April 23, 2014

Posted on April 27, 2014 by jgarrott

John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

This whole chapter is so loaded with dearly loved verses that at first I had no idea where to start writing, but then this verse echoed all the more strongly in my heart. Everything about Jesus is wonderful and worth telling, and the motivation for telling is exactly what John says here. As Paul said, how can people believe in someone of whom they know nothing? (Romans 10:14) That’s why Jesus commissions all who have encountered Him as witnesses, (Acts 1:8) empowering them with His spirit to fulfill that commission. Some just speak, some write as well, but all are to live out their encounter with the living God who loved them so much as to give Himself on the cross for their sake. As Peter declared to the Sanhedrin, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20)

This is of course the reason and motivation for my life. It is perhaps more obvious for me than for some others because I am a pastor, but it is my desire and my conviction that every believer should live to give glory to God by proclaiming what He has done for them. We use so many excuses for not sharing Christ, but none of them are any more substantial than tissue paper dropped in strongly agitated water; they simply can’t stand up. My job is to train by word and example so that each believer in my care may be equipped to do that for which God has created and called them. (Ephesians 4:12) Everyone’s gift set and life context is different, so no two people are to serve God identically, but everyone is to serve in glorious fellowship with our Creator, loving and being loved by Him and letting His love flow through us to those around us. When we have tasted that, even to a small degree, then we desire that others join us in this supreme blessing, and we too speak and write and act so that others too may believe. I am here to reproduce myself as a disciple of Christ, and I must never forget it.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace. Thank You for the YWAM team being here and for the ministry they have done. Thank You for the remaining days we have together. I pray that every one of Your purposes would be fulfilled, today and each day, so that Your family may grow by leaps and bounds, for a mighty harvest for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 22, 2014

Posted on April 23, 2014 by jgarrott

Luke 24:45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

We really do need God’s help to grasp what He has said in His Word. I don’t have the Greek in front of me, but where the NIV says “He opened their minds,” the Japanese says, “He opened their hearts.” Also, the term the Japanese uses for “understand” isn’t just intellectual understanding, but a grasping of the totality of what is involved. The noun form of the word, satori, has even entered the English language because it is the goal of Buddhist meditation. It is good to meditate on the Word, and the Bible itself instructs us to do so, but we can only achieve “enlightenment” by the help of God. Paul expressed it in terms of spiritual things being discerned only by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:14) At this point the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out, so Jesus Himself opened their hearts/minds to grasp what had been there all along about Him in the Bible. Any time we open the Bible to read, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts/minds to receive not only what the passage means in a broad sense, but also what the Father wants to say to us through the passage right now. That is enlightenment!

I couldn’t begin to count the number of times I’ve been reading a familiar passage and the Holy Spirit has given me fresh understanding and/or specific guidance for a particular situation I was facing. I read through the Bible for the first time before I was a teenager, and I have read through it many times since, but I still encounter verses or insights that seem completely new and fresh to me. That’s one of the reasons I am eager to read the Bible each morning, even though I’m following a Daily Bible Reading list that I myself have drawn up! It is certainly a major reason why I strive to encourage every believer to have a faithful habit of daily devotions, preferably first thing in the morning. God is faithful, and He always meets with those who seek Him through His Word. Those who read the Bible strictly as literature, or from some other motivation, don’t get even a fraction of what is available to those who read out of a love and hunger for God.

Father, You are so faithful! Thank You for the magnificent things You did yesterday, and for all that You have planned for today. Help me flow with Your Spirit on Your schedule today, not being uptight about what happens when, but trusting You fully in every detail, so that Your purposes may be accomplished for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 21, 2014

Posted on April 23, 2014 by jgarrott

Luke 24:34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”

