November 18, 2015

Posted on November 19, 2015 by jgarrott

2 Kings 19:19 “Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”

I am impressed with Hezekiah’s recorded prayers. They are logical and also humble, expressing faith and trust. The threats from Assyria were accurate enough. They had indeed conquered nation after nation, destroying their idols, and from their standpoint, how were Judah and Yahweh any different? That was exactly the point of Hezekiah’s prayer here: show ’em, Lord! And God indeed rescued Judah at this point. However, Hezekiah was later naive enough to show all his treasure off to envoys from Babylon, (2 Kings 20:12-19) and his successors to the throne were unfaithful to God, so Judah did eventually go into exile, but it was certainly not as any of the “political pundits” of the day might have predicted. We hear a lot on the news, and most of it is not good, but the vast majority of those reporting it ignore the fact that God is still God, and His power is in no way diminished. It would be wise for us, like Hezekiah, to pray on the basis of people knowing God out of all this mess. Muslims are spreading terror in the name of their god; we need to pray that our God would show Himself mighty, and that the people who claim His name would stand up and live like His children indeed, bringing in the harvest of souls that He desires.

I will confess to being a news junkie, but even I am increasingly impressed that God is still God, and most of the “talking heads” have no idea what they’re talking about, because they haven’t entered God into the equation. I need to rest secure in the knowledge of God and let His Spirit guide me in using current events to open people’s eyes to Him. My personal situation has taken a dramatic turn for the better over the past 20 hours, with the doctor and then the physical therapist saying Cathy should be able to be discharged this week, and then her having a better night pain-wise last night than she’s had in quite a while. God has already used her medical situation to draw quite a few people closer to Him, and He will continue that. We indeed need to rest, relax, and rejoice that God’s plans are perfect, whatever they look like to us at the moment, and fulfill the parts that He has for us in those plans, for His glory.

Father, thank You indeed for the prospect of Cathy being discharged this week. It kept me awake in the night! Thank You for how she has touched her roommates, as well as the nursing staff. I pray that there will be abundant harvest indeed from the seed You have allowed her to sow. May people understand that what they see in us that draws them is Christ in us, and so open their own hearts to receive Him as Lord, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 17, 2015

Posted on November 19, 2015 by jgarrott

2 Kings 1:15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.

You would think that Elijah had no reason to fear, but the army captain had every reason to fear Elijah, and he knew it. My initial response is to feel sorry for the first two companies of men who came to get Elijah, but as I was thinking that, the Lord pointed out to me that we suffer the fate of the one we serve. That’s a principle that gets too little attention. That actually is why people wind up in hell, which was never created for them. It was created as a destination for Satan, but those who serve him, either spirits or humans, join him there. We are rightly concerned about “collateral damage” in war, but some of what we think of that way is actually just an expression of this principle. That’s not to be heartless, but it is to look deeper than the headlines. Whom we serve is not just the ultimate question of life, but of eternity. God wants us to serve Him out of love, but serving Him out of fear is far better than not serving Him at all. The biggest risk in serving God out of fear is that of serving Him externally while rebelling against Him internally. He sees and knows, and it is our hearts that matter most. The thing is, if we serve God in sincerity our motive quickly becomes love, whatever it was to begin with, because we discover who He really is and what He is like. His absolute holiness should inspire fear, but His grace and mercy, properly received, will certainly inspire gratitude and love.

I had a time when I thought I was serving God but actually was serving the devil. God in His mercy opened my eyes to what I was doing, and my gratitude is very real. As a pastor, particularly one serving in Japan, my task is to help people first understand the principle of following your lord, and then helping them see who they are following. Japanese history should be useful in understanding the principle of allegiance to a lord, but the difficulty is in helping them see they are following the devil. Even Americans, with the Bible in their culture, have trouble admitting that. I must remember that it is the work of the Holy Spirit, not my job, to convict of sin, righteousness and judgment. (John 16:8-11) That said, I must not shy away from letting Him speak through me, even at the risk of people not liking me or rejecting me outright. Their salvation is far more important than my popularity!

Father, I’ll confess to soft-pedaling the message at times, not because You were saying to do so but out of a desire to be liked. Forgive me. Help me always speak Your truth in love, however it is perceived, so that people’s eyes may be opened and they may choose to follow You rather than the devil, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 16, 2015

Posted on November 16, 2015 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 23:4 Once again David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him.

