October 29, 2015

Posted on November 1, 2015 by jgarrott

Leviticus 26:3, 6 “‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no-one will make you afraid.'”

The whole section of wonderful promises, from verse 4 through verse 13, is dependent on the first word of verse 3: if. God isn’t a “sugar daddy,” indulging us indiscriminately, He’s our perfect heavenly Father, providing discipline along with everything else we need. He knows what is good for us, so that’s how He tells us to live. He delights to give us good things, up to and including His kingdom, (Luke 12:32) but He knows what is bad for us as well. The blessings in this section, as well as what are called “curses” from verse 14 on, aren’t so much things God does to/for us as they are the natural consequences of our behavior. We can no more ignore His moral laws successfully than we can ignore His physical laws, like gravity. If we walk off a cliff, God doesn’t kill us out of spite; death by blunt force trauma is simply the natural consequence of our action. In exactly the same way, if we walk away from God instead of toward Him, we will suffer consequences, and “suffer” is the correct operative word. We live in a fallen world with thousands of years of rebelling against God, so not all suffering is the direct consequence of our personal disobedience, but if we disobey personally, we can count on suffering, in the next world even if not in this one. This simple truth is one that many people refuse to accept, to their own great loss. Any parent can testify of their own pain when their children get into trouble and injure themselves by failing to obey instructions. God is exactly that way. As He told Ezekiel, “I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32)

This is something I have to remember for myself, and it is certainly something I preach and teach. Actually, it is at the core of the Gospel, because God sent His Son to take the consequence of our sin, death, on Himself so that we through faith in Him might live. (John 3:16) The biggest pain/frustration of my life is how few people really accept that and believe it, repenting so that they may live. However, I am never to give up, but keep speaking the truth in love so that the Holy Spirit may take my words and lead at least some to salvation.

Father, at times I am painfully aware of my own weakness and inability. Thank You for using me in spite of myself. I pray that I would not ignore Your rules myself, but by obedience receive all that You have prepared for me. I pray that I would be increasingly effective in drawing others to receive Your gracious provision in every area of their lives, so that together we may delight in You, allowing You to delight in us. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 28, 2015

Posted on November 1, 2015 by jgarrott

Exodus 20:20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

God does everything for a reason. The thunder and lightning and trumpet and smoke mentioned in the previous verses weren’t necessary in themselves, but they had a specific and important function, and that is what Moses is talking about here. As has come out several times recently, most of the people in Biblical times weren’t fully monotheistic, even when they worshiped Yahweh. Since they didn’t know enough of the world and the universe to grasp the idea of a transcendent Creator, God used elements in His creation, most of them entirely “natural,” to demonstrate that He was in control. Today we understand the mechanism of lightning and thunder and we consider it entirely natural, but that doesn’t mean God can’t use it at His will. The “trumpet” sounds strike me as more “supernatural,” and God may have used them to state to future generations who would understand natural science that He wasn’t limited by the normal rules of His creation. The Israelites were certainly what we would call superstitious, but the moment we dismiss the fear of the Lord as superstition we are in deep trouble. Just because people back then were what we would call ignorant today doesn’t mean that God was or is any less God, the omnipotent Creator and Judge. Many people today have lost that awareness, and they are far poorer for it. Just as Moses says here, fear can be a very good thing when it protects us from mortal danger. We aren’t to be “quaking in our shoes” all the time, but we are to remember that the One to whom we must give an account (Romans 14:12) is totally powerful and totally holy. We have a chance of salvation only because He is also love, and He has made a way through His Son, but we must not take that lightly or for granted.

Growing up in the home I did, surrounded by love on all levels, I perhaps came out of it with less fear than might have been helpful. I have been aware of God all my life, but fear of Him hasn’t kept me from sinning. I must not fall into the trap of Solomon, thinking that I am somehow worthy of the overwhelming blessings that are poured out on me. As I minister to others I must keep watch over myself, living out the truth I teach. I have never taken to “hell fire and brimstone” preaching, but I must never forget that Jesus talked about hell more than He talked about heaven, and that actions have consequences, for me and for everyone else. Failing to make that clear is not love, or even being polite.

Father, thank You for Your grace on every level. Help me never take that lightly, for myself or in my preaching and teaching, but grasp the magnitude of it all. May I fear You rightly and lead others to do likewise, to be protected from the lies of the devil so that we may walk in all that You intend for us, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 27, 2015

Posted on October 28, 2015 by jgarrott

Exodus 14:15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.”

It strikes me just now that even though Moses had just delivered one of the most magnificent statements in the whole Bible of faith and trust in God, He wasn’t feeling all that filled with faith himself. The people had been crying out in almost complete unbelief, but here God seems to indicate that Moses had been crying out too. I know I would certainly have been in a pretty good panic by this point! Spiritual leaders are often portrayed as superhuman, when in the final analysis they are simply human, used by God. Elijah is the most often quoted example of that, when he fell into severe fear and depression immediately after participating in one of the most dramatic victories in the whole Bible. (1 Kings 18-19) However, other examples abound. Just about every “man of God” the Bible tells us about had times of indecision, doubt, or even major failure. It’s not that God creates some “perfect specimens” to do His work, it’s that He uses people as they are, with all their weaknesses and failures, strengthening, guiding, and growing them even as He works His will through them. And the process is lifelong. Sometimes we think of Moses as being perfected by His encounter with God in the burning bush, (Exodus 3-4) but examples of his faulty humanity abound, not just here but throughout his life, to the point that he was unable to enter the Promised Land because of his presuming on God. (Numbers 20:1-12) Just because God has used someone, even as powerfully as He did Moses, doesn’t mean that person doesn’t need to stay fully humble before Him. This is a lesson that, sadly, many people have failed to learn. The minute we think that God’s wisdom/power/whatever that has been manifested through us is actually ours, we are in real trouble!

This is a lesson that I was not that fast to learn, but I’m getting a refresher in it right now! It was liberating to finally get it through my head that God’s smart and I’m not, but at this point I’m being schooled in faith and trust. I preach faith to others all the time, telling them to get their eyes off of themselves and onto Jesus, (Hebrews 12:2) but I am being reminded that I am as dependent on God for my “faith supply” as anyone else. He does supply, abundantly, but receiving that supply is a choice, not a labor. Actually, as Hebrews 4 says so beautifully, we have to cease from our labors in order to enter into God’s rest. (Hebrews 4:9-11) Our effort, then, is not to work up faith, but rather to let go of our pride and everything else and receive God’s gracious provision. I am not to berate myself for my lack of faith, but rather rejoice that God has more faith to give me.

Father, thank You indeed for Your gracious provision of everything I need, from faith to the very air I breathe. Help me be a good steward of that provision, both of the tangible and the intangible, so that Your purposes in giving it to me would be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 26, 2015

Posted on October 28, 2015 by jgarrott

Genesis 46:3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.”

New places and new experiences can be scary. Here again God is making it clear to Jacob/Israel that He is the same God who has spoken to him before, because polytheism was the order of the day. The interesting thing is, in the process of Jacob’s descendants becoming a great nation, they would experience great hardship. God didn’t mention that! Often it’s better that we not know what we’re going to have to go through to reach the goals that God sets out for us, because if we did, we’d turn back. Here, the rest of Jacob’s personal life was very easy, above anything he had experienced up to then; it was his descendants who had the rough stuff. We have no way of knowing whether he would have hesitated had he known, but the point is, he didn’t need to know. We often think we would like to know the future, but it would really mess up a great deal if we did! The point is trusting obedience. We often suffer more in the anticipation of rough stuff than we do from the actual experience. The Bible is filled with admonitions not to be anxious, along with the many instructions not to fear (which are the theme of the readings at this point). The better we believe and trust God, the more enjoyable our lives will be. Since we live in a fallen world we are going to go through rough stuff, just as Jesus said, (John 16:33) but if we really trust Him, we can have peace and joy in the process.

This is very timely, since Cathy and I are going through something of a rough patch right now in relation to her health. “What if” scenarios pop into our minds all too easily, robbing us of peace. The thing is, whatever happens, we can be assured of God’s love, support and protection, and the eternal salvation that is prepared for us. Even writing that triggers thoughts of, “But I want her with me here now.” That’s true, and I have no reason to think that she will be taken away from me at this point, but the devil seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, and his prime target is our minds. I’ve got to submit myself fully to God so that I may resist the devil on all fronts, denying him any territory and making him flee from me. (James 4:7)

Father, thank You for this reminder. You are taking us into new territory on several levels, and I need to rejoice in anticipation. Thank You that You are bringing new people to the church. Thank You for the one man who seems to have decided to plant himself here, and for the couple who visited yesterday from Nagasaki City. It’s a bit of a drive for them, but I think they encountered You here. Thank You for Your schedule for this week. Help me not miss any of the appointments You have for me, so that Your purposes may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 25, 2015

Posted on October 26, 2015 by jgarrott

Genesis 26:14-15 He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.

When you think about it, this is totally irrational, because the Philistines could have used the water just as well as Isaac’s servants. However, this behavior of irrational jealousy is very evident today. When Israel turned Gaza over to the Palestinians, there were many, many greenhouses, very effective for making the arid land produce good crops. However to the Palestinians, those greenhouses represented the hated Jews, and they smashed them in jealousy, not stopping to think that they would be a source of prosperity and blessing for them. Jealousy is a very strange and destructive thing. It never benefits anyone. Much of the social turmoil in the US right now is motivated by jealousy, cloaked in terms of “income inequality.” Sounds like the Philistines to me! Isaac was wealthy because of two things: hard work and God’s blessing. His father’s servants had worked hard and dug productive wells, vitally important both for flocks and for irrigation, and God had blessed his agriculture and animal husbandry, probably involving giving him wisdom to do it well. Stopping up the wells didn’t increase the Philistines’ wealth any more than rioting and terrorism increase wealth today. Jealousy is a poison, period. The logical response to seeing someone with something you would like to have is to strive to achieve that yourself. America was founded as a land of equal opportunity, but many today are claiming that it should be a land of equal outcomes. That simply won’t happen, because the push for it is motivated by jealousy.

I have been tempted to be jealous many times, but I don’t think I’ve fallen into jealousy very often. It would be nice if I were athletically proficient, but that’s not an area where I’ve been gifted, and I certainly haven’t put in the hours of practice called for. Trying to sabotage a superior athlete, like happened with two skaters a few years ago, would certainly benefit no one. When I wanted better health, particularly for my cardiovascular system, I had to make the decision to take the time to walk, and it paid off big time. Simply envying others with better genes in that area would have done me no good. As a pastor I deal with envy/jealousy in others fairly often, and it is a difficult problem to handle. At the same time I’ve got to keep watch over my own response to other pastors with larger churches or more prominent ministries. I am to rejoice at how God uses them, and seek to be ever more diligent and faithful in how God wants to use me. It is easy to see and decry jealousy in others; I need to recognize and reject it in myself.

Father, thank You for Your grace. Thank You for the recognition that it is all grace. Help me respond to Your grace properly, as a faithful steward, so that I may avoid the traps of the enemy and fulfill all of Your plans for me, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 24, 2015

Posted on October 25, 2015 by jgarrott

Genesis 22:18 “Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

I feel like this is a continuation of what the Lord was saying yesterday. We never know the consequences of our obedience to God, and conversely, the consequences of our disobedience, until after the fact, and even then our awareness is highly limited. Moses tried to offset that with extensive lists of blessings and curses for obedience and disobedience, (Deuteronomy 28) but we aren’t very good at paying attention to such things. Abraham certainly didn’t dream that God would send His Son to be born as a human baby by one of his descendants! It comes down to what a well-loved hymn says: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus.” We need to trust that our obedience will produce good results, for us, for those around us, and even for succeeding generations. If we refuse that and try to forge our own path apart from God, we will not only miss all the blessings of obedience, we will bring on ourselves more bad consequences than we can now imagine. As God said to Abraham, these things ripple down through multiple generations. I have seen a listing of the descendants of two representative people from before the American Revolution, one upright God-fearer and one reprobate. It was really quite striking. The man who feared God had judges, ministers, statesmen and the like among his descendants, and the reprobate had criminals of all sorts, in general the dregs of society. Our obedience or disobedience doesn’t affect just us.

I am the beneficiary of multiple generations of people who loved and served God. I didn’t choose my ancestors, certainly, so there can be no pride of accomplishment in that, but there is deep gratitude. The point is, I must not take the blessings for granted. My disobedience can cut me out of the flow of blessing that was started and added to by my ancestors, and I don’t want that! Rather, I need to seek to be an open conduit for those blessings to continue to grow and multiply. How that happens isn’t much under my control, but whether it happens is. I need to choose obedience at every turn, in seemingly small things as well as big, because I never know how big those things will eventually turn out to be. A kind word spoken at the right time can even avert a suicide, for example. I want to be fully available for all of God’s purposes.

