Evangelism; December 19, 2024

Posted on December 20, 2024 by jgarrott

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
    and the one who is wise saves lives.

I just checked with my wife, who drew up the reading list for this month, and even she has no idea why she included this Proverbs passage! That said, this verse has been widely used to encourage people in personal evangelism, and in English that seems reasonable. However, the Japanese turns the second half of the verse around and says, “A wise person captures the hearts of people,” seeming to imply that their wisdom is the attractive element. Wisdom can indeed be attractive, and it is indeed wise to draw people into the kingdom of God, so either rendition seems possible. However, there is no variation in the translation of the first half of the verse. Those who live rightly, that is, the righteous, do indeed produce life, in themselves and in others. Some people are just good to be around, and we should strive to be such people. That doesn’t mean being a “squish,” always adapting to whatever anyone wants. Rather, it means accurately reflecting the character of Christ, loving unconditionally without excusing sin. We don’t do that very well on our own! However, that is something the Holy is quite the expert at doing, even through us! The key to true righteousness is to recognize you aren’t, and really can’t be, fully righteous on our own, and so ask God to lead and guide you. If we will do that, then Christ will indeed be formed in us, just as Paul prayed would happen. (Galatians 4:19) That is true righteousness, and brings life all around!

External observers would probably say that I am pretty righteous at this point, but I’ve certainly not always lived like this, and as Paul said, “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” (1 Corinthians 4:3-4) I do not depend on my own righteousness, but on that of Jesus Christ, who loved me enough to die for me, taking the penalty for my sins on Himself. Every year at Christmas I tell people that’s why Jesus came, and some of them believe me! We are hearing that several non-Christians are planning to come to our Christmas Eve service, so I’m asking the Holy Spirit to be here in power to open people’s hearts and minds, leading them to repentance and faith for their salvation.

Father, I am constantly aware that I can’t save anyone on my own, and I see so many people who are in need of salvation! I do ask Your mercy on this nation, these people, so that the chains the enemy has wrapped around them may be broken and multitudes pour into Your kingdom, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Rejoicing in Salvation; December 18, 2024

Posted on December 19, 2024 by jgarrott

Psalm 118:14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
    he has become my salvation.

This is an absolutely joyful, triumphant Psalm. It expresses the response of someone who was in a very difficult situation, but God brought him through. The thing is, we can never have such joy if we don’t go through difficult situations ourselves! We are back to the reality that God doesn’t pick on us; everything He does, even allows, is for our eventual blessing. Sometimes those things are absolutely horrible in the short term, but the experience of His presence in the middle of them is precious beyond words, if we will only open our hearts to Him. The issue of Japan Harvest magazine that arrived yesterday has the theme of Mental Health. It’s a quarterly magazine put out by the Japan Evangelical Missionary Association, (JEMA) which includes missionaries from many different countries and many different denominations. Reading this issue, I was reminded that missionaries are subject to all the pressures that are on believers of every description. (As if I didn’t already know that!) At least one writer was alluding to good things that have come from the struggles of her family “back home,” but she didn’t seem to be to the point of praising God for the struggles yet. That’s a step, sometimes very difficult, that we need to come to in order to get the full benefit of what God has planned. After all, Jesus famously said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Paul likewise said, “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20) That doesn’t mean, “Thank You, God, that my loved one was murdered,” but it does mean, “Thank You, God, for still being my loving Savior even though my loved one was murdered.” There are many, many things we don’t know or understand in this life. In fact, there is far more we don’t know than we do. However, if we hang onto the reality that God loves us enough to send His son to die for us, then we can make it through anything.

This is a timely Word, and not just because of the magazine that came yesterday. My wife, on top of her already long list of medical issues, will be having a test tomorrow to see if she has what could be a very serious problem. It could equally be something much less serious, but at this point we simply don’t know. In either case, this verse is true, as we have experienced time and time again. The thing is, she was given a trip to heaven and back almost 50 years ago, so she has had a taste of what awaits us, and she’s looking forward to the full banquet! What we go through here is to open our hearts to all that God has for us, that far exceeds our current capacity to understand. I am personally not afraid for myself, but I do not like to see my wife go through pain and suffering of any sort. We’ve both got to remember that God is big enough for both of us, and give Him praise and thanks, with genuine joy, whatever He allows us to go through here.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that we were able to get an appointment for the test so quickly. I read about the long wait times in so many places, and am grateful for the Japanese medical system! Thank You for the interdenominational prayer meeting that will be here this morning. I pray that it would be a joyful Christmas celebration for all, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Learning Obedience; December 17, 2024

Posted on December 18, 2024 by jgarrott

Hebrews 5:8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered.

