August 28, 2014

Posted on August 31, 2014 by jgarrott

Zephaniah 3:2 She obeys no one,
she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord,
she does not draw near to her God.

This is a description of Jerusalem over 2000 years ago, but it sounds like a lot of people and societies today. The Bible often uses personification, which is speaking of something inanimate as though it were a person, and this is an example of that. However, it has long been noted that different cities seem to have different personalities. It is interesting, and sad, really, that the song, “Chicago,” sung with pride by many residents for many years now, includes the line, “They do things there they don’t do on Broadway,” implying that Chicago is more sunk in depravity than New York. Any time an individual or a group of people takes pride in defiance against God, there is real trouble coming. Saying that, of course the first thing that comes to mind is “gay pride.” That’s one of the saddest things to come along in a very long time. This verse is a very perceptive description. Where the NIV says “obeys no one,” the Japanese expresses it as “doesn’t listen when called to.” In other words, any contrary opinion is ignored. Then it says, “doesn’t accept correction.” Any parent can relate to that in terms of raising children! The fact that it’s common doesn’t make it right or profitable. Then it gets really sad, speaking of not trusting the Lord or drawing near to God. If you’re not going to trust the Lord, who loved you and gave Himself for you, (Galatians 2:20) who are you going to trust? Failure to trust God and understand that He is love itself (1 John 4:8) truly keeps us from drawing near to Him. Our sins indeed separate us from God, but God in His mercy sent His Son to open the way for us to draw near through the atoning blood of the cross. When God has done so much, it is tragic when anyone refuses to accept it and draw near to Him.

I have my own history of defiance against God, so I have no high horse from which to look down on anyone, but that doesn’t make it any less tragic when those around me act like this verse describes. I am to be consistent in speaking the truth in love, not counting on my own wisdom or persuasiveness but seeking the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I am not to take rejection personally, but understand that they are deceived by the devil and rebelling against God. I am certainly not to fear people’s rejection more than I fear their going to destruction! In other words, I am to love them enough to speak truth to them, even when that truth might be painful. I am to pray that they receive the truth and so be set free from the deceptions that have bound them, (John 8:32) for their salvation and God’s glory.

Father, thank You for Your mercy on my rebellion. Help me be an effective agent of Your mercy, Your strong love, to those around me. I see so many of whom this verse is an apt description! I ask You to open their eyes by Your Spirit to see You, see themselves, repent and believe, to join Your family as Your children indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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August 27, 2014

Posted on August 28, 2014 by jgarrott

Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility;
perhaps you will be sheltered
on the day of the Lord’s anger.

When the Lord decides it’s time to straighten things out, it can be a pretty rough ride! Such a time could very well be upon us right now, so this verse is extremely pertinent. The term, collateral damage, has become sadly familiar even among the general public since the Oklahoma City bombing of several years ago, and today we hear it almost continually. This verse is telling those who are right with God how to avoid becoming collateral damage in the day of the Lord’s wrath. The important thing is not to run from the Lord, but run to Him in humble obedience. We are not to seek safety as such, as we might humanly perceive safety, but rather to seek righteousness and Christ-likeness. If we are focused on “How can I get out of this,” we won’t be abiding in Christ, who is the only safe refuge. I’m reminded of the two missionaries who recently recovered from the Ebola virus. If they had been seeking their own safety in the first place, they would never have been in Africa in the middle of an epidemic! However, the Lord was gracious to them and has given them opportunity to give clear testimony, which they are taking. We’ve got to remember that whatever is going on around us, our physical survival isn’t the true goal, but rather that we be God’s instruments to do His will for His glory.

I’ve never been in extreme circumstances for the sake of the Lord, but the way the world looks today, that time could come. I am to remember that I too am worthy of wrath, but that by the grace of God I am safe in Christ by faith. I am to seek to exercise all righteousness and gentleness (as this verse says in Japanese) to draw as many as will come to Christ, who is the only safe hiding place. Every event, every news report, should cause me to seek God more and more, and not simply make me anxious because I can’t see any human solutions. There is every reason for those who don’t know Christ to be anxious, so I should make use of every opportunity I am given to share the good news of Christ, not with any hint of holier-than-thou but with genuine love and humility, to give people every opportunity to be saved.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness, and that You are a safe haven indeed. Thank You for what You have been teaching me recently about refusing anxiety and trusting You. Help me keep growing in that area, so that more and more people will ask me to explain the hope that I have and I will be able to share Christ with them, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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August 26, 2014

Posted on August 28, 2014 by jgarrott

Habakkuk 2:2-3 Then the Lord replied:
“Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald may run with it.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come and will not delay.”

