August 28, 2013

Posted on August 31, 2013 by jgarrott

2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.

You would think Naaman had been to a Pentecostal healing service! It’s amazing, and sad, how often preconceptions and expectations block us from receiving the blessings God desires to pour out on us. Thankfully for Naaman, he had some servants who prevailed on him to do as Elisha had told him, and he did receive his healing. The very fact that it wasn’t in the manner he had expected made a very deep impression on him. God can indeed use any method at all to accomplish His works, and I think sometimes He mixes things up precisely to get our attention, demonstrating gently but definitively that He’s in charge. I have a friend who was at a Charismatic prayer meeting in college. As he tells it, when he saw people gathered around someone sitting in a chair, praying for them to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, he thought it was all an exercise in mass hysteria. He loved God, but he thought that was nonsense. When people pressed him to take a turn in the chair he was quite reluctant, and when he sat, he was actually rather defiant toward God. God really dumped it on him, and he spoke in tongues non-stop for several minutes! As a Catholic seminarian, the experience totally went against his liturgical upbringing.

My own experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit was rather the opposite, because I had read They Speak with Other Tongues, 9 O’clock in the Morning, and The Holy Spirit and You. I expected something dramatic, and when it didn’t happen I was very disappointed. It was over a year after I started seeking the baptism in the Holy Spirit that a friend pointed out that we have to receive everything from God by faith, and I needed to ask and trust that I had received, without putting any conditions on how it was to happen. It would seem I was a lot like Naaman! My friend’s words convinced me, and I prayed, thanked God, and went to bed, feeling nothing. Two days later, I abruptly realized I was sharing Christ with a total stranger for the first time in my life, and the words of Acts 1:8 came to mind: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” I realized that God had indeed been faithful to His Word and baptized me in His Spirit, and I was filled with peace and joy. It was some months after that that I received the gift of tongues, and have since experienced everything mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 at least once or twice, but God had to first show me that I must not try to dictate to Him how He was going to bless and use me. That’s been a very valuable lesson!

Father, thank You yet again for Your amazing grace toward me. You’ve really had to knock me upside the head a few times to get my attention, but You haven’t let me wallow in my errors. Thank You. Thank You for the privilege of communicating Your grace to others. May I be increasingly effective at that, drawing more and more into Your family for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

August 27, 2013

Posted on August 28, 2013 by jgarrott

2 Kings 2:23-24 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. “Go on up, you baldhead!” they said. “Go on up, you baldhead!” He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD.

I find myself concerned about what the Japanese members of this church are going to think in reading this passage, because the Japanese translation specifies “little children,” rather than “youths.” I’ve been interested in this passage for some time, and though I’m no Hebrew scholar, what I’ve read indicates that for once, the NIV is more accurate. With the “youths” translation, the image comes to mind of the “knockout gangs” that are a problem in several US cities right now, where several young men will arbitrarily pick on someone to beat them up, sometimes to death. With that image, Elisha’s response seems quite understandable.　You could say that it was the equivalent of pulling out a large-caliber concealed weapon! The point is, the Name of the Lord was indeed his protection, and in this case, the best defense was a good offense. I doubt Elisha felt any personal animosity toward these people, however old they were, but this was a strong lesson in “Don’t mess with the prophet of the Lord.” That said, it would seem that Jesus’ methods were somewhat different, as when He simply walked through the mob that was ready to throw him off a cliff in Luke 4.

I’ve not been in a situation of physical danger from others, for my faith or really for any other reason, so I don’t have much emotional connection to this story. However, believers in many countries are not so blessed. At the moment Egypt comes to mind, but there are several other countries as well where some people seem to think it’s open season on Christians. I am to pray for such believers, and for a spirit of enlightenment and repentance to fall on those who are persecuting them. Above all, I am not to shut my ears and my heart to their cries, particularly when the Internet makes it possible to know of their suffering. If I fail to pray, I have no excuse.