The Japanese connects this with the next two verses as one sentence, but this is certainly worthy of meditation all by itself. The Japanese also plays with the content just a little, perhaps reflecting the theology of the translators: “Though Christ is the Son.” Most English translations say, “a son,” and because of English grammar they put that in the past tense, to match “learned,” but the Japanese puts it in the present, because Christ always was, is, and always will be the Son of God. That to me is a valid point, but it brings up the whole mystery of the Incarnation. Eternal, infinite, omnipotent God became a human being with all our weaknesses! That is absurd on the face of it, but it is the glorious reality of the Gospel. He so identified with our humanity that He had to learn obedience! That is a mind-blower if ever there was one! That’s why God’s choice of Joseph to raise Jesus to adulthood was so absolutely key. Parenting isn’t the same thing as biology, and in most respects Joseph was indeed Jesus’ father. It is hard to imagine a greater honor, or responsibility. We don’t have a record of Jesus’ youth, except for the one incident at the time of His bar mitzvah, so our imaginations can run wild. That’s not necessarily a good thing! However, Jesus continued learning, all the way through His crucifixion, just as we are to keep learning our whole lives. “What He suffered” doubtless included dealing with His sometimes very dense disciples! There are many kinds of suffering, and their effect on us depends on our response to them. I keep coming back to the very important reality that God never picks on us. Everything in our lives, whatever the immediate cause, is allowed by God for our benefit, even if it might seem to be destructive in the moment. (Romans 8:28) When we respond to suffering with that awareness, we indeed learn obedience, and grow and mature and are strengthened by it. As the secular proverb says, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” God wants strong, mature children, so He teaches us obedience.

I’ve certainly been taught this over the years, and I’ve got some scars to prove it! However, I am grateful to say that because I have the awareness of God’s love as a foundation, none of that has destroyed me. I wish I could say I am perfectly obedient at this point, but I’ve still got learning to do! As I age, different things come across as suffering. This “tent” isn’t what it used to be! (2 Corinthians 5:4) However, that is teaching me how to ask for, and receive, help. That also gives me the opportunity to teach others what God has taught me, and for that I need to be grateful. Today I have some carpentry to do that is more physically challenging than it once would have been, and I don’t have anyone around to ask for help. I need God’s wisdom, for sure! That is a minor illustration, but I need to remember that I’m still learning obedience, just as Jesus did, and be grateful.

Father, thank You for Your grace toward me, on so many levels. Help me respond to it as You intend, for my blessing, the blessing of the people around me, and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Praising God; December 16, 2024

Posted on December 17, 2024 by jgarrott

Psalm 107:1-2 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
    those he redeemed from the hand of the foe.

This says, very simply, “If God has blessed you, say so!” There are many reasons to praise God, but none of them are “because He needs it.” God is entirely self-sufficient, but we are quite the opposite, and failure to acknowledge that puts us in very dangerous territory. After all, what made Satan the devil was his desire to take God’s glory for himself, and the temptation to Adam and Eve was “to be like God.” Even the ancient Greeks, who didn’t have the Bible at all, recognized that hubris was exceedingly dangerous. Honest praise to God is perhaps the best antidote for that. When we recognize how wonderful He is, our own limitations become clear to us, and we rejoice in His grace that He chooses to redeem us, as it says here, and even use us in His plans for His glory. Praising God is a privilege and a joy that those who don’t acknowledge Him obviously don’t have. Actually, every human being alive has been blessed by God, or they wouldn’t exist. The more we recognize and acknowledge His blessings, the more they pour through us! Praise for God is a natural expression of gratitude, and as now countless psychologists have recognized, gratitude is the key to happiness. Dennis Prager even says it is the key to goodness in people, and I think he has a real point. You can’t find a really good person who isn’t grateful, and I think the reverse is true as well. Praising God gives us the foundation for all of that, and it is a wonderful privilege.

