March 27, 2016

Posted on March 30, 2016 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 1:27-28 “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he shall be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah is a magnificent example of faith. However, today she would be imprisoned for child abandonment! Hannah knew that the Lord was totally reliable, but today many act as though He didn’t exist, whatever they say with their mouths. She is an extreme example of integrity, because she followed through with the promise she had made to the Lord, since He had followed through in meeting her need. That is clear evidence that He was very real to her, whatever her “theology” might have been. Today, in addition to those who honor God only with their mouths (Isaiah 29:13) we have some who are very earnest in their Christianity, but they are more concerned with whether people dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s than with practical, rubber-meets-the-road faith. We need to remember that people back then had very little of the Bible to go on, if they were even literate, so their experience of God was very personal and practical. Biblical knowledge is valuable indeed, (2 Timothy 3:16) but even memorizing the Bible is no substitute for living out the faith you have. (James 1:22) Hannah trusted God and acted on that, and the result was one of the pivotal figures in world history, the prophet who anointed Israel’s first two kings. God honors faith.

With my high level of familiarity with Scripture I tend to be surprised at Christians who don’t know the Bible very well. That has a real influence on my preaching, because I tend to assume too much background for people to be able to understand what I am saying. I need to be looking for Hannahs, people who will act on the faith they have, however little, or much, theological underpinning they might have for it. I need to be willing to teach from zero, so to speak, and not demand that people start from a certain level. I don’t make that demand intentionally, but it happens all too often in practical terms. I would love to have a church full of Hannahs, but I don’t know that I’d be the best pastor for them! I need to let the Lord continue to grow me as His agent to all whom I meet, dealing with them where they are and as they are so that they may be brought closer to Him in genuine growth toward spiritual maturity, for their blessing and His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word this morning. It was quite painful recently when someone I love said he wouldn’t be attending here any more because I don’t feed him spiritually. I feel sure there are are other factors, and I ask for clear guidance as to how I am to relate to him going forward. May all those under my care be nurtured as they need it and not dumped by the wayside, so that all may grow together to be the mature children that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 26, 2016

Posted on March 27, 2016 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 1:17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

We know from the next couple of chapters that Eli was hardly an exemplary high priest, and his sons were downright despicable, but the office carried weight even so. I don’t know that he was intending to be prophetic here, but at the very least he was intending to speak blessing, and that blessing was effective. I am reminded of another High Priest who was certainly not yielded to God, but who nonetheless spoke an important prophetic Word. “Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.” (John 11:49-52) He was actively involved in killing the Son of God, and yet he spoke God’s plan of salvation in a nutshell! The office a person holds is important, so whether they are worthy of that office or not, their words and actions carry weight. I am reminded of the fact that my father’s certificate for the Order of the Imperial Treasury that was awarded at the time of his death is signed by Kakuei Tanaka, the only prime minister ever to be convicted of receiving bribes. That signature of a deeply flawed man does not diminish the award. We are not to let titles blind us, but neither are we to despise an office because it is currently held by an unworthy occupant.

This is of course extremely applicable to churches. A pastor is not above their flock, but the office carries weight. The person holding the office must never forget that it is a weight of responsibility, not privilege. I have to answer to God for my every decision and action, even more so than someone not in my position. (James 3:1) I have found, sometimes painfully, that my words carry weight, and so can wound more easily than those of someone else. Like Eli, I need to speak blessing and give hope. The hope that he imparted to Hannah may well have been the factor that enabled her to conceive! Every believer is a representative of Christ, (Acts 1:8) but as a pastor, even the world looks on me that way. By God’s grace I am to do that faithfully, not distorting the image they get, so that as many as will may come to Him and receive life.

Father, at times I am blown away by how You use even my mistakes for good, but I’d rather not put You to that trouble! Help me fulfill Your calling, Your commission, in every respect, so that all of Your plans for me may come to pass, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 25, 2016

Posted on March 27, 2016 by jgarrott

Judges 16:28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.”

This is an interesting prayer, with both power and impurity. It has for a starting point a humility that Samson was slow to achieve. He recognized, finally, that it was only God who had given him so much strength in the past, and it was his own disobedience that had stripped him of that strength. That was good, but at the same time, the desire for personal revenge was not good. I don’t know whether his willingness to die in the process had any bearing on the good-or-bad scale. His personal desire was for revenge, but at the same time, the Philistines were actively praising their god for their victory over Samson, and that was reason enough for God to act. This is a very popular story in Sunday School, but it is certainly R-rated at best! Samson is an example of how flawed a person can be and still be used by God. He appears to have done most of his thinking with his gonads, which is hardly the image of a man of God! At the same time, he is a picture of God using us in spite of ourselves, and how it is never too late to recognize our dependence on Him.

