January 26, 2014

Posted on January 28, 2014 by jgarrott

Acts 15:16-17 ” `After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things'”

Various teachers and groups have caught the significance of this quote from Amos 9 being used at this crucial point in Church history. David’s tent, referenced here, was the one he erected on Mt. Zion for the Ark of the Covenant when he brought it to Jerusalem, as recorded in 2 Samuel 6. The reason that was so significant was that the Ark was not hidden from the public, as it had been in the Tabernacle of Moses and later was in Solomon’s Temple, and it was not only visible, it was honored with 24/7 worship by choirs of Levites. Since from the time God commanded its construction through Moses the Ark had signified the manifest Presence of God, this was a huge deal. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit had indeed brought the Presence of God to all believers, and not just a select few. That James quoted this from Amos at this juncture was an affirmation that Gentiles were included without discrimination in God’s plan. We tend to focus on this Jerusalem Council from that standpoint, but we need to remember what God’s plan was, into which Gentiles were being accepted. That plan was for intimate, direct interaction between God and individual believers, through praise and worship by the Holy Spirit. In recent decades we have seen a huge revival of praise and worship in churches of all denominations. That’s a good thing, even though some make it into a show from which the Holy Spirit has been excluded, invalidating the whole thing. The “Tabernacle of David” is another way of saying what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well: “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24) Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, every believer has direct access to God by the Holy Spirit, and that is what God desires.

This is something I discovered years ago and which I have been trying to communicate ever since, but many people are like the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai, desiring an intermediary rather than direct access to God. (Deuteronomy 18:16) I seek to help them understand that He loves them just as much as He loves me, but they won’t make the time to get to know Him on a daily basis. This is both amazing and frustrating to me. I am very aware from my own experience that there is no end to the distractions that try to pull us away from intimacy with God, but if we will make it a priority, He will more than meet us halfway. I can’t force anyone to make it a priority, but I can demonstrate the benefits of doing so and encourage them to join me. At the same time, I need to stand in the gap for them in prayer, doing battle against the enemy of our souls so that they may have a better chance of appropriating all that God has provided for them in Christ.

Father, in many ways this is the whole of the ministry You’ve given me. Help me never give up, but draw closer and closer to You so that Your Spirit through me may impart Your truth and set people free, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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January 25, 2014

Posted on January 28, 2014 by jgarrott

Acts 10:43 “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

We tend to forget that when the events recorded in the New Testament took place, the New Testament didn’t yet exist. In 2 Peter 3:16 Peter refers to Paul’s letters as on a level with “the other Scriptures,” but when this happened, Paul hadn’t yet written any of the letters that are currently part of the Bible. However, they did have the Old Testament, and Jesus had no trouble explaining the things about Himself using the Old Testament, when He walked to Emmaus with a couple of believers after His resurrection. (Luke 24:27) Some churches focus so exclusively on the New Testament that you might not even know the Old Testament existed, from attending their services, but God spoke through all of the writers, from Moses through John, and we do well to pay attention. The historical records are given to encourage us (Romans 15:4) and to give us examples of what it is to follow or not follow God. (Hebrews 4:11) Jesus is, of course, central to the whole Bible, but we miss a lot if we think He isn’t in the Old Testament simply because He isn’t mentioned by that Name.

I don’t think I was ever given the impression that the Old Testament wasn’t important, by my parents or any of my other teachers. I like to refer to Isaiah as “The Gospel according to Isaiah” because it has so much in it about the Messiah. I’ve always loved Psalms, and in recent years Habakkuk has become very meaningful to me. I find I am more and more approaching the attitude of the writer of Psalm 119, and that is very pleasing to me. I want to be a “Biblioholic!” I want to soak in the richness of the Word of God, as it is recorded and as He speaks it to my heart. More than that, I want to be one who puts it into practice, not deceiving myself into thinking that because I admire it, that’s enough. (James 1:22) Words are an expression of the will of the one speaking or writing them, and I want to be an expression of the will of God, for His glory.