Father, there is so much I could pray about that frankly I get burned out. Forgive me. That’s evidence that I’m praying from merely human motivation. Help me be fully open to Your Spirit to pray through me, especially for my brothers and sisters undergoing persecution. Doing that will certainly put my own difficulties into perspective! May I be the instrument You desire, to accomplish Your will in Your way, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

August 26, 2013

Posted on August 27, 2013 by jgarrott

1 Kings 18:37-38 “Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

Elijah was laying his life on the line here, but it certainly paid off handsomely. This particular miracle is right up there with the parting of the Red Sea as a dramatic demonstration of God’s presence and power, and on that score, probably exceeds it, because despite the way Hollywood depicted it, the Biblical record is that “all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind.” (Exodus 14:21) In other words, it wasn’t an instantaneous miracle, as this was. That’s why the Egyptians weren’t so afraid to try chasing the Israelites, even though they should have been. Here, there was absolutely no question that this was a sovereign act of God in response to the prayer of His prophet. The parallel we see sometimes today is resurrections, which continue to happen around the world but which secular media do their best to ignore. I don’t remember exactly how many Heidi Baker has seen in her ministry, but the figure is in the dozens, and she is far from the only example. God is still very much around, and He is still in the business of turning people’s hearts back to Him. The situation today isn’t that there isn’t evidence of God, it’s that people refuse to report, much less believe, the evidence that is there. The hardness of people’s hearts can be incredible at times!

I have desired to see a resurrection ever since coming to Omura over 30 years ago, but I haven’t seen one yet. Thinking about it, though, I’m not at all sure what the response would be if one happened. In any case, I’ve got to leave it in the Lord’s hands, because I certainly can’t perform a resurrection on my own! I desire to see people turn to God, but if their faith is based on “signs and wonders” rather than a personal relationship with Christ by His Spirit, then it can all be something of a house of cards. God worked miracles through the 1st Century believers and continues to do so today to show Himself real, but the question is how people respond to those miracles. There are “miracle ministries” in various places that seem to be nothing more than moneymaking shows, and I want none of that. At the same time I see so many people around me who seem so close to committing to Jesus as Lord, yet they don’t take that clear step, and I long for something to “push them over,” so to speak. Again, I can’t make that happen on my own, so I’ve got to remain faithful, keep praying, and trust God.

Father, You know my heart and You know my situation. I ask for Your very best, to build up Your people and bring many more into Your family. Thank You for Your beautiful presence and ministry in the service yesterday. I think everyone was touched. May we all continue to open up more and more to You, pressing in more and more consistently, so that all of Your plans for us may be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

August 25, 2013

Posted on August 26, 2013 by jgarrott

1 Kings 18:24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire – he is God.”
Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

Elijah’s faith was bold to the point of being brash. I really think what was operating here was the supernatural gift of faith, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:9. This isn’t the same thing as saving faith, and that gets a lot of people confused. Saving faith is also a gift from God, (Ephesians 2:8-9) and every believer has that. However, sometimes the Holy Spirit pours out a level of faith that is overwhelming, and that certainly seems to be the case here. Elijah was literally putting his life on the line. In this case God answered dramatically, but the same sort of confrontational faith sometimes operates for martyrs as well. This kind of faith is supplied on an as needed basis, and isn’t constant. We sometimes forget that this same Elijah fled for his life because of the threats of Queen Jezebel just a couple of days after this. (1 Kings 19:1-3) That’s an indication that emotions are completely unreliable! If we depend on whether we feel like we have faith we will never move forward in God’s kingdom. Faith to live and grow by is a choice. When God gives the kind of faith Elijah displayed here, we should give God the glory and run with it, just as Elijah did. However, long term victory is a matter of choosing to believe.

This is certainly timely! I am faced with various challenges to my own faith right now, and so are various people in this church. On top of that, this Word dovetails perfectly with the message I’ve already prepared for this morning, and I’m sure will be included in the delivery of that message. I have occasionally had moments of the gift of faith, perhaps not as dramatic as Elijah, but certainly decisive. At the same time, I have had times of wavering, and those are neither much fun nor very productive. However, if I never wavered, I could well end up having faith in faith, rather than faith in God. There are some who teach faith so strongly that it leads to that deception, and that’s sad. I need to make the consistent, daily choice to fix my eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2) and I need to teach others to do the same. If we will do that, then we will be able to recognize His guidance and rest in the assurance of His love.

