April 24, 2015

Posted on April 25, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 123:1-2 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you whose throne is in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he shows us his mercy.

I have no emotional connection to what it is like to be a slave. I realize that slavery is actually rampant even today in various forms, but I have never experienced it from either side, or even as a close bystander. That said, I can imagine what the Psalmist is saying here, because it is obviously referring to a state of total dependence. In the case of human slavery, the slave is subject to the whims of the owner. In our relationship with God, we are even more dependent on the grace and mercy of our Creator, because we can’t even take a single breath unless He allows it. However, God is not capricious, as a human owner might be. There is actually great assurance in having a right understanding of our relationship to God. We do get off track and we are subject to His mercy, but when His very character is love, (1 John 4:8) that’s not a bad thing at all. Our task is to recognize and repent when we do get off track, and follow step by step as closely as we can. If we will do that, we will enjoy the peace and assurance our hearts long for through fellowship with God by His Spirit, and that is a treasure beyond everything in the world put together.

It’s been almost 60 years since I was baptized, but this is a truth I am continuing to learn. As a pastor, I deeply desire that everyone in this church learn it as well. Actually, since it is the purpose for which mankind was created, I want everyone to learn it! However, looking back over my own life I recognize various things that tend to stand in the way. The first is the desire for independence. My mother used an expression, “independent as a hog on ice.” That’s certainly colorful, and it illustrates that our attempts at independence seldom get us where we think we want to go. Mixed with that is the pride that thinks we can do anything strictly on our own. Every ability we have is a gift from God; failing to recognize that is blind conceit. Then we have our stubborn failure to trust that God really has our best interests in mind. That’s not just insulting to God, it is tragic because it keeps us from cooperating with and yielding to Him, so that we end up cutting ourselves off from the blessings He intends for us. I need to live as a demonstration that it is possible to have a right relationship with God, so that others may be encouraged to believe that it is possible, and surrender themselves to Him as well.

Father, not a day goes by that I am not impressed by Your grace. I so desire that those around me believe and trust that grace as well, but I know I don’t want it as much as You do. I pray that Your Name would indeed be recognized as holy and that Your kingdom would come as Your will is done on this earth, and I offer myself as an instrument of that will, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 23, 2015

Posted on April 25, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 119:130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.

I really like the Japanese translation here: “When the door of Your Word opens, light shines in.” The image is so clear and so apt! And the term used for “understanding” in the last half of the verse is exactly what is used when the Buddhists speak of “enlightenment,” (though the Japanese word has nothing to do with light per se). If we want to be enlightened, if we want to be people of understanding who really “get” what’s going on, then we had better get into the Word, and let the Word get into us! I am in turns amazed, bemused, and disgusted at people who refuse to accept the Bible as the Word of God and either ignore it or actively attack it. That shouldn’t surprise me when people outside the Church do it, but it can be heartbreaking when supposed “insiders” do it. These days whole denominations seem to be throwing out the Bible as the rule book of life, and I don’t see how they can call themselves Christian when they do so. As the old hymn, Trust and Obey, says, “When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way!” When we shut out the Bible as the Word of God, we are walking in the dark, and disaster is the guaranteed outcome.

As a pastor, one of my primary aims is to have each believer be consistent in reading the Bible and praying daily, preferably every morning. It is a continuing mystery to me that so few get to that place. I see people struggle with all sorts of problems they would never have in the first place if they were consistent in seeking God through His Word. This particular Psalm is an extended adoration of the Word of God, and as such it speaks to this issue again and again. Verse 11 is perhaps the most famous, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you,” but there are many more. In today’s passage, verse 133 jumps out at me: “Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.” People want guidance and they want to be free of “besetting sins,” and yet they fail to turn to the Bible consistently. Without the standard of the Bible, they fail to realize that their self-centeredness, unforgiveness, and general lack of trusting God are sins against the God who not only created them, He sent His Son to die in their place. Again I am faced with my inability to change anyone by my own strength. I’ve got to be fully yielded to God myself to let His Spirit speak and act through me, so that people may be brought to repentance and faith.

Father, as I am at times sharply aware of how others are sinning against You, keep me from overlooking my own sins. Help me walk in humility and repentance, not preaching down to people but coming alongside them and lifting them up, so that together we may defeat the plans of the enemy and walk in Your victory, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 22, 2015

Posted on April 23, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 116:10 I believed; therefore I said,
“I am greatly afflicted.”

