March 15, 2014

Posted on March 16, 2014 by jgarrott

1 Kings 10:9 “Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness.”

The purpose of rulers is to maintain justice and righteousness. Far too many political leaders seem to forget this completely, if they ever had a real grasp of it in the first place. Good leadership is a blessing from God, but it is often taken for granted, or even actively opposed by those who aren’t interested in justice and righteousness. We see that all the time! That’s why Paul tells us to pray for “kings and all those in authority.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2) He goes on to say that a well-ordered society is “good, and pleases God our Savior,” implying that such a society makes it easier for people “to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) There have been many in Church circles who have felt that faith and government were unconnected, but I think that recent developments, in the US at least, have caused that number to shrink considerably! God is interested in all of life. As Dr. John Kewiet said in seminary, if what we say we believe doesn’t affect the way we live, then it is meaningless. The ideal society is one in which everyone lives, acts, and speaks in grateful, obedient humility before God. We won’t see such a society in fullness before Christ’s return, but we need to understand that is our goal in civil government, whatever politicians might think.

Since living in Omura I’ve been a local group leader several times (an official but unelected position in Japan) and am a personal friend of the mayor, though I can’t vote because I’m not a Japanese citizen. I have spoken out occasionally on behalf of justice and righteousness, though my impact has probably been small. As far as the US is concerned, the Internet has made it much easier to keep up with issues, and I vote absentee faithfully. The big question is how well I obey Paul’s admonition to pray! I am not to be obsessed with things of this world, but I am to remember that God is indeed interested in everything, and I am to pray and to act so that His Name may be hallowed and His kingdom come as His will is done on every level, and not just in church, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. This is something You’ve been saying to me a lot recently. Help me trust You and walk in faithful obedience, not panicking over anything but not being apathetic either. May I be faithful as Your agent in every area of my life, so that Your will may be accomplished a little more fully because of me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 14, 2014

Posted on March 16, 2014 by jgarrott

1 Kings 3:9 “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

Every leader with sense has prayed this prayer in some form at some time. It is those who think they’ve got it taken care of who are actually the foolish ones. It’s not that we aren’t to be assured and confident in what we are doing, but to do it right, there must be an underlying layer of humility that recognizes total dependence on God. Great damage has been done in many areas over the centuries by leaders who did not have that attitude, and it continues to happen today. That’s not to say that a leader who prays this prayer honestly is thereafter exempt from error; Solomon himself is an excellent case in point. I consider him one of the more tragic figures in the whole Bible, because he had such an excellent start, but he squandered it out of pride. He prayed this prayer at the beginning of his reign, but he didn’t maintain this attitude throughout his life. Perhaps he started believing what other people said about him! He recorded a great deal of truth in Proverbs, but he failed to apply it consistently in his own life, and in the end it was like ashes in his mouth, as we can see reading Ecclesiastes. Particularly successful leaders are in grave danger of believing their own press releases. Anyone who starts skimping on his own devotional life is setting himself up for disaster, regardless of how anointed their ministry seems to be.

This certainly applies to me, except that I haven’t had what most people would call a very “successful” ministry. Numbers are, as they have always been, small, but I don’t have wisdom in myself even for the few under my care! I have seen the Lord act through me in some very good ways, but it’s never been anything I could take personal credit for. He has given me speaking/verbal gifts, but I am always in danger of thinking that because I’ve said it, that means I’m practicing it faithfully. I’m not to stop speaking the Word, but my primary focus must be on applying, living out the Word myself, or I’m living a lie. (James 1:22) The Lord has given me influence, not only over the members of this church but over other ministers. I’m not up to that myself, and I must never forget that fact! I must walk in grateful humility at all times, knowing that if God could use Balaam’s donkey to speak to him, then He can use me to speak to people too. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m any better than a jackass. After all, my name is Jack!

Father, thank You again for Your grace and patience toward me. Thank You for the opportunity to record messages yesterday for CGN Christian Television. I ask that everything You said through me would bless the viewers, however many or few they might be. Thank You for the various things You have on my schedule for today. I need Your wisdom for every one. I pray that I would walk in accurate obedience step by step, accomplishing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 13, 2014

Posted on March 16, 2014 by jgarrott

2 Samuel 23:3-4 “When one rules over men in righteousness,
when he rules in the fear of God,
he is like the light of morning at sunrise
on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain
that brings the grass from the earth.”

