July 24, 2015

Posted on July 27, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 130:3-4 If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

On the face of it this seems like a somewhat strange statement. If God forgives, then why fear Him? However, that question could only come from someone who doesn’t really understand sin and its consequences, much less God and His grace. It actually takes more power to forgive than to punish. I’m not really talking criminal justice here, I’m talking about heart attitudes and eternal consequences. Often we bear the physical consequences of our sins even when we have repented of them and God has wiped them off of our slate, but sin has eternal consequences as well. When we repent before God and place those sins under the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of atonement, then they do not, they cannot, follow us into eternity. Knowing that God can and does make that possible should generate in every believer a desire to keep everything under the blood, a desire to walk in the righteousness of God that is only available through Jesus Christ. That is truly “fearing the Lord,” and it is the core of the Gospel.

I have loved this passage for many years. I remember how coming to the realization that I really was forgiven freed me from the strong pull of pornography. I am still human and must not be careless, but it has only a fraction of the pull it once had. Peter’s statement was really liberating to me. “But if anyone does not have them, he is short-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” (2 Peter 1:9) He’s talking about some good character traits here, but the point is that once you are cleansed, you are cleansed. I’m reminded of an article I read just recently about a man, who is currently a pastor, who has served a sentence for a murder he really did commit as a young man. The difference between him and me is just that the police wouldn’t be interested in what I have done. The fact that we are sinners saved by the grace of God is no different at all. That’s reason enough to fear God and love Him, placing Him above and before everything else in my life, even including my physical life. He is more than worthy.

Father, thank You indeed for Your amazing grace. So many people sing that song with no real idea of what it means. Help me express Your Gospel accurately and effectively to as many people as possible, so that they too may turn, repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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July 23, 2015

Posted on July 24, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:147-148 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.
My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promises.

You might call this “fasting sleep.” We have a strange relationship with sleep, just as we do with food. Both are essential, and extended disruptions to either can be disastrous. However, we can over-value them as well, allowing them to displace other important elements of our lives. Food is fairly well understood by most people, but sleep is not. Sleep deprivation is a major issue, actually. In Japan, and I believe some other Asian countries, students are expected to sacrifice sleep in order to study. That can work in the short term, as anyone who has crammed for an exam believes, but it can have major negative impact in the long term. I had long wondered why Japanese, who are seldom fat, had such a high incidence of type-2 diabetes, but then a report came out that said chronic sleep deprivation in the teenage years was linked to higher risk of diabetes, and everything clicked. The study was done in America, but the average Japanese high school student gets only about 5 hours of sleep a night, and that’s average; there are those who get less. With long commutes, that often carries over into adult years. Some people might applaud that, seeing it as dedication, but it is really a matter of misplaced priorities. Today, there are many who sacrifice sleep in order to watch TV or play video games. That’s certainly not the right kind of dedication! All of that is in sharp contrast to what the Psalmist is talking about here. He is facing difficulties in life, as we all do, but his choice is to focus on God and what He has said. There have been times in the history of the Church when all night prayer meetings were not so uncommon, but today people are far more likely to indulge in a “marathon” of TV watching or computer gaming. We need to be good stewards of our bodies/health in both food and sleep, but be willing to fast either or both, giving preference to the Word of the Lord.

I have discovered that rising early (in winter it’s certainly before dawn) to have plenty of time for devotions is an avenue of real blessing, but I have to compensate by going to bed early, too. As a pastor that’s not always possible, because emergencies in the congregation don’t depend on the clock, but that’s what I have found works well for me. I earnestly desire that everyone in the church develop strong habits of personal devotions, but I find a lot of the resistance comes from the whole sleep issue. People aren’t willing to go to bed in time to get enough sleep before getting up in time to have devotions before starting the day. People tend to react to my teaching on the subject with, “You’re messing with my personal life. How dare you!” I can’t change their hearts, but I can pray for them. Making Jesus Lord extends to every area of our lives. That applies even to food and sleep.

Father, I fear coming across as legalistic when I stress this, and there is certainly a risk of being holier-than-thou. I ask You to enable me to feed Your sheep what You know they need in ways that You know they will receive it, because I don’t have wisdom to do it. May I be fully submitted to You in every area so that I may be an example to the flock, and together we may be and do all that You desire and intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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July 22, 2015

Posted on July 24, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:111 Your statutes are my heritage for ever;
they are the joy of my heart.

