately because they see You, so that they may repent and believe, and receive Your full salvation. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 9, 2016

Posted on April 12, 2016 by jgarrott

1 Kings 13:2 He cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord: “O altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’ ”

Wow! This prophecy had it all, so to speak. It was bold, politically incorrect, detailed, and as was later born out, accurate. (2 Kings 23:15-16) At the same time, it was at the risk of the prophet’s life, because Jeroboam would have had him seized and probably killed, had the Lord not interfered. (verse 4) It is very interesting that this prophet is anonymous to history even today, despite his faithfulness. He was indeed human and open to deception, as comes out a little later in the story. I think the whole thing points up two important things to remember. The first is that our purpose is to be faithful to God, not to make a name for ourselves. It strokes the ego to have human acclaim, but that doesn’t count for much. Rather, we are to be working for God’s “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21) The second is that no matter how obedient we might be one minute, or how dramatically God might use us, we are still in danger of falling the next minute. As Paul said, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12) Having assurance of God’s protection and power is good, but being cocky and self-confident is not.

I have only been used once in something approaching this for drama and detail. I don’t need to go into detail, but I prophesied something in a small prayer meeting that was not only detailed, it was medically impossible (which I didn’t know at the time). However, it came to pass, in a way that was not at all obvious to those hearing it at the time, and when it did, they remembered that it had been prophesied, and gave God glory. I say that only to point out that God is still in the business of letting His people know what is going on, as they need to know it. Prophecy is to direct, encourage, admonish, and comfort. Genuine prophecy is never for the purpose of inflating the prophet! There are many examples in the Bible of genuine prophecy that did not come to pass, because those hearing it received the warning it contained and mended their ways. As Paul said, we are not to despise prophecies (1 Thessalonians 5:20) but neither are we to swallow them whole, without careful examination. (1 Thessalonians 5:21) Those who insist that valid prophecy ended with the first 12 apostles miss out on a great deal!

Father, I haven’t delivered many overt prophecies for quite a while now, but You have been directive through me from time to time, and the results have been good. Thank You. Help me stay available to You whatever or however You want to speak through me, with no thought of risk to me, social or otherwise, so that Your Word may go forth indeed to accomplish all that You desire, for Your glory. (Isaiah 55:11) Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 8, 2016

Posted on April 10, 2016 by jgarrott

1 Kings 9:6-7 “But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.”

It is incredible to me that God warned Solomon this clearly and this bluntly, and yet he still committed idolatry with his foreign wives. Thinking about it, he had to have told someone about this vision for it to have been recorded like this, which should have cemented it in his heart and mind. As Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Solomon was blessed incredibly in every area, more than anyone else of his day, and yet he descended into taking all that for granted, as though he had earned and deserved it, and didn’t walk in humble gratitude. This warning from God was fulfilled to the letter, and even today antisemitism is all too common. We must remember that God’s warnings are just as valid as His other promises and fear Him enough to be obedient.

I have always taken Solomon as a very personal bad example, because I too have been incredibly blessed in many areas, and have been tempted to think I deserved at least some of it all. That is a temptation from the devil, because it is all grace; I haven’t earned any of it. I am not to deny what God has placed in me, because that doesn’t give Him the glory He deserves. However, I am to use it all in grateful humility, serving Him through serving those around me, so that they too may be drawn closer to Him in His family. I am to walk in full assurance of His provision in every area, again not because I’ve got it all together but because He does. I am not to seek anything material or temporal for its own sake, but rather receive such things as tools for spiritual purposes, to accomplish what He intends for me. Everything about Him is supreme, and I am to walk in the obedience of love and gratitude. Even there I have to depend on Him, because I am not capable of being fully faithful on my own; only He can enable me to do so.

Father, thank You yet again for Your grace. Thank You that my head cold is much improved. Thank You for solving the mystery of my tablet computer not booting. Thank You that we’ll be able to get our visas transferred to our new passports today. Thank You for the awareness that I can get nothing right by myself, but that You are always there to do it through me if I will trust and obey You. May every detail of today be as You desire and intend, destroying the works of the devil and drawing people to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 7, 2016

Posted on April 10, 2016 by jgarrott

1 Kings 8:56 “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.”

God’s faithfulness is one of the strongest themes running throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. You could say that the whole saga of mankind is of God’s faithfulness and man’s unfaithfulness, or at least his weakness. That comes into particularly sharp focus with the physical descendants of Abraham, to whom Solomon is speaking here. From our perspective today we tend to think, how could they do that? Actually, we are no more reliable than they were. We all need to keep a clear understanding and grasp of our own inability to get it right on our own, so that we will turn to God to receive the help we need to follow Him. Human free will has got to be the most valuable thing in the created universe, because God sacrificed His own Son rather than violate that free will. We are able to choose to follow God in obedience, but we don’t really have the strength to follow through on that choice on our own. That’s one of the mysteries of salvation. Just about the only thing we contribute to our salvation is the choice to accept it. However, that acceptance isn’t passive, it is actively following through to receive and act on all that God has provided for us in Christ. As keeps coming up throughout the Bible, God’s promises are generally conditional, and that condition is very simply, our choosing to believe and act on what He has said. If we will do that, we will find that He is every bit as faithful as Solomon here proclaims He is.