What a beautiful, evocative word picture! However, the contrast with rulers who do not rule in righteousness and the fear of the Lord immediately comes to mind. At the time the Lord spoke this to David the idea of representative government had not taken hold anywhere, so it was a choice between a ruler of some sort or anarchy. Given some of the rulers throughout history, anarchy is not without its advantages! However, anarchy is insecure at best, so here God is expressing the beauty of right government. Actually, the principle here can indeed be applied to representative government, but all of those in government need to be operating in righteousness and the fear of the Lord. America is of course the great example of the experiment of representative government, and a look at the past 250 years only confirms this principle. There have always been scoundrels in office and in the bureaucracy, but America’s prosperity and public good have always been in proportion to the number of people in government who were righteous and feared God, especially at the higher levels. Over the past 50 years that proportion has seemed to drop remarkably, to the point that today, such people seem far more to be the exception than the rule. When Americans have the privilege of choosing their representatives, they need to do so on the criteria of righteousness and the fear of the Lord. Failure to do so says tragic things about the character of the people, and brings tragic consequences.

Because I live in Japan it seems almost odd for me to feel as involved as I do in American government, but the Internet allows me to be as informed as practically anyone living in the US. The past few years have been an enormous, and at times painful, lesson in trusting God. I can vote (absentee) and sign online petitions, but the chief thing I can do is pray. My foundational prayer is of course that God’s Name be hallowed and His kingdom come as His will is done, but when it comes to specifics, I need to pray that those who do fear God will be elected, and that the electorate will fear God enough to really care about the issue. Sadly, that last is the source of the problem. I am to pray for a renewal of the fear of the Lord in everyone, and that it come as gently as possible. 9/11 was a wakeup call to that end, but the effect was sadly brief. I am to pray God’s grace and mercy on the nation, so that it may again be like the light of a cloudless dawn, for the glory of God.

Father, I find it interesting that I should feel so political now when for so much of my life I was almost completely apolitical. Help me not be distracted by all of that from the tasks You have for me day by day and moment by moment. Help me remember always both that the temporal is indeed temporary, and You are indeed God, and draw as many people as possible into active discipleship while there is time, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 12, 2014

Posted on March 13, 2014 by jgarrott

2 Samuel 22:26-27 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.”

There has always been a degree of truth to the accusation by atheists that people of faith create God in their image, and that is that we tend to perceive Him as being like we are. I think this is what David is speaking to here. It’s not that God is devious, but rather that He sees the end from the beginning, as well as everything connected and involved, which is so far beyond our capacity that, if we’re expecting trickery, that’s what we perceive. Actually, we are generally quick to see in other people traits we have ourselves. It is often a red flag when someone seems obsessed with a particular sin in others: they quite likely are hiding that same sin in their own heart, even if they aren’t practicing it actively. The same may be said of good traits, and that is what David is saying here. The Japanese says “gracious” where the NIV says “faithful,” but the principle is the same either way. Actually, the more we let God clean us up, the better we are able to see and appreciate His purity and holiness. When we exercise the faith we have been given, the better we understand that He is absolutely faithful and reliable.

This is a major part of the truth in the Gaither song, “The Longer I Serve Him, the Sweeter He Grows.” Now that I am approaching 60 years since my baptism, I can certainly sing that song with conviction! I was greatly blessed to have a fairly accurate conception of God from the outset, but my appreciation of Him has only grown over the years. At the same time, I am constantly dealing with people who have a very distorted image of Him at best, and that’s where the challenge comes in. By God’s grace, wisdom, and love, I need to teach others what He is like, helping them open their eyes and lift them to Him. I can’t impart a revelation of God to anyone, but I can be His instrument to that purpose. I need to be careful that nothing about me gets in the way of their seeing Him accurately. I am seen as a “man of God,” and by God’s grace I must strive to let the picture of Him that I portray be as accurate as possible.

Father, Your goodness and faithfulness are beyond expressing in words. Help me be a demonstration of who You are to everyone, from the man who is in what may be his last hospitalization to the little child in arms, so that as many as possible may open their hearts to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 11, 2014

Posted on March 13, 2014 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 26:23 “The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The LORD delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed.”