I have certainly prayed with mixed motives many times. That’s probably why my prayers haven’t had a higher success rate! By God’s grace I have made it past the age at which my father died, and I am fully aware that it is only by His grace that I can accomplish anything at all. Yesterday he enabled me to do repair work on the ceiling, balanced on a scaffold, and today my body is telling me it didn’t enjoy that! However, by His grace my body will recover, and neither I nor the young man helping me had any injuries, which had been a real concern. The whole matter of motivation for prayer is an important one, for me personally and for my ministry as a pastor. I need to learn from this prayer of Samson that prayer can be effective even when the motivation isn’t pure. Accordingly, I should never be hesitant to pray, or to encourage others to pray. I need to trust the Holy Spirit to sort it all out, (Romans 8:26-27) and just pray.

Father, thank You for Your guidance and protection yesterday. I am very aware of the imperfections in what was done and how, but You got us through it anyway. Help me not hold back from anything You direct because of focusing on my weaknesses, but rather trust You to enable me to do Your will. Thank You that what was done yesterday is not going to increase my personal pride! Help me make the use that You intend of the abilities You have given me, without being personally proud of any of it, so that You alone may be glorified. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 24, 2016

Posted on March 26, 2016 by jgarrott

Judges 13:8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord: “O Lord, I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.”

Two things stand out to me in this prayer of Manoah. First, he trusted his wife. Had he not, he might have suspected that she had fallen for some mysterious stranger and was concocting this story to cover up in case she was pregnant (since infertility in a couple can come from either side). The second thing is that he really believed in God. That is evident from the fact that his prayer was not whether the boy would be born, but rather how to raise such a miraculous child. The Bible has many examples to show us that God likes that kind of faith. To me, the angel’s parenting instructions seem highly inadequate, but God knew in advance what Samson’s story would be, and that He was going to make use of both Samson’s strength and his weaknesses. I find Manoah’s faith all the more remarkable because he probably had very little basis for it. No more than the first six books of the Bible had been written, and the probability is very high that he was illiterate anyway. Nevertheless, he knew enough of the oral tradition of Israel to know that Yahweh was God indeed, and He could do miraculous things. That he knew how to sacrifice a burnt offering is another indication that he was devout; this was obviously not the first time he had done so – though he had never seen an angel ascend in the flames before! God takes us where we are and uses us, if we will yield ourselves to Him. Manoah himself was no special physical specimen, but God used him to father one of the physically strongest people in history. Genetics alone couldn’t account for it.

I have things to learn from Manoah. I have been blessed, both in nature and nurture, as they say, but as long as I am depending on that, nothing miraculous is going to happen. Miracles are by definition outside of human ability, so the more I focus on my ability the less likely I am to see miracles. I need to listen humbly to God to know His plans, and then not try to figure out how to make them happen in my strength, but rather ask Him what my part is to be in their coming to pass. God has given me a vision of Omura again becoming the foremost Christian city in Japan, actively advancing the kingdom of God to the ends of the earth. That is so impossible as to be preposterous, from the human standpoint, but that is all the more reason to believe it is God’s idea, because He will be the only explanation for it. I need to start asking God how I’m to act when it happens, rather than dismissing it as impossible.

Father, thank You for this reminder, this renewal of Your vision in me. We read the church vision in church every Sunday, but to a degree it has become just words to me. Forgive me. Help me actively anticipate what You are going to do, in no way depending on myself but being fully available and responsive to You for whatever You want to do through me. May all of Your plans, for me, for this church, for this city, and for this nation, be fulfilled in Your way on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 23, 2016

Posted on March 26, 2016 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 9:20 And the Lord was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I prayed for Aaron too.