The Bible has numbers of examples of people gaining tactical advantage because they inquired of God. Objectively speaking, it is only logical to inquire of someone who is omniscient! However, there are two hindrances to that. Even if we believe that God knows, we have to believe that He cares enough to tell us if we ask. The second problem is that we don’t know how to listen when He answers. In this particular instance, Abiathar had brought the ephod to David (verse 6) This was a priestly garment, and the breastpiece, worn over the ephod, had a pocket in which the Urim and Thummim were kept. (Exodus 28:6-30) The Urim and Thummim are objects of great conjecture. Whatever shape or color they were, they were different, and one was taken to be a yes answer and the other a no. Formal inquiry would be made of the Lord, the priest would put his hand in the pocket, and whichever one he brought out was taken as the Lord’s answer. That obviously would be effective only with yes-or-no questions, but this story illustrates how David asked those. We don’t have anything quite that simplistic, but God is just as interested in talking to us as He was to David. Whether flipping a coin, which would seem to have the same odds if it were strictly by chance, is a method of which the Lord would approve is something I can’t answer definitively, but I would think that if the heart is genuinely open and submitted to Him, He might use it. The point is whether the question is truly submitted to God, and we are willing to accept whatever answer He gives. A more New Testament method is listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. However, here too we have to be sincerely inquiring of God, not just seeking justification for what we already want to do, and we have to be committed to obedience, whatever the Lord tells us. If we have that commitment, we will be surprised at how often the Lord directs us.

I have wavered in various decisions, but not as much as I see some people wavering. Some become essentially paralyzed by their inability to decide. As a pastor I am often called upon for advice, but I must be careful that I don’t “render a decision” that they then blame on me if things don’t turn out as they hope. My father was notorious for answering, when asked for advice, “What does God say?” The thing of it is, often we know what He is saying but we don’t really want to accept it. I know too well from experience that if I am tuned to my flesh, I’m not going to listen to God. I am not to look down on people who are indecisive, but rather come alongside them to encourage faith that God really does have a good plan for them, (Jeremiah 29:11) and that He will enable them to follow that plan if they will submit obediently to Him.

Father, You know who is most on my heart as I write this, but he is far from the first and certainly won’t be the last person in my care to face such a crossroads. I ask You to give him not only faith but courage. The devil is dumping fear on him at a great rate. Help him submit to You so that he may resist the devil. (James 4:7) May all of Your plans, for him and for each of us, be fulfilled indeed, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 15, 2015

Posted on November 16, 2015 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 12:23 “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.”

I would imagine that every spiritual leader has moments of being tempted to chuck the whole thing, but here Samuel states clearly that following through on that impulse would be sinning against the Lord. Political and military leaders have various things they can do to exercise and maintain their leadership, but the two major things a spiritual leader can and must do are pray and teach. (I need to state clearly that I am talking about those who lead by the Holy Spirit. There are various “spiritual leaders” who lead by all sorts of deceiving spirits. That is certainly an issue, but not one I’m addressing here.) Leadership is meaningless if there is no forward direction, so teaching the right way to go is part of the very definition. However, without prayer we are unlikely to find the right way and certainly no hope of following it consistently. As Christians we have the huge advantage of the Bible, but without prayer, and the intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit that engenders and represents, the Bible remains just a literary work. It is indeed a literary work without parallel, but if it is no more than that to us, there is no life in it. Every spiritual leader needs to maintain their own relationship with God, both seeking and following the right path for themselves, before they go expounding to others what the right path is for them. With that relationship in place, then they need to focus first on prayer for their flock, and only then on preaching and teaching. I wonder how different the Church would be today if all those in it with leadership positions followed that priority?

Ouch! I can at least say I am aware of the need for that priority, but I know I have room to grow in following it. I will confess to burnout, to praying for and working with people until I essentially give up on them. That isn’t keeping my eyes on Jesus! (Hebrews 12:1-2) I am never to give up on anyone, but neither am I to feel that I am personally responsible for how they respond to the truth I speak to them in love. That is the road to total breakdown! I am to pray and I am to speak, but I should not speak without having prayed. I’ve done too much of that! I need to remember that my responsibility is to God, and failing to pray for those in my care is sin against Him. I’ve never been one to spend hours on my knees, but I am learning what it is to “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) allowing the Holy Spirit to bring people and situations to my mind throughout the day and directing my thoughts to the Father as prayer. I need to do that better and more effectively! I do not want to be in the position of sinning against God by failing to do something as simple, and ultimately as satisfying, as praying.