David’s behavior said clearly that he feared God more than he feared Saul, and that’s of vital importance. He could easily have killed Saul, but as he says here, he chose to trust God. From our perspective we can see that by doing so he made it far easier to unify the 12 tribes into one nation after he became king, because he didn’t have major difficulties with those who were still loyal to Saul. However, it’s doubtful that he thought that far into the future when he spared Saul’s life. We would all do much better in life if we feared God, just as the Bible says so famously, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10) We tend to disassociate fear with love, perhaps because of 1 John 4:18 that says that there is no fear in love, but I think we fail to understand both fear and love. The fear of the Lord is an understanding that He is absolutely powerful and absolutely holy, and we are neither. It’s kind of like the political philosophy of “peace through strength.” If a nation’s enemies don’t have a healthy respect for its military, they will have impunity in doing whatever they like. Many people today frankly don’t respect God. They spit in His face more ways than I could, or would want to, list here, and their lives show the results. It is indeed far wiser to recognize that God is a whole lot smarter than we are, and that He really does desire what is best for us. That’s where the love comes in. When we recognize that everything God does, even judgment, comes from love, then we love Him in return, and genuinely desire to do what pleases Him. That’s what David was doing here, and God indeed rewarded him for it.

A little more fear of the Lord would doubtless have been helpful to me through most of my life! Loving God was never an issue, but I didn’t always seek His way over what the world and my flesh were urging me to do. As a pastor, I am surrounded with examples of the consequences of failing to fear the Lord properly. I’ve never been a “hellfire and brimstone” preacher, and I don’t really think that’s helpful, but I do need to help people grasp the reality that there are consequences to our choices, and failing to fear God is like driving 90 in a 30 zone: we might get away with it briefly, but physics will catch up with us before the police do! That’s why in teaching on parenting I stress the importance of consistent consequences for misbehavior. I’ve seen in my own children and grandchildren that such consistency makes for much happier and fulfilled children! However, my biggest headache is with adults who don’t fear God, even when they don’t realize that’s their problem. I need God’s wisdom and anointing to deal with it, because it’s for certain I can’t do it on my own.

Father, only You could possibly keep it all straight, so that’s why I turn to You. I ask You to guard my heart and mind that I may fear You rightly and love You with all that I am, so that I may then express Your love and holiness accurately to those around me, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 10, 2014

Posted on March 11, 2014 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 12:20 “Do no be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.”

One of the devil’s favorite tricks is to point out what we’ve done wrong and then try to convince us we might as well give up on doing right. Samuel is addressing that directly here, and it’s a message we need to receive. The name, Satan, means “accuser,” and that’s what he does. When he accuses us accurately, we need to say, “Thank you. I repent of that (or, I have repented of that) before God, and it is covered with the blood of Jesus Christ my Lord, so I am clean and free.” (1 John 1:9) The devil loves to bring up past sins that have already been repented of and forgiven, and try to make us feel guilty about them all over again. If we fall for his trick that’s a major problem, because if we’ve already repented, then trying to do so again is just going through the motions, and it’s as empty as it feels like. Repentance involves changing course, getting back on track, so if we’ve already gotten back on track, then trying to repent of the same thing again actually might get us off track! Of course, if we commit the same sin again then we do need to repent again, but failing to understand that we really are forgiven makes us far more likely to commit that sin again. That’s why Samuel tells us not to get off track, but serve the Lord with our whole hearts, not bound by the sins we have committed in the past.

I’ve experienced this myself, and I’m constantly dealing with people who are struggling with it. I remember well a persistent sin that I couldn’t shake free of until I got it through my head and my heart that I really was forgiven. I’ve also experienced a truth I share frequently: the devil tends to issue blanket condemnations, but the Holy Spirit is a Gentleman, and He is very specific. If the voice you’re hearing says, “You’re no good,” you can be sure it’s the devil! The Holy Spirit will say, “That’s no good. Stop it. Turn around and go another way.” I run into people daily who have distorted self images because of listening to the devil telling them they’re no good, so they can’t believe they could be any different than they see themselves as being. I need God’s wisdom and anointing to speak His truth in love to set such people free! I can’t do it on my own, but He can do it through me by His Spirit, and that should be my goal and prayer.

Father, thank You for the privilege of serving You, of communicating the message of Your love, grace, and forgiveness. Help me do that more and more effectively, today and each day, so that many may be set free from the traps of the enemy, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 9, 2014

Posted on March 11, 2014 by jgarrott

Judges 5:2 “When the princes in Israel take the lead,
when the people offer themselves –
Praise the LORD!

