April 13, 2014

Posted on April 16, 2014 by jgarrott

Luke 19:34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

The story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is an interesting and beautiful illustration of how God makes use of everything. Sending the disciples to collect a colt they had no way to know was there, as well as what would happen once they found it, was a powerful boost to those disciples’ faith. Along with that, it was the first example of Jesus requisitioning something on the basis of His authority as Lord. People in those days were used to having to give up things on request to those in authority, and the fact that the owners of this colt apparently didn’t protest is a strong indication that they were recognizing and accepting Jesus’ authority. I would be willing to bet that it wasn’t long after the resurrection that the owners of the colt were full believers! The question for us becomes, how well do we accept Jesus’ right and authority to require something of us? I feel we’re back to Nate Saint’s famous line: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” Jesus said that if we try to hang on to anything, even our lives, we will lose it; it is only when we surrender things to Him that we really gain them. (Matthew 10:39)

I have surrendered various things to Christ over the years. Some of them He has returned to me multiplied, and some seem to be gone completely, at least as far as I can see at this point. I can’t say as I regret any of it, because even the things that are gone are more than compensated for by other blessings. I desire to hold all things loosely, acknowledging Christ’s Lordship, but I have to confess a grasping impulse at times. My flesh doesn’t like to give things up! Just two days ago I threw my lower back out, and my flesh protested the loss of mobility and strength (not to mention the pain). However, it has been a lesson in delegation – long overdue – as well as a reminder that I can do everything through Christ that He calls me to do. (Philippians 4:13) I have met all my obligations, and it will probably bless the young man I will be asking this morning to set up the chairs in the church sanctuary. I need to remember that neither my time nor my abilities are really my own, but belong to the Lord who created and then redeemed me. He knows what He needs of me, and I need to rest in the assurance that the ultimate outcome will be very good indeed.

Father, thank You for all the lessons You teach me. Help me learn and retain them! Thank You for getting me through the wedding yesterday, and that my back was better at the end of the day than at the beginning. Thank You for all that today holds, and that as busy as it will be, I don’t dread any of it. Help me stay focused on You, not just today but every day, particularly as my schedule is so packed for the next two weeks. May Your Name be hallowed and Your kingdom come as Your will is done in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 12, 2014

Posted on April 13, 2014 by jgarrott

Psalm 36:10 Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.

There are several verses in this Psalm that I like very much, particularly verse 9, but reading this in the Japanese, verse 10 really struck me. Not knowing the Hebrew, I can’t vouch for which translation is more accurate, but where the NIV says “Continue,” the Japanese says “Pour out.” It may well be that the Hebrew phrase indicates some sort of continuous pouring action. In any case, the image gripped me. We speak of anointing, which is pouring oil, so this could be said to be an anointing of love (the Japanese says grace) and righteousness. That sounds good to me! We need to remember that God never runs out of love, He never runs out of righteousness, or grace, or power. We hit our limits on all of those, so it’s hard really to grasp that God never does. David was in many ways a simple man. Were he alive today, quite probably we would think him rather uncouth. However, he had tasted God, and knew that God was good. (Psalm 34:8) David responded with his whole being, and that made all the difference. He famously stripped down to dance before the Ark of the Covenant when bringing it into Jerusalem, even though he was the king. (2 Samuel 6) Despite his failures, he fit the category of those who know God, who are upright in heart.

I can certainly join David in testifying that the Lord is good, having tasted Him abundantly! I need to remember that when God pours His blessings out on me, they are not to stop with me, but be poured through me to others. In my experience, one of the greatest blessings is to be used as a conduit of blessing to others. Paul quoted Jesus (evidently referring to a collection of Jesus’ teachings that didn’t get included in any of the Gospels) as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) That has certainly been my experience. The thing of it is, the more we let pour through us, the more He pours into us! We don’t serve a sprinkling God, we serve a pouring God!

