November 8, 2014

Posted on November 9, 2014 by jgarrott

2 Timothy 2:19 “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

This one little line, so easily overlooked, is of vital importance. There are some today who are so focused on the grace of God that they deny the truth in this, and the effects are evident in churches and self-professed Christians today. The cross of Christ indeed covers all our sin, but receiving that redemption requires repentance, and repentance means change. Simply saying a few words with no change in lifestyle means a person has not been born again. This is in no way to claim instant perfection for anyone; Paul and John both make that very, very clear. However, someone who has accepted Christ’s salvation will desire to please Him. Jesus Himself was very blunt: “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:5) There’s no way around that. Our love is imperfect, but someone who will not turn from sin loves their sin more than they love Jesus. Our imperfections should drive us to our knees, not have us cooking up excuses. Our mistakes can be as big as David’s – adultery and murder – and genuine repentance will bring forgiveness and cleansing. However, if we cling to even things we see as small, we are denying Christ. It is the prayer of the tax collector – “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner” – that brings right standing before God. (Luke 18:13)

This one hits me pretty hard, as it does every genuine Christian. We become numb to our habitual sins, and that is very dangerous. It’s not that God will reject us, but we have a remarkable capacity for deceiving ourselves. (James 1:23) This world is filled with evil, and some of it is in very attractive packaging. I’ve got to be intentional in turning from evil and to God at every opportunity, and those opportunities are continuous. The message I’ve been given for tomorrow is a real eye-opener, to help believers realize how they have let things slide. I need it as much as those to whom I’ll be preaching! The Lord is doing a good work here, and the devil is doing all he can to try to derail that. I must stand firm against him, on the basis of being fully submitted to God. (James 4:7)

Father, thank You for this clear reminder. Thank You for the message You’ve given me for tomorrow. May I deliver it clearly, accurately, and in love, receiving it into my own heart and life even as I speak it, so that we as individuals and as a body may be transformed into the likeness of Christ, to draw many into Your family for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 7, 2014

Posted on November 9, 2014 by jgarrott

1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

This statement by Paul, while certainly true, seems almost Buddhist at first glance. Buddha taught that the way to enlightenment was the extinction of all desire, and Nirvana was nothingness. His problem was that he recognized the problems our lusts cause us, but he had no concept of a loving heavenly Father, much less a Son who would love us enough to die as our redeemer, so his philosophy ended in nihilism. Paul comes at the problem of human lust from a completely different angle. He’s not starting with the negation of desire (“contentment”) he’s starting with godliness, that in its full expression is going to bring contentment in relation to all things temporal. The question then becomes, what is godliness? As I understand it, it is placing God first and foremost, with a commitment to trust and obedience. In most English translations of the Bible, the word appears close to 50 times, yet we don’t use it much these days – maybe because we don’t see much of it! We value ambition of all sorts, but godliness makes intimacy with and obedience to God the goal, rather than anything material. The thing is, all other things are ultimately unsatisfying. I forget which “filthy rich” person was asked, “How much money is enough,” but their reply was classic: “A little more.” Likewise, when temporal authority is the goal, the culmination is megalomania. We see too many hints of that in politicians! Paul here shares the solution to all that: not the negation of desire, but placing God first and allowing Him to rearrange our desires.

This is something I’ve had to grow into. I started out with the huge advantage of parents who were indeed godly, but even with that example I have struggled with “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” (1 John 2:16) I’ve heard good sermons that pointed out that those three things were at the root of Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden. I’m as human as anybody! However, I have learned over the years that the only desire that is fully satisfied, and satisfying, is the desire for God. The ultimate fulfillment will come when I am before His throne, but I have the assurance that day will come, and that is enough. There are all sorts of things on this earth and in this life that are nice, and I’m grateful for them, but they are less and less goals in themselves. Like Paul, my goal has become to “know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11) That’s a desire I know my God will fulfill!