Father, You’ve given me a message on prayer for this morning. May I deliver it accurately, in Your love and by Your Spirit, so that everyone in this church may learn the joy of fellowship with You and so grow as Your children, as You desire and intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 14, 2015

Posted on November 15, 2015 by jgarrott

Judges 6:14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

This is a very powerful Scripture for those who, like Gideon, have their eyes fixed on themselves and their circumstances. The Lord said, through the angel, “Go in the strength you have.” From Gideon’s viewpoint, that was no strength at all! However, it’s the last part that is the clincher: “Am I not sending you?” As has been well said, where God guides, He provides. Often, perhaps even most of the time, we fail to recognize that provision, and either fail to act or do so with great anxiety and trepidation. That was certainly the case with Gideon. His story is justly famous, because God used him to demonstrate how He can do mighty things with next to nothing, humanly speaking, if those things are genuinely released to Him. I think God chose Gideon precisely because he had such a low self-image. That kept him from depending on himself, at least at this point. Sadly, later in his life he did make some major mistakes because his focus was not as it should have been, but that is a reminder that we must maintain humility before God all the way through, however much God has used us along the way. (Billy Graham is a good example here of how we need to be.) The thing is, if God is sending us, we had better get going! Often that will involve steps of preparation, and we must not draw back from those, but if we always wait until we are “ready,” we will never get anything done!

I have tended to be one of those who skipped the preparation steps and charged in unprepared, but as a pastor I deal fairly often with people who are very much like Gideon at the point of this verse. I have experienced God’s faithfulness so many times myself that I get very exasperated with people who can’t seem to believe that God could actually use them. That exasperation doesn’t accomplish anything good, either! I need to be firm, but I must be careful always to speak the truth in love, and not in anger. Their failures, though sad, are not on my record, unless I have failed to be obedient to the Lord toward them. I see so much potential all around me, and at times I want to cry out because of how little that potential is being utilized, but then I need to look at myself and let the Lord show me how I have failed to listen obediently, just as I see others are doing. I need to remember, just as I encourage others to do, that God’s plans for us are good, and so follow wholeheartedly, for His glory.

Father, You know who is on my heart as I write this. However, I have seen many in this situation, and I will doubtless see many more. Help me be the encouragement to them that they need, not condemning but not failing to admonish when it is called for. Help me follow through with what You show me to do as well, so that all of Your plans, not just for me personally but for all whom I impact, may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 13, 2015

Posted on November 15, 2015 by jgarrott

Joshua 11:15 As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.

There’s a very important sequence here, and it deals with authority. Joshua had authority because it was imparted to him by Moses, but Moses had authority because it was given to him by God. Actually, God also spoke directly to Joshua, but that doesn’t negate this sequence. This is the sort of thing that was recognized by the Roman centurion whom Jesus commended for his faith. (Matthew 8:5-13) As that centurion realized, authority is imparted, and if the trail is followed back far enough, the source of all authority is the Creator. That said, authority has meaning only when it functions. Moses was obedient, for the most part, in what God told him to do, and here we have a statement of Joshua’s obedience. When we are doing what God has told us to do, His authority, and consequently His power, operate in and through us. When we step out of that flow, we lose all real authority and power.

I have always been a little uncomfortable with authority, though I have improved over the years, I think. At this point in my life I feel the Lord has given me a great deal of spiritual authority in this city and region, so it comes down to the question of what I am doing with it. Joshua had to be really active to be obedient to do all he was told. How am I doing? I don’t feel at this point that I have received very specific instructions about very many things. I am to listen carefully and then be careful to follow through. For example, I feel I am to pay a call on the newly elected mayor, since he is a former student of mine, and tell him I am praying for him. The late mayor was a Christian, but not as active in what this verse is talking about as he might have been – but then that could be said about all of us! I am to exercise the authority I have been given to cause people to recognize God as holy, bringing His kingdom here through doing His will for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word of encouragement and instruction. May I indeed be faithful in obedience, letting Your authority operate through me as You intend, so that the works of the enemy may be destroyed (1 John 3:8) and people be set free to enter Your kingdom, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 12, 2015

Posted on November 15, 2015 by jgarrott

Joshua 10:25 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”