Growing up we sang lots of hymns that praised God in various ways, including the famous Doxology, but when I was introduced to the Charismatic Movement in 1973 I entered into a whole new dimension of praise and worship. I love it! Since then, the Lord has allowed me to translate many songs between English and Japanese, and even write a few myself. It’s not unusual for every song we sing in a worship service here to be one I have translated in one direction or the other, and we sing about seven songs each time! Sometimes I am moved to tears in singing them, that God would have poured His Spirit and His words through me so beautifully. All I can do is praise Him! Knowing the blessing of praising God, I desire for everyone to have that blessing, so I seek to obey this passage, telling people how incredibly good and gracious God is, so that they too may open their hearts to Him, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You again for the privilege of praising You. May I do it more and more accurately and effectively, drawing others to praise You as well, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Faithfulness; December 15, 2024

Posted on December 16, 2024 by jgarrott

Isaiah 49:4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
    I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,
    and my reward is with my God.”

I feel sure I’ve written on this before, because it’s something just about every servant of the Lord feels from time to time. We don’t feel we are getting a proportional response to the effort we are putting into serving God. However, there are several things we need to remember. In the first place, our effort, our strength, is meaningless when compared to God’s omnipotence. It is actually miraculous that He allows us to participate in what He does! In the second place, God doesn’t actually need our service; it is by His grace that He allows us to serve Him. And all of that comes back to the reality that God is not unfair; He does bless us for our commitment and faithfulness. We don’t have to worry what the score is when God’s the scorekeeper! I have long been impressed by the example of the sons of Zebedee, James and John. They both gave their lives in total commitment to their Lord Jesus, but James did it all at once, by the sword of Herod, whereas John gave his life one day at a time, for over 90 years. I don’t think that difference changes their ranking in heaven! In many ways, James had the easier path, but that’s not ours to choose. We are called to faithfulness, whatever seems to be going on from our perspective.

This is very close to home, considering my parents’ commitment to God as missionaries, as well as my own. We haven’t seen the harvest we have desired, and this verse rings true. That said, there are little steps along the way that make it clear God doesn’t forget His servants. Just yesterday my wife and I were ministering to a 99-year-old lady who heard the Gospel as a young girl, but had never made a clear commitment to Christ. We sang Christmas songs with her, and when I prayed for her, for Jesus to be born in her heart, she was joyfully in agreement. I know I’ll see her before the throne! There are others to whom I have been ministering for a long time, and I believe the moment of their acceptance of the Gospel will come too. I am never to give up, but operate in the strength God supplies and leave the results up to Him, for His glory.

Father, thank You for yesterday, Thank You for Your gracious faithfulness to me. Just recently You have been pouring out material blessings, but these spiritual blessings are far more important! I do pray for more and more harvest, even in this Christmas season, so that Your house may be full, as You desire, (Luke 14:23) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Righteousness; December 14, 2024

Posted on December 15, 2024 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 33:16 “In those days Judah will be saved
    and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it will be called:
    The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’”

The physical blessings of Jerusalem mentioned in this chapter are partially fulfilled, but the Lord being our righteousness was fulfilled on Calvary. As Paul said, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) That is the total and eternal fulfillment of this Word to Jeremiah. We aren’t to be presumptive about it, and we certainly aren’t to think that what we do doesn’t matter anymore, but the whole question of whether we are righteous and acceptable to our Creator was settled forever on the cross of Christ, if we will accept it by faith. It’s a very strange situation, really, because when we discard our own “righteousness,” recognizing that it is worthless, (Isaiah 64:6) and place our trust in Jesus, the Righteous One of God, then we will act righteously! It doesn’t make much sense to our human intellect, but it is glorious reality in the kingdom of God. To me, a good definition of righteousness is displaying the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in the context of being obedient to God. Of course, that requires faith and submission to God, but in that case we can resist the devil, the driving force behind unrighteousness, and he will flee from us. (James 4:7) The world is currently filled with unrighteousness, but the only real cure for that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is something I have known in my head for quite a while, but it is still being worked out in my heart and life. I am not immune to temptations of all sorts, and I must never forget my weakness. At the same time, I am to have total confidence in my Lord, because He can do anything at all, even in and through me. I have no personal righteousness of which to brag, but my Lord is indeed my righteousness, and by His grace, that is manifested more and more, even in and through me.