Father, thank You for Your grace, and for the awareness that it’s all grace. Help me never take that grace for granted, but operate in grateful obedience at all times. You are taking us through a training/testing time that isn’t always pleasant. Help us trust You enough to be fully obedient every moment, whatever we feel like, so that Your purposes may be fulfilled for us and for those around us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 23, 2015

Posted on October 24, 2015 by jgarrott

Genesis 21:12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”

This is actually a very significant verse in world history, affecting even today’s news. The Arab nations have tried to deny this verse, but it still stands. We really don’t know what effects our choices and actions will have down the line. Sometimes even seemingly insignificant things can have great repercussions. God is the only one who can sort all of that out, because He alone sees the end from the beginning. That’s where faith comes in! We are called to be faithful, moment by moment, and to leave the effects of our faithfulness to God, both short- and long-term. That’s not always easy; in fact, it’s often rather difficult. We want to see results right now of the things we see as good, and we often completely overlook things that seem insignificant at the moment but turn out to have great impact down the line. This reality is what is behind the theory of multiple universes, which postulates that every time there is such a pivotal moment, both eventualities happen, creating new universes. Such thinking is an interesting intellectual exercise, and it can result in good fiction, but we are still stuck with the results of our choices whether we think there is another universe where we made the other choice or not. Human beings are at the same time completely insignificant and vitally important. We are assigned value by God, because He created us out of His love, and that is the source of all meaning in our lives. Over-thinking all the ramifications of our actions can lead to total indecision and paralysis, but that too is an action, a choice not to do. The path of peace, joy, and success is that of faith, trust, and obedience.

Wow! That got deep! I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve discovered that something I paid little attention to at the time turned out to impact someone greatly. I have blessed people without knowing it, and I have hurt people without knowing it. I would rather bless people! Right now Cathy and I are very caught up in what is going on about her health, and that greatly narrows our field of vision. We completely forgot a commitment we had made for Wednesday morning, for example, and were both quite distressed when we remembered it Wednesday night. The point for us both right now is to rest, relax, and rejoice in our Lord, knowing that He is still God, He is still love, and He wants to use us to draw others to Himself. I am not to go down rabbit trails of speculation about anything (unless I’m writing a novel!) but rather choose to trust God enough to receive His grace for right now, and know that is sufficient.

Father, thank You for bringing the song, One Day at a Time, to mind this morning. It’s very appropriate! Thank You for this opportunity to grow in faith and trust. I do pray that all of Your plans, for today and each day, would be realized as You desire, for our blessing and for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 22, 2015

Posted on October 24, 2015 by jgarrott

Genesis 15:7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”

This is one of the foundational incidents of the entire Biblical narrative, and verse 6 is foundational to the New Testament as well, so it’s very important to put it all into context. I think this verse does that, in a way that seems jarring to us today. The thing is, throughout much of Genesis the people were not particularly monotheistic, if at all. They didn’t necessarily see Yahweh as the only God, just as the best one, their God. That’s why they were so easily enticed to worship various other gods. Here, Yahweh is making sure Abram understands that He is the same being who spoke to him back in Ur, and not some other deity. We really have trouble wrapping our minds around that idea! What strikes me is that God doesn’t require perfect theology, He asks for faith and commitment. I think we will be very surprised at some of the people we find in heaven. In The Last Battle, the last book of the Narnia series, C. S. Lewis says that true worship can only be received by the true God. That might be dangerously close to Universalism, which is certainly in violation of Scripture, but the Biblical evidence is that most of the litmus tests we apply to see if someone is saved are probably not valid. What we believe is certainly important, but Who we believe is most important. That’s what this passage is talking about. Abram knew very little about God, really, but he knew that God had spoken to him, and he believed God.

This is of extreme relevance to me as I minister in Japan. I have had people say they really love Jesus, but they can’t accept that He’s the only God. I cannot say they are saved, but neither can I say they are worse off than many of the people in the Bible. Japan has a long and deep tradition of animism, essentially worshiping any impressive natural feature, with the sun as the supreme goddess. That has resulted in them referring to Japan as “the land of 8 million gods,” but the total is quite probably even more than that. Monotheism is a real stretch! At the same time, Shinto, the system for appeasing/not offending this pantheon, has no moral content at all, so people are left without an absolute moral anchor. You could say the Japanese invented situational ethics! That makes the challenges to presenting the Gospel in Japan immense. I like the tactic that has been advanced by a recent translation of the Bible of using “the Creator” instead of “God” in talking about Him, because the word that I grew up using in Japanese applies to all those 8 million gods, and therefore can lead to more confusion. However, habits die hard, and saying “the Creator” can seem very cumbersome. Once again I am back to realizing that I am not up to the task. However, God can use even me, so I must not draw back. I am not to judge people, but I am to present an uncompromised Gospel as clearly as possible, under the guidance and anointing of the Holy Spirit, and let God perform all that He desires by the words that He speaks through me.