Father, thank You for Your generous abundance, and for allowing me to be a conduit of that. Yesterday You allowed me to bless various people, and it didn’t diminish my blessing in the least! Keep me from holding back in any way. Rather, enable me to grow as a conduit of Your abundant love, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation, so that more and more may be brought from death to life, darkness to light, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 11, 2014

Posted on April 13, 2014 by jgarrott

Psalm 34:11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

This whole Psalm is an example of David doing exactly what he says here. David never drew back from giving God credit for all He does. He was “a person after God’s heart” (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22) because he acknowledged God in praise and worship. He consistently gave God the credit for all the good in his life, and he didn’t accuse God of being mean because of the less-than-good things in his life. We have a lot we can learn from David! The Biblical record is unvarnished, so we know that David was certainly imperfect, not only committing gross sin but also failing in precisely what he says here: teaching his own children to fear God properly. However, we know that his intentions were right, despite his failures. We too need to take time to focus on our children and help them focus on God. One of the fallacies of our age is that “quality time” is a substitute for time, period. Children are entrusted to the state through schools and the like, or even to churches, and parents skip out on their responsibility to teach their children to fear and love God. No one can really take the place of parents, period. God is sometimes amazingly gracious in the case of orphans, but that is a rare exception. We see the results of parental dereliction all the time. The devil hates all that is good, which God created, so he attacks the family relentlessly. One of his major tools is to make even Christians accept what is unbiblical as normal, so that they fail to stand against it. If more Christians would really take back their families, they would take back their culture as well.

As I am frequently reminded, my parents were far above the average in many ways. However, that doesn’t mean they were perfect. I was the only one of four children left at home when my father realized how much he had let his work exclude his children from his life. The trip he and I made from Japan to Kentucky in 1964 will always be a sweet memory for me, because I had his undivided attention for most of that trip, and that was a rare thing indeed. However, that doesn’t mean I learned the lesson and gave my own children the focused attention they needed! There are many, many things I wish I had done differently, but if I were somehow to go back to that time, I would probably make the same mistakes again! Right now, my focus is on spiritual children who don’t live in the same household with me, so the interactions are very different. I need to seek God’s wisdom and guidance at every turn for how I am to teach them and draw them closer to Him, but with that understanding, this verse is still very operative in my life.

Father, there are so many things I want to communicate to so many people! Help me be so yielded to You that You are able to do it through me, because I certainly can’t do it on my own. May all of my spiritual children be rightly related to You, so that they in turn may raise up more spiritual children, in order that Your house may be full, (Luke 14:23) for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 10, 2014

Posted on April 11, 2014 by jgarrott

Psalm 33:1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

All people experience a wide variety of circumstances in life, some more pleasant than others. However, the most appropriate response to every one of those circumstances is to praise God. When the circumstances are pleasant, it’s easy to praise God, but the less pleasant they are, the harder it is. However, that shift doesn’t change the fundamental reasons for praising God. Those reasons are first of all that He is worthy of our praise. This Psalm goes on to talk about how God has created everything, and how His power is manifested in creation. That doesn’t change, no matter what we are going through in our lives. The second reason is that we need to praise Him to get our eyes off of ourselves and onto Him. This reason is why, the worse our circumstances are, the more we need to praise Him! That is certainly counter-intuitive, but it’s true nonetheless. I learned a song about 35 years ago that is essentially Isaiah 61:3 set to music, with a little poetic license: “Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; lift up your voice to God. Praise with the Spirit and with understanding; O magnify the Lord.” That song has helped me many, many times over the years, because pity parties benefit no one. When we fail to focus on God, troubles drag us down and pleasures lead us astray. When we do focus on God, we can be upright indeed, as this verse talks about.

As a pastor I am constantly dealing with other people’s problems, and at times it can be overwhelming. I need all the more to praise God, because only then can I keep things in perspective. Yesterday I dealt with two different individuals with very different circumstances but who both tend to focus on their immediate problems rather than on God who is eternally able. Frankly, there is the temptation to wash my hands of them both, but that would not be feeding the sheep, as Jesus famously told Peter to do after His resurrection. (John 21:15-17) I cannot carry their burdens on my own, (Galatians 6:2) but in Christ I can help them release their burdens to Him, and leading them to praise God is a big part of that.