Father, thank You for how You have grown me. Thank You for helping me understand that my role is essentially cooperation, giving You permission to do Your will in and through me. Thank You for the understanding that Your plan for me is far better than anything I could come up with myself. Help me indeed cooperate fully with Your plan so that it may be fulfilled on Your schedule, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 6, 2014

Posted on November 9, 2014 by jgarrott

1 Timothy 1:7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

This isn’t simply a put-down, it is a cautionary note to all teachers. I’ve run into quite a few who fit this description, teaching all sorts of subjects. The phenomenon can certainly be seen today in the area of “climate disruption,” as they are calling it these days. Many who are “at the forefront” either don’t understand what they are talking about or they are consciously lying, one or the other. However serious that might be because of its effects on society, what Paul is talking about is even more so because it influences people’s relationship with God, and not just other people. Any teacher of the Bible must have a deep humility along with a hunger for more of God themselves, or they will deceive themselves and their hearers. I am grieved, as I am sure God is, to hear Bible teachers attacking other Christians. It is one thing to point out perceived error; it is another thing entirely to dismiss people who love God as though they weren’t part of His family. Pride takes many forms, but one of its prime characteristics is blindness. The more pride we have, the less we can see ourselves, others, and yes, God accurately.

This certainly applies to me, since I am both a pastor/teacher in the Church and a teacher in secular schools. I can think of examples in the secular arena when I “confidently affirmed” something on which I was mistaken! A teacher must first be a learner, whatever they teach. I must never be afraid to say that I don’t know something, however much I enjoy being “the one who knows.” I must always remember that my knowledge is imperfect, especially when I am sharing that knowledge with others. As James said, those who teach will be judged more severely. (James 3:1) I must always be submitted to the Holy Spirit, knowing that it is He who will teach me all things. (John 14:26, 1 John 2:27) I am to be His instrument, and not think that I myself am the authority.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s sobering. Help me walk in the humility You desire of me, sharing faithfully what You have shown me without placing myself above others. Help me understand myself the words that You speak through me, applying them to my own life rather than running around pointing fingers. May my words and my actions draw people to You, for their edification and encouragement and salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 5, 2015

Posted on November 6, 2014 by jgarrott

2 Thessalonians 1:11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.

To me the Japanese makes slightly more sense than the NIV here. Where the NIV says “count you worthy,” the Japanese says, “cause you to be worthy.” I haven’t checked the Greek on that, but with my understanding of English, “count” would mean to consider as such even when the evidence is lacking, as in, “count yourselves dead to sin.” (Romans 6:11) God already sees us as worthy because of Christ, so it would be logical to pray that how He sees us would be manifested in our daily living. Going on, it really clicks that Paul would pray that our good desires would be fulfilled. Most of us want the right stuff, at least with our spirits; it’s the weakness of our flesh that gets in the way. That’s just as Jesus said to Peter, James and John in the Garden of Gethsemane: “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) That’s a good way for us to pray for one another. The last part goes a little further than good desires, to actions that come from faith. As Paul said to the Romans, everything that is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23) When we act on what we believe God is saying, then God will honor that, even if we have misheard Him a bit. God does correct us when we’re off course, but it’s much easier for Him to do that when we’re moving in faith, just as it’s easier to turn the wheel of a vehicle that’s moving (minus power steering) than when it’s sitting still. We should be acting in faith all the time, and praying for one another as we do so.

This is certainly a good course of action for me as a pastor. Most of the believers really do want good stuff, so I should back them up in prayer. Likewise, most of them do act in faith, though their actions are pretty tentative at times. I am to be encouraging them to their face and praying for them behind their back, so that they may grow and God’s plans for them be fulfilled. At times their misses and flubs stand out, but that is not to be my focus. Rather, I am to understand that God has already called them in Christ, and pray that they be transformed into “spi’t’n images” of Jesus, as is only appropriate for those who are so called. (That’s an old Southern expression, condensed from “spirit and image,” meaning to be just like someone else. It’s often misquoted as “spitting image.”) That’s God’s will, and I can have a lot of confidence in praying it!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for those who have prayed for me this way, especially my parents. Help me be a good spiritual parent to those under my care, praying for them faithfully so that Your will may be done, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 4, 2014