My life is a testimony to the faithfulness of God and a demonstration of the unreliability of man. More blessings have been poured out on me that I could possibly count. Some of those I have recognized and appreciated, and some I have squandered. Some I have realized how precious they were, and some I have taken for granted. I can say without hesitation that God’s grace is indeed amazing! The past three days have been packed with blessings, some of which will send ripples out far beyond what I can see now. My heart is full. At the same time, I am currently rather miserable physically from a head cold. This is further training in not ignoring the physical but certainly not fixating on it. God will get me through everything that’s on my plate today (and there’s a lot of it). I am to be active in fulfilling all my responsibilities, but at the same time rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, because, though my strength is not up to the task, His certainly is, and He is indeed faithful.

Father, thank You indeed for all You did in this trip. There were a number of distractions, but You enabled me to get my focus back on You. Help me keep my focus on You throughout today, and not on how I feel physically. May I have good first classes with my speech therapy students, as a good start to the school year. May I have good interaction with those I go visit this afternoon, to make up for my not having been here for my usual Wednesday morning rounds. May I have good understanding when the lady comes here after that for help with her mother’s tax affairs. May I indeed give Your glory by my obedience, for You are certainly worthy of all glory, honor, and power. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 6, 2016

Posted on April 9, 2016 by jgarrott

1 Kings 8:39-40 “Deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men), so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers.”

It takes courage to pray that God would deal with us according to our deeds and our hearts, because we all have a bent toward sin. However, here Solomon was praying under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and this is a good prayer indeed. The reason to pray this way is given in the last part of the passage: so that people will fear God. The problem is, when we don’t recognize the consequences of our actions, we have little incentive to continue doing good stuff and stop doing bad stuff. We receive those consequences, but too often we don’t recognize the connection. Right now America is in the middle of receiving the consequences of rejecting God, but even Church leaders hesitate to say it, because it isn’t politically correct to do so. Not everyone affected by a natural disaster, for example, is in rebellion against God, but that doesn’t mean the disaster hasn’t come because of the actions of society as a whole. More than anything else right now, America is in need of a spirit of repentance. Only then will the healing and revival many long for be poured out on the nation.

Living in Japan as I do, things in America at once seem both clearer and more distant than they would if I were there. I am not to let that make me feel either that I am immune to the temptations that have snared so many, or that what is going on is unimportant to me. Japan is the nation of my birth and the majority of my life, but my roots are distinctly American, and America has enormous influence, both for good and for evil, in the whole world. I am to guard my own heart, and my consequent actions, and I am to pray faithfully for America. The presidential election this year is an enormously important turning point. If a man of genuine righteousness is elected, then there will be far more hope for the nation. If someone who ignores God is elected, then that will mean God’s judgment has come on the nation. I am to pray for God’s mercy, not just for Japan where I live and minister, but for America as well.

Father, thank You for this reminder. You give them to me pretty frequently! Help me be faithful in all that You have for me to do, in activities, in words, and especially in prayer. May I be Your agent for Your will to be done on every level, throughout the world, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 5, 2016

Posted on April 9, 2016 by jgarrott

1 Kings 8:24 “You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.”

God’s promises are going to be fulfilled, so we had better pay attention to them! Often we read the Bible and think, that’s nice, and then go on our way with no grasp of the fact that what we have just read is even more certain than the day’s headlines. After all, reporters just write as they perceive things, while God is aware not only of what is really going on, but also of what is going to happen. That’s why it is helpful to write down what we feel God is saying to us, particularly in daily devotions. Looking back over what we have prayed and what God has spoken to us in the past can be a powerful encouragement to faith in the present for the future. When we read the promises in the Bible, it’s important to pay attention not just to the promises themselves but also to the conditions that God attaches to those promises. If we ignore the conditions, we won’t be able to enjoy the things promised. Also, it’s important to recognize that God doesn’t just promise good things, He also promises bad things if we fail to be obedient. We don’t like to think of those as promises, but they are just as valid as the ones we like to claim. I often quote John 16:33 – “In this world you will have trouble, but rejoice; I have overcome the world.” That’s a promise! Any time we have trouble, we should remember that verse and take our troubles as a sign of the faithfulness of God.