Father, thank You for all You’re doing. The more I think about it, the more awesome I realize it is! Thank You for what You’re doing in Cathy and me, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Thank You for all You’re doing in this congregation, in individuals and in the way we relate to one another. Thank You for Your plans for us, individually and as a church. May we not draw back but move forward in bold obedience, choosing faith and trust, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

August 24, 2013

Posted on August 26, 2013 by jgarrott

1 Kings 10:1 When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.

The story of the queen of Sheba is, of course, very famous, but I had never paid much attention to this first verse before. Solomon’s fame was not simply for his wisdom, but for his relation to the Name of the Lord. He honored that relationship by building the temple, but later dishonored it by idolatry with his many, many wives. This should be a strong object lesson for every Christian, because that very title means we are in relationship with Jesus Christ the Lord. We are to live so as to honor that relationship, but many do not. If we value and honor that relationship, then all sorts of benefits accrue to us, but if we dishonor it, then we are dishonoring the Lord whose Name we bear. Hebrews 6:6 describes that as crucifying Jesus all over again. Paul made a big deal of acting as Christ’s agent, His ambassador, in 2 Corinthians 5:18-20. We are familiar with national ambassadors, who speak and act on behalf of the nations they represent. Whether we like it or not, the world views Christians that way, and they see our actions and words as representative of the Lord we claim to serve. That very idea should be scary! Thinking about it should drive us to our knees, in repentance for those things we know don’t represent Christ accurately, and seeking the Holy Spirit to flood through us and empower us to be like Christ.

The idea of being Christ’s ambassador has been very familiar to me from childhood, not only because I was part of a missionary family in Japan, but because during Mission Meeting every year I participated in Royal Ambassadors, a Southern Baptist organization for boys, and I memorized 2 Corinthians 5:20 at that point. I can’t say that I’ve always been a good ambassador! At this point, with over 30 years as a pastor here in Omura, Japan, my image as a representative of Christ and Christianity is firmly cemented in my persona in the city. Actually, people do come to me with what they consider hard questions, but I can’t say that I overwhelm them the way Solomon did the queen of Sheba! I am not to run from that, but neither am I to think for a moment I can handle it in my own strength and wisdom. Not only am I to trust and depend on the Lord who gives wisdom to those who ask, (James 1:5) I am to teach the believers that they are just as much ambassadors for Christ as I am, though they have trouble grasping that at this point.

Father, there is a great deal going on, as You know better than I do. Help me be an effective ambassador for Christ in it all, not thinking I can handle it on the basis of what You’ve given me in the past, but seeking fresh anointing at all times. Help me build well on the foundation You have laid in me, receiving the materials from You, so that both the process and the end result will be as You desire, accurately representing You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

August 23, 2013

Posted on August 24, 2013 by jgarrott

1 Kings 8:27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!”

Here we have a major, and vitally important, difference between the Biblical concept of God and that in such religions as Shinto and Hinduism. Earlier in this chapter Solomon talks repeatedly about building “a temple for the Name of the Lord.” In other words, man can build something to commemorate God’s Name, but the idea of created beings building a residence for the infinite Creator is absurd. In a sense, houses of worship are more for our sakes than they are for God’s, because they help us focus on Him, but He doesn’t need them any more than we would need, say, a paper airplane to carry us around. God certainly uses specific locations to teach us about Him, as when He caused the bush to burn without being consumed so as to get Moses’ attention. At that time He told Moses to take his sandals off, because he was on holy ground, (Exodus 3:5) but that was strictly because He was manifesting Himself in that place at that time. God was no more contained in that bush than He was contained in Solomon’s temple. As I write, Muslim Brotherhood elements are destroying church buildings in Egypt, which is painful to those who have worshiped there (sometimes literally, and people are being killed as well) but they can no more destroy the God those Christians worship than a mosquito could carry off an elephant. Sometimes God allows fire or natural disaster to destroy buildings in order to remind us that He is not limited to buildings, and our faith must not be either.

I live in a country that is dotted with shrines to innumerable gods. The Japanese themselves use the figure of 8 million, but I don’t think anyone has ever made a definitive catalog. Not that it matters, of course, but it’s illustrative of the human mindset that tends to worship anything awesome. The problem is, the average Japanese is so used to this mindset that they can’t grasp the idea of a transcendent, infinite Creator who loves them personally. (To be honest, an awful lot of Americans don’t grasp that idea very well either.) My task is to give people enough information for them to recognize the source of what they feel when they come to our services, or even when I’m talking to them. Then, maybe, they will open their hearts to the Holy Spirit, repent and believe.