This brings to mind Jesus’ instructions to “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:20) Physical treasure, inherited or otherwise, is temporary. However, when our focus is on God and what He provides, that is eternal. He does bless us physically, but that is an afterthought compared to the spiritual riches He has for us. The thing is, if our focus is on the physical, we are likely not even to recognize the spiritual riches. It is somewhat like art work that has monetary value only to the degree that people value it. On one level, the greatest paintings in history are no more than canvas (or wood, etc.) and pigment. Not a whole lot of value there, except that people assign value to it. From God’s standpoint, the material world is something He spoke into existence. However, He values souls that turn to Him. When John 3:16 says that God so loved the world, it’s not talking about the rocks, trees, and rivers, but about the people. Conversely, when 1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him,” it’s talking about material things and the world system. It’s significant that the same person wrote both those verses!

I feel this verse from the Psalm applies fully to me. One of my father’s favorite verses was Psalm 16:6. “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” He was very aware of the spiritual heritage he had from his pastor father, and he rejoiced in it. I have that multiplied, adding in my mother’s side of the family along with all the spiritual riches my parents amassed. However, every bit of that is dependent on my going back to the source, to God, because unless my own relationship with Him is right, I enjoy very little of anything else. That said, by God’s grace I do recognize His riches. Physical things can be nice, but they are not to be compared with the eternal riches that God has poured out through Christ. As a pastor myself I seek to help people recognize the abundance that is available to them, but it can be slow going. “Pastor” actually means “shepherd,” and sometimes I feel like I’ve led my flock to a lush meadow and they decline to eat the clover. I am to speak the truth in love and pray for the work of the Holy Spirit, so that each believer may choose and be trained to feed themselves on the abundance of God’s word, for their eternal blessing.

Father, thank You indeed for my heritage. May I neither devalue nor squander it, but continually invest it in Your kingdom to that it may have a heavenly return indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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July 21, 2015

Posted on July 22, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:75 I know, O Lord, that your laws are righteous,
and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

Here’s a real statement of faith for you! Acknowledging that God’s judgments are righteous is one thing, but then extending that to say that your troubles are a demonstration of God’s faithfulness is another level entirely. However, this is the testimony of a genuine, mature believer. The whole question of why do bad things happen to good people misses the point that we have all sinned and deserve hell. (Romans 3:23) This isn’t to say that we are to be looking for bad stuff, seeking martyrdom to atone for our sins; that is spitting in God’s face and denying the work of Christ on the cross. However, it is to say that we understand that we are very much “under construction,” needing a lot of work to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. (Romans 8:29) It is when we understand this that we can indeed give God thanks in all circumstances. (Ephesians 5:20) And the interesting thing is, a thankful heart eliminates much if not most of the suffering! The more we are convinced that God really loves us and desires the very best for us, the better we are able to “endure hardship as discipline,” (Hebrews 12:7) rejoicing to be considered worthy of God’s time and effort to perfect us.

This awareness certainly didn’t come instantly for me! However, I have always been aware of being a recipient of God’s grace, and though I haven’t exactly enjoyed some of the stuff I’ve come through, it hasn’t seemed like that big a deal, either. I’ve certainly seen lots of people who have endured far worse! My problem as a pastor is that when I try to communicate this understanding to others, they tend to think I am being callous, or else taking their troubles lightly. Far from it! I just want them to understand that God is far greater than their troubles and He is never mean. If He allows it, then He can and will use it for our blessing and His glory. The suffering of others bothers me more than my own. I think fairly often of the Pakistani woman who is currently under a death sentence for having stated, simply and accurately enough, “My Jesus died for me. What did your Mohamed do for you?” I don’t know what the outcome of her appeal to the Supreme Court will be, but I do know that there is a far higher court that has judged her righteous indeed, and worthy of great honor and glory. I also know that any difficulty experienced by the people to who I minister pales to insignificance beside hers. I am to be faithful, and point people consistently to Christ rather than to their own comfort and convenience.

Father, I do not know the result of my ministry. Thank You for the chance yesterday to hear again the story of that lay evangelist in Sydney who was so powerfully used by You, yet didn’t know the results of his labors until a few weeks before his death. Thank You that I can rest in the assurance of Your faithfulness, and rejoice that Jesus is Lord. May I be Your agent each moment of today, doing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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July 20, 2015

Posted on July 22, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:45 I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.