This is an anonymous Psalm, but that in no way detracts from the depth and beauty of the faith displayed or the power of the truth expressed. For this particular verse, the Japanese goes with the translation that the NIV expresses as a footnote: “I believed even when I said…” I like that very much, because it speaks to the life experience of every believer. As Jesus said, in this world we will/do have troubles. (John 16:33) There are those who are so fixated on “positive confession” that they won’t admit what is staring them in the face. It is not “unbelief” to acknowledge problems; faith comes in trusting that God is far greater than the problems. I think God may give different “flavors” of faith to different people. It is certainly unwise to insist that everyone have the same sort of faith you do. That is in essence saying that faith is something we work up, rather than a gift we accept from God. (Ephesians 2:8-9) I personally feel that a major purpose in God allowing all sorts of difficulties into our lives is this very act of choosing to accept the faith He offers. We sometimes think of faith in very esoteric terms, when really it boils down to trust. It’s like a child who may be in very real pain, but when they know Daddy is there they can bear it. That’s what this verse is talking about.

I’ve had my moments of having to choose to believe, and I know I will have more. I can’t say that the prospect is exciting, but I know that God is more than able to get me through whatever lies ahead. I have very little anxiety about my own death, but I certainly don’t like to dwell on the prospect of my wife preceding me. I stumble and make stupid mistakes all the time, but God is more than able to get me back on my feet. As a pastor I frequently deal with people who have difficulty really trusting God in practical terms. They are kind of like, “I know Jesus died for my sins, but what about my child’s education?” You don’t get past a mountain by insisting the mountain isn’t there, you either go around it or you start climbing. I need to help people ask God which course they should take, and both recognize and trust His answer. Again I am faced with the reality that I can’t change anyone’s heart or mind, but I can be useful to God for Him to do so. I am to cover each relationship, each interaction in prayer, asking and trusting God to use it to bless people for His glory.

Father, thank You again for Your gracious patience toward me. Help me remember that always, so that I may express it toward those to whom I minister. May we continue to grow, as individuals and as a church, so that we may destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and walk in all that You intend for us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 21, 2015

Posted on April 22, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.

This is the prayer of a person committed to God. Many people don’t even care to know God’s ways; they just want their own. They want to define truth however they like, and deny that there is such a thing as absolute truth. David, in contrast, is asking to be shown God’s ways and is committing himself to walk in God’s truth. Most of us are somewhere between those extremes. David calls that a divided heart, and we all struggle with it to some degree. On the one hand we want to follow God, simply because we know the outcome will be better if for no other reason, but on the other hand we want to indulge the flesh, and bridle at controls of any sort. All sorts of things work better with proper integration, and we are no exception. All of our impulses and urges have a positive use, but we’ve got to bring them in line or they pull us apart. It is a psychological reality that men are better at compartmentalizing their thoughts, their lives, than women are, but that can be dangerous, especially if we don’t realize what’s going on. God wants all of us, and we are too prone to give Him part but not all. Actually, a fully integrated personality is possible only when our whole being is submitted to and trusting God. That’s why we need to pray this prayer along with David.

Over the years I have associated with various people who were diagnosed as schizophrenic, but to be honest, I feel it’s only a matter of degree; we all have that tendency. Paul expressed it himself rather famously in Romans 7, and we can all identify with that. I am not to dump on myself or on others when we trip up, but at the same time never let go of the goal of being fully integrated in harmony with and submission to God. Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” is glorious truth, but it is not an excuse to ignore God’s directions and run off of His path. Paul had to correct that misconception various times in his letters. I am to keep my eyes on the prize (Philippians 3:14, etc.) and teach others to do the same, letting the Holy Spirit flow through me to wash out the junk and the contradictions and praying that others would do likewise. I can’t accomplish it alone even in myself, so I must not think for a moment that I can do it in someone else. However, I am to make it clear that by God’s grace it is possible, and encourage everyone to open themselves up to Him.