We often get tied in knots over God’s timing. That’s perhaps not surprising, but there’s a definite irony to it as well. God, being the Creator, is outside of time, because without matter, there is no time. (That’s physics.) He can quite literally see the end from the beginning of anything at all, so He, and He alone, knows what is genuinely right timing. That said, He has given us many statements of what is to happen when, for a number of reasons. The first is simply to prove He is who He says He is, so that we may have faith and trust Him. The second is so that we may be prepared to participate in what He is doing when the time is right. I haven’t counted personally, but it has been said that there are over 200 direct prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament, most of which He has already fulfilled, so they can be confirmed. That should give a high expectation of reliability for the ones that are not yet fulfilled! A third reason is simply to encourage His children that He does have a plan and He is carrying it out, whether the fulfilling of that plan is in their time or not. World events certainly seem applicable to various prophecies of End Times in the Bible, so there is every reason to be expectant of what God is going to do. However, trying to apply specific time tables to current events is not only an exercise in futility, it can also be a huge distraction from living out our commission in daily obedience. No one of an age to have any grasp of the concept is more than 100 years from their own personal Day of Judgment, regardless of God’s timetable for the universe, so the question is one of personal obedience, of accurate use of the time that has been allotted to us. We are to receive God’s prophecies as encouragements to faithfulness.

These two verses have been given to this church on four different occasions by four unrelated people, so I’ve thought about them a great deal. My personal vision, that I believe is for this church, is that Omura would again be the foremost Christian city in Japan, just as it was 450 years ago when Sumitada Omura was the feudal lord, the first such in the nation to become a Christian. To this point my vision hasn’t been fulfilled, nor is there any way I could personally make it happen. However, I am no more to stop believing than I am to stop breathing, because nothing is impossible for God. Applying these two verses to my vision, Omura’s time as the foremost Christian city may be brief, if the vision is for the end. I am not to try to second guess God, about either timing or methods, but I am to be actively faithful and obedient in whatever He shows me to do. After all, He’s powerful enough to use even me in His plans!

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me. Help me likewise be faithful to You. May my life be a signboard indeed, with the good news of Your kingdom written large, so that many may see and run with the news, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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August 25, 2014

Posted on August 26, 2014 by jgarrott

Habakkuk 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch –
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.”

This passage seems remarkably current. Habakkuk’s complaint in verses 2-4 sounds like something someone might say even today. This verse is God’s response, and it should be a powerful reminder to us that God isn’t limited by what we can imagine. Back then, God was getting ready to use the Babylonians to punish Judah’s unfaithfulness, and actually, we see parallels of that today, too, The description in the next verse of the Babylonians as ruthless certainly matches the Islamists today! God took Habakkuk on a journey of faith, and he learned his lesson well. The last verses of his book (Habakkuk 3:17-19) are one of the most beautiful, most profound statements of faith in the whole Bible. We don’t know how God is going to resolve the situations we see all around us, but we need to remember that He has a plan and it is good. First of all, He is never surprised by anything. (It is proof that Christ took on our human limitations that Jesus was surprised by such things as the centurion’s faith, in Matthew 8/Luke 7.) As He told Habakkuk, we are the ones who are amazed. We don’t yet know what He is going to do tomorrow, and we might not recognize it even when it happens, but in the end it will prove to be very good. The challenge to us is to walk in personal faithfulness, holding ourselves ready and available for whatever part He might have for us to play in His plan, but not being anxious about anything.

I am reminded of something the Lord said through and to me several years ago when I was in a bit of a prayer meeting with one of the believers in this church. I don’t remember the exact words, and it wasn’t recorded, but it was to the effect that I wasn’t to be surprised at what surprised others, but rather to expect God to do remarkable things. My level of expectation is still too low! I’m not to try to dictate to God what He is going to do (though we all tend to do that sometimes) but rather know that He has a plan and that it is good, and wait with baited breath for it to unfold. Yesterday held an unanticipated blessing, when someone who has been attending this church for years without making a commitment seemed to have a real breakthrough in that area. I don’t know when he will follow through with baptism, but I can look forward to it! Likewise, I have recently seen signs of breakthrough with someone else with whom I have been sharing Christ for many years, and I am to look forward to welcoming Him into God’s family as well. I am painfully aware that I cannot save anyone in my own strength, but I am to love them with God’s love and speak God’s truth to them and stand on their behalf against the lies that seek to bind them, and expect God to act.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Forgive me for my shallow faith. Help me get my eyes off of myself and actively anticipate what You are going to do, so that I may be fully available to You at all times, for Your kingdom and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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August 24, 2014

Posted on August 26, 2014 by jgarrott

Micah 7:7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.