It is one of the paradoxes of the Kingdom of God that submission to God’s rules brings liberty. Every English translation I checked says “freedom” or “liberty,” and the Japanese translation I use says “unrestrained.” The flesh reacts to God’s laws as bondage, the opposite of freedom, but an objective observation of mankind will show that is not the case. Rather, it is those who reject God’s law who are in bondage to all sorts of things, most of which could be described as lusts. Addictions of all sorts aren’t pretty. It is only by submission to Christ and reception of His gracious atonement that we are “rescued from this body of death,” as Paul put it in Romans 7:24. Any parent knows the routine. From around age 2 children are constantly testing their boundaries, and if not reined in become destructive to themselves and others. Unrestrained children become terribly insecure, uncertain of everything, including their parents’ love. God provides the boundaries we need, but we have to choose to accept them, or else they become the equivalent of electric fences, terribly painful when we ignore them. It is when we seek out God’s laws to be obedient to them that we can walk boldly, knowing we aren’t about to fall into a trap.

My parents set few boundaries on me in terms of accomplishment, but they did set clear moral and ethical boundaries, and I am deeply grateful. If we set the wrong kind of boundaries for our children they have trouble fulfilling even a fraction of their potential, and they may even become evil in the process. Parents have the privilege and the responsibility to represent God to their children. No parent does it perfectly, so we need to seek our Heavenly Father’s guidance and wisdom at every step. All adults need to stop acting like 2-year-olds, rebelling at every suggestion of our Father. As a pastor I represent Father God to many, both in this church and out of it. It is only as my heart is submitted to Him that I don’t have to be worried about what I am doing, whether it’s the right thing or not. If my heart is “seeking out His precepts,” then I don’t have to be anxious about a thing.

Father, thank You for yesterday and all it held. There were unexpected things and there were frustrations, but You were in it all. Thank You for today. The weather has already rearranged my plans, but I can see that Your plan is better. Help me be Your agent each moment of today, “walking unrestrained” because I am doing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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July 19, 2015

Posted on July 22, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 71:18 Even when I am old and grey,
do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your might to all who are to come.

Old people have a number of purposes, but perhaps the chief of those is to transmit what they have learned of God to succeeding generations. A study done within the past few years showed that even when old people exhibit memory lapses, they still have superior decision-making ability based on past experiences. That is, they know what works and what doesn’t, even if they can’t remember how they learned it. That applies most in the area of faith. Someone who has walked with God for many years is going to know that God will continue to walk them through to the end. God’s plan is that they tell of God’s faithfulness to those who haven’t yet had as much chance to learn it by experience. Old people sometimes have trouble understanding why they are still around. They need to grasp that there are tasks to do that are uniquely theirs, and rejoice to do them. I remember an aunt of mine, past 90, confined to bed and having lost her eyesight. When we visited her in the nursing home where she lived she said she didn’t know why God didn’t go ahead and take her home. Then, later in the conversation she was telling us about a grandson who had gone to the brink of divorce, but she had prayed for him and his wife, and the marriage was on the mend. I was able to point out to her that she had a ministry of prayer that was unique to her circumstances, and that she was still valuable in God’s kingdom. Christian old people in particular need to be encouraged to make full use of the gifts and opportunities that are uniquely theirs.

The hair on my head still doesn’t have much gray, though it is getting thinner, but my beard is nearly pure white. 66 doesn’t seem old today, but it it is well past the average life expectancy of even a century ago. I do continue a pretty active lifestyle, but I need to get my focus on transmitting God’s grace to succeeding generations. Few people around me have as close to a Biblical marriage, for example, as I do. I am not to be a boor, bragging about my marriage all the time, but I am to do all I can to transmit the Biblical principles that have blessed us so much. Maturity has brought me different priorities than what I see in many people, and I feel mine have been much more successful than those the world expects. Again, I am not to come across as bragging, but I am to share what God has taught me so that others may benefit. I’ve published one book and am working on another, and I have a blog with a growing clientele. I am not to take personal pride in any of that, but be grateful to God for the opportunities to share what He has poured out on me. I want to spare succeeding generations the effects of the mistakes I made!

Father, thank You again for Your amazing grace. Thank You that I have already outlived my father by a few years, and look to have quite a few more. May every one of them be spent doing what You have planned for me, communicating the good news of Your kingdom to all who will receive it, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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July 18, 2015

Posted on July 19, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 71:6 From my birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you.