The last verse of the book of Judges gives the tenor of the whole period between Joshua and Samuel: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” (Judges 21:25) In current political terms, you might say it was extremely Libertarian! That said, it was mostly a mess, because the people had no unified vision of who they were or how they should be. In that context, this verse makes a lot of sense. There will always be people with leadership gifting, but they don’t always exercise that gifting effectively. Deborah was celebrating the fact that such people were getting their act into gear. However, for there to be effective leadership, there have to be followers, and that is celebrated here as well. The people, seeing the need and seeing people standing up as leaders, were offering themselves to the cause. Even when we want something done, we have a tendency to say, “Let the other guy do it.” Nothing gets accomplished that way! For things to happen there need to be both leaders and followers, and when the cause is a good one, that’s reason to praise the Lord indeed.

I’ve struggled with the whole issue of leadership most of my life, and particularly since I became a pastor. Because my administrative gifts are on the low end of the scale I haven’t felt very effective as a leader, but the Lord has placed me repeatedly in situations where I was the only leader around. I don’t have room to complain, though, because Moses didn’t have administrative gifting either! As such a leader, I have been very aware of how different it is when the “rank and file” offer themselves willingly and when they don’t. That has given me real insight into how it is between God and man. He is of course the ultimate Leader, and certainly a unique one at that. It’s not at all that He can’t do whatever He wants, whether we follow or not. However, it is His desire and plan to involve us in what He is doing, because we are His children, and not just chess pieces on a board. When we offer ourselves willingly, we get to participate in what He is doing with great joy and satisfaction. When we rebel and struggle against Him, we lose all that and a great deal more besides. God, though He is certainly the ultimate authority, is not like a human dictator, acting on whims with no real thought of benefit to those under Him. Rather, He desires the very best for us, His children, so there is every reason for us to offer ourselves willingly to Him. I can’t control how the people in this church, for example, are going to follow, but I can govern how I follow God, and I must be fully dedicated to that task and privilege.

Father, thank You for Your gracious plan. I’ve complained about it far too much! Help me indeed offer myself willingly to You, whether in a leadership capacity or not, as an example and an encouragement to all who see me, and especially those who follow me, that we may all walk in joyful obedience to You, accomplishing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 8, 2014

Posted on March 11, 2014 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 24:16 Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.

For the average American it seems incredible that this would even need to be in the Bible, but there are places in the world where this is practiced even today. There have been examples from North Korea and elsewhere just recently, in fact. Many Westerners don’t realize that the the Bible is the foundation of the moral and legal structure they take for granted. That’s why they try to insist that people can be moral without religion. Without a Creator to whom we are accountable, there is ultimately no basis for morality, and anything goes. There are those who are claiming that even today, but when you make the logical extension in relation to things done to them, they get all upset! People want to be free to do anything to anyone, but don’t want others to be free to do anything to them. That’s why God gave us guidelines in the Bible. People chafe at any restrictions, but they don’t realize that every command of God is for our good. No parent with any sense is going to let their toddler do anything they want! God is, of course, our heavenly Father, and it’s no accident that parental rights are currently under severe attack, in the US and elsewhere. Just recently a judge had the good sense to throw out a case where a teenager was suing her parents for support, after she had left home over refusing to abide by family rules in relation to curfew and the like. That’s not a capital crime, certainly, but those parents aren’t to be punished for their daughter’s sins. I’m just thankful the judge recognized that.

I’m dealing with a strained parent-child relationship in the church right now, and things haven’t always been peaceful in our own home either. It is in the nature of children to rebel, to some extent at any rate, but it is the responsibility of parents to set and enforce guidelines. That can fall apart for various reasons, so parents need to be committed to listening obediently to Father God themselves. I see so many cases where the children are rebellious because the parents are rebellious against God. I am to speak the truth in love, consistently and as forcefully as necessary, knowing that God’s rules are always for our good, on every level.

Father, so often I get frustrated that people can’t see what seems perfectly obvious to me, but then I remember that they don’t have the same Biblical foundation I do. It’s not to the extent of children being put to death for their parents’ sins or vice versa, but they didn’t grow up in a family that sought to live according to Your Word. I ask for patience, wisdom, and love to deal with them, so that Your principles may be established for the sake of the next generation, at any rate, and the various lies of the enemy be exposed and countered by Your truth, for the benefit of all involved and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 7, 2014

Posted on March 8, 2014 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 9:4 After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you.