God is our refuge even in the most horrible of circumstances. The verse before this describes being betrayed by the members of your own household. The emotional wounds, at least, from that are severe indeed. When what’s going on around us is too horrible to contemplate, we need to turn our thoughts, the eyes of our heart, to God. That could be called escapism, yes, but it is a valid escape, because God has and is the solution to any problem. When we remain focused on the negative circumstances they pull us down, to the point that depression is the probable result. That benefits no one, least of all us. To the degree we are able to lift our eyes off of the immediate circumstances and focus on God, we become able to see the next step we are to take, instead of being totally mired in our depression. Hebrews 12:2-3 is very important advice for any believer, because Jesus went through human life on this earth and came through with shining colors, despite circumstances that were almost certainly worse than whatever we are going through.

I’ve had my own times of being down, though not as bad as what Micah describes, and as a pastor I am constantly dealing with people who are consumed with whatever they are going through. So often their suffering is extended and even multiplied precisely because they are focused on it! The difficult thing for me is exhorting them to focus on Christ without making them feel I am taking their suffering lightly. I’ve had people leave the church over feeling like that, which is totally giving in to the devil and looking at things the way he wants us to. I cannot force such people to stay, but I’ve got to keep speaking the truth in love, submitting people, circumstances, and myself to the Lord. I too have to keep my eyes on Him!

Father, You know the people who came to mind as I wrote that, both those past and those present. I ask Your grace and blessing on them and on me. As Elisha did for his servant, (2 Kings 6:17) I pray that their eyes and mine may be opened to see things from Your perspective, to lift us from despair to hope, from agitation to peace, so that we may walk in obedience and harmony with Your Spirit, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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August 23, 2014

Posted on August 26, 2014 by jgarrott

Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

God is good at repeating Himself. Similar things are stated again and again in different ways throughout the Bible, because God wants to use every means to get His point across. This verse is a prime example of that. God’s demands aren’t complicated, until we make them so. This breaks it down into three areas: actions, attitude, and relationship. We are to do justice, that is, what is right toward those around us. In Romans 13:10 Paul wrapped it up as, “Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” We need assorted laws because we all have moments of not being very loving, but accurate love indeed lives justly. Then, we are to love mercy. This is an attitude. As it says in James 2:13, mercy triumphs over judgment. We can do all the right things, but if our attitude isn’t right, it will be meaningless. Paul again expounded on this famously in 1 Corinthians 13, expressing our necessary heart attitude as love. Other religions and philosophies have hints of these two points, but it is the third that is unique to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: God wants to be in relationship with us. Humility on our part is a necessary requirement, but God wants us to walk with Him. As a matter of fact, He wants it so much that He gave His Son to make it possible. That is a staggering truth, one that blows our minds the more we think about it. We have difficulty wrapping our minds around the idea that the Creator of the universe wants a personal relationship with each of us. However, when that truth really does penetrate, it is totally overwhelming, and makes no sacrifice too great, if we can walk in its fullness.

I have had the privilege of being around numbers of people who have grasped this truth and were committed to relationship with God. They have run the gamut from big name people to unknowns, but they have shared characteristics that identify them in my memory. First of all is settled peace. Some have gone through terrible circumstances, but they have made it through in relationship to their God, with peace that indeed surpasses human understanding. (Philippians 4:7) Second, they have “smelled” like Jesus, that is, they have expressed His character. Just as a couple who have been in a good marriage a long time become increasingly like each other, the longer we are in right relationship with God, the more we express Him in our daily living. Paul called it Christ in us. (Colossians 1:27) That is how I want to be, and having known some concrete examples is very helpful. As a pastor, I want to draw every member of the flock – and actually, everyone I know – into full, right relationship with God. I cannot possibly do it in my own wisdom and strength, but God can use me to that end, so I need to focus on being sensitive and responsive to Him to that He can do it through me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of being Your child, not just by creation but by adoption as well. (1 John 3:1) May I be increasingly effective in inviting others into that relationship with You, for a massive harvest in Your family, Your kingdom, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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August 22, 2014