Father, it’s been many years now since You told and showed me that praise and worship are powerful weapons in spiritual warfare. You’re directing me to speak on Spiritual Warfare Sunday, and I need to include this in that message. Thank You that You are always right on time! Guide me now as I prepare those notes, so that Your Word may slice through the layers of deception that have people bound and set them free indeed. May we be a people focused on You, in praise, worship, and obedience, so that Your will may be done in and through us for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 9, 2014

Posted on April 11, 2014 by jgarrott

Psalm 32:1-2 Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

This whole Psalm is a beautiful testimony to the blessings of confession and forgiveness. We tend to pull out verse 7 (You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.) which is indeed beautiful, but if we forget that it is in the context of honest confession to God, we fail to experience it in our own lives. The blessing of verse 7 is reserved for those who are completely honest before God, as it says here in verse 2. It really is interesting how often we try to hide things from God, as though that were even possible. Abraham Lincoln famously said, “You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” We need to add to that, you can’t fool God any of the time! We don’t need to go parading our sins, but we must acknowledge them before God, and not deny them when confronted, even before men. There’s a reason why cover-ups are so serious! Jesus called the devil “a liar and the father of lies,” (John 8:44) and when we lie to try to cover up our sins we are falling directly into his trap. That’s no way to experience “songs of deliverance!”

I was incredibly blessed to be raised by a father who held Absolute Honesty as one of his foundational principles. I wish I had come to that place myself much earlier in my life! At the same time, I have seen, through my own mistakes and the actions of others, that honesty doesn’t necessarily mean saying all you know, particularly in regard to others. I have a problem in this area, and have hurt some people by failing to respect their privacy. I have seen some deep rifts created even between family members, as parents have talked about their children far more than they needed to. I need to share everything with God, since He already knows it anyway, but seek and apply His wisdom in how much to share with others. I am never to lie, but I must not parade knowledge that would be hurtful to others. As a pastor, I am privy to lots of information that certainly should not be broadcast, and I must never forget that. I am to keep my confession to God up to date and encourage others to do likewise, not deceiving myself or others, but honor and respect others by my silence when that is called for.

Father, You know the situation that is on my heart as I write. I do pray Your healing for the deep wounds that are involved. I pray that the one who inflicted those wounds would be able to understand what they have done, because at this point they seem oblivious. I pray for restoration of individuals and relationships, so that the schemes of the devil may be defeated and all involved sing together the songs of deliverance, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 8, 2014

Posted on April 11, 2014 by jgarrott

Psalm 31:14-15 But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hands.

We live in an extremely time-driven age. We have the expression, “Time is money,” which interestingly enough, the Japanese quote in English! (There is a Japanese version, which they also quote.) We are forever rushing from one thing to another, setting our DVRs to “time shift” our favorite programs, trying to make “quality time” substitute for actually spending time with people. It can really descend into madness, if it doesn’t stay there most of the time! Past ages certainly weren’t as hectic as this, but life has always been measured in time. We speak of life span, and ponder how that limited span is to be divided up. Recently I’ve been confronted with a “pop-under” ad on my computer: “Life is short. Have an affair.” Frankly, I’m disgusted by it, but it shows that even the devil is using the pace of life to draw people away from their chance of eternal life in Christ. How ironic! When we read this Psalm in its entirity, it seems clear that David really is using “time” to mean “life” here, and we would do well to learn from him. None of us knows exactly how long we will have on this earth, barring something like an impending execution. However, God knows, and He knows how we can best use the time He has allotted us. The answer is seldom, if ever, in being busier! Our time on earth, whether short or long, is an opportunity to choose to trust God and learn to fellowship with Him. That’s why David’s confession of trust here is so important. It is only when we trust God enough to be fully obedient to Him that we make full use of the time He gives us.

I’m in the middle of a particularly hectic season, so this Word is very timely! I find myself praying that my soul and spirit would not be busy, however busy my body might be. A few years ago the Lord told me to rest, relax, and rejoice. I need to remember that! My time perception shifts as I get older, as does everyone’s, because each succeeding minute is a smaller fraction of all the minutes I’ve already lived. I need to look at time from the perspective of eternity, understanding how short it is compared to the life that is ahead of me. I have assurance that I indeed will spend eternity with my Lord, so I need to live like it! I am to “make the most of every opportunity,” (Ephesians 5:16) but do so in the context of eternity. Particularly in this physically busy time I need to fix my heart on Christ and trust in Him, because He will replace my weakness with His strength. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Father, thank You for the abundance of opportunities which You are presenting to me. Help me indeed make the most of them, drawing people to You, without feeling like I’ve got to do it in my own strength. I know from experience that I can’t! Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice, enjoying the ride as You carry me along by Your Spirit, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 7, 2014

Posted on April 8, 2014 by jgarrott

Psalm 25:8-9 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.