We have the record here, and in 1 Corinthians 15:5, that Jesus appeared to Peter privately before He appeared to the other 10 disciples, but we have no record of what went on at that meeting. I think Don Francisco’s song, “He’s Alive,” is probably an extremely accurate description. That Jesus would be so loving and so individual as to do that is so indicative of His character, as well as of the importance Peter had in God’s plans for the Church. Peter was gifted as a leader, but was certainly a “diamond in the rough” if ever there was one. He had blown it big time, after having declared his undying allegiance to Jesus and then, probably more explicitly that anyone else, saying he didn’t even know Him, in an effort to save his own hide. Even in a period that was drama upon drama, the moment when Jesus turned and looked right at Peter (Luke 22:61) stands out. Jesus wanted to cement in Peter’s heart what he had done, so that there would be no room for pride later, when Peter would be used magnificently in so many miracles that people wanted even his shadow to fall on them. (Acts 5:15) Peter needed to be fully broken before he could be remade, but once he was remade, he was indeed the rock that Jesus had named him.

I have resisted the breaking times the Lord has brought in my life, as I think everyone does. However, as David realized, a broken and contrite heart is acceptable before God. (Psalm 51:17) Any time I have thought I could bring God glory in my own strength, I’ve blown it. It has only been when I have allowed Him to use me that the results have been good. God delights to use broken vessels! I am to seek Him for what He wants me to do, and remember always that any good that results is His doing and not my own. I am to remember that my weaknesses and failures are never more powerful than His love and grace. I am to be His hands to lift up the fallen, assuring them that God’s not through with them, but has a magnificent plan to bless and use them. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Father, thank You for the powerful testimony on this very point given here just yesterday. Thank You for the person whom we will be going to see this morning, who so desperately needs to receive this truth. I pray that I would be fully yielded to You so that Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule, for the healing and deliverance of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 20, 2014

Posted on April 23, 2014 by jgarrott

Luke 24:5-6 “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!

This famous question and statement by the angels to the women is still pertinent today. Many people still think of Jesus as though He were dead, and they approach Him, and every discussion about Him, that way. Even “Church leaders,” such as the openly homosexual bishop who was recently asked to lead a White House “prayer breakfast,” sometimes fall into that category. After all, if He’s dead, what He said about obedience can safely be ignored! The thing is, He’s NOT dead, just as these angels said, and that makes all the difference in the world. The entire New Testament, and the 2000 years of Church history since then, hinge on that very fact. It would be improbable, to say the very least, that a group of uneducated fishermen could have “turned the [Roman] world upside down” (Acts 17:6) if Christ had not risen, and then poured out His Spirit. Paul, perhaps the first “PhD” in the Church, encountered the risen Christ in a very dramatic way. (Acts 9) The thing of it is, people are encountering Him all the time even today. He may not be physically visible, but then the men with Paul didn’t see Him either. He is very certainly alive, and the more assured we are of that fact, the better able we are to live as His disciples and experience His victory.

I’ve never had a direct vision of Jesus, but I’ve certainly encountered Him. I’ve heard His voice in my mind and heart and I’ve seen Him work around and through me in more ways than I could list. At the same time, because I don’t see Him physically, I do need to be reminded from time to time that He is indeed alive, and that’s why it’s so helpful to celebrate Easter. (And no, I won’t get into a discussion of where that particular name for Resurrection Sunday came from!) Today I have the privilege of speaking at an interdenominational sunrise service, and my title is “Living Lord.” I need to help all believers keep their focus on the reality that we serve a risen Savior, not some long-dead guru. The better we remember that, the more of His life will be operative in our own lives, and the more effective we will be in telling others about Him.

Father, thank You for Your magnificent plan. Thank You that Jesus not only died for me, He rose again and is alive today. Lord Jesus, thank You for all that You went through for me, and for Your love that motivated You. Holy Spirit, thank You for bringing the life of Christ to me, and for transmitting it through me to others. May today be a celebration indeed, communicating the Gospel to many, for their salvation and the glory of God. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 19, 2014

Posted on April 21, 2014 by jgarrott

John 19:35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.