Father, thank You for all You are doing in this church. Thank You for what was expressed in the business meeting of wanting to draw people in, and thank You for what was expressed to me afterward of the need for spiritual growth and maturity in us all. Help us all keep growing, pressing in for more of You and not being satisfied with mediocrity, so that all of Your purposes for us may be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 20, 2015

Posted on April 21, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 79:9-10 Help us, O God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name’s sake.
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”

The best thing about this cry for help is that it puts the focus on God. We tend to put the focus on ourselves, poor little me, but that isn’t very productive. That said, the problem with this cry for help is that in historical context, the answer to the question posed here is that the Jews had denied their God and followed all sorts of lies, and what they were going through was the natural consequence of that. The writer does acknowledge that they had sinned, and he very rightly basis his request for forgiveness not on human righteousness but on the reputation of the Name of the Lord. God doesn’t have an ego to be bruised, but He does desire that people know His character so that they will be more likely to turn to Him. That’s why He did indeed answer this prayer, though not with the timing and methods the psalmist probably had in mind. All of this certainly brings America today to mind. No other nation apart from Israel has been so boldly founded on “the laws of nature and nature’s God” as America, yet today there is a concerted effort to deny that that was the intention of the Founding Fathers at all. As part of that, there is also a strong denial of “the laws of nature and nature’s God,” to a degree that violates all logic and common sense. Why would you throw out and degrade marriage, which is the foundation of civil society, and even the biology that under-girds it? Those in America who call on the Name of the Lord in truth need to repent of taking His Word lightly and call on Him for His mercy, much as the psalmist did here. Only then will the nations recognize that the God America has claimed since its founding is the Creator and Savior indeed.

I am at a physical remove from America, but the Internet keeps me more aware than I would like to be of the current level of degradation. Like Daniel, I am to pray for God’s mercy on the nation regardless of my personal righteousness, while at the same time recognizing that any righteousness I have is only by His grace. I am saddened to have to tell Japanese that at present America is not a Christian nation in practice, but my focus should not be on man and his actions at all. Rather, I am to focus on God, in my prayers and in my daily living. I am not to “cast the first stone,” but rather cry out to God for His mercy on us all.

Father, life on this earth is such a mixture: joy and sorrow, holiness and obscenity, obedience and rebellion. As the song says, it makes me “long for heaven and home.” However, as that song also says, I know You are watching me. Help me rest in that knowledge, seeking and receiving forgiveness as necessary and walking in obedience and submission to You, doing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 19, 2015

Posted on April 20, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 78:36-37 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,
lying to him with their tongues;
their hearts were not loyal to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant.

This whole rather long Psalm is a litany of how Israel would go through cycle after cycle of obeying God and then rebelling against Him, and how God put up with it all. This particular snippet from the Psalm describes the hypocritical stage of that cycle. We human beings have a remarkable ability to say and do one thing on the surface and be something entirely different underneath. This Psalm makes it clear that doesn’t work, because God always sees through whatever sham we put up. Jesus’ harshest word against people was to call them hypocrites. God doesn’t want our ceremonies, He wants our hearts. We can be so stupid, thinking that God doesn’t notice things, when actually He is aware of every little detail. When you come right down to it, when you consider how perfectly pure and holy He is, it’s a wonder He doesn’t zap us all! That’s why the Bible talks over and over about God is “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7) The problem is, we tend to presume on that, forgetting that when God gave that description of Himself He went on to say, “Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:7) America is at what I would hope is a peak of rebellion at this point. (I don’t see how it could get much worse.) God’s clearly expressed laws and standards are being flouted in more ways than I could list. As someone has said, if God doesn’t bring judgment on America, He owes an apology to Sodom and Gomorrah! One of Satan’s lies is that the individual is powerless in the face of all this filth in society. However, society is made up of individuals, and it will change only as individuals decide to be different. Not until individuals choose to walk in personal holiness will society move away from being so profane. This is most evident in homes, where parents need to set holy examples for their children, not pretending to be perfect but always having the standard of Christ, of the Bible, before them. As Paul said, we are to “not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)

I’ve got to be as careful of this as anyone, if not more so, because as a pastor I am an example to many. The world constantly pulls us to conform to it, and we become hypocritical without even recognizing it. Statistics show shockingly little difference between Christians and non-Christians in a wide range of attitudes and behaviors. I am not to accept that lying down! Legalism is not the answer, but I must always call people to purity and devotion, to placing Christ ahead of the world on every level. And calling others to do it, I must do so myself!

Father, thank You for Your amazing patience and mercy. I have taken your grace for granted more times than I like to think about, and really, more times than I know. I ask Your forgiveness, and I thank You for Your promise of cleansing. (1 John 1:9) May I walk in pure devotion and lead others to do the same, so that we will not deceive ourselves (James 1:22) but live as Your children indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 18, 2015

Posted on April 19, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 77:12 I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.