I have to smile, reading this, because this is what the Lord told Joshua repeatedly, most famously in Joshua 1:9. The point is, it had become part of him; he wasn’t just quoting, he was speaking from his heart. This is what God wants to happen with His Word for each one of His children. There is no question that Joshua had internalized this message; the question is whether we have internalized what the Lord has told us. I keep coming back to James 1:22, and actually, Psalm 119:11. There is a world of difference between simply hearing and agreeing with something and actually internalizing it. Even memorization by itself isn’t internalization, though it doesn’t conflict. When something becomes part of us, we act on it automatically; we don’t have to stop and consider each time a relevant issue comes up. We often don’t realize what really has become part of us, because it has gone deeper than the level of normal thinking. I really think this is what Jesus was talking about when He said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” (John 15:7) This is worlds away from picking out a promise and claiming it! We aren’t to despair when we realize that we haven’t really internalized a particular truth, but we aren’t to be satisfied with that state of affairs, either. Rather, we are to repent of our failures and keep pressing in for more of God, allowing the Holy Spirit to write His Word on our hearts in truth, to be part of who we are regardless of our circumstances.

I grew up with a lot of knowledge of the Bible, which is why I am so aware of the difference between that and really making the Word part of you. I am reminded of something my maternal grandfather sometimes asked his seminary students: “How big is your Bible?” When asked, they would generally say something like, “Why Dr. Carver, it’s the same size as yours!” He would then come back with, “I’m not talking about printed matter, I’m talking about how much is in your heart.” I am grateful to say that by God’s grace I have internalized more and more of His Word, but I’ve still got plenty of room to grow. I’m reminded of an interview I saw just yesterday, talking with some of Billy Graham’s grandchildren. They said that at 95 he still posts Scripture on the walls of his home so that he may learn it better. (They said it’s in a very big font size, now!) I do want to be an expression of the Word of God, living it out in faithfulness for His glory.

Father, thank You for the amazing heritage You have given me, and for Your even more incredible patience in dealing with me. Help me be an unclogged conduit of Your Word, Your grace toward all I deal with. Thank You for everything You allow me to experience to clean out more of the “plaque.” May people be drawn to You because of what they see of Christ in me, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 11, 2015

Posted on November 12, 2015 by jgarrott

Joshua 10:13-14 The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a man. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!

Scientifically speaking, this is the biggest miracle in the whole Bible, because it is of literally astronomical proportions. I have read some reports of “an extra day in the scientific record,” but I take those with a huge grain of salt. I do know that the magnetic poles of the earth have swapped more than once, according to the geologic record, and also that the axis of rotation has shifted. I would personally conclude that this was such an event. The how of it remains a mystery, but it is certainly a reminder that God can do anything He likes. The why of it boggled the minds even of those who experienced it and recorded it. We are back to the mystery of prayer. Why would the omnipotent Creator of the universe listen to the voice of an individual human being? That is the mystery of God’s grace and love. We certainly can’t force God to do anything, but He tells us to ask, seek, and knock. (Matthew 7:7) When everything has repercussions that we can’t imagine, it is miraculous on the face of it that God would do anything on the basis of personal requests, but we know from experience as well as from the Bible that it indeed does happen. The only logical response is to press into God to line up with His will more and more fully, so that our prayers are indeed answered. I am convinced, again both from the Biblical record and from experience, that God desires fellowship with us His children; that’s why He created us. When we say “intimate” that immediately conjures up sexual overtones, but there’s nothing of that here. We were created for intimacy with God, and prayer is one of the best tastes of that we can get on this earth.

I was raised in a home where prayer was as natural as breathing, and for that I am deeply grateful. However, I have come to realize that prayer is not natural, it’s supernatural. I am not to look down on those who have difficulty with prayer, but rather come alongside them and encourage them. I give people the opportunity to hear me pray as an example, but when I have a gift for words, and as a pastor and teacher am a “professional speaker,” that can perhaps be more intimidating than encouraging. I need to seek and receive God’s wisdom in communicating the beauty and joy of prayer, so that everyone in my care may learn for themselves how much God loves them individually and wants them to grow close to Him.

Well, Father, I had wondered what You wanted me to speak on this Sunday! Thank You for making that clear, and for such a joyful topic to speak on. I ask for clear guidance as I prepare the notes so that it won’t be me talking down from an ivory tower, but rather relating to each person where they are, allowing Your Spirit to take my words and open the eyes of their hearts to all that You intend for them, for their great blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 10, 2015

Posted on November 12, 2015 by jgarrott

Joshua 8:1 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai.”

This verse needs to be considered in context. After their miraculous, total victory at Jericho the Israelites had experienced their first, shocking defeat the first time they tried to attack Ai. Chapter 7 tells the story, and how the Lord indicated that it was because of the sin, the greed, of Achan that they had been defeated. With that sin dealt with, now the Lord is telling Joshua to try again. As many people have pointed out, failures are an important part of success. If we have no failures, we never really learn anything, and we get cocky and conceited. In this particular instance, God gave Joshua wisdom as a general so that he used his forces effectively, and on the second try they had a decisive victory. We, like they, need to learn that if we are listening obediently to God, no obstacle is impassible, but if we fail to listen obediently to God, even small things will trip us up. That story has been played out countless times, as high-profile Church leaders, even, have crashed and burned. No sin is hidden before God, and we need to fear Him enough to do as He says, rather than listen to our flesh. That’s why the Bible says repeatedly, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalm 111:10) Today we tend to focus on the love of God, and loving Him in return. That’s not wrong, but if we forget that He is also perfectly holy, and that sin has consequences, we are setting ourselves up for failure. If we repent genuinely, then God will have turned our evil around and used it for good, (Romans 8:28) teaching us to fear and obey Him.

I have certainly had my moments of cocky conceit, and it’s not been pretty. I have been slow to learn absolute purity in my thought life, and that has been a real drag on me. The challenges of ministry in Japan are huge, and I have come to accept failure as normal. That’s no way to be! I need to seek the Lord for the tactics He would have me use, just as He led Joshua. Frankly, in Japan no tactic has been what we would call terribly effective in growing the Church, and that’s even more true outside of major metropolitan centers. I have been called and sent to Omura, but I have not been called and sent to failure. I need to be fully humble but not resigned, not beating myself up but not giving up either. God has not given us a vision of Omura again being the foremost Christian city in the nation for nothing!

Father, I didn’t expect this when I started writing! Thank You for Your encouragement. Thank You that You continue to grow and transform me into the likeness of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18) May I not get in the way of that but cooperate fully, so that as Your agent I may cause many to acknowledge You as holy, bringing Your kingdom as Your will is done perfectly right here, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 9, 2015

Posted on November 9, 2015 by jgarrott

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

This is certainly a magnificent command/promise, and it bears analysis. Fear is a major tool of the devil, and faith is the ultimate weapon against it. The devil peppers us with “what if?” scenarios, and we need to respond with the contents of this verse: my God is with me. As God said to Paul, His grace is all we need. (2 Corinthians 12:9) That’s a truth the devil desperately wants to hide from us! As has been well said, courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s moving forward in the face of fear. Accordingly, faith is the ultimate foundation for courage, because when we have faith that our Lord is greater than our circumstances, we aren’t defeated by our circumstances. (1 John 4:4) We don’t see the future, but if we fix our eyes on the One who holds the future, we can have peace. Atheists would say that this is all a matter of mind tricks, of self-hypnosis, if you will. The human mind is capable of amazing things, but God has given it to us to be submitted to Him, and thus be a tool of blessing. When the mind is given over to the devil, nothing good comes of it. Some translations of the Bible use the term, “reprobate mind,” in Romans 1:28. What a waste! How we use our minds is a choice. If we dwell on the negative – physically, emotionally, morally – we will reap negative results. As Jesus said, sin starts in the heart. (Matthew 15:19) When our minds and hearts are fully given over to Jesus, we are courageous indeed!

This is intensely personal at the moment, as my wife is experiencing “rebound pain” from her nerves after her surgery that is more intense than what she had before the surgery. Just reminding her that the doctor said this was likely was a help to her, because the devil was having no trouble presenting negative scenarios to her mind! I must not make her feel put down for that, but come alongside her and encourage her to keep her eyes on Jesus. I am reminded of what Peter is said to have called out to his wife as she was being crucified, just before he was: “Remember Jesus!” I can’t bear Cathy’s pain for her, as much as I would like to, but I can and do stand with her in prayer, so that she may receive the full measure of the grace that she needs right now, for God’s glory.

Father, I do pray for Cathy, and I thank You that Your grace is sufficient. I pray that You would enable her to lift her eyes from herself in spite of her pain and rest in You, so that Your good plans for her may be fulfilled, for her blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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