Father, thank You for the environment in which I was raised, which was steeped in Your Word. Thank You for the generations before me who loved, studied, and applied Your Word. Thank You for the joyful privilege of opening the treasures of Your Word to others. Thank You for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in everything regarding Your Word. May I indeed handle it correctly, (2 Timothy 2:15) so that it may accomplish everything for which You send it. (Isaiah 55:11) Thank You. Praise God!

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January 24, 2014

Posted on January 25, 2014 by jgarrott

Acts 10:33 “So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

What an invitation to preach! Anyone receiving such an invitation had better respond in humility rather than pride or presumption, but this is the sort of thing preachers dream about. There are actually three parties involved in true preaching: the one speaking, the one listening, and the Holy Spirit who supplies the content. If any of those is missing, the result is not good. Hitler, for example, was quite a preacher, but instead of the Holy Spirit, he received his inspiration from demonic spirits. In contrast, Billy Graham likewise preached to stadiums full of people, but the results were very different, because he was, and at this juncture is, submitted to the Holy Spirit as to what to say. God indeed desires people who will be available to proclaim His Word to this lost and hurting world. As Paul said in Romans 10:14, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” However, this verse is focused on the third element of effective preaching, and that is those who hear. Jesus famous parable of the soil and the seed, recorded in Matthew 13 as well as in Mark and Luke, applies here. Cornelius and his household were certainly good soil, well plowed and prepared, eager to receive the Word. As a preacher myself, I have repeatedly seen situations where some in the congregation would be greatly blessed by God through my words, and others would be untouched, even bored, or occasionally irritated. The one hearing makes a huge difference! If people listen to preaching desiring and expecting to hear from God, then He is going to be faithful, just as He was with Cornelius’ household. If they come to church strictly out of obligation, or out of social motives, God might still get through to them, but the probability is much less.

I cannot wave a hand and instantly prepare hearts to receive the Word, but I can and do pray for them to be able to do so. My job is to be faithful to speak, in full submission to the Holy Spirit. I am to speak with full assurance and authority, because I am not speaking my own words but those supplied by God. However, I’ve got to be in right relationship with Him for that to happen. I must never take any part of this for granted, but neither am I to be anxious about whether it will happen, because the power isn’t mine in the first place. God doesn’t speak through me because I am worthy, but because I am available, so that should be my focus.

Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of speaking Your Word. I pray that I would not hold back, but also that I would speak only what You want me to say in any given situation. I have a tendency to keep talking when I should shut up! May I be a clean and clear channel of Your Word, Your grace, to all with whom You bring me into contact, so that they may be drawn to You for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 23, 2014

Posted on January 25, 2014 by jgarrott

Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

I still remember years ago when I heard someone speak on this verse, pointing out that as far as the text goes, these good things seem to have happened as a direct consequence of getting Paul out of the way! He was still called Saul at this point, and though he was obviously flaming with zeal, he didn’t have the maturity that he later displayed. He was not yet good at keeping quiet, and it was something he needed to learn. Evidently his time in Arabia, mentioned in Galatians 1:17, happened either after verse 22 or more probably after verse 25. That was without question a valuable time of learning intimacy with God, but he still had to learn things about getting along with people. The whole point of this to me is that even Paul, who wrote half the New Testament, had to grow, both spiritually and emotionally. Paul himself came to understand this very well, as he expressed beautifully and famously in Philippians 3:12-14. We are never to think we have “arrived,” or don’t need to improve in various areas, but rather accept what the Lord allows us to experience as valuable training for whatever the Lord has for us next. It might not be fun at the time, but the results will be good if we are submitted to God in it, and we need to be thankful. (Hebrews 12:11)

At 65 I am as aware as I have ever been, if not more, of my need for further growth. Philippians 3:12-14 is daily reality for me. At the same time, as a pastor I am called on to counsel and guide others who haven’t spent as much time in God’s classroom as I have. I am not to hesitate to share what I have been shown, sometimes through painful experience, but I am never to come across as having all the answers myself. God has all the answers, and I am to share what He shows me, but I am to be honest about what I don’t know. My goal, as Paul said in Colossians 1:28, is to “present everyone perfect in Christ.” I can’t accomplish that in my own strength and wisdom, certainly, but God can use me in the process, and I am to keep myself available. (Colossians 1:29)