The devil, being the father of lies, tries to convince even someone who is telling the truth about Jesus that they aren’t speaking the truth. That’s why it’s important to keep exposing ourselves to the truth of the Word, and to make a habit of absolute honesty. When we do that, it’s much harder for the devil to shake us. The other side of that coin is that if we repeat a lie often enough, even we tend to believe it! There too, we must not get caught in the devil’s snares. The witness to Jesus’ side being pierced was sharing the truth he had seen for a specific reason: that others too might believe. Believe what? That Jesus had incontrovertibly died; He wasn’t in a drugged coma when they took Him down, He was dead. (The flow of water and blood came from the heart, and the pericardium around it, being pierced. That cannot be survived, period.) That was important, and still is, because of those who claim anything to try to deny the resurrection. It’s recorded that even some who saw Jesus after His resurrection doubted, (Matthew 28:17) for whatever reason. The Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ must be believed for that salvation to be received, so we are to give as many opportunities for faith as possible. We can’t force anyone to believe, but by our testimonies of the truth that we have experienced, we can make it easier for them.

Even though I have a reputation for total honesty, I can’t force anyone to accept what I am saying. However, that certainly doesn’t mean I’m to stop sharing about Jesus! As I have said from the time I first arrived in Omura, I’m not here to teach a religion, I’m here to introduce a Savior. (In Japanese that’s almost a pun.) Something I have seen again and again, in myself and others, is that few things strengthen faith more than sharing it. When we can almost convince ourselves that a lie is true if we repeat it often enough, how much more are we affirmed by speaking out what is true in the first place!? As a pastor, I desire that each member of this church not hesitate to speak the truth at all times and in all situations, and that includes speaking out the truth of Jesus Christ. Not everyone is called and gifted as an Evangelist, (Ephesians 4:11) but everyone is sent out as a witness. (Acts 1:8) Witnesses simply tell the truth, and we can do that.

Father, thank You for the various witnessing opportunities You have given with the YWAM team here. I pray that each person would be unable to forget the truth they saw and heard, and be drawn to You by that truth. We will be involved in programs today and tomorrow that will provide many more opportunities. I pray for prepared hearts, both for witnesses and their hearers, and for Your anointing to carry Your truth into hearts to bring repentance and faith for salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 18, 2014

Posted on April 21, 2014 by jgarrott

Luke 23:40-41 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

How utterly refreshing! Enduring incredible agony, this man still recognized that he was only getting what he had asked for by his actions. That is so rare! When, immediately after this, he addressed Jesus as Lord, it’s no wonder that Jesus accepted him as fit for the kingdom of heaven! We are so prone to justify ourselves in so many ways, declining to accept responsibility for our actions and blaming everything on circumstances, parents, or whatever. Upbringing does have a huge influence on us, and irresponsible parents indeed cause much if not most of society’s ills, but each individual still bears responsibility, because excuses run out of steam. This man could have blamed his parents, he could have blamed the Roman occupation, he could have blamed income inequality or any number of currently fashionable excuses. Instead, he said, “I did wrong and I’m getting the payback from that.” One of the most important verses in the whole Bible is Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The problem is, we don’t want to accept that we deserve death. I once heard an evangelist say that only Jesus could save people; his job was to get them lost! Actually, he meant that his job was to get people to understand that they were lost, and that is still true today for everyone who seeks to evangelize. No one is going to accept the gift of God (Romans 6:23) until they understand that they need it, and actually, we can’t receive it until we acknowledge that we don’t deserve it! Gifts are fundamentally undeserved blessings, but we are so prone to think we deserve them. This man on the cross beside Jesus knew full well that he didn’t deserve better than he was getting, and in all humility he asked Jesus to remember him. That’s what brings salvation!

I am frequently reminded of how I wandered in stupid pride for so many years, but the issue now is how I get others to recognize their need of salvation. Current Japanese culture is devoid of Christian roots, so the evangelism methods I studied in seminary have been largely ineffective. In America, people might ignore it, but they do understand what a billboard that says, “Prepare to meet your God,” is talking about. In Japan, their first question would be, “What god are you talking about?” There is little cultural recognition of an omnipotent Creator before whom we must give an account of what we have done with the time and resources He has given us. I’ve got to help people understand not only that He is, but also that He cares about them. That’s a huge stretch! By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit it is possible, and it does happen, but it’s clearly something that is totally beyond my ability. That’s why I can never take credit for anyone’s salvation. However, I must hold myself in constant readiness for God to use me, because I’ve seen Him do it, and the results are glorious.