Father, thank You for calling me back to my central task. Personal considerations have really consumed my attention recently, and this is a very needed counter to that. Help me stay focused as You desire and intend, not taking those personal issues lightly but keeping them in perspective, indeed seeking first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, so that all the devil’s schemes may be defeated and You be glorified. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 21, 2015

Posted on October 22, 2015 by jgarrott

1 John 3:3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Many places in the Japanese Bible, where the English says “holy,” the Japanese uses the character for holy but gives a reading for it that is a homophone for “pure.” That’s because Japanese in general doesn’t really grasp “holiness,” and certainly doesn’t use the word very often. However here, the character as well as the reading is simply “pure,” as in unadulterated. Purity can be a part of holiness, but it isn’t exactly the same thing. After all, we speak of pure evil! Holiness is achieved by transformation. It is something God makes available to us and that we can choose to receive, but it is not something we can attain by our own efforts. Purity, on the other hand, is the absence of contaminants, and that is something we can work toward. I still don’t think we achieve it perfectly on this earth, but it is much more within our grasp. The thing is, we live in a sea of pollutants. Maintaining purity requires constant attention, both to exclude junk and to let the Holy Spirit clean house when junk is discovered. We will never do it, or even really try, without a clear grasp of what God has made available to us in Christ. This is the hope John is talking about here. Those who fail to strive for purity have lost sight of that hope, if they ever really had it in the first place. We all sin at times, as John says clearly in this same letter, but anyone who has this hope is never satisfied with sin; it feels bad. That’s why John goes on after this to talk about how those who are in Christ do not continue to sin. Some older English translations, and actually the Japanese translation I use, fail to pick up on the Greek tense and make the flat statement that those in Christ don’t sin. That’s not only a violation of our experience, it contradicts the rest of this letter! Hope in Christ does not produce instant perfection, but it lets us realize what God has provided and gives us a goal to strive for,

This is something I have struggled with, as every honest Christian has. There are times when Romans 7 is all too present reality! However, I have experienced the reality of 1 John 1:9, and know that Jesus Christ is indeed my righteousness, wisdom, holiness, and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30) I am never to let down my guard, but recognize evil and refuse it. That’s not always easy, given the world we live it, but by God’s grace it is possible. I do have the hope John speaks of here, and it is a powerful motivator. As a pastor I am trying to bring others along with me into that lifestyle. That’s not something I can accomplish on my own, but God can use me both as an example and a mentor, and I am not to draw back from that. Life in Christ is joyful and it is fun, but it is also pure, and I need to help people understand that.

Father, thank You for increasing purity over the years. Looking back can be an encouragement! Keep me from getting lax about it, taking things for granted. Rather, help me keep pressing in for more of Christ, more of Your Spirit, so that I may be more useful to You in drawing others to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 20, 2015

Posted on October 22, 2015 by jgarrott

1 Peter 3:13-15 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.

Response to suffering should always be on the basis of the Lordship of Christ. In this same letter Peter acknowledges that his readers really were suffering because of their faith, but even there he tells them to rejoice. (1 Peter 4:12-19) Suffering itself isn’t desirable, much less to be sought, but remembering what Jesus endured for us should help us get through whatever we are facing. It is interesting that the last part of verse 14, which the NIV credits in a footnote as a quote of Isaiah 8:12, the Japanese translates as, “Don’t fear their threats or let your hearts be shaken by them.” Often we suffer more in anticipation, because of threats, than we do with what people actually do to us. Bad things happen, and some of it is malicious, but God can and will be with us whatever happens, so being anxious ahead of time is unnecessary loss. If we had back all the emotional energy we have spent on things that never happened, we’d be well off indeed! If Jesus is Lord, then that settles it. He wasn’t blowing smoke when He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me.” (Matthew 28:18) Full submission to His Lordship allows His authority to operate through us, bringing His will to pass whatever the circumstances.

This is timely for me. I am not being threatened by people, but the devil is using my wife’s health situation to try to generate anxiety. As I wrote someone last night, I do believe and trust God, but I am very aware of my own humanity – as well as my wife’s. This requires a conscious choice not to let my heart be shaken. My hope is not to be in the medical staff, though I have every reason to believe they are top notch, but in my Lord, who can and will guide them as instruments of His blessing. This is training for us both, and by God’s grace I can rest assured we will come through with flying colors.

Father, thank You again for all that You allow us to experience. Help us indeed acknowledge Christ as Lord every moment, not being shaken by anything but resting, relaxing, and rejoicing in You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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