Posted on November 6, 2014 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

How we receive the Word of God is of utmost importance. Much of the mess in the Church today can be traced directly to theologians in the late 19th to early 20th Centuries who attacked the veracity of the Bible as hadn’t been done since the canon of the New Testament was settled. It’s not that there aren’t difficulties in translation, as well as differing documents, and the text was indeed copied and even edited by many people, but given those factors, the degree of uniformity is actually astounding, and is a testimony to the fact that God has been protecting and proclaiming His Word down through the centuries. Today the attack on the Bible is if anything even more fundamental, as people dismiss out of hand anything they find inconvenient to their lifestyles. That’s no way to experience the power of God (at least not in a good way)! It is when we accept the Word of God as what it is, as Paul says here, that it “penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow [and] judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) It is precisely because people don’t want their thoughts and attitudes to be exposed that they seek to discount the Bible. Those same people are quite likely to want to “claim the promises” they find on its pages. However, you can’t have it both ways; either it is the Word of God or it isn’t, and that choice will decide your eternal destiny.

I had the incredible blessing of being raised in a home that valued the Bible as the Word of God. It was a theological/academic environment, actually, since my father taught Biblical Greek and my maternal grandfather had been a seminary professor as well, so I was aware of textual differences and translation problems and editing from a remarkably young age. However, even with that awareness there was the overriding principle that this was the Word of God. Fallible human beings were used in its transmission, yes, but God was in charge of it all, and we were responsible to live it out in daily obedience. As a result I became, as one person said of me, “addicted to the Bible.” I can’t think of a better way to be! That’s certainly not to say that I have been perfect in my obedience to the Word, or that I don’t have plenty of room to grow even now. However, it is my driving passion to introduce others to the Bible and to the Savior they will meet through its pages. I desire to spread my addiction as broadly as possible!

Father, thank You for so graciously giving us the Bible so that we have the written record we can turn to at any time. I am mystified as to why so few seem to fall in love with it as I have. Keep me from trying to force anything on anyone, but rather help me to be Your agent in exhorting and encouraging them to accept the riches that You offer. I pray that each of the believers in this church, for starters, would become “addicted” indeed, insisting on their daily “fix” before going on to anything else in their schedule. May we be a people of Your Word and Your Spirit, so that all of Your plans for us may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 3, 2014

Posted on November 4, 2014 by jgarrott

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Once again we are in extremely familiar territory. Sometimes I almost wish I were reading the Bible for the first time, so that I could be totally blown out of the water by the incredible riches in it. However, if I were reading it without a commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord, and the consequent help of the Holy Spirit, I would grasp only the smallest fraction of what is in it. We have a man who attends the church frequently and has done so for years, yet who has never made a commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord. He has read through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, but got next to nothing out of it because his spiritual eyes aren’t open yet. When we read the Bible, for the first or the 100th time, we need the help of the Author to be able to take it in. Especially with familiar passages we need to remember that our understanding isn’t perfect yet because we aren’t perfect yet, just as this verse says. We need to seek and ask the Lord for fresh revelation, not that it would contradict what we had understood before, (though it occasionally does) but so that our faith, knowledge and wisdom may be deepened to make us more available, more useful to Him.

It’s been almost 59 years since I committed myself to Jesus. At the time it was a very immature commitment, but it was sincere. Jesus said we are not to keep the little children from coming to Him. (Matthew 10:14) My mother was baptized at age 5, after a genuine experience of repentance, and she went on to become a missionary. We are not to discount anyone on the basis of insufficient maturity, because that sets us up as the “fully mature” ones, and as Paul said, even he wasn’t there. I am to be discerning of where people are in their spiritual walk, but I am to rely on the Holy Spirit rather than on even the most spiritually mature believer – and certainly more than myself! As I recognize where others have room and need to grow, I am to allow the Holy Spirit to show me where I likewise need to keep growing, so that all of us together may be transformed more and more into the likeness of Jesus Christ our Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for what You did in the service yesterday, drawing all, I believe, closer to You. May we all be continually filled with Your Spirit so that the old may be washed out and we be made new indeed in Christ, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 2, 2014