Father, thank You yet again for Your amazing patience with me. Help me exercise that same patience toward those with whom I work, that I may not “break” them or “snuff them out,” (Matthew 12:20) but rather lead them into all that You have prepared for them in Christ, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Recordings

Posted on January 24, 2014 by jgarrott

Since the first of the year we’ve finally managed to get recordings, audio and video, of the bilingual messages at this church onto the Internet. We created a Shinsei no Sato Youtube channel, as well as a Facebook page that has links to the Youtube files. The Audio Only files are indeed clearer audio, because they are from a digital recorder on the pulpit, and the video camera is in the back of the auditorium. This should get you started. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K20iC7JkIUE

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January 22, 2014

Posted on January 23, 2014 by jgarrott

Acts 9:18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again.

What struck me as I read just now was the fact that virtually all Japanese are familiar with the expression, “scales from the eyes,” yet hardly any of them realize it’s from the Bible. The Bible has penetrated Japanese society far more than anyone realizes, I believe. I found out the other day that a well-known Japanese TV personality, whom no one would accuse of having a “Christian” image, during a broadcast around Christmas talked about how he attended church for a couple of years while in high school, and he quoted John 3:16 from memory, and very respectfully at that. I was flabbergasted, not only because I know about that TV personality, I also know the church he attended and the missionary who influenced him. As it says in 2 Timothy 2:19, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and often we don’t. We are familiar with Jesus’ words that “Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your Name, and in your Name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:22-23) However, I am convinced that there are also those whom we might not consider Christians, yet who are clinging to Jesus Christ as the only hope in their hearts. I believe I’ll see them in heaven! That’s not at all to say that I don’t value open commitment and church participation. After all, Jesus also said, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Matthew 8:38) However, only God knows people’s hearts, and we must let Him be the judge.

This is of course of great interest and importance to me. I am not to condone syncretism, blending Christian elements with other religions, and I am to teach and practice wholehearted devotion to Jesus Christ in every area of life. However, I can’t forget the man who told me, “My ancestors were Christian samurai in the Hirado area. When the persecution came they took the trappings of Buddhism, but they were Christians in their hearts. I too am a Christian in my heart.” I cannot say definitively whether that man is saved or not. I am also reminded of what the Lord told Elijah: “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” (1 Kings 19:18, quoted in Romans 11:4) I feel that in the Lord’s timing, believers are going to “come out of the woodwork,” so to speak, and the churches of Japan are going to overflow beyond the wildest dreams of the current pastors and active members. This gives me hope and anticipation as I proclaim Christ to couples I marry, for example, even though I haven’t been called on to baptize anyone as a result. I am to be faithful, and leave the results in God’s hands.

Father, You know how much I would like to see a massive harvest. I do pray for Your harvest in Your timing, and for workers not only to gather in the sheaves but also to conserve the harvest, teaching and nurturing new converts to raise up true disciples. May Your Name be hallowed and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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January 21, 2014

Posted on January 23, 2014 by jgarrott

Acts 8:15-16 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

Non-Pentecostals have a lot of trouble with this passage, and try all sorts of interpretations to wiggle out of it. However, the language is quite plain and unvarnished. In this case, clearly the Holy Spirit “coming upon” them was subsequent to their salvation. That’s not to say that’s normative, but it is certainly to say that it’s not unusual. They already had the Holy Spirit, because “no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit,” (1 Corinthians 12:3) and declaring Jesus to be Lord is essential for salvation. (Romans 10:9-10) However, it is clear from 2000 years of Church History that it is all too possible to be saved and yet not be operating in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The big problem comes when people start applying various “litmus tests” to determine whether the Holy Spirit has “come upon” someone. The most frequent test is the gift of tongues, but that’s not what Jesus said. He said it was power to be His witness. (Acts 1:8) We need to get past our cliques and our pride and agree that every believer needs the power of the Holy Spirit to live as Christ’s representative.