Church leaders need prayer too! Most have not been as flagrant as to make an idol, but all have made mistakes. Even the ones who have made major errors, drawing many after them, are not beyond redemption if they will repent, so we need to pray for them. Often the person in the pew doesn’t grasp emotionally that their pastor faces the same temptations they do, and the pressures are often greater. That’s no excuse for sin, but it does point up the need for prayer support. I have seen leaders close to me fall, and in every case I’ve seen, there was a lack of transparency and accountability involved. When the leader is seen as unapproachable, pitfalls abound. When the leader is seen as above it all – especially by himself – disaster is just around the corner. All the English translations I checked say that Moses prayed for Aaron, but the Japanese specifies that he interceded for him. Intercession is “standing in the gap,” (Ezekiel 22:30) recognizing a need and seeking to meet that in prayer. God does anoint some people as intercessors with special gifts of perception and compassion, and they are marvelous gifts to the Body of Christ. However, every believer has the ability and the privilege of intercession, but many fail to recognize it. James 5:16 is very much to the point: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” All of us are righteous by faith, if our repentance is up to date, and there is great blessing in seeing God meet a brother or sister’s need through your prayers.

I don’t have the specific calling of Intercessor, but I am still called to intercede. That’s not a contradiction. I don’t have special gifts in that area, but I am to pray for others however the Lord guides and gives opportunity. At the same time, I am very aware that I also need people to pray for me, just as Paul did. (Romans 15:31, Ephesians 6:20, Colossians 4:4) I am as human as anyone else, and just as liable to deceive myself. (James 1:22) I must never neglect praying for others, precisely because I know my own need. The power is not in us, it is in the One to whom we pray, and he delights to listen to and make good use of the prayers of His children.

Father, thank You indeed for the privilege of intercession, both of doing it and receiving it. May I not neglect it but exercise it more and more, for everyone whom You indicate. May I be willing to stand in the gap even when I know it invites attack on me, resting in the assurance that Your presence in me is greater than anything that can come against me. (1 John 4:4) Thank You. Praise God!

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March 22, 2016

Posted on March 24, 2016 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 4:7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?

This shows clearly the polytheistic mindset of virtually everyone in those days. I doubt that any of the Israelites thought of Yahweh as the only God, He was just the strongest, and most especially, He was their God. That was perhaps the biggest factor in their being so prone to getting into trouble with other gods, such as the Baal of Peor that Moses mentions here. Moses isn’t asking them to make the jump to full monotheism, he’s just trying to point out that none of the other gods they know about is as close and personal as Yahweh. We have trouble understanding this mindset today, in America at any rate. In the US, theism is assumed to be monotheism, when that was firmly entrenched even in Jewish thinking only much later than Moses. All of that said, it is still very relevant to us today that God is indeed near when we call on Him. Monotheism doesn’t do you much good if you only see God as some distant being who doesn’t care about you. One of the consistent, and amazing, themes of the Bible is exactly the fact that God does care, very deeply in fact. As John said, He is love, (1 John 4:8) and the opposite of love is indifference. When God is love, it follows that He cares more about us than we care about ourselves. Nothing else could explain the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That’s what John 3:16 is all about: He cares. Peter said it too: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) When we really get that fact into our minds and hearts, both rebellion and worry should go out the window. We live in a fallen world, which means that we will have troubles in this life, but when we really understand the love of God, those troubles are no big deal. (John 16:33)

The whole matter of dealing with people where they are, polytheism and all, is extremely relevant to me in Japan, because the average Japanese has some very deep polytheistic tendencies. Most Japanese are dedicated to the gods at a Shinto shrine as infants, then have a “Christian” wedding and a Buddhist funeral, and they see no conflict to that. I wonder if I haven’t kept some people out of the family of God by my insisting on monotheism from the outset, rather than letting the Holy Spirit straighten that out after they open the door to Jesus. The Japanese themselves describe their nation as “the land of 8 million gods,” because Shinto is animistic, and almost any impressive natural feature is liable to be worshiped. Historically, that fed into worshiping not just the emperor but also other impressive human beings after their death, which dovetailed with Confucian ancestor worship, as practiced in Japanese Buddhism. That’s the spiritual mess I deal with all the time! Nowadays people generally go through religious motions without any real personal faith, which makes them suspicious of active Christianity in which Christ is our life. That is true even in church! I certainly can’t straighten it all out in my own strength or wisdom, either on a macro or a micro level, so I’ve got to depend on God. I too need to remember that He cares, that He’s not distant or indifferent, and make myself available to Him in obedient trust, for His glory.