Father, You know the challenges I face better than I do, but they are no difficulty for You. Help me trust You with the challenges and with all the people involved, me included. Help me live and walk in step with Your Spirit so that Your presence may be manifested more and more through me, drawing people to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

August 22: 2013

Posted on August 24, 2013 by jgarrott

2 Samuel 6:21 David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel – I will celebrate before the LORD.”

I’m sure it would be a stretch to say that David didn’t care what anyone thought of him, but his focus was certainly in the right place. We tend to put on all sorts of shows for the people around us, when we should be living for an audience of One. That’s not to say we are to ignore the people around us, but it is to say we should be willing to do anything for God, who loved us enough to send His Son to die for us. When we look to people before we look to God, for help, approval, or anything else, we’ve got it wrong, and need to repent of misplaced priorities. This isn’t a trivial problem, because fearing man, that is, people’s reactions, is a snare. (Proverbs 29:25) Even complete secularists recognize that you can’t please everyone all the time! Paul hit the nail on the head three times on this point, in 1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17, and Colossians 3:23. Our focus in everything is to be on the Lord Jesus Christ, striving to love and serve Him in every detail of our lives. If we will do that we will bear abundant fruit for Him, with countless blessings for us.

This is something I’ve known for a long time, but I haven’t lived by as consistently as I should. That should give me understanding and patience toward those to whom I minister! This issue is perhaps the biggest single obstacle to personal evangelism, at least in Japan. Christians fear how people will react when they share the Gospel with them, so they don’t begin to try. I just read an article about how the Japanese practice extreme compartmentalization of their lives, so they have various groups of people they are involved with who are essentially non-intersecting. For example, there is probably no one in their “work” group who is also in their “church” group. The problem is, they’re satisfied with that! Such interconnection might create unwanted frictions, and they place a very high value on external harmony. I need to deal with that, but attacking it head-on would be counterproductive. I need to help them see that when they are truly living their lives for Christ, they will want everyone else to know and love Him too, and that will override all other considerations. Anyone who lives like that is going to be an effective soul-winner!

Father, You know better than I do that I’m describing an ideal to which I’ve not attained fully myself. Help me live more and more in line with Your perfect plan for me, loving You with all I am and loving my neighbor as myself, so that You may be pleased with and glorified in me. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

August 21, 2013

Posted on August 24, 2013 by jgarrott

2 Samuel 6:3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart.

In this well-known story David’s intentions were good, but he hadn’t thought to inquire of the Lord as to how to fulfill those intentions. Actually, from the time it was made the ark had rings on the sides through which carrying poles were to be passed, (Exodus 37:1-5) and the Lord had set aside the tribe of Levi as those who were to do the carrying. (Deuteronomy 10:8) What is written seems quite clear, but it hadn’t occurred to David to check it out. Before we jump to say how foolish that was, we need to think about how often we do the same, or worse. We get an idea in our heads about something and then charge off to go do it, without asking three very important questions: 1. Is this something God wants me to do?
2. How does God want me to do this?
3. When does He want me to do it?
We shouldn’t progress to the 2nd and 3rd questions until we’ve gotten a positive answer on the first one. To be honest, that’s where we trip up most often: we never really check with God as to whether the idea agrees with Him in the first place. Often we want “a clear Word” or “a sign” on the issue, but God isn’t likely to give those if the subject is already covered in the Bible. You don’t have to ask God on most moral issues because those are already thoroughly dealt with in Scripture, but too often we fail to look. To be honest, we’re often afraid of what we’ll find there if we do, and we want to do that thing anyway! Thus, we are in worse shape than David was at this point. His desire was fine, but He failed to ask God the 2nd and 3rd questions.

In my own experience it’s been the 3rd question that has tripped me up most often. I tend either to run ahead or to fail to act when He says to move. I don’t want to have the wrong answer to any of these questions! I have missed more blessings than I could say by being wrong on one or more of these on various issues, and I have seen others make complete messes of things by their failures in this area. That said, I’ve got to remember that God wants to guide me, us, even more (maybe much more) than we want to be guided. Isaiah 42:16 is very comforting in this area, promising to guide us even in our spiritual blindness. I am often asked for guidance and direction by others. I would do well to learn from my father, who was notorious for asking such people, “What does God want you to do?” It’s amazing how often we can answer that question when confronted with it directly!

Father, there are people around me right now who are facing serious, life-direction questions right now. Thank You for this Word in due season. Help me communicate it clearly, not as some pronouncement from above, but as what You have shared with me because I needed it as much as anyone else. May each of us listen to You in all humility and anticipation, trusting You to guide us because we don’t know where or how to go. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

August 20, 2013

Posted on August 21, 2013 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 17:45-46 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me.”