My own baptism in the Holy Spirit was delayed precisely because I was seeking the gift of tongues ahead of the Spirit Himself. Once I got that misconception out of the way, I was filled with joy and boldness as a witness. Later I did receive assorted gifts, and can say that I have operated in each one mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 at least once. However, if we put the gift ahead of the Giver, we’re in trouble all the way around. As a pastor in Japan, it has troubled me that so few Japanese believers seem to operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I feel it has a lot to do with what a Japanese pastor said to me recently about Japanese not being spiritually hungry. He was talking about miracles, but it applies in every area of our walk with God. We have to be open to receive! Also, I know from experience that the more we allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us in various ways, the more He will be able to do so. It’s like running hot water through a vinyl hose: if you increase the pressure and the flow, the hose is going to expand, allowing greater and greater flow. In that particular illustration the hose will eventually rupture, but we don’t have that worry with the Holy Spirit! I am not to neglect the gifts that have been placed in me, (1 Timothy 4:14) and I am to encourage the believers to do likewise. I know that after I received the gift of tongues, when I stopped exercising it in my private devotions, it was like I dried up spiritually. I don’t want that for me or for any of the believers!

Father, this is territory in which I haven’t been very active in this church. Thank You for giving me this strong nudge to get me moving. I pray that I would be fully sensitive and obedient to You in following through, not operating in my own imagination but saying and doing what You desire and intend, so that this church may be and do exactly what You want, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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January 20, 2014

Posted on January 21, 2014 by jgarrott

Acts 8:4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

It is certainly striking that people who were being persecuted for proclaiming Christ went around proclaiming His Word as they escaped the persecution. It is this sort of response that has caused the Church to grow in almost every instance of persecution in the 2000 years since Pentecost. I hear credible reports that the Church is growing at a considerable rate in Iran, which is certainly the best hope of avoiding nuclear conflict there. The growth of the Church under Communist persecution in China is well known, to the point that China is currently the nation with the largest number of active believers in the world. That too should give us much more hope than the headlines would indicate. Even Christians tend to undervalue the power of God in changing lives, and through changed lives. I’m not at all saying that social and political action are to be avoided or even looked down on, but I am saying that focusing on those things without focusing of God first leaves us in humanistic limbo, with no power to accomplish that which we see as clearly desirable. It all comes back to Matthew 6:33: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well.” When our focus is on God and what He has done for us in Christ, then we will be able to appropriate His power to do His will, which certainly includes justice and mercy, not to mention the saving of lives for now and for eternity.

I have seen a very sad dichotomy practiced, even proclaimed, in the Church, with “Social Gospel” people forgetting to proclaim Christ and “Evangelical” people ignoring suffering. It is no accident that the highest-rated “charitable organization” is Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, because they are very effective in meeting needs and relieving suffering, but they do it, clearly and always, in the Name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Meeting needs is certainly what the Gospel is all about, and I must never forget that. People need to be saved spiritually above all, but they often can’t recognize that when they are overwhelmed with other needs. I am to do as Jesus did, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, and feeding the hungry, all the while proclaiming the kingdom of God. If I will do that, then people whose lives have been transformed will go on to transform society, just as those early believers ended up transforming the Roman empire.

Father, the Japanese persecution of 400 years ago has been the most effective (from the persecutor’s standpoint) in Church history. You know the reasons for that, certainly better than I do. Help me get through to the Japanese who are in my care to turn them on to sharing Christ in spite of the societal restrictions. May we be a people who live out our faith so radiantly that many will be drawn to Your light in us, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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January 19, 2014