The fact that this Psalm is an acrostic poem in Hebrew, starting each verse with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, might make some people doubt its sincerity, treating it as an intellectual exercise rather than as an expression of David’s heart. However, I studied a good bit of poetry writing in college, and was surprised to discover that some of my most heartfelt work came when I was assigned rigid forms to follow. “Free verse” has its points, but it is my observation that human beings are made for boundaries, and are actually freer with them than without them. That said, these two verses say a great deal about God’s character. In the first place, it is sinners whom God directs. Sometimes we think that we have to be perfect before we can hear God, when to a certain extent the reverse is true. Any child should be able to tell you that they are more likely to hear their parent’s voice if they are doing something wrong! However, David knew that God’s motive for correcting sinners isn’t punishment, but rather His deep mercy. We must realize that the requirement for being able to receive what God says correctly is humility, recognizing that you are poor, compared to God’s abundance. When we think we have enough wisdom and enough strength and enough resources, we don’t listen to God very well! David got into trouble when he got used to being king, and it taught him to return to the heart of the shepherd boy he had once been. That basic humility is essential for walking with God, because nothing can change the fact that He is the Creator and we are the created.

Pride has always been my worst trap, thinking I could do things on my own. The Lord has gifted me with a wide range of abilities, and I’m not to deny that, but the moment I look to the abilities instead of to the One who gave them to me, I get into trouble. I have also had to learn how much I need other people. Just because I can do something by myself doesn’t necessarily mean that I should do it alone. Delegation has long been a real weakness in me as a leader. Doing it all myself isn’t leading! I need to keep growing in involving others, developing their gifts rather than brandishing my own. Advancing age is a good tool in teaching me that! I do want to hear God consistently and accurately, because I know that is the way of greatest blessing on every level, and I know that He is more than worthy of my total obedience and devotion.

Father, thank You again for Your grace toward me. There is so much going on all around me, and I can’t possibly keep it all straight. Help me know the next step, and take it, rather than being consumed by things that might be, trusting You with my past, my present, and my future, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 6, 2014

Posted on April 8, 2014 by jgarrott

Psalm 24:10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord almighty – he is the King of glory.

There is perhaps some cultural justification for translating this title for God, “The Lord Almighty,” but the Hebrew is the more traditional, “The Lord of Hosts.” The Japanese translation, rendered literally, is “The Lord of 10,000 Armies,” which is equivalent to saying, all armies. Militarism is not “politically correct,” and Jesus was certainly not a military figure, but the devil wants us to forget that we are in the middle of a conflict. The battle seems quite intense all over the world at this point, whether it takes military form or not. We need to remember that the One we follow is the ultimate General, with the ultimate force at His command. Our task is simply to receive and follow orders, because we can be assured that our Commander in Chief will make no mistakes, in absolute contrast to what we see on the human plane. We can be assured that He has our best interests in mind, no matter how fierce the conflict, and that ultimate victory is a done deal, whatever things look like at the moment. That can take a lot of faith! However, God supplies faith to those who exercise it, and it is indeed the great shield that can quench all the flaming arrows of the enemy. (Ephesians 6:16) Thinking we aren’t at war doesn’t change the facts, and leaves us unprepared either to stand against attacks or to take back territory and set captives free. (Luke 4:18)

Frankly, I had gotten away from thinking in terms of spiritual warfare, despite the conflicts in which I was involved. The Lord has used recent events to call me back to that awareness, and I need to get with His program. I’ve got to remember that “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:4) The battle is first in my own heart and mind, and I must not let down my guard. I need to check my armor (Ephesians 6:13-18) at least daily, not neglecting any part of it, because the attacks aren’t going to let up. I know that as a pastor I am particularly targeted, but that God’s protection is sufficient if I will appropriate it. I am not to be anxious for myself, but rather defend the flock that has been entrusted to me, training them to stand and fight as well, knowing that even the gates of hell will not be able to resist us when we are united in Christ. (Matthew 16:18)