This particular Psalm is anonymous, but there is no question that the writer’s name is known in heaven, because he has shared his faith for the benefit of generations to come. The Japanese and the English have a small difference in nuance that makes the Japanese far more applicable to my experience than the NIV. Where the NIV says “I have relied on you,” the Japanese says, “You have embraced me.” In other words, the focus is not on what I have done but on what God has done. If we were dependent on our own faithfulness, none of us would make it! (2 Timothy 2:13) Several Psalmists and prophets were very aware that God had had His hand on them from birth, or even before. You cannot take the Bible seriously and fail to be in awe of the miracle that is human life. That shows how badly deceived people are who claim to be Christian and yet set some arbitrary point after conception at which a person becomes a human being. The better we realize that it is indeed God who created us in our mothers’ wombs the more we will indeed praise Him.

This particular Psalm hits home for me because I was in church from conception on, with prayers and hymns reaching my ears through the amniotic fluid. Such an environment caused me at age four to announce to my mother that I loved her a lot, but not nearly as much as I loved Jesus. God has indeed embraced me from infancy. However, I haven’t always relied on Him accurately. Too many times I have taken Him for granted, failing to realize that I have to be in line with Him for His blessings to flow through me. If a pipe is disconnected from the source, no water is going to come out the other end! His patience with me has been absolutely amazing. Sometimes I think I have a lot in common with Jacob, who really wasn’t that nice a guy before he became Israel. I am to be grateful for the blessings God has poured out on me and give Him glory for them, but I am never to presume on them, much less think I have earned them. How could I earn the circumstances of my birth? I am to seek to be an effective communicator of God’s plan of salvation to all, remembering that He loves them as much as He loves me, though that is more than I could express in words.

Father, thank You indeed for Your amazing grace. Thank You for how You have embraced and protected me, keeping me from far worse than I ever experienced, even though I deserved far worse than I got. I shudder to think of the roads I could so easily have taken, but You kept me from them. Help me extend Your grace to those around me, some of whom have taken those roads, so that together we may walk with You on Your road, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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July 17, 2015

Posted on July 19, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 69:6 May those who hope in you
not be disgraced because of me,
O Lord, the Lord Almighty;
may those who seek you
not be put to shame because of me,
O God of Israel.

This strikes me as a prayer that more “professional Christians” need to pray! The actions of leaders have far more repercussions than the actions of those who are not in such positions. As James said, teachers in the Church are judged more strictly for exactly that reason. (James 3:1) When prominent Christian personalities, either preachers or entertainers, have been exposed publicly in flagrant sins, the entire Church has been tarred with that brush, to a degree. The world is not “fair,” as we see fairness, and we need to get that through our heads. None of us lives for ourselves alone, and the broader our influence, the greater our responsibility. David grasped that, perhaps because he failed so spectacularly. (Actually, I don’t know if this Psalm was written before or after Psalm 51. If before, then it is highly ironic.) Every human being is, well, human. The problem is, the bigger we become in our own eyes, the more we forget that. As Paul said, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12) We all stumble, with depressing regularity. That’s all the more reason for leaders to pray this prayer of David with all humility and sincerity.

This thought, whether or not I was remembering this particular Scripture, has been a help to me in resisting temptation on quite a few occasions. When the devil has thrown thoughts of suicide at me, for example, the awareness of the impact that would have on others has cut that off immediately. For quite a few years I have connected this with Paul’s admonition to “Abstain from all appearance of evil,” as the King James puts it. (1 Thessalonians 5:22) For a leader, it is better not to seem shady, even if you aren’t doing anything shady. I want people to be able to look at me and be drawn closer to Christ, not use me as an excuse for their own sloppy living. I do remember walking out of a small prayer meeting one time when I felt I was being held to an unrealistic standard, but I’m not proud of that. At the time, if I recall correctly, I said something like, “If you won’t let me be human, then I quit.” Church members need to remember that their leaders are indeed human, but for that very reason pray for them to be strengthened and protected.

Father, thank You for this prayer of David. I do pray it as well, that I would not cause anyone to stumble but would consistently lead people to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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July 16, 2015

Posted on July 17, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalms 65:2-3 O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.  When we were overwhelmed by sins,you forgave our transgressions.