Posted on January 20, 2014 by jgarrott

Acts 5:41-42 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Two things about this episode are very instructional and worthy of emulation. The first is that they rejoiced to be counted worthy of suffering disgrace. Disgrace is not something anyone enjoys, unless they have been twisted into emotional masochism. However their joy was not at the disgrace itself, but that they had been counted worthy to suffer it. Actually, this was pretty physical “disgrace,” because it says that they were flogged. However, the memory of what Jesus went through before His crucifixion was still sharp in their minds, and the idea that they would be allowed to “participate in the sufferings of Christ,” as Peter later wrote, (1 Peter 4:13) was a high honor. Not having seen Jesus’ crucifixion with our own eyes, it isn’t as easy to have this reaction today, but I’m sure that many who endure active persecution today are given this revelation to sustain them. The other point we need to notice here is that they were taking every opportunity to proclaim the Gospel, and being flogged for it didn’t slow them down a bit. Few people are so earnest today, even without the fear of being flogged for it! The frequency was daily, and the location was both public (the temple) and private (from house to house). This was proclamation, and it went beyond that to teaching, just as Jesus said in the Great Commission: “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:20) We aren’t to “dunk ’em and drop ’em,” but proclaim until there is repentance and faith, and then nurture and teach until there is full, active discipleship.

I don’t feel like I have personally “suffered shame” for the Gospel, and I have certainly never been flogged for proclaiming it, so I have to examine myself as to how faithfully I have made use of the opportunities I have been given. As a pastor/teacher I am to be equipping the believers for the work of ministry, (Ephesians 4:11-12) so my concern is also for how well they are making use of the opportunities they are given. Japan is certainly not an easy place for that, because cultural norms do not include talking about faith, and as a Japanese speaker at a recent meeting was saying, few Japanese are spiritually hungry. Actually, I would qualify that to say that few Japanese recognize their spiritual hunger. Every human being is created with a need and desire for a relationship with their Creator, but that has been blunted and masked to a high degree in this nation. I am not to give up by any means, but be active in prayer that the Holy Spirit may open people’s eyes to their own condition as well as to the Savior who died to lift them out of that, so that more and more may be brought from darkness to light, from death to life, for the glory of God.

Father, thank You for speaking to me just now that You have considered me worthy of a lack of recognition and honor. That’s not on the level of being flogged, certainly, but it’s something that has bothered me occasionally. Help me indeed keep my eyes on the prize (Philippians 3:14) and stay faithful and strong, for as long as You have use for me here, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 18, 2014

Posted on January 20, 2014 by jgarrott

Acts 5:28-29 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!”

This is a magnificent story that is very applicable to us today. In the first place, the high priest paid the apostles a high compliment, though that certainly wasn’t his intention, when he said, “You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching.” In other words, he was saying that they were engaging in very effective evangelism! That was in the face of what is happening with increasing frequency in America today: strict orders not to teach in the Name of Jesus. Of course, the situation in America is much milder than that in Muslim countries or North Korea, where even declaring the Name of Jesus in public can get you killed, but even in Japan there is a movement afoot to revive state Shinto, essentially, by teaching its foundational myths in public schools and requiring students to participate in Shinto observances. This is certainly a time to learn from Peter and the other apostles to say, “We must obey God rather than men,” whatever the personal cost. Too many Christians today tend to “roll over and play dead” at the first sign of real opposition, when that is not the way to experience the victory God has for us in Christ. (Romans 8:37) It is certainly not the way our forebears in the faith lived!

I have not experience much personal opposition to my faith in Christ, so I risk being glib here. This is not a position to take lightly; martyrdom continues to increase. I must never place my personal comfort and convenience ahead of obedience and loyalty to Jesus Christ my Lord. As I look over the congregation here, as well as over the wider Church, I see so many Christians distracted by peripheral issues, seemingly unable to fix their hearts fully on Christ. I know from my own experience that distractions can at times seem overwhelming, but so many people fail to recognize them as distractions. Not understanding how central and supreme Christ needs to be, they treat Him as a nice accessory to their lives, and hardly begin to walk in the spiritual abundance that God intends for them. I am not to look down on or talk down to them, but neither am I to let them continue blindly like that. I am to declare the Word of the Lord to them in love, challenging them to make Christ first in every area of their lives and hearts, emotions as well as intellect. I cannot cause them to do that in my own strength, certainly, but I can be available and useful to the Holy Spirit for Him to do it, and that is my prayer.

Father, You know all that is going on far better than I do. Thank You for the opposition that is an indication we are at least stepping on the devil’s toes! Help me be strong in Christ, always operating in Your love, so that as many as possible may be set free from the assorted chains that bind them to walk in the liberty of Your Spirit, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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