Father, I am very aware of my inability to be righteous on my own. Thank You. Help me keep my eyes off of myself and fix them on Jesus my Lord, (Hebrews 12:2) so that Your righteousness may be manifested indeed, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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Peace; December 13, 2024

Posted on December 14, 2024 by jgarrott

Micah 5:5 And he will be our peace.

For once I really don’t care for the Japanese translation, but I really like the English! The Japanese says, “Peace will come in the following way.” What is inspiring about that? However, saying that the Messiah Himself will be our peace really resonates. I don’t know Hebrew at all, so I need to check with a family friend who has his PhD in Hebrew to check on whether this is an issue of translation or of which manuscript is being followed. The English version agrees completely with something Jesus famously said in His Upper Room Discourse: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) Inner peace is a precious commodity indeed, and there is no truer source of it than Jesus the Messiah. It is unquestionable that this passage from Micah is Messianic, since even the scribes whom Herod consulted quoted it to say that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (Matthew 2:4-6) They knew that as academic fact, but they didn’t care about it enough to go and seek Him out for themselves when Magi from the east came looking for Him! Whatever peace they had was counterfeit, and that is a problem even today. People settle on all sorts of things to give them peace of mind, but anything less than a personal relationship with the Son of God who died to give them life will ultimately prove to be an illusion. When we are stirred up from circumstances in the world, we need to remember that Christ Himself is our peace, and just let Him fill us more and more with His Spirit.

This is something I’ve experienced countless times, but I still need to be reminded of. I too get distracted by what is going on around me, or even in me physically, and take my eyes off of Jesus. I need to do as it says in Hebrews: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2) I can’t “run with perseverance” without God’s peace, which Paul rightly said is beyond human understanding. (Philippians 4:7) I need to let God’s peace in me be a magnet to draw those around me to repentance and faith for their own salvation, so that they too may know that peace.

Father, at times I’m not very consistent in displaying Your peace. Help me shake off the distractions and focus in on my Lord so that Your peace may indeed fill me and radiate from me, for the salvation of others and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Joseph; December 12. 2024

Posted on December 13, 2024 by jgarrott

Matthew 1:34-25 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Mary and Jesus get most of the attention at Christmas, but Joseph too is worthy of considerable meditation. His level of faith, humility, and kindness would be hard to overstate. We can imagine what it would be like to learn your fiancée is pregnant, and you aren’t the father. That he just wanted to call off the engagement as quietly as possible says volumes about him, but the shock must have been terrific. That he then, on the basis of a dream, followed through with the legal paperwork for the marriage is downright astounding. However, God knew the character of the man He had chosen to raise His Son, so all of this falls into place. Catholic tradition notwithstanding, it is obvious that he was a normal, healthy man, because of all the other children who are mentioned in Mark 6:3. Catholic tradition says that Joseph was a widower, and all those others were children of his first wife, but there is no Biblical backing for that as far as I can see, and the wording in this passage indicates, to me at least, that after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary had a normal marital relationship. Trying to say they didn’t is placing coitus and procreation in a special category that to me, actually encourages abuse. In any case, Joseph was a man worthy of every respect and admiration, and every husband should seek to follow his example in how he treated his wife.

I have been happily married for 55 and a half years. Thinking about it, Christmas Eve will mark 55 years and seven months. My wife was engaged to someone else when we met, but that obviously wasn’t God’s plan for her. I don’t put myself on the plane of Joseph, but I don’t think my attraction to her would have been diminished had things been different than they were. We have letters my parents wrote to us after we were engaged that comment on how absolutely “smitten” I seemed to be by her, and I certainly don’t deny it. God knew who I needed, and who she needed, and He brought us together just as surely as He brought Joseph and Mary together. We have no record of when or how the Lord took Joseph home, but the impression I get is that Jesus didn’t start His ministry until after He had buried Joseph. I feel sure that Jesus’ brothers and sisters had been raised to be good, productive members of society, so support for Mary during the years of Jesus’ ministry wasn’t an issue. That spiritual bonds can be deeper than physical bonds is illustrated by Jesus entrusting Mary to John, rather than to one of His brothers, during His crucifixion. (John 19:26-27) I never had the issue of supporting senior parents, since the Lord took my father at 64 and my mother at 72. At this point, the Lord has just recently provided so that I don’t have to be worried about my wife, should He take me first. Regardless, I want to follow Joseph’s example of respecting, honoring, and loving my wife, for as long as He allows me to do so, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your perfect plans. Help me flow with Your Spirit on Your schedule, as the husband, father, and disciple You want me to be, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Faith; December 11, 2024