Father, You really helped me lay the problem out clearly. Thank You. Knowing the problem, help me trust You for the answer, not trying to cook it up on my own but recognizing it as You show it to me, so that as many as possible of these Japanese whom You love may be brought into Your family, Your kingdom, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 21, 2016

Posted on March 24, 2016 by jgarrott

Numbers 21:8-9 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

From our current perspective this is one of the more bizarre incidents in the whole Bible, right up there with the talking donkey. (Numbers 22:28) To modern theology it seems like pure superstition, yet Jesus explicitly said that it was a foreshadowing of His crucifixion. (John 3:14) The thing is, faith needs an object, and at the time, the people were so generally ignorant of God that He had Moses make them a physical object that they could relate to. In a sense it really was superstition, but they were unable to relate to God on a higher level at that point. Protestants tend to despise Catholics for all the physical objects – statues, medallions and the like – they use, but there is a difference between that and idolatry. Sometimes the line is very fine, and sometimes it is crossed, but physical objects don’t automatically equal the “graven images” of the 10 Commandments. That said, that line can indeed be crossed, and even the snake in this story made it across that line later in Israel’s history, so that King Hezekiah had to destroy it. (2 Kings 18:4) That shows the complicated nature of faith. Jesus said this prefigured His supreme act of salvation, yet it had to be destroyed because people were worshiping the thing rather than God Himself. Actually, this happens on many levels, and not just the physical. Denominations often fall into this trap, when people become more zealous for their organization than they are for Jesus Christ. The organization might have been as much God’s idea as the snake was, but it is just as temporary.

This issue is actually a major reason why I chose the non-denominational route for my ministry. I have seen so many walls thrown up within the Body of Christ over labels and terminology. However, my very non-denominationalism could become a stumbling block for me, if I let pride in it make me feel superior to my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am not to abandon the positions I feel God has shown me through His Word, but I am to share those gently, in love and respect, and not place the position ahead of Christ in my heart. I am not to despise traditions, but neither am I to cling to them once their purpose is gone. I am to remember that everything on this earth is temporal, temporary, and keep my heart fixed on the eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the day yesterday and for how encouraging it was. Help me remember all the time that I don’t know what’s really going on, so that I won’t let what I see tie me in knots. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, responding to You with gratitude and obedience at all times, so that Your will may be done in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 20, 2016

Posted on March 22, 2016 by jgarrott

Exodus 33:13 “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

It just struck me that Moses had every reason to pray this prayer, because none of the Bible had been written at this point. It was Moses himself who wrote the first five books, during the 40 years of wandering in the desert after this. Being guided in that writing was a very real answer, and a magnificent one, to this very prayer. That said, this is the sort of prayer God delights to answer, because it is focused more on God than it is on the person praying. However, if we pray this exact prayer today, the first thing God will say is, “Well, have you read my Book?” God does reveal Himself individually to us today, but the first method He uses to do that is the Bible. We do need the help of the Holy Spirit to grasp it properly, but the words are there. God speaks to different people in different ways, and some do see visions and hear essentially direct speech. However, especially for such people, it is essential to be grounded in the Word, because there are definitely lying spirits out there that try to divert us from God’s way. (1 Kings 22:22-23) The devil himself is a consummate liar, and he even quotes the Bible! (Luke 4:9-11) When we are really familiar with the Word, lies about God become obvious. If we want to know more of God and His ways, desiring to be obedient to Him, the first thing we will do is seek to absorb His Word, not as abstract knowledge, but as something to put into practice. (James 1:22)

I have gone through periods of seeking God, periods of taking Him for granted, and periods of ignoring Him. Seeking Him is definitely best! Growing up in the home I did, particularly with reading through the Bible (RSV) before I was a teenager, I’ve always had knowledge about God, which is why I am very aware there is a huge difference between knowing about Him and knowing Him. My life in the 60 years since my baptism has been a process of getting to know Him. At this point, knowing Him fully is one of my greatest anticipations about heaven. (1 Corinthians 13:12) I have learned that everything He had people write about Him in the Bible is true, and can be counted on. I am still learning to trust Him more and obey Him better, which seems almost ironic considering how much practice He’s given me in that, but it just shows my human fallibility. I have been given the privilege of leading others to know Him better, and that is a high calling indeed. If I pretend to have it all together, I will benefit no one and potentially cause real harm. I am not to look down on anyone, but remember God’s grace toward me and extend it to others. God is the only one who cannot make mistakes! As He has told me, I am to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him. If I will do that, I will indeed lead others to do likewise.