Posted on November 4, 2014 by jgarrott

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

This is another “standard” Scripture, familiar to the point of numbness, but that numbness is very unfortunate, because there is excellent reason for this verse to be well known. The point of it is that Paul is at ease about the Philippian believers not because they are so wonderful in themselves, but because He is confident in his faith in God. Paul had a special history with those believers, because that was where he was beaten so severely and imprisoned and then delivered miraculously by God, as recorded in Acts 16. Lydia, the jailer, and his household were among those to whom he was writing. Together they had seen the power of God manifested, and Paul knew He would never let them down. The other vital point here is in the word, began. None of us are finished or complete; we are under construction. We are very prone to get impatient with ourselves and with others because of slow progress in maturity, but Paul is shifting the focus to the One doing the work, rather than the actual “work site.” Paul was quite aware that he himself was not perfect, as he wrote in chapter 3 of this very letter. We are all under construction together, but the Master Architect has it all under control, so our focus is to be on listening obediently to Him.

I have used this verse many times when writing a message to young Christians, either physically young or new believers (or both). I have been reminded of it in my own life many times as I get exasperated with myself over one failing or another. I am reminded of how the Lord did not drive all the Canaanites out of the land at once, because the Israelites needed the experience of participating in that work. (Exodus 23:28-31) As a pastor, I need to remember this verse (more) often, to have appropriate patience with those in my care. I am not to leave them as they are but continually urge them toward growth, but I must never think it depends on me, or even on them. We are called to participate in the process of maturity, but it is God who does the “heavy lifting.”

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the growth I do see, in myself and others. Help me participate with joy in that growth, again in myself and others, so that we may individually and together be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ Your Son, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 1, 2014

Posted on November 4, 2014 by jgarrott

Ephesians 6:10-11 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

A vitally important detail that we often forget about spiritual warfare is that our strength will never cut it, but God’s strength is available to us. We can get all fired up about injustice, immorality, and evil of all kinds, but if we try to get on our white horse and ride out against it on our own, we are doomed for disaster. God does want to use us in spiritual warfare, for a number of reasons. Of course, He does want evil defeated, just as it says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” (1 John 3:8) However, He also wants to use the experience of spiritual warfare to train and grow us as His children. We use words like “seasoned” and “battle hardened” about people who have been through war. Of course, not everyone responds the same way to the experience, and not all those ways are good, but a taste of real conflict can go a long way toward making someone really grow up. In spiritual warfare, the best lesson we can learn is total dependence on God, along with total obedience to Him. Some people read this passage and only hear, “Be strong and put on the armor.” However, it’s those qualifiers – in the Lord, of God – that make all the difference.

I have been involved in some very intense spiritual warfare, and actually, it’s pretty nearly continuous. The world today is a battlefield from corner to corner. I need to accept the “R&R” the Lord offers me at times, because otherwise I won’t be available when needed in the battle. At no point am I to think that it’s my strength or my skill that will get the job done, but I should have no doubt that God’s strength and wisdom are more than capable of getting the job done through me. A real part of the problem is in discerning exactly what the fight is about. Sometimes I might want to see physical healing, but the Lord wants to do something on a deeper level. Sometimes I might be focused in one direction, and then discover that the Lord was using me at that very moment in a direction I wasn’t even aware of. I’ve got to “sleep in my armor,” never getting careless, but I am also never to be anxious. It’s not a minor thing that my footwear is to be “the readiness of the gospel of peace.” I could never get the job done, but God positively can, and that is enough.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I’ve been pretty busy with skirmishes recently! Thank You for the fights I’ll be in today. Help me indeed be fully clothed and equipped, totally obedient to You, my Commander, so that the devil’s schemes may be defeated at every turn and people set free, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 31, 2014