I’ve had plenty of run-ins with the “name it and claim it” crowd. Their focus on God’s promises is good, but woefully deficient, because they tend to ignore the conditions, as well as the negative promises. I must not let such negative encounters blunt my appreciation for God’s absolute faithfulness and love. In my familiarity with Scripture I must not gloss over passages, because familiarity indeed breeds contempt. I must keep my heart open and sensitive to the Holy Spirit all the time, and particularly every time I open the Bible, or even recall a verse or passage. I am to proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom and remember that every bit of it applies to me just as much as to the people to whom I speak. God is faithful, and His Word is eternal.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that I’ve been asked to speak briefly to the graduates today. I pray that Your words through me would indeed encourage each graduate, and the others present as well. May we all have a fresh appreciation of Your faithfulness, to commit ourselves to You afresh so that Your plans may be accomplished in and through us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 4, 2016

Posted on April 9, 2016 by jgarrott

2 Samuel 24:24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.

This is a significant story that shows us more of why David was pleasing to God. The amount he chose to pay in silver for the land would not be insignificant even today (though by land prices in Tokyo it was pretty cheap). The whole point is that a sacrifice is a sacrifice, which is distinct from an offering. These days we think of everything in terms of money, but initially it was agricultural products, and when they were gone, they were gone. That was the whole point of a burnt offering: no one but God got any of it. With fellowship offerings, the fat was burned up but the meat was eaten by the worshipers. That was one reason festivals were such happy occasions: everyone got to eat meat. What David did here was different, burning the entire animal so that it was totally given to God. The closest New Testament parallel that comes to mind is the story of the widow who gave God all she had to live on. (Mark 12:41-44) God honors giving like that. Sadly, these days any time the whole matter of giving to God comes up, “Prosperity Gospel” comes into the picture. There are exceptions, but much of that becomes “giving to get,” so that the motive is actually greed. It is entirely true that “We can’t out-give God,” as they are so fond of saying, but the “return on investment” is seldom directly financial. When we give to God in sincerity He does bless us, but our motives are of the utmost importance.

This is an awkward subject for me, as I think it is for most people. We’re all conflicted on the matter of money! I grew up with tithing as an ingrained habit, but got away from it for a while as a young adult. I was already married and a father when I came under conviction, with Cathy, that we needed to be tithing, but there was always more month left at the end of the money, and it didn’t seem to be possible. However, when we chose to take the tithe out first, as soon as the money came in, there was actually money left at the end of the month! Tithing first has been our practice ever since, for 40+ years now, and though there have been lean times, God has always met our every need. Understanding both how much God has already done for us, and that His supply is literally infinite, makes that part of it easy. At the same time, we are constantly bombarded with requests for money from many directions, and many of those are indeed worthy causes. Rather than turn off to them automatically, I need to ask God what, if anything, He wants me to do about each one. It is a privilege and a joy to be a channel of His supply, but my motive and my direction must always be Him, and nothing less.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I don’t have wisdom in myself to deal with all that You place in my hands, so I ask You for that wisdom. May I be a faithful steward, not just of what I give to the church, and not just in finances, but in every area of my life. May I return to You what You give to me in ways that are fully pleasing to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 3, 2016

Posted on April 4, 2016 by jgarrott

2 Samuel 15:25-26 Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling-place again. But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.”

Once again we have an example of David’s humility and submission before the Lord. I dare say the considerable wisdom, even craftiness, he displayed immediately after this was a result of that humility. He trusted God to do what was best, whether that agreed with what he personally desired or not. That’s an attitude we would all certainly do well to emulate! His statement here was addressed to people rather than to God, but it still beings to mind Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane: “Not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39) This is what the Bible is talking about when it says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) When God is our first priority, He will guide us beyond anything we could manage on our own. David was facing a coup de etat by one of his own sons, but God gave him wisdom to the point that he came through even more firmly in control of the nation than before. If we will walk in the level of trust in God that David was displaying here, we too will see results better that anyone might have predicted.

I’ve never faced this particular level of crisis, but I have had “rebellion in the ranks,” so to speak, and God has brought me through it. However, the nature of the crisis isn’t the issue, it’s the whole matter of trusting God enough to be obedient to whatever He shows me, whether that agrees with my natural inclinations or not. I face various issues all the time, and as He has shown me, God’s smart and I’m not. I’m not to discard the intellect the Lord has given me, but my starting point, and my ending point, must be God and what He wants, rather than what my own intellect can devise. God is far better able to deal with any situation than I am!

Father, thank You for Your grace that provides all that we need out of the love that You are. Thank You that I have no reason to be anxious about anything at all. That’s a hard thing to remember at times! Today is a full day, and then we get an early start tomorrow for a three-day trip, and I’ve got a runny nose. Help me take each step in full obedience to You, resting, relaxing, and rejoicing, so that all of Your plans involving me may be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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