Father, yesterday was a pretty rough day as I came face to face with the results of my own procrastination and lack of organization. Thank You for pointing out so strongly that I have no room to look down on others who lose out because of procrastination. Right now I have very little emotional margin because of all that has been going on. That just shows how much room I have to grow in resting, relaxing, and rejoicing in You. May I take my hands off of the wheel today and let You drive, so that all of Your purposes for me in this day may be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 19, 2016

Posted on March 22, 2016 by jgarrott

Exodus 10:16-17 Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”

Pharaoh is a very clear bad example, and we need to learn from him, not to imitate him. Pharaoh’s words were perfect here, which shows how deceitful the human heart can be. It also shows why John the Baptist and Jesus, not to mention numbers of prophets, all emphasized action to back up our words. Words can be vitally important, but if the heart is not in them they are empty indeed. That’s why there are so many “Christian” pagans running around: they said the prescribed words, but their heart was not really in it. Just this week, the pastor who spoke briefly at an interdenominational prayer meeting talked about how he was baptized as a boy but without real faith, leaving him a baptized pagan. It wasn’t until he attended a retreat in college that he surrendered himself to Christ and was born again. The Bible is filled with examples of one sort and another, both good and bad. Civilization advances, but the human heart remains the same, which is why all those examples are valid today. We need to learn to say the right words, yes, but follow through and do as we say, so that we won’t deceive ourselves. (James 1:22)

If someone came to me saying what Pharaoh did, I would in all probability take it as genuine repentance and would see no obstacle to baptizing them. However, I have baptized some people who were no more sincere than he was! Actually, at that moment even he probably thought he was sincere! We are not to place unnecessary obstacles in people’s way, but we are to leave the matter of salvation in God’s hands. I would rather baptize some who were not sincere than fail to baptize anyone who was, and so cause them to give up. This can be a real problem. I don’t want to make people think they are right with God when they are not, but I certainly don’t want to turn people away who are genuinely seeking Him. This may be what Jesus was talking about right after His resurrection, when He said, “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:23) That has always been a somewhat controversial passage, and actually a rather scary one. I want to err, if I am going to err, on the side of forgiveness, because I have at least some grasp of how much I need to be forgiven.

Father, help me see people with Your eyes, hear them with Your ears, and love them with Your love. May I not be deceived by words, my own or anyone else’s, but let Your Spirit guide me and them into Your truth, destroying the works of the devil and bringing Your kingdom, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 18, 2016

Posted on March 19, 2016 by jgarrott

Exodus 9:34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts.

How very human of them! We are all very prone to cry out to God in a crisis, but then forget about it all the moment the situation improves. I am reminded of how churches were full in America right after the World Trade Center attack, but then how quickly people again ignored God just weeks later. Right now America is at a turning point because of the presidential election, but people’s responses are all over the place. Many who claim Christ if asked are totally failing to seek God for direction and are placing their hopes in very flawed people. Franklin Graham, unsurprisingly, has stated the Biblical course, not trusting any political party but devoting himself to calling people to prayer. People whose hearts are broken over the spiritual condition of the nation are indeed waking up, but it remains to be seen what their numbers are, and as this verse indicates, whether they will stay awake once the election is over, particularly if the outcome seems good to them. America has indeed been “a shining city on a hill” for over 200 years, sending out more missionaries and doing more for general world welfare than any other nation, but it is in drastic need of repentance and revival. Words are important, but just words don’t cut it. As in Jesus’ brief parable, it wasn’t the son who said what his father wanted to hear who actually did his father’s will, but the one who repented of his rebellion. (Matthew 21:28-32) God desires that His children wake up indeed and stay awake, actively participating in society as His representatives, so that His Name may be recognized as holy (rather than used as profanity, as it is today) and His kingdom come.

I am certainly stirred up by what is going on in America today, but since I live in Japan, my participation is limited. I am to be praying for America, certainly, but I must not overlook what I am to be doing here in Japan. Frankly, the percentage of Christians is so low in Japan that part of me welcomes the distraction of what is going on in the US, to keep me from depressed with the situation here. I am to stay awake and alert in all areas (metaphorically of course; I do need sleep). I am to keep pressing in for more of God whether my circumstances seem easy or hard. I am to make Him my first priority on every level, so that His plans for me may be fulfilled, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Keep me from saying good words and then failing to follow through. May I keep Jesus in focus at all times (Hebrews 12:2) so that everything else will stay in perspective, and I will walk in Your peace and joy, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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