Posted on November 1, 2014 by jgarrott

Ephesians 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

This verse has become very familiar since the rise of the Charismatic Movement, at least, for at least the last half-century. To me the striking thing about it is how utterly matter-of-fact it is. The debauchery of drunkenness is obvious, and choosing to be filled with the Holy Spirit is expressed on the same level. This isn’t some grand, mystical thing attainable only by the elect few, it’s as available as a drink of wine. The thing is, getting drunk is part of walking according to the flesh, as came up a couple of days ago, and being filled with the Spirit is obviously part of walking according to the Spirit. When our hearts are tuned to God and He truly has first place in our lives, He is going to pour His Spirit onto, into, and through us. It is up to Him what manifestation gifts He gives us, as it talks about in 1 Corinthians 12, but being filled with the Spirit is available to every believer. I have become convinced that we are the ones who shut that off, rather than our having to persuade Him to fill us. As is well known, Paul speaks of quenching (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and grieving (Ephesians 4:30) the Holy Spirit. If we love God and avoid those things (quenching and grieving the Holy Spirit), then the Holy Spirit will be pleased to indwell us more and more.

My own experience of the infilling of the Holy Spirit was quite complicated by confusing it with manifestation gifts. Once I got that straight it was the most natural thing in the world, and gifts indeed followed. Too often we make the grave mistake of placing the gifts of the Spirit above the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) Someone who is filled with the Spirit may or may not have any particular gift, but they will certainly be experiencing the fruit. I can say from experience that operating in the gifts can be a rush, but bearing the fruit is ultimately more satisfying. I have known people who were operating in the gifts of the Spirit all the while grieving the Spirit by their covert sensuality, and the fruit of the Spirit rapidly disappeared from their lives. As a pastor, I need to help the believers understand that the Holy Spirit is as available to them as He is to me. With that, I need to help them believe that He truly wants to use them to do the Father’s will, just as we proclaim each Sunday in our verse for the year, John 14:12. When each believer in this church chooses to be filled with the Spirit, then there is no limit to what the Lord will be able to do through us.

Father, thank You for this clear Word, just in time to incorporate it into the message for Sunday. Help me draw it all into the form You desire, because that is what will penetrate hearts and minds. May we all wake up to the incredible riches You have for us so that we may live and act as Your children, Your representatives, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 30, 2014

Posted on November 1, 2014 by jgarrott

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Most of Paul’s letters have a “theological” section at first and then a “practical” section toward the end. For a thinking person, once you have the theological/theoretical framework, the practical stuff almost goes without saying. However, most of the time most of us don’t really think! We take God’s blessings for granted and fail to apply His truth to our daily living. What foolishness! This verse is certainly a case in point. When Jesus said that if we fail to forgive one another, we ourselves will not be forgiven, (Matthew 6:14-15) Paul’s exhortation would seem to be unnecessary. Sadly, though, it is very needed. Society exhorts us to “Look out for number one,” and we roll over those in our way, trying to get whatever we think we want or need. That’s no way to receive the blessings of God! It really comes down to faith. If we think it all depends on us, then we will be ruthless in pursuit of our goals. If we really believe that God is our loving heavenly Father, and that we exist only because of His will and His grace, then our focus will be on pleasing Him, rather than on getting or achieving for ourselves. This is again what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 6:33, spoken right after His words on forgiveness. If we see God as sovereign and ourselves as His children, then our focus will be on being good children and pleasing Daddy, and that’s the way it should be. Paul is simply reminding us of God’s grace toward us so that we may respond appropriately.

Since I grew up immersed in Biblical teaching, I have less excuse than most for failing to live up to it. When I have known from infancy that God loved me, I have no excuse at all not to express that love toward those around me. I find that people are surprised at how I live and act. Just yesterday I was asked by someone who was doing visitation rounds with me if I considered such ministry a matter of course. The answer was obviously yes, because I had never thought about it! I will not lead others to know the love and grace of God if I don’t express those qualities in my daily living. As John said, “Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

Father, thank You for Your overwhelming love and grace toward me. Help me be an open conduit for that love and grace to flow to those around me, drawing them to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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