Posted on August 26, 2014 by jgarrott

Amos 5:24 “But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

From verse 21 the Lord is delivering one of the strongest condemnations of “religion as usual” in the whole Bible, and here he expresses what He wants to see instead, and it is immensely practical. When we view religion as an accessory, a decoration, it doesn’t matter how “skillfully” we do it, it doesn’t please God. When we think we are making God owe us something by what we are doing, we are only fooling ourselves. God wants to see us live out His character among our fellow human beings. Actually, the devil wants the same thing, but his character is to lie, steal, kill, and destroy. (John 8:44; 10:10) Radical Islamists are demonstrating who they worship by how they act. Christians should be demonstrating who they worship by how they act. This verse mentions justice and righteousness, but those terms can be expanded to include the whole character of God. When we oppress in the name of “tolerance,” there is no justice. When we live for pleasure and deny God’s laws, there is no righteousness. God is no wimp, and His love includes discipline that at times can be painful indeed. That too is included in His character, despite what some leaders proclaim. It was a breath of fresh air to me that Pope Francis came out and said that the radical Islamists should be dealt with, rather than mouthing some pseudo-religious pablum. God is real, and those who follow Him need to get real.

I was greatly blessed to study Systematic Theology under Dr. John Kewiet. As a young man in Holland during WWII he was captured by the Nazis and put in a labor camp, but managed to escape. He spent the rest of the war dodging Nazi bullets and American bombs and came through with a very tested faith, to put it mildly. He taught, very persuasively, that if what we say we believe about God doesn’t impact our daily lives, it is meaningless. That really is what God is saying in this verse. As a pastor, I am at risk of teaching more than I am living, speaking truth but not applying it. That must not be! I have seen lives and ministries wrecked from precisely that problem, and I must be on my guard. My life is to be an illustration of my preaching, and not in a negative way! Often the Lord gives me a crash course in what I am preaching, between my preparing the notes and delivering them. That’s often not fun, but I am grateful. I don’t want to speak words, no matter how true, that don’t reflect what the Lord is doing in my life.

Father, thank You indeed for Your faithfulness to teach and grow me. May I be a demonstration of Your character indeed, speaking Your truth and living it out, so that “many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord,” (Psalm 40:3) for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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August 21, 2014

Posted on August 22, 2014 by jgarrott

Amos 5:14 Seek good, not evil,
that you may live.
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.

Throughout history various people and various groups have claimed that God was with them. Even the German troops of WWII had “Gott mit Uns,” that is, “God with us,” on their belt buckles. It should be fairly obvious that you can’t be pursuing evil ends and still have God on your side, but we tend to forget that. God through Amos is calling us back to sanity on that point. The thing is, when we allow the devil to use our lusts to blind us, we become not only blind but stupid. It is a logical impossibility to get God on your side; you’ve got to get on God’s side. Our enemy is a consummate liar, and he does all he can to convince us that assorted evils are things we should aim for. Actually, he doesn’t stop with that; he distracts us with things that are good in themselves, so long as they are not what God wants us doing. To be on God’s side we first need to be familiar with His character, his personality, if you will, and the best way to do that is to become as familiar as possible with the Bible. There are many important reasons God provided us with the Scriptures (which means, “written things”) and one of those is simply to get a feel for who He is and how He acts and speaks. Anytime you find someone proclaiming a “revelation” that contradicts the Bible, you can be sure that person and that revelation aren’t from God. However, focusing strictly on what has been written doesn’t guarantee you’ll be doing what God wants, because our daily circumstances aren’t recorded in the Bible. That’s why we also need an active relationship with the Holy Spirit, letting Him show us which good things we are to be doing so that we will be more and more on God’s side. There’s no question, logically speaking, that God’s side is the correct side, the winning side, the side with peace, joy, and all the rest. It only stands to reason that we should do all we can to be on that side.

I will confess to thinking many times in terms of God being on my side, but I now see how foolish that was. It is true that God is for us, (Romans 8:31) but that means He desires the very best for us, not that He rubber stamps our desires. This is something I sometimes have a lot of trouble getting across to people. Just yesterday I was counseling someone who is ready to give up on God, because He hasn’t answered their prayers in the way they wanted. I’ve learned that’s no sign He isn’t there, or that He doesn’t love me, but rather that I have room to grow in learning how to get on His side, instead of trying to pull Him to mine. Again, I need to show others the same patience that was poured out on me, always speaking the truth in love, so that they may receive the truth and be set free. (John 8:32)

Father, thank You for Your grace. Thank You for sending Jesus to make it possible for us to be on Your side. Help me walk in closer and closer harmony with You, in step with Your Spirit, so that I may give You the pleasure and glory You deserve as I do Your will. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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August 20, 2014

Posted on August 22, 2014 by jgarrott

Amos 5:4-5 This is what the Lord says to the house of Israel:
“Seek me and live;
do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,
do not journey to Beersheba.”