Father, thank You for the privilege of serving You. Thank You for the spiritual warfare we could do yesterday, and for the specific evangelistic opportunities we have for the next three days. I pray that many would indeed have the eyes of their hearts opened, to see themselves, see you, repent and believe for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 17, 2014

Posted on April 20, 2014 by jgarrott

John 18:36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

There has been conflict between the political and the religious throughout history, and some of the worst times have been when the two have been organizationally merged. That’s why the framers of the US Constitution were careful to state that they should not be. Pilate had no grasp of the very idea of a kingdom that was not political, so Jesus had to spell it out for him. This is not to say that those involved in politics should not be religious, but rather that human organizations should not try to mimic God’s power. Romans 13:1-7 is clear that civil government is God’s idea, and several places in the Old Testament speak of civil leaders fearing God and being obedient to Him, but that’s not the same as a true theocracy. In human history, “theocracies” have essentially been religious leaders pretending to be God, and magnifying their human imperfections and failures in the process. It is only when Christ returns that there will be true Theocracy, as it states in Revelation 11:15, famously sung in the Hallelujah Chorus. He is indeed King of kings and Lord of lords! Every believer, and certainly those involved in civil government, needs to be fully committed and obedient in every aspect of their lives.

I have been politicized by events in the US over the past several years, but I’ve got to remember that Jesus’ kingdom isn’t of this world, and failures of the civil government aren’t failures of His. Today we will be involved in active spiritual warfare against territorial principalities, but this is not a battle that will be obvious to physical eyes. Paul expressed it very clearly in Ephesians 6:10-18. We’ve got to be very careful that we are clad in the full armor of God, which is Christ Himself. Here too we need to remember the prayer Jesus taught us, that the kingdom of God would come as His will is done perfectly on this earth. The kingdom of God is not manifested without obedience! I am “senior” in today’s activities, which means I bear the most responsibility for setting the tone and keeping us focused, but I can’t do that in my own wisdom and strength. I must stay fully submitted myself, without any trace of pride. However, if I will do that, God will certainly be faithful, and I can expect great things of Him.

Father, thank You for Your plans. I pray that we would recognize those plans and follow them in every detail, not being presumptuous but neither being hesitant. May we indeed storm the gates of hell today and see them fall, at least in relation to this area. Father, I pray that it would be for the whole nation! May we indeed set the captives free, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 16, 2014

Posted on April 20, 2014 by jgarrott

Matthew 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

I don’t know how well we can imagine the depth of Jesus’ commitment, expressed here. We imagine what might happen to us, but Jesus knew the magnitude of what He was facing. Everything in His humanity was crying out, NO! But He submitted anyway, out of His love for the Father and His love for us. Even if we face physical hardship comparable to His scourging and crucifixion, which is unlikely to say the least, we still don’t face what was probably the hardest thing on Him: being cut off from the Father because of our sins, when they were coequal members of the Trinity. Anything we might face pales to insignificance beside that, because in Christ, nothing can now separate us from the Father’s love. (Romans 8:38-39) When we focus on ourselves and what we see as our problems, those problems seem huge, even insurmountable. When we focus on Christ and what He did for us, everything else falls into perspective, and we can have peace and even joy in the middle of whatever we’re going through. This is what Jesus was talking about in John 16:33, when He said, “But rejoice, for I have overcome the world.”

As often as I preach this to others, I still need to be reminded of it myself! It is some comfort that Jesus did at least pray that the cup be taken from Him, so it’s no sin to pray to be delivered from circumstances, but I’ve got to remember, and practice, the submission to the Father’s will that Jesus expressed immediately after that. My flesh is as demanding as anyone’s, but I must not let it be in control. For me, it’s generally not so much physical issues as such, but things like my convenience or my habits or my preferences. How trivial! I am surrounded by God’s gracious provision, and yet I complain! I need to listen to and apply the messages God speaks through me, or I will be deceiving myself. (James 1:22)

Father, thank You for all You are doing, both around me and in me, and even through me. Help me not resist any of it, but cooperate fully with what You are doing, with joy and not grudgingly, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 15, 2014

Posted on April 16, 2014 by jgarrott

Matthew 26:22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?”