The Bible is clear that even saints get depressed. That should be a comfort to us today. Asaph was losing sleep over his situation until he realized he needed to shift his focus, from himself to God and from his situation to all that God had done. That’s still essential today. The more we focus on ourselves the more depressed we are likely to become, because in the final analysis we have very little ability to change anything. However, when we focus on God, His possibilities are literally infinite, because He is infinite. Asaph decided to meditate on all that God had done in the past, essentially the Biblical record. The thing is, most people today are largely ignorant of the Bible, and what they do remember of the Biblical narrative is likely confused with Disney or whatever. That makes it pretty difficult to meditate effectively! Christian meditation is not an emptying of the mind, the way Zen Buddhism teaches, but rather meditating on something good. Actually, we meditate a good bit on one thing or another, and some of it is not good at all. Most major crimes and sins happen only after the person has thought about it over and over, meditating on it, actually. That’s a major reason pornography is so bad, because it encourages meditation on impure things. Paul put it very clearly: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8) Nothing fits that description better than what God has done for us in Christ.

It’s interesting that this has come up as I have been feeling depressed over my own failures. Meditating on what God has done isn’t an excuse not to act, to do what I need to do, but it should put everything into perspective. My weaknesses in no way negate God’s power and love. I am to be faithful to do each task at hand, not running from the unpleasant but recognizing that God will use whatever I yield to Him for my ultimate blessing and His glory. I sometimes get overwhelmed by the huge variety of demands on my attention. The answer is always to fix my attention first on God, and let Him filter everything else. When I fail to do that I am subject to “the tyranny of the urgent,” as it has been called. When I do it in humble obedience, I am able to apply what God has supplied and so deal with each task in turn, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this very timely reminder. You’d think I’d remember it better by now! Help me deal with each thing today holds with a song in my heart, because my heart is fixed on You. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 17, 2015

Posted on April 19, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 69:1 Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.

This verse has always struck me for its plain, unvarnished honesty. Everyone gets into situations sometimes when the brain says, “OK, now it’s time to panic.” We think we have faith, but push comes to shove, and we decide our faith isn’t so strong after all. That same experience is recorded about many of the “saints” of the Bible, but David is perhaps the most open about it. Feeling this way doesn’t mean we have failed or that we’re bad, necessarily, but rather that God is going to take us to another level in trusting Him. Jesus’ disciples remembered verse 9 of this Psalm, “Zeal for Your house consumes me,” when Jesus drove the merchants out of the temple, (John 2:17) and Jesus certainly wasn’t bad! Feeling misunderstood by everyone but God, and consequently wondering if you’re doing things right, isn’t that uncommon, even if it’s hardly pleasant. We should not put up a pious front but rather be honest, especially with God but also with those close to us. If they are in the faith, chances are they’ve experienced something similar!

I’ve had my moments like this, but some people look at me now and don’t believe it. I’m not to be talking constantly about how bad off I was, but I am certainly to be honest, both in sermons and in individual encounters. Everyone has different trials, and some people feel that because your trial wasn’t identical to theirs, you can’t understand their pain. That’s simply not true, but I have to be careful I don’t make people feel put down for what they are going through. I often remember the song “Through It All,” by Andrae Crouch. That is certainly truth set to music! I need to help people indeed “learn to trust in Jesus, learn to trust in God” because of what they are experiencing. I keep having to assure people that God isn’t mean and He doesn’t pick on us, but He’s more interested in our character than our comfort, and He loves us too much to spoil us. As I have experienced in my own “up to my neck” moments, God’s love and power are far greater that whatever the difficulties are, and His grace is indeed sufficient for me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Father, thank You for all You’ve allowed me to experience. Some of it has been delightful, and some has been no fun at all, but You have used it for my good. Help me not get into unnecessary messes by my own stupidity and unfaithfulness, but when trials come for other reasons, help me look to You and give You the praise, trust, and thanks that only You deserve. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 16, 2015

Posted on April 17, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 57:2-3 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.
He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me;
God sends his love and his faithfulness.