When things get difficult, we tend to turn to the familiar, to traditions or whatever has seemed comforting in the past. The problem is, those things were generally intermediary; if they really helped us, they were simply the medium by which God helped us. We are quick to forget that God is the source of every good, regardless of the form in which it comes to us. (James 1:17) When we focus on the form, we miss God. Here, God isn’t telling us to do anything complicated, He’s just saying to seek Him. There are times when pilgrimages can be good, but only if our goal is God Himself, not the physical location. There are times when God manifests Himself in a particular location, just as He did in the burning bush with Moses. However, the bush itself wasn’t His residence, and I doubt that Moses later built a shrine there, even though it was holy ground at the time of the encounter. This sort of thing isn’t limited to places. King Hezekiah had to destroy the bronze serpent that Moses had made on God’s instructions, because people were worshiping the serpent instead of God. (2 Kings 18:4) God alone, and not any part of His creation, is worthy of our adoration and worship. Interestingly, often the problem isn’t the place or the object itself, but the traditions we have built up. Jesus addressed that very explicitly. (Mark 7:8) That is frequently a problem with denominations, where following tradition becomes more important than seeking God through His Word and His Spirit. To all of this, and to all of us, God says, “Seek Me and live.”

I grew up in a denomination with strong traditions, many of them very good, but I have seen many people on various occasions place those traditions ahead of God. Likewise, I have seen people flock to this, that, or the other location, sometimes seeking God but sometimes seeking the place itself, with a feeling akin to magic. I myself delayed experiencing the baptism in the Holy Spirit because I was so focused on the gift of tongues. The Lord has shown me that none of these things are bad in themselves, any more than the gift of tongues is bad, but that our focus must be on Him. I know people whose focus is on theological orthodoxy. Good theology is important, but even that is secondary to seeking God Himself. We can lose sight of Him so easily, precisely because all these other things are easier to see, closer, so to speak. However, nothing is as close as God when we abide in Christ, and Christ in us.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me deal gently with those who want something they can see. Use me to open the eyes of their hearts so that they may see You indeed, and understand how secondary all these other things are. May I not despise Your tools, but may I never place them ahead of you. Thank You. Praise God!

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August 19, 2014

Posted on August 22, 2014 by jgarrott

Hosea 14:9 Who is wise? He will realize these things.
Who is discerning? He will understand them.
The ways of the Lord are right;
the righteous walk in them,
but the rebellious stumble in them.

This end note to the Book of Hosea is both simple and to the point. The first half basically says, “If you’ve got two brain cells to rub together, you’ll get this.” The second half is even more interesting. The NIV says “The ways of the Lord are right,” but the Japanese says, “The paths of the Lord are level/flat.” That gets very interesting when you consider the last contrast. Level paths are pretty easy to walk on, but rebellious people stumble anyway. It’s not the nature of the path that makes them stumble, it’s their attitude. That’s something we see all the time. As it says in 1 John 5:3, God’s commands aren’t burdensome/grievous. God’s commands are always for our good, but if we are rebellious and disobey, we will suffer the consequences. If you don’t want to stumble and get skinned up, the answer is simple: don’t be rebellious.

I’ve learned this the hard way, both through my own rebellion and watching that of others. We get ourselves into a lot of fixes the Lord never intends for us! With my current perspective and occupation I am continually encouraging and exhorting people to walk in obedience and submission to God, but a depressingly high percentage act like two-year-olds. They especially don’t like that word, submission. Veritable word storms have been written over that word! Whatever you think of submission in marriage, submission to God would seem to be the only logical course. I’ve worked with computers for almost 30 years now, and I couldn’t count the number of people I’ve helped with them. When those people listen carefully and do what I say, they find their computers perform pretty well. However, when they skip operations, get them backward, or simply distort them, they find they have a remarkably uncooperative machine. Applying that to this verse, life is the computer and God is the computer expert. Of course, I’m not all-knowing about computers, but God is by definition all-knowing about life. On top of that, He loves us and genuinely wants the very best for us. Given that understanding, submission is the only logical course.

Father, thank You again for Your patience with me, and for Your grace in patching up my scrapes and bruises. Help me express Your truth in love to those around me, in words and ways they can understand, so that as many as will may repent of their rebellion and turn to You in faith and obedience, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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