To me it speaks extremely well of the disciples that they each recognized that they were capable of betraying Jesus, though they didn’t want to believe it. We are at our weakest when we think we’re in good shape! That’s why Paul issued his famous warning, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12) Put in a similar situation as the disciples here, we are all too likely to start trying to figure out who would do such a dastardly thing, instead of examining ourselves to see if we are the one. Genuine self-confidence is a very dangerous thing. We can and indeed should have assurance that God has made us competent to do that which He asks of us, (2 Corinthians 3:5) but thinking we’ve got it taken care of apart from Him is very dangerous indeed. That’s why it was a blessing and not a curse that God allowed Paul to have his “thorn in the flesh,” to teach him better to rely fully on God and not on himself. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) As Paul said after that revelation, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” We are not to be masochists and we are not to be hesitant, always doubting ourselves, but we must recognize that any strength or ability we have comes from God and not from ourselves, and so depend on Him rather than on whatever abilities He has given us.

This is certainly relevant to me! The Lord has given me a wide variety of abilities, and I have been quite prone to rely on the abilities and my use of them, rather than on the One who gave them to me. I’ve had my share of failures for that very reason! Right now, when my schedule is making many demands on me, the Lord is allowing physical difficulties to remind me that in Him I can do it all, but I have no hope of doing so if I don’t rely on Him. That’s not a bad thing! I am to give God thanks and praise for each thing He allows in my life, while at the same time standing firm against everything that originates with the devil. I am to be the resource person the YWAM team needs, without thinking I’m the “guru,” or something. God has good plans for these two weeks, but they will be fulfilled only as we listen to Him and let Him direct and use us.

Father, thank You for the good start we’ve gotten with this team. The thought that they will be here for two weeks is a bit daunting, but I know that in You, everything will go very well indeed. I ask Your protection and guidance for them as they go into Nagasaki City today, as well as for Cathy and me as we deal with responsibilities here in Omura. May each of us recognize what You have for us to do and rejoice to be obedient, in Your strength, wisdom and power, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 14, 2014

Posted on April 16, 2014 by jgarrott

Matthew 21:22 “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Frankly, some of the Biblical statements on faith seem problematical. They have been used by some to teach “faith in faith,” so to speak, and that is obviously an aberration. However, Jesus scolded his disciples repeatedly for their lack of faith, and He said things like this, that seem totally over the top. This isn’t an invitation to self indulgence, but it is certainly a challenge to let go of our excuses for not trusting God. Hebrews 11 is perhaps the most famous “faith chapter” in the Bible, and it concludes very frankly with the statement that “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40) Probably the biggest factor that messes with our understanding is timing. We want things NOW, when God has a better idea. This very story is a case in point. As Matthew tells it, the fig tree withered “immediately,” (verse 19) but Mark 11 makes it clear that it was the next day that they discovered it had withered, and Jesus said this about faith. Actually, life stopped flowing in the tree immediately, but it took time for that to be evident. All sorts of things can account for what we see as delays in answers to prayer. There is even direct demonic opposition, as the story in Daniel 10 indicates. However, delays should not shake our faith. Like Paul, we need to know Whom we have believed, and trust Him. (2 Timothy 1:12)

This certainly renews the challenge to my faith! My parents were among those Hebrews 11 talks about, because though they did see some fruit for their labors, they didn’t see the massive harvest in Japan for which they prayed earnestly. At this point I am more than a year older than my father was when he died, and I too have seen some fruit but no massive harvest. From today we will have six young people here for two weeks, and a major focus of this time will be spiritual warfare, to break down the barriers to harvest. I cannot dictate timing (or anything else) to God, but I’ve got to believe that He genuinely desires the salvation of the Japanese people, and act accordingly. I am to share with the team what God has taught me, and I am to receive a fresh dose of enthusiasm from them. After all, “enthusiasm” means “filled with God!”

Father, there are so many things that work to take the expectant edge off of my faith. Forgive me for yielding to them. Help me indeed trust You fully, asking boldly and expecting Your answers, so that all that You desire and intend may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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