I’ve heard several messages over the years on the central point of this passage, that when God does good things for us we aren’t to think it’s because we’re extra good, but I can’t recall ever hearing a message on the corollary, that those who are displaced are bad, as it says here. The thing of it is, mankind is fallen, and we are all capable of unspeakable evil. Jesus was very clear on this point in Luke 13:1-5 in responding to news of people’s calamities: without repentance, we’re all worthy of such. It interests me that books are written with titles like Why Bad Things Happen to Good People, because the Bible is clear that “there is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:12, quoting Psalm 14:4 and elsewhere) The amazing thing is that we haven’t all been zapped! That is the mystery of God’s grace and love. It’s not that we are to live on edge, wondering when our sins are going to catch up with us, but rather that we are to live in grateful praise to such a gracious God. 1 John 3:6 and following is often badly misunderstood, because it has been mistranslated as, “No one who sins has either seen Christ or known Him.” That’s where the Greek verb tenses become drastically important. As the NIV rightly (for once) puts it, it should be, “No one who continues in sin has either seen Christ or known Him.” It’s not a matter of sinless perfection, it’s a matter of repentance. John himself was very clear on this point in the very same letter. (1 John 1:8-10)

When I was in seminary I had a bumper sticker on my car that said, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.” That actually led to some evangelism once when a gas station attendant said to me, “Not perfect, huh?” I am to strive for perfection and teach others to do likewise, (Matthew 5:48) but I am never to be condemnatory, of myself or others. It’s kind of like the instructions on a bottle of shampoo: “lather, rinse, repeat,” except that it’s “repent, believe, repeat.” I am constantly dealing with people who wallow in self pity, wailing “Why me?” All I can say is, “Why not?” When we think we deserve better than we get, for any reason other than the grace of God, then we are missing the point. I’m not talking about those who are the victims of abuse. In such cases, the feeling that “I deserve this” is a big part of the problem. I’ve got to be careful what I say to whom, and how, or my words will do real damage. However, there are times when I need to be as blunt as Jesus was, and I should not retreat from that.

Father, once again I’m in territory that is beyond my wisdom. That’s a pretty regular occurrence! Help me rely on You fully, listening carefully and not running or spouting off on my own, so that the lies of the enemy may be destroyed by Your truth, spoken in Your love, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 6, 2014

Posted on March 8, 2014 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 6:20-21 In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?” tell him.

As I read this just now I heard strong echoes of the Great Commission: “Make disciples, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Our first (in the sense of priority) disciples are our children. We are not making disciples for ourselves, but for God, and that involves teaching by word and by example. If we are careful to place God first in every area of our lives, then both our physical children and our spiritual children will want to know what that’s all about, and we’re to tell them. Sometimes that will be in formal settings, when we know ahead of time what we will need to do, but more often it will be unplanned, and that’s why Peter’s words on the subject are so important. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15) It’s significant that this is immediately preceded in the same verse by “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.” If we aren’t following Christ as Lord ourselves, we have nothing to teach anyone. It is when we are demonstrating the reality of the Gospel in daily living that we will be effective in drawing others to follow Christ as His disciples.

I haven’t had the success I have desired in terms of numbers in drawing people to Christ, but several have accepted the challenge to full discipleship, and for that I am grateful. It has been commented that this church seems to attract people with emotional problems. I’m not to run from that, but recognize that we all have problems, and that “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27) If I turn away anyone because they don’t meet my standards, then I am trying to make disciples for myself rather than for Christ. I am to be as open a conduit as God allows me to be, allowing His truth, His grace and love, to flow through me to all who will receive, whether or not I would have chosen them, humanly speaking, myself. At one time I foolishly thought that God was blessed to have someone like me on His team. How stupid! I must remember, as Paul did, that “We have this treasure in earthen vessels,” (1 Corinthians 4:7) and not think that I’m anything more than a cracked pot. If I will do that, His “treasure” will leak through the cracks and bless many.

Father, it feels like the pace is really picking up. The spiritual conflicts are escalating, so that’s all the more reason to anticipate Your victory, Your breakthrough, in every area. Help me be faithful each step of the way, each moment, so that all of Your plans may be fulfilled, drawing many into active, joyful discipleship, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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