David was very much a “type A personality,” someone who got things done, who got an idea and followed through with it. However, he was also very aware that it was God who enabled him to do things. The NIV supplies [his purpose] in this passage, but the Japanese simply goes with the Hebrew and says, “He accomplishes for me.” In other words, it’s because of God that things get done. We find references to this way of thinking in a lot of David’s Psalms, and that tells us a lot about why he was a man after God’s own heart. (Acts 13:22) It’s not at all bad to be someone who presses forward, who dreams great dreams and strives for their fulfillment, but we have to be aware that it is only by God’s power that we can do anything at all. Moses pointed that out before the Israelites ever got to Canaan (Deuteronomy 8:18) specifically in the area of wealth. We are so prone to think otherwise that Jesus said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy person to make it into heaven. (Luke 18:25) When we trust in what we have, not realizing that it was given to us, much less Who gave it to us, we are in real trouble. That applies not just to finances but also to abilities and to everything else. If people would realize, for example, that their bodies were a gift from God, they would take better care of them and use them more responsibly. If they realized their families were a gift from God, they would value them and cherish them. I think God allows difficulties in our lives precisely to wake us up to this reality, but all too often we are incredibly dense about it all. It’s not at all wrong to be able to accomplish something, but we need the foundational awareness that it is God who makes it all possible.

I’ve struggled with conceit for most of my life. It’s not that I’ve accomplished anything, particularly, but that I thought I could do anything I set my mind to, simply because I was the one doing it. There’s actually a delicate balance there. I feel like I was enormously blessed that my parents never said, “You could never do that.” They did say, “You may not do that,” or even, “That’s illegal,” but they never gave me the idea that anything was beyond me in terms of ability. I see so many people who never try things because their parents weren’t like that, and it’s sad. However, I could have used a little more emphasis on the fact that it was God who gave me my abilities, and that I was accountable to Him for my stewardship of them. As a pastor I deal with people all the time who won’t volunteer for anything because they think they could never do it right. Then there are those who will do anything you ask them, or at least try, as a gift to the Lord. They are a real delight! I’ve got to be careful to encourage and not be demanding, expressing appreciation for effort even when the results aren’t exactly as I might have liked. I’ve made some real mistakes in that area! I need to help the believers understand that God wants to use them to do things, and when He’s doing it, there are no limits.

Father, thank You for yet another point for the book You’re having me write. I pray that I would be sensitive, obedient, and diligent, as a good servant, so that You will be able to say through me what You intend, to tear down the lies of the enemy and set people free, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 15, 2015

Posted on April 16, 2015 by jgarrott

Psalm 56:3-4 When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?

Everyone has times of fear, because fear is a natural safety mechanism. There are a lot of things we had better be afraid of! However, there are levels and types of fear. It has been well said that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather acting in the face of fear. Some people are fear junkies, going for horror movies or “extreme sports” or the like. That aside, fear can be paralyzing, and it can certainly rob us of a great deal, starting with peace. The antidote for fear is trust. The people and things around us are trustworthy to varying degrees, with some of them being completely untrustworthy. God alone is worthy of complete trust; here the problem is in our failure to trust. David is outlining the correct course of action: choose to trust God. The way we know we can trust God is by His Word, so David praises that Word. With that choice made, fear is dealt with. After all, what is a human enemy in the face of God? That’s not to say that people can’t do us damage in the temporal realm, but Jesus spoke directly to that. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28) Any damage incurred on this earth, up to and including death, is no big deal on the eternal scale, so if we are secure as children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, we’ve got nothing to sweat. If we fear God, that is, understand that He is perfectly holy and that we are accountable to Him, then all other fear becomes unnecessary and a waste of emotional energy. Fear is exhausting!

I have feared various things over the years, most recently being the fear of having my ministry cut short, because of already having outlived my father despite having a genetic predisposition to the heart disease that took him. A recent thorough heart check cleared that up and helped me realize how much it had been hanging over me. As a pastor I deal with fearful people constantly, and some of them are really messed up by fear. My task is to turn their attention from themselves and their problems to the One who has already overcome those problems. (John 16:33) Some of them can be remarkably fixated on their problems, feeling insecure if they don’t have something to worry about! I can’t straighten them out by my wisdom and strength, but I can speak the truth to them in love without fearing their reaction, and that is what I need to do. As David told Timothy, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) I am to pray for and encourage believers to open themselves up to the full flow of the Holy Spirit, because He will deal with all the issues I can’t touch.

Father, thank You for being totally trustworthy. Thank You for the things You’ve been doing recently to show people that things they had feared aren’t so bad after all. Help us all trust You more and more, seeking Your kingdom and Your righteousness rather than being anxious about anything at all, so that we won’t allow fear to rob us of any of the abundance You have prepared for us. Thank You. Praise God!

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