The fact that God hears prayer is of extraordinary importance. As it says here, “all flesh” seeks such a One. The thing is, so many people don’t know to whom to pray, or they pray to the wrong things. In Japan, many people pray to their ancestors. (The current trappings of that practice are Buddhist, but the concept is Confucian, and is not found in early Buddhist teaching.) Actually, the same sort of thinking is found in the Catholic practice of praying to assorted saints. Even if such people could hear and answer, which seems a stretch and certainly isn’t supported by the Bible, why do it when we are specifically told to pray to the Creator, who not only made all those people but who loves us individually? (John 16:26-27) And then there are the great numbers of people who know to whom to pray, but they just don’t do it. Many things could contribute to that. Some people seem to think, “That’s too small to bother God with.” Jesus said the Father even keeps track of how many hairs we have on our heads! (Matthew 10:30) Others even seem to think they don’t need God’s help. They certainly don’t have a realistic grasp of their situation! The devil uses these and other things to discourage prayer, because the last thing he wants is people who are in regular, intimate communication and fellowship with God. Verse 3 here brings up an extremely important point. Failure to recognize guilt will keep us from recognizing our need for God. Failure to understand and believe that He does and will forgive will make us run from Him instead of turn to Him. We need to acknowledge that we are weak and foolish, doing the wrong things even more than we are aware, but that He is both love and holiness, and through Christ He will forgive and restore all who will repent and believe. (1 John 1:9)

This is, of course, the story of my own life and the pattern of my ministry. I have had to learn that in Christ I really am forgiven, so sin no longer has power over me. That makes me very quick to turn to prayer. Sometimes I can do it openly, but sometimes I just have to pray in my heart. As a pastor, my highest desire for people is that they enjoy the level of intimacy with God that I do, and even more, but I am continually amazed, frustrated, and saddened by how little people pray. I want them to understand that since God knows our thoughts, if we would just be aware of that and direct them to Him, we would be praying! So many people make prayer out to be some mystical, difficult thing, when it is nothing more than a child talking to their Father. Every other part of Christian living is based on the foundation of prayer. If they neglect the foundation, how can they expect success in the rest of it?

Father, I had wondered what You wanted me to speak about this Sunday! Thank You for this clear, vital message. I ask for Your clear guidance and anointing both in the preparation and the delivery, so that Your Word may have its full work in each heart and life, cutting through all the lies of the enemy and drawing people into the relationship with You that You desire, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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July 15, 2015

Posted on July 16, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 62:11-12 One thing God has spoken,
two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,
and that you, O Lord, are loving.
Surely you will reward each person
according to what he has done.

Yet again, difference in language generates different nuance. The Japanese renders this, “The Lord has spoken once. Twice I have heard it (what He spoke). Strength belongs to You. O Lord, grace also belongs to you.” The last part of the passage is essentially the same. I would say this would be an illustration of why it is dangerous to pin points of theology on specific phrases in the Bible! Some of my most frustrating experiences in interpreting have been with American speakers who built their message around a specific phrase that didn’t even exist in the Japanese version of the passage they were using. I don’t believe in trying to add to the Bible, but I know that it is essential that we have the help of the Holy Spirit as we read it. Humanly speaking, there’s no telling what we might come up with otherwise! I have the highest respect for those who apply themselves to produce Bible translations, but I pray for them a yieldedness to the Holy Spirit that will protect them from writing what they think instead of what God has said. There are some “translations” out there today that make no bones about their agenda, with such things as a “gender-neutral God.” Such things are abominations, and are part of the devil’s efforts to destroy both the family, which is a picture of God’s relationship with mankind, and respect for the Bible as the Word of God. Honest paraphrases, such as The Message and The Living Bible, have their place, but in reading them, or reading any translation, actually, we need to let the Holy Spirit be our guide, not only as to what He said in the first place but especially as to what He is saying to us as we read.

I have always had problems with people who insist on “this translation and no other.” It’s actually rather funny when such people become missionaries, having to work in another language. There was even a movement for a while to produce a Japanese translation based on the KJV, rather than the Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew! It is clear from the New Testament use of the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament that the 1st Century Christians weren’t so picky, but trusted the Holy Spirit to straighten it all out. Either in English or in Japanese I sometimes prefer the turn of phrase in one translation over another, but for me the key is clarity and applicability. Even the most textually accurate translation does us no good if we don’t let it work God’s will in our hearts and lives. I remember about 40 years ago when my wife was reading The Living Bible devotionally. It was fairly new, and a missionary teased her about it, asking her, “What do you feed it?” Her answer was choice: “I don’t. It feeds me.” I need to feed on the Word, getting the spiritual nutrition God wants me to have, whether the “cooking style” is English or Japanese and whatever personal flair the “chef” might have put into it.

Father, help me value Your Word for what it is and transmit it as it is, not worshiping the words on the page but rather You who spoke them. Keep me from clinging to such things as “Gloria in excelsis Deo,” when those angels were almost certainly singing in Aramaic for the benefit of the shepherds! May I let Your Word live in me indeed, so that it may bring life to all to whom I speak, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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