Father, thank You for bringing me back to awareness of spiritual warfare. Thank You for how You have been training me in “swordsmanship.” (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12) May I understand which battles You want me to fight and apply myself fully to them, so that Your Name may be hallowed as Your kingdom comes through Your will being done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 5, 2014

Posted on April 8, 2014 by jgarrott

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

Some Bible passages are difficult to communicate cross-culturally, but the 23rd Psalm is not one of them! Various elements in it do bear some exposition, particularly for modern urbanites, but the word picture here, of “the valley of the shadow of death,” seems to be crystal clear for everyone. We are all faced with our own mortality, but it is not so much death itself that is the problem, but fear of death that paralyzes. That’s why it is so important that Jesus didn’t just die to take the penalty for our sins, as essential as that is, but that He also rose from the dead, proving that physical death is not final. Only those who have that assurance by faith are really liberated from the fear of death. Some try to overcome that fear by imagining death as a blissful sleep, but that only goes so far. It is only when our faith is anchored in the risen Christ that we can “fear no evil” when faced with the possibility, the certainty, of death. It is to that end that the Lord’s discipline, His rod and His staff, are a comfort, because they are proof that we belong to Him, as Hebrews 12:4-13 expresses so clearly.

A church member just faced “the valley of the shadow of death” when she was flagged by one test to have more extensive testing for the possibility of cancer. As it turned out, the further testing gave her a clean bill of health, but her initial response was as severe as if she had already gotten a Stage 4 diagnosis. She is young in faith, and she had a rough time of it! I tried not to put her down for her response, but rather help her see that God is still God and to be trusted, whatever our immediate circumstances. That’s a lesson she has needed in other areas as well, and I feel this was an example of God’s “rod” to teach her to let go and trust Him. That’s an area where I need more growth myself, as I demonstrated just recently by my response to the possibility of losing access to the land next door to the church. That’s still a very real possibility, but God is still to be trusted, whatever happens.

Father, we are so slow to grow in faith. Thank You for loving such weak, foolish ones as we are, guiding and correcting, bringing us home to be with You. May I be an example and an encouragement to all who know me, drawing them with me into right relationship with You, so that together we may be all that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 4, 2014

Posted on April 5, 2014 by jgarrott

Psalm 22:30-31 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn – for he has done it.

The fact that Jesus quoted the first line of this Psalm from the cross, (Matthew 27:46) and that it expresses Jesus’ situation on the cross in such accurate detail in the first 18 verses, makes the whole Psalm worthy of extra attention. In that context, it is particularly significant that the Psalm ends this way, talking about communicating the knowledge of God to succeeding generations so that they might serve Him. It has rightly been said that the Church is never more than one generation away from extinction. The devil knows that too, and he is always striving to interfere with the transmission of the Gospel from one generation to the next. He knows he can’t block it completely, so he tries to distort it just enough that it becomes a social artifact, rather than the gripping tale of a vital relationship with a living God. Sadly, he succeeds in that all too often. Even Jesus referenced that phenomenon in calling down the Pharisees, saying, “You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.” (Matthew 23:15) The devil doesn’t mind if we know the facts about God, just so long as we don’t apply them to our lives to live in obedient fellowship with Him. After all, even demons know the facts! (James 2:19) That’s why this passage connects communicating the information about God with serving Him. We are genuinely effective in communicating the Gospel only when we are living it out ourselves.

Since I am one who has “traveled over land and sea to make a single convert,” I’d better be sure I don’t make him a son of hell! I need to be careful that my life is lived in obedient fellowship with my Lord, so that I may call others into that fellowship, rather than giving them a list of rules and regulations. It is encouraging that I do have spiritual children (in addition to my physical children) who love and serve the Lord, even as this passage says. I am to do all I can not only to increase their number, but also to help and encourage each one to grow and mature as a child of God. Though they are my children, they are His children even more, and I need to remember that He loves them more than I ever could. I am not to be careless about them, allowing them to wander dangerous paths without giving warning, but neither am I to be anxious. As I seek to be a good father to them, I need to remember that we are all children of our perfect, heavenly Father.

Father, it is indeed such a blessing, privilege, and comfort to be able to address You as Father. Thank You for making that possible through Your Son. May I be Your agent in fulfilling the purpose of the cross, drawing succeeding generations into Your family for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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