September 22, 2015

Posted on September 27, 2015 by jgarrott

Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.

The glorious reality of the Family of God is one that resonates more in some churches than others. In some churches, unity seems to be based more on externals than on common faith in a common Lord, and that is sad. However, some churches indeed display the glorious unity of the Spirit, and that transcends even blood ties. Actually, though, the unity of the Spirit is a blood tie: the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, just as Paul wrote about in the verses before this one. The way to enjoy the unity of God’s family that He intends is not to focus on “we’ve got to have more unity,” but on our common Lord who makes it possible. In my observation, the vast majority of problems in the Church can all be solved by lifting our eyes off of ourselves and fixing them on Christ. That’s simple to say, but frankly not always so easy to do. We are very used to looking at ourselves first, and if we get around to it, looking occasionally at the people around us. Looking at Jesus doesn’t even enter into the picture. It is frankly impossible to have spiritual unity that way, and that is a huge loss. If we call God “Father,” then we should realize that we are indeed members of the same family, brothers and sisters to each other.

I have experienced the unity of the Family of God in a wide variety of places and I have failed to sense it in some surprising ones. I find that familiarity and status are all too often the criteria for acceptance. I have gone into churches and been totally ignored, or gotten looks like, “What are you doing here?” and then been introduced as a missionary (high status) and people suddenly become effusive. That’s not the Family of God! (Actually, I’ve also been introduced as a missionary and gotten, “So what?”) In our church, that is cross-cultural by definition, we enjoy a good bit of the unity of the Spirit, but those who fail to operate in it are consistently those who can’t get their eyes off of themselves. Self-centeredness never produces anything good! I must be gentle and firm, speaking the truth in love so that people may be liberated to walk in the fullness of all that God has done for us in Christ.

Father, thank You for all that You did for and through us yesterday, and all that You have planned for today. May we be Your agents of grace and love to each person we encounter, drawing them into the unity of Your family, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 21, 2015

Posted on September 27, 2015 by jgarrott

Ephesians 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

We’re back to trying to figure out how to divide up Paul’s long sentences! However, this verse and the first part of the long sentence to follow make it clear that it takes an act of God for His magnificence really to get through to our puny human brains. Thankfully that’s something He enjoys doing, if our hearts are open to Him. The point, though, is that it is a heart matter rather than something strictly intellectual. Those who try to approach God just from the intellectual angle really don’t get very far at all. That’s why so much “theology” is just pious mud, if that. Some “theologians” have even discarded piety! As the Bible says so many times, it takes fearing God to have any wisdom in the first place, and those who make pronouncements about God without having their hearts submitted to Him in love do no more than proclaim their own foolishness. However, to those who really are submitted to Him in love, God delights to open His treasures of wisdom and understanding, just as Paul is praying here.

As one who desires to know more and more of God, I need to keep my heart focused on loving obedience. It’s not that reading what others have written about God isn’t helpful, it’s that my starting point must be the cross and the Word. If the author I’m reading makes light of either, then I know that what they have written is useless at best and a devious trap at worst. It is indeed a blessing to read the testimonies of others who love God and have found Him to be faithful, but I have encountered too many writers who use the Bible as no more than window dressing for their “theory of the hour.” I am not to be distracted by such things, but as has been said, “chew up the meat and spit out the bones.” As a pastor, I’ve got to remember that intellectual arguments aren’t going to do any lasting good for anyone. I am not to run from them any more than Paul did, but my goal must be the operation of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of my hearers, so that His life may be manifested in their lives.

Father, thank You for the opportunity I have this morning to speak explicitly of spiritual things to the people gathered for this meeting. Thank You that there will be two more Christians besides Cathy and me present. I pray that I would be an open conduit for Your love and grace to flow through me by Your Spirit, so that all present may be drawn closer to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 20, 2015

Posted on September 26, 2015 by jgarrott

Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

This introduces one of Paul’s famous tumultuously long, packed, and thoroughly Greek sentences. It’s broken up when translated into other languages, but it’s anyone’s call as to exactly how to break it up, so sentence/verse divisions are all over the place. What follows this verse is actually one of the most glorious statements of what God has done for us in Christ in the whole Bible. The biggest reason it isn’t as famous as John 3:16 is that it’s so long! It is mind-boggling to think about the magnificence of God’s grace toward us. Gratitude should govern every moment of our lives, but unfortunately we tend simply to forget it. “Every spiritual blessing in heaven” is a literally infinite category, so we tend not to think about it, to our great loss. It is so much more pleasant to obey God out of gratitude and love than out of obligation and fear!

As a pastor I need not only to focus on gratitude in my own life but lead others to do the same. I have a limitless list of things to be thankful for myself, but I need to help others realize that their own list isn’t much shorter, even if it might be different in particulars. There are some pretty miserable people in our church, and they made themselves that way by refusing to lift their eyes off of themselves and their circumstances and lift them to Christ. I think perhaps Cathy’s and my current situation, where we continue to rejoice in God even while facing circumstances that make our friends anxious for us, may wake a few of those people up. I certainly hope so! I must not be boastful about it all, but Jesus said we are to let our lights shine, so I’m not to be shy about it either. God is worth bragging on, even though I’m not!

Father, thank You for getting us safely through the long trip here, and for the reception that awaited us. Thank You that it included dinner! Thank You especially for the opportunity to talk with the two ladies about faith, even though it was at a time when we’re usually in bed! I pray that You would give several more such opportunities over these two days, and that as I prayed yesterday, we would see fruit of salvation. The one lady last night is an inactive Catholic, and I think You gave her a lot to think about through me. May it result in a vital, personal, relationship with You, not just for her salvation but for the salvation of many more through her, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 19, 2015

Posted on September 26, 2015 by jgarrott

Galatians 5:5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.

We sometimes forget that Paul was painfully aware that he wasn’t yet righteous by God’s standards, and was simply wearing the mantle of Christ’s righteousness. He had an even more strongly legalistic background than the Galatian believers to whom he was writing here, and he longed to be able to “dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s” at least as much as they did. However, he knew by revelation that God has imparted His righteousness to us through Christ Jesus. (1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 5:21) As glorious as that is, He wanted to be able to walk in that righteousness perfectly, and experience told him he wouldn’t do that in the flesh. People who have been raised in a less legalistic environment might not identify fully with this feeling, but all of us should be desiring earnestly to respond fully to the love and grace that God has poured out on us. That is what this “righteousness” is all about, because the only way to “be right” before God is to be obedient to Him by faith. That said, it’s significant that we have this hope of ultimate righteousness by faith and by the Holy Spirit. Faith is a gift, but it is our responsibility to receive it and exercise it so that it functions fully and strongly. The Holy Spirit is God’s impartation to us. We cannot increase Him – He is infinite – but we can grieve (Ephesians 4:30) or even quench (1 Thessalonians 5:19) Him. To receive His help and blessings we need to be in step with Him, which Paul says right after this. (Galatians 5:25) If we are walking in faith and in the Holy Spirit we will indeed earnestly desire perfect righteousness, with the hope, the assurance, that God has provided it for us in Christ Jesus.

As a pastor I am continually urging others on toward righteousness, but I’ve got to keep tabs on my own. Like Paul I know that I won’t be perfectly righteous on this earth, but that needs to be my desire on every level. The fact that I do have that desire is an encouragement to me! As Paul wrote the Galatians so strongly, I know that my imperfect righteousness could never earn God’s seal of approval, but that He has made His salvation available to me anyway by grace through faith. I am never to think, much less teach, that actions don’t matter, but I must never even imply that any sin is too horrendous for the blood of Christ to cover it. I run into people all the time who feel (this isn’t rational “thinking”) that their sins, their weaknesses, are more powerful than God; He can’t save them. That’s a lie from the pit of hell! I am to keep proclaiming the righteousness, power, grace and love of God, so that the lies of the enemy may be shown for what they are and people be brought out of darkness to light, from death to life, for the glory of God.

Father, thank You for this reminder just as I’m about to go to a meeting where the vast majority of attendees don’t know You. Help Cathy and me be Christ in their midst, speaking Your words to them by Your Spirit, so that even this weekend many may be brought into Your kingdom, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 18, 2015

Posted on September 26, 2015 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 10:18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

I couldn’t count how many times I’ve used the earlier parts of this chapter in sermons, counseling, and conversations, but this last verse in the chapter is hard-hitting as well. It fits in perfectly with Paul’s quote of Jeremiah 9:24 in the verse before: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” Right now America is in the throes of a much-needed-and-awaited presidential election. Many of the candidates, rather than talking about issues, are simply blowing their own horns. Given the current state of American celebrity culture that’s not surprising, because numbers of people are obviously drawn to the loudest horn blower, but it’s sad. The American electorate as a whole needs to ask who God approves, but again sadly, that’s obviously not going to happen. However, God can advance His purposes through means those directly involved don’t perceive, and that’s where prayer comes in. Everyone who does care whether America has God’s chosen leadership should be praying actively toward that end. They should be participating in the political process, yes, including voting in primaries, but I don’t think their prayers should be limited to a particular candidate, but rather that God’s choice may prevail. He may surprise us, He may delight us, He may do both, but we are not to be passive about it. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” certainly applies in politics as well as in every area of our daily lives.

I have had my own problems with being “all mouth and no action” in various areas over the years. It’s not been pretty! Recently my photography has been garnering some gratifying comments, but there too I’ve got to remember that it’s God who enables absolutely everything I do. My goal is the ultimate accolade: “Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” (Matthew 25:23 ASV) I’m not so concerned about being “set over many things,” but I do want to please my Lord and enter into His joy. The question then becomes, how to live now? No boasting, certainly! Rather, I am to seek to “make the most of every opportunity,” (Colossians 4:5) applying myself fully to every task the Lord sets before me, not complaining or making excuses but depending fully on Him. If He tells me to do it, He will do it through me!

Father, You’ve had me write quite a mix this morning, from politics to personal application. Thank You. This past week has been quite a roller coaster ride on the health front. Again, thank You. Thank You for how I feel right now, quite ready to go on the business trip tomorrow. Guide us as we pack and make other preparations today, so that there will be less temptation to be frantic tomorrow. May we rest, relax, and rejoice in You each step of the way, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 17, 2015

Posted on September 19, 2015 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 5:11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.

It has long been a mystery to me why so few Christians are active in trying to draw others into the Body of Christ, and I think this provides a clue. Few people indeed seem to fear the Lord these days, and many are in active defiance against Him. That essentially proves we’re a race of idiots, because true wisdom starts with the fear of the Lord. (Psalm 111:10) Jesus told a parable of the banquet to which people didn’t want to come, after someone with Him had referred to “the feast in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 14:21) The upshot was, “Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.” (Luke 14:23) Those originally invited had not feared the Lord enough to show up, but the servants had to fear the Lord enough to overcome people’s resistance and make them come. We do need to mind Peter’s admonition to “do this with gentleness and respect,” (1 Peter 3:15) but that doesn’t mean to be silent. If the Body of Christ had more respect for the Head, we’d get a lot more done!

I’m a fine one to talk here. Assorted methods of evangelism have been tried in Japan and found to have an extremely low success rate, but I haven’t been willing to put in the effort to keep doing those things for the sake of the few who do come to Christ. In other words, I haven’t kept my nose to the grindstone but instead have taken the easy path. That’s not fearing the Lord! Over the 34 years we have ministered in Omura I have baptized over 50 people, but some of those were never really planted here, and the vast majority have simply moved away for various reasons. I have never done an analysis of how each person was won to the Lord, but my memory tells me I had very little do do with it. There have been some individuals in whom I have invested a great deal of time and effort, seeking to persuade them as Paul did, but off hand I can’t recall any of those who have become active Christians. If I get to ruminating like this I can get pretty depressed! However, God does save some individuals gloriously even in this church, and I have been instrumental in their spiritual growth. I need to fear the Lord enough to do anything whatsoever He asks of me, but at the same time remember that any good results are all of Him.

Father, from this verse to the end of the chapter has been one of my favorite passages for a long time. I glory in the Ministry of Reconciliation that You have given to Your children. However, I would sure like to see more fruit from my efforts! Thank You for the birthday greeting from the brother whom I baptized who doesn’t currently live in town, praying that this coming year would be a year of bearing fruit. He knows my heart! We have all sorts of challenges facing us, with health challenges most immediate, but none of them present any difficulty to You whatsoever. Help us rest, relax, and rejoice in You, allowing You to do Your will in and through us on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 16, 2015

Posted on September 18, 2015 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

What a glorious Scripture indeed! Some Christians despair at how little they feel they reflect Christ. The focus needs to be on removing the veil, not on trying to polish the mirror! God takes care of that polishing in many ways, some of them not so pleasant for us, but we need to seek to draw closer to Him, to see Him more. If we will do that, we will indeed be transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ, who perfectly reflected His Father. (Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:3) I particularly like the turn of phrase the Japanese uses in the last part of this verse. It carries the feeling of, “This can be nothing other than a work of the Lord who is the Spirit.” In other words, we can’t do it! I have met numbers of earnest Christians who struggled and struggled to transform themselves, when what they needed to do was draw close to God and let Him transform them. However, that requires fully surrendering control, and we are often afraid to do that. The illogic of that is sharp: if we want to be like Jesus, why are we afraid to let Him control us? We sing the song, I Surrender All, but then hang onto control with all we’ve got. That’s no way to be transformed into the likeness of Christ!

I remember one time when I had been having a real disagreement with my wife, and I was rather down about it. One of our church members at the time, with whom I prayed frequently, said, “I get the aroma of Christ from you most strongly when you have a disagreement with Cathy.” That set me aback, but in thinking about it, at such times I was most aware of my own inability, so I was most dependent on God. Whether we reflect Christ doesn’t depend on our abilities or our emotions but on how open, how naked we are before Him, and God allows all sorts of things in our lives to move us in that direction. Yesterday’s visit to the doctor resulted in a diagnosis that my problems resulted from an antibiotic (prescribed by a different doctor for an unrelated problem) clearing out most of my intestinal flora. The possibility of that side effect had not been mentioned by the doctor who prescribed it, and for some reason it hadn’t crossed my mind. (But then, I don’t recall that I’ve had an 11-day course of antibiotics before.) Stopping the antibiotic and starting an intestinal probiotic has greatly improved my symptoms, and the experience has indeed been beneficial for me spiritually, which is what counts most. I need to be willing at every juncture to let go of control and let God be God, not passively but actively. I do indeed want to reflect Christ, so my focus needs to be on Him rather than on me: my body, my finances, my anything.

Father, thank You indeed for this experience. Thank You particularly that my problem wasn’t contagious, so I don’t have to worry about that. Thank You for these next few days as we prepare to go to Miyagi Prefecture for five days from Saturday. I ask for clear guidance as to what to do when, so that my health will be fully restored and all of Your purposes accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 15, 2015

Posted on September 18, 2015 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 1:9 But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

In my observation this is the biggest purpose of most of the trials we experience, and frankly, it’s worth it all. I often remember Andrae Crouch’s song, Through It All. That deals with this theme beautifully and accurately. One of our biggest problems as human beings is in thinking that “we can do it,” without any regard for God. The further away from that attitude we can get, the better. That doesn’t mean a passive, I-won’t-do-anything attitude, it means taking on challenges, no matter how great, with the assurance that God is able to do it through us. It is an attitude of, “It needs to be done, so God, I’m available if You’d like to use me.” When the trials we experience teach us to depend on God alone, as this verse says, then they are worth going through indeed.

One way this can be very intense is in physical/health problems. I have seen quite a few miraculous healings, but I have seen far more cases when that did not happen. That is to say, God had a better plan for the individual and for those around them. My wife is counting the minutes until she is able to have the back surgery to relieve her pain (even though we don’t know the exact date of the surgery). I am naturally concerned for her and want her to be spared any unnecessary pain, but at the same time I know that this experience is polishing and strengthening her. I’ve been having a crash course in empathy the past few days. I don’t know if it’s food poisoning or something else, (though I’ll be going to the doctor this morning) but I woke up around midnight Sunday night with some of the worst chills I’ve ever experienced. I got a blanket and wrapped in it, and when my wife took my temperature around 4 it was 39.5 Centigrade. I actually had a doctor’s appointment for that morning, but it was with my dermatologist, and since by the time he saw me I felt like the fever had broken, I didn’t mention it to him. I pushed myself and got some other things done, but another check of my temperature came out 39.18. I was taking buffered aspirin at a great rate, and we went to the wake of a friend around 5, paying our respects but not staying for the service. That evening it got to the place where I certainly couldn’t trust myself to pass gas, and at this point I feel like I’m probably ready for a colonoscopy! I will be seeing my internist this morning, but the point is, all of this is for my good. That’s not to say I enjoy it, but to say that it teaches me to depend truly on God. Cathy has been doing beautifully about that, and I needed a refresher course!

Father, thank You indeed for the trials You allow us to experience, just as Andrae Crouch’s song says. Help me indeed receive and learn all the lessons You are teaching me, so that I will be more and more responsive, more and more useful in Your hands, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 14, 2015

Posted on September 15, 2015 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 16:8-9 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

One thing Paul was not was a wimp. He didn’t know what it was to turn tail and run. Sadly, that attitude doesn’t seem to be very common in the Church today. That’s hardly surprising when we have “evangelistic” campaigns on themes like, “Your Best Life Now.” In contrast, Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24) The rewards are more than worth it, but nowhere did Jesus promise “Easy Street.” If we try to demand victory without conflict we discover soon enough that is a contradiction in terms. When a door for ministry was opened for Paul in Ephesus, the last thing he expected was smooth sailing. American Christians have had it a little too easy the past couple of hundred years, but the climate is changing. I personally think this is God’s grace, because an untested faith is weak at best, and God seeks children who will truly seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33)

I’m a fine one to talk about Christians having it too easy, because I have experienced little focused opposition. That said, the devil is not happy that I’m here, seeking to bring people into God’s family, but I haven’t had people specifically trying to undermine what I am doing. Right now the devil is attacking my body with fever and other things, but I should take that as a matter of course. The vast majority of the health-related attacks we’ve experienced over the past 34 years of ministry in Omura have been against Cathy’s body. I don’t have any room to complain about this training exercise the Lord is letting me have.

Father, as I was experiencing the chills and aches and all that in the night and this morning, I was very aware that Cathy has it worse than that almost every day. I pray that this reminder would help me be more empathetic toward her, as a channel of Your grace and blessing to her, for her healing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 13, 2015

Posted on September 15, 2015 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

We sometimes forget just how totally central to the Gospel the resurrection of Jesus is. We act like Christianity was just like any other religion, cooked up by somebody in a back room somewhere, when it is founded on absolutely astounding historical facts, and the resurrection is the greatest of them all. If Jesus had not risen, there would be no reason to believe His crucifixion was anything more than just another execution. If Jesus had not risen, then Pentecost was just mass hysteria. The devil has tried desperately over the centuries to claim both those things, but he’s arguing in the face of the facts. As Paul says here, if Jesus was not raised, then why believe in the first place? However, as millions have experienced over the centuries, the facts are there, and we serve a risen Savior. It is possible to manipulate people psychologically in a Christian setting, and sadly, some churches do exactly that. However, when believers are gathered and Jesus shows up by His Spirit, lots of things happen that can’t be explained away. The Japanese for this verse says that without Jesus’ resurrection, both the preaching and the faith are “without reality.” Praise God, the reality is there! That said, there is certainly a subjective element to it all, because faith is not something decided by external facts. However, as again millions can testify, there is nothing better than the assurance of our Creator’s love and forgiveness, demonstrated and certified by the death and resurrection of our Lord.

I remember very clearly a pivotal moment in my personal faith. My family happened to be driving on the US Air Force base where I went to school, and I remember even the exact location, close to the apartment building where a friend of mine lived. For some reason I asked my mother, “How do I know Jesus is real?” Her answer was simple and profound: “It’s like the song says, ‘He lives within my heart.’” Just as that song says, if we don’t know we serve a risen Savior, we have no real foundation for our faith. However, when we have that assurance, nothing in this world can shake us.

Father, thank You indeed for sending Your Son not just to die but to rise again, demonstrating the reality of the victory of the cross over sin and death. Help me walk in the reality of that victory all the time, leading others into it as well, so that many may be brought from death to life, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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