Posted on December 12, 2024 by jgarrott

Luke 1:45 “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Truer words were never spoken! God has said many things to us through the Bible, and He continues to speak to us individually today. However, if we fail to believe what He has said to us, the blessings He intends are often thwarted. The expression, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it,” is famous, but I have long felt that simply saying, “God said it. That settles it,” would be more accurate. God’s Word is true, whether we believe it or not, but we receive the benefit by faith. That’s what Elizabeth is saying here. The Japanese is a bit stronger than most English translations, specifying that fulfillment will absolutely take place. Our faith is often wobbly. Even John the Baptist, after he was imprisoned, wondered if Jesus really was the Messiah, as he himself had boldly proclaimed. That’s why we need to start with the foundational assurance that God created us and He loves us. Everything else builds on that. When we have that foundational conviction, it’s not so hard to believe all the other stuff He has said to us. I frequently point out to people that Jesus died to take away the sins of all mankind, but that salvation accrues to us only when we believe that we need it, and that He loves us individually. It is a hard step for people to admit that they are sinners and deserve hell, but that humble confession is absolutely necessary. However, when we make that confession and believe that Jesus died in our place so that we could have eternal life, the miracle of salvation takes place. In many ways, faith is everything, but as James pointed out strongly, genuine faith is demonstrated in how we live. Mary lived out her faith, and we should too.

Of course, this applies to me as much as it does to anyone. I grew up knowing the facts of the Gospel as well as anyone, but it was only later that those facts worked their way into my heart to become faith, even conviction. If I believe Jesus is my Savior, my Lord, then I am going to live in obedience to and fellowship with Him. That’s what discipleship is all about. As a pastor, I desire to raise up more disciples for Jesus, but that will be done more by example than by words. As a Teacher, that can be hard to remember at times! I need to walk with them, not lecturing but imparting, so that they may be nurtured in the obedience that comes from faith. If I will do that, then I and they will be the disciples that God desires, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s interesting that I still need it! Help me truly learn all the things You teach me, walking them out in the obedience that comes from unshakable faith, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Mary’s Example; December 10, 2024

Posted on December 11, 2024 by jgarrott

Luke 1:38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

I have no idea how many times I’ve written on this verse, but it hits me every time I read it. The level of faith, humility, and commitment demonstrated in these words is incredible. I feel sure Luke heard her account of them personally while he was researching and writing his Gospel, in the two years Paul was held in Caesarea. (Acts 24:27) I’m sure he was in awe at the time, as well. The Catholic attitude toward Mary is one of the things that would keep me from ever joining their number officially. Though their formal dogma says that she is not to be worshiped, but only venerated, titles  like “Queen of Heaven,” and “Mother of God,” raise huge red flags for me. At the same time, I think Protestants lose something when they fail to meditate on her level of faith and commitment. By Levitical law, an unwed girl could be stoned to death for getting pregnant! (I’ve always thought that was horribly unfair, since a boy was certainly involved – other than in this case – and the child is certainly innocent.) She had no idea how her fiancé Joseph would react, and indeed, it took an angelic visitation to get him on board, but her first commitment was to her God, and that is how we too should be. The road ahead of her was certainly not easy, so we too should have nothing held back in our commitment. After all, Jesus said explicitly that in this world we would have trouble! (John 16:33) In our celebration of Christmas we would do well to meditate on Mary, and seek to follow her example.

My life has had its ups and downs, but I don’t think I’ve ever been presented with a choice as stark as Mary’s. Most of the right choices I’ve made I’ve been inclined to do anyway! I’ve known people who were afraid to commit totally to God because “He might send me to Africa!” Indeed He might, but if He does, the road will be filled with more blessings than you can imagine, as well as difficulties. I grew up watching my parents’ total commitment, though they never talked about it. We are all capable of bold statements of faith, but as the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and people are watching to see what happens “when push comes to shove.” Frankly, I don’t trust myself to always make the right choices, but I know that God is able to guide me, so I’m not to be anxious about anything. His plans are always the best, and I’m sure Mary was ultimately very grateful she made the choice she did.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s the little choices that tend to trip me up! Help me be fully committed to You on every level so that my obedience won’t falter, for the blessing of everyone involved and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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