Here we have the secret to all of David’s victories, and he had a lot of them. It seems unlikely to us today that he would actually have said something like this in the battlefield, but war was much more personal in those days, and taunts and counter-taunts were very much expected. Psychological warfare, and all that. What David said is very important, and bears close examination. He acknowledged the Philistine’s superior weaponry, from a physical standpoint, but he then played his ace, so to speak, and invoked the Lord God of Hosts, whom the rest of the Israelites seemed to be in danger of forgetting. He was not claiming superior strength for himself personally, but he was saying that he was acting on behalf of the Creator of the universe, and nothing could stand against Him. In the past America has come close to acting like this, but in recent years they seem to be running the opposite direction. It is no wonder that America has lost face on the world stage, when so many people in authority are actively denying the One who has brought America so far. I would be the last to claim that America has ever been perfect, any more than David was perfect. However, America has indeed been a “shining city on a hill” because of the many within her who actively sought to live and operate on Biblical principles. When the foundation is discarded, what hope is there for the superstructure to stand?

I am certainly not the only person who is distressed by what has been happening in the US in recent years. The political scene is just the tip of the iceberg. America is the world’s biggest producer of pornography, among other things, and is leading the world in all sorts of degradation. Most church leaders chickened out after the 9/11 attack, failing to call the nation to genuine repentance and holiness. Some did so, but the response was at best temporary. We are in love with our creature comforts, and John was very clear that doesn’t work. (1 John 2:15-17) I have to plead guilty here myself, being very fond of things like computers and air conditioning. Those things are not bad in themselves, but when they take precedence over seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) they become idols, and they pollute my soul. As I see what is happening in the US I need to realize the part I have had in that, and repent personally and for the nation. America will never be 100% Christian, but if it is to recover, those who claim the Name of the Lord will have to think about what that means and start living accordingly.

Father there is no end to the flood of information coming from the US about the state it’s in, and I sometimes feel like despairing. Help me rise up like David, not ignoring my own weaknesses but looking beyond them to You, living, speaking, and acting as Your agent, so that the works of the devil may indeed be destroyed (1 John 3:8) and Your Name hallowed. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

August 19, 2013

Posted on August 21, 2013 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 12:23 “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.”

As I read just now I underlined several verses that I hadn’t underlined previously, but I still came back to this one. This verse is essential to anyone in ministry, but it gets ignored all too often. The point of leadership praying for those being led is vital, yet I would venture to say that few seminaries do more than mention it in passing. It is significant that Samuel specifically says that failing to pray for those under him would be sinning against the Lord. Many, many pastors need to repent! Failing to pray for those you are leading shows two major problems. The first is self-centeredness, a feeling that you are all that really matters. This problem is endemic to the human race, but it is fatal to effective leadership. The second problem is conceit, the feeling that you can solve people’s problems on your own. That gets right back to the Original Sin in the Garden of Eden, thinking that you know better than God. Objective analysis shows immediately that couldn’t be the case, but we fall into the trap of feeling that way all too often. We tend to focus on “I will teach you the way that is right,” while forgetting that we can’t know it ourselves without the help of the Holy Spirit! Samuel was not a perfect leader, and he seems to have failed rather badly in raising his own sons, (1 Samuel 8:1-3) but he knew he couldn’t get things right by himself, so he prayed. That fact, along with the famous story of “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening,” (1 Samuel 3:10) make him an example to be learned from for any spiritual leader.

I have fallen into the traps of self-centeredness and conceit more times than I care to think about. The results are never good! Lately the Lord has been growing me in praying for the members of my flock, and the results have been gratifying. Situations that I absolutely could not “fix” in my own wisdom and strength are being resolved better than I could have asked. I’ve got to stay active both in praying and in teaching, so that the believers may be raised up as disciples indeed, for their blessing, the building up of the Body of Christ, and for the glory of God.

Father, thank You again for all You are doing in this church. The messages the past two Sundays have been powerful, and seem to have been received. Help me be faithful in following through with each part You have for me to play, whether it’s spiritual warfare, binding up the wounded, proclaiming the Word, or anything else. And in it all, help me never forget to pray, so that I may always remember that I cannot do any of it by myself, but You can do it all through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment