April 2, 2013

Posted on April 3, 2013 by jgarrott

Luke 24:46-47 He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

It strikes me just now that “repentance that brings forgiveness of sins” is preached far too seldom these days. For salvation, there must at the very least be repentance for not having believed in the past. (John 3:18) What is heard from far too many pulpits today is either a warm mush of “feel good,” or politics. I once had a Japanese believer friend of mine talk to me in genuine distress because all he heard in his church was politics, and he was hungry for the Word of God. He didn’t live close by, so attending here wasn’t an easy option, and on top of that, dissatisfied Japanese Christians are far more likely to stop going to church at all than to simply change churches. What I hear from America often sounds more like a TV talk show than it does like the Word of God. When Jesus started His ministry He was preaching, “Repent and believe the good news,” (Mark 1:15) and here, after His resurrection as He is preparing to leave, He repeats that message as what needs to be proclaimed to everyone. Very simply, there is no salvation without repentance, because there is no forgiveness without acknowledging you were wrong. We are called to forgive those who hurt us even if they haven’t repented, but they don’t receive the benefits of that forgiveness without admitting that they needed it. In the same way, God has provided forgiveness for everyone, but we can’t receive it until we acknowledge that we need it, and that is what repentance is all about.

As I wrote that, someone came to mind who has literally crippled themselves through unforgiveness, both refusing to forgive and refusing to admit they need to be forgiven. As I keep being reminded, forgiveness is a difficult subject in Japanese culture. There is linguis­tic confusion between “forgiveness” and “permission” because they are homophones, and historically, revenge has been valued above forgiveness. In the famous story of The 47 Samurai, the samurai in question destroyed themselves and their families to avenge their master, and that’s seen as highly admirable! That’s a major reason for the high suicide rate, because people see no other way out of any number of situations. Non-Christian Japanese tend to be amazed at my gentleness, but they attribute that to my being non-Japanese, rather than to my faith. I need to raise up Japanese believers who demonstrate that you can be fully Japanese and fully Christlike at the same time!

Father, I have preached on forgiveness so much that everyone got tired of it, but part of that was because they still didn’t grasp the concept. Repentance is linguistically easier to explain, but there too I sometimes feel like I’m talking to a wall. I ask for the anointing and power of Your Spirit so that Your Word may penetrate hearts and cut off the shackles that bind them, so that people may be set free to walk in all that You intend for them, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 1, 2013

Posted on April 3, 2013 by jgarrott

Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.

How wonderful it would have been if Cleopas had been carrying a digital recorder! However, we really don’t gain as much if we are spoon-fed such things. There was an enormous volume of information given over what was probably a couple of hours at the most. I’m sure they couldn’t really absorb it all at the time. The point for us, though, is that the Old Testament indeed talks about Christ, both His first coming and His second, in considerable detail. However, people then just as today overlooked much of it, or they misinterpreted it to the point that they didn’t recognize when it was fulfilled. We have pretty dense filters when it comes to such things, which is an appropriate pun, because it shows that we are pretty dense! Any time we read the Bible we need the help of the Holy Spirit for us to take it in and understand it, which is certainly appropriate, since He’s the Author! That’s why speed reading the Bible does little if any good: we need to chew it and digest it to get the nutrition from it.

I am quite grateful to have been introduced to the system of Bible reading/journaling the Lord showed Wayne Cordeiro. I’ve been using it consistently for several years now, and it has opened my heart to understand Bible passages I’ve been familiar with for 50 years. He uses the acronym SOAP, for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. I read a passage, asking the Holy Spirit to show me what out of that He particularly wants to speak to me. I then write out that part, anywhere from a partial verse to two or three verses. Then, I write what I feel the Holy Spirit is saying in that brief passage. The next step is to write how that applies to me, and how I am to put it into practice. Finally, I close with a written prayer of response to all of the above. My impression of most Bible journaling systems is that they tend to leave out the Application step, and that leaves everything in the realm of the theoretical. As James stressed in his letter, faith is essentially meaningless if it’s not lived out! I have shared this system of Bible reading with numbers of people, but only some have continued in it. That is as strange to me as it is sad. The Bible is filled with such wonderful riches, and God wants to share those with us. It does take some effort on our part, especially in making and taking time to do it, and that’s where we often fall down. I am not to write people off because they won’t take time for regular devotions, but I must not stop encouraging them to feast on the banquet that is available to them.

Father, the longer I walk with You the better I understand Your frustration with us, or rather, Your incredible patience. If I were in Your place, I would have written us off a long time ago! Help me be an open channel, not only of Your Word but also of Your grace, love, and yes, patience, so that as many as possible may be brought into the intimacy with You for which they were created, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 31, 2013

Posted on April 3, 2013 by jgarrott

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

This question by the angels is beautiful in its simplicity, impact, and I think, humor. It was totally appropriate for the moment, but it is actually appropriate today as well. It is sad how many people don’t really grasp that Jesus is alive today, as much as when He walked with the 12 by the Sea of Galilee. The terminology used in dating the US Constitution acknowledges it: “In the year of our Lord, 1787.” However, people put Him on the same level as the Buddha or Mohammed, and those guys are long dead and gone. No other religion is like Christianity because no other religion has a risen Savior who lives forever more. It was the cross that paid for our salvation, but it is the empty tomb that demonstrates it is real. Today is the most joyous, triumphant day of the year for any true believer, and that has nothing to do with bunnies and chocolate! Today is the anniversary of the reason prayer isn’t just an academic, philosophical exercise in wishful thinking, it’s talking with someone who is as real and alive as we are, even if He’s not visible to our physical eyes at this point. Evangelism isn’t trying to convince someone to join a religion, it’s introducing them to Jesus. If we don’t have a firm grasp ourselves on His resurrection, we certainly aren’t going to be effective in doing that.

One of the spiritual milestones in my life came during what was a simple conversation between me and my mother when my parents and I happened to be driving on the US Air Force base where I went to school. I can see the exact location in my mind’s eye, when I asked my mother (my father was driving) how I could know Jesus was real. I was already a baptized Christian, but everyone has moments of doubting. She answered by reminding me of the words to a familiar Christian song, He Lives: “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.” I recognized that to be true, and I was satisfied. The reason so many churches have strayed so far from the Bible is because Christ doesn’t live in the hearts of too many of their members, and especially leadership. He won’t come in unless we repent and believe, and too many people have learned to recite a creed without repenting. As a pastor, I too have been tempted to use a formulaic approach to salvation, thinking that if people say the right words, they’re saved. If they haven’t repented, the words don’t really change anything, because Jesus won’t live in an unrepentant heart. I need to call people to repentance, and let them know that there is a Savior who died and is alive, ready to give them His eternal life on the basis of their repentance and faith.

Father, thank You that this is Easter Sunday! Thank You that I have the privilege of speaking at the sunrise service in a few minutes, as well as in our regular morning service. Thank You for the clear messages You’ve given me. Help me deliver them by Your Spirit in Your power and purity, so that all my hearers may be strengthened and encouraged, and many brought to salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 30, 2013

Posted on April 3, 2013 by jgarrott

Luke 23:56 But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

In the past I have been struck by how, even in these extreme circumstances, the women kept the commandment of resting on the Sabbath. However, just now I noticed that the Japanese moves the “but” to the end of the sentence, which changes the tone entirely. That way, it gives the very realistic picture of their obeying the letter of the law, but impatiently, which would fit perfectly with their going to the tomb so early in the morning. Jesus had made it clear that “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) However, it was those who had come down on Him most strongly because of that position who were responsible for His being crucified, so fear was probably operative in the women’s appearance of piety. Fear was certainly operative in Jesus’ male disciples at this point! I frequently tell people that one thing I love about the Bible is how it presents people as they are, unpolished, and says that God loves us anyway. To me, this is further evidence of that.

I’ve got to remember in practical terms that Jesus died for us in all our imperfection. As Paul expressed so beautifully in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I am not to go around demanding perfection, in myself or in others. We are to strive toward perfection, since Jesus said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” (Matthew 5:48) but remember that the fulfillment of that will come only when we stand before God’s throne in heaven. It is only when we abide fully in Christ that we express perfection on this earth. He is indeed perfect, and what He does through us is likewise perfect, if we will stay out of the way.

Father, You know better than I do how much trouble I have staying out of the way! Thank You for yesterday, that it was Good Friday and for the deeper appreciation of it that You gave me this year. Today is an interesting hole in the Church calendar, the blank between the cross and resurrection. Help me spend this day as You want me to, continuing to internalize all that Easter means, so that I may be increasingly useful to You in the days, weeks, and years ahead, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 29, 2013

Posted on March 30, 2013 by jgarrott

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

This criminal, nailed to a cross in almost indescribable pain, makes the great and incredible confession that he deserves it. That, with the request to be remembered by Jesus, the divine King, brings him salvation, as Jesus makes clear in verse 43. His question to the other criminal echoes down through the ages even today: “Don’t you fear God?” The sad thing is, so many don’t fear Him. It’s hard to find people who will admit they deserve even the bad stuff they experience here, much less the hell they are headed for. God is love, yes, but He is also perfectly holy, and we are not. We no more deserve to approach God on our own than a snowflake deserves to approach a blast furnace. Realizing that is the fear of God. Without realizing that, we have no real grasp of or appreciation for the grace of God. It was because Paul realized that he was the “worst of sinners” (1 Tim­othy 1:15-16) that God was able to use him so mightily. Assurance of salvation is wonderful, and God wants us to have it, but it is far sweeter when we have a grasp of what we deserve. That’s why former criminals and prostitutes are often such magnificent disciples of Jesus Christ. It was true even when Jesus was walking this earth, as people who acknowledged themselves to be sinners flocked to Him, while the people who saw themselves as upright were His worst enemies. Failing to fear God puts us in the category of His enemies.

Raised to love God from infancy, far too often I have taken Him for granted, failing indeed to fear Him. My lapses, my failures of obedience, have been far too many for me to count. At the same time, most people looking at me from the outside would think that I am a real “straight arrow,” deserving of God’s blessings. The thing is, the closer we are to Him, the greater the betrayal when we deny Him, whatever form that denial takes. I’ve been immersed in the Bible from infancy, so I have no excuse for any of the stuff I’ve done that placed me and my flesh ahead of God and His Spirit. I too am deserving of a cross, but Jesus took it in my place. I am to live out my life in obedient gratitude, not just today but every day, so that as many as will may repent and believe, for their salvation.

Father, off hand I can’t remember an Easter when I’ve thought as deeply about it as You are leading me to do this year. Thank You. May the cross have its full work in me so that, dead to sin, I may walk in Your life in every respect, communicating it to all for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 28, 2013

Posted on March 29, 2013 by jgarrott

John 19:26-27 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

I am certainly not the first person to be moved by the fact that Jesus provided for His mother’s care even while nailed to the cross. It is very interesting that He chose John as her caregiver, even though He had younger brothers who were just as much her children as He was. I think it was probably because His brothers weren’t there, and John was already one of His closest disciples. As far as we can tell, His brothers didn’t believe in Him until after His resurrection. John was best prepared to teach Mary what he had been hearing and learning from Jesus for the previous three years. Also, John is the one disciple who seemed to have no hesitation to be identified with Jesus even after Jesus was arrested. As we know from the expression he used in writing about himself, he had total assurance that Jesus loved him, and that was enough to overcome every other consideration. That’s the kind of person Jesus wanted taking care of Mary!

I was actually not given the opportunity to care for my parents in their later years, because my father died at 64 while still an active duty missionary, and my mother died at 72 in the US while I was in Japan. However, I have many senior adult friends, and I have many friends who are caring for their parents. Families are God’s idea, and they are a blessing even when they feel like a burden. I can’t have the empathy of personal experience when ministering to such families, but even so I can be a channel of God’s love, grace, and encouragement to them. I have a close friend, older than I am, actually, whose 94 year old mother seems likely to pass on within the next few days. I cannot carry his burden, but I can come alongside him in encouragement, especially since she is a believer. I need to help him understand on the emotional level that it’s a great blessing that we aren’t stuck on this earth forever!

Father, thank You for families. You certainly use them to shape and mature us! At each stage of my life I have learned new things from the family You’ve given me, and from those I see around me. Help me be the father and grandfather You want me to be, so that each of my descendants may be what You want them to be, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 27, 2013

Posted on March 29, 2013 by jgarrott

John 19:11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

This verse contains an extremely important point to remember when we are suffering from the actions of others. That is, something has caused God to give permission for that to be done, because God is still God. In almost every case that something is sin, either our own or others’. In Jesus’ case it was the sin of all mankind, because He had no sin of His own. God has made it clear to me personally that He isn’t happy about a lot that goes on, but He still allows it for now and uses it for good, sometimes in ways we can’t imagine. (Romans 8:28) When we experience something bad, our first response should be to turn to God, in trust and not in anger. It is wise to ask Him what His purpose is in allowing whatever it is. However, that’s not to be accusing Him of being mean, as it so often is when we cry out, “Why!?” Rather it is to say, “What do You want me to learn? How do You want me to grow? Of what do I need to repent?” Jesus here had nothing of which He needed to repent, but God wanted Him to take all that we deserve on Himself so that we could be forgiven. Pilate didn’t realize that Jesus was doing that for him, too, if he would believe and receive it. Jesus had already demonstrated in the garden of Gethsemane that His trust for the Father was complete, and now He is walking that out in word and deed. It is that trust we need to emulate.

In my 64 years I have seen God turn all sorts of things around for good that certainly didn’t seem good at the time. That has certainly grown my trust level, but it’s still not perfect! I grumble far too often, and such grumbling benefits no one and nothing. At the same time, as a pastor I am constantly dealing with people in all sorts of difficult situations, and I seek to instill in them the trust that has been granted to me. God is totally trustworthy, but we have such trouble accepting that! I am never to make light of anyone’s suffering, but no matter how great the suffering, I am to encourage them to turn their eyes to Jesus, “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) That’s what Easter Week is all about, and it is an excellent time to remind ourselves that whatever we’re going through, Jesus went through worse because of His love for us.

Father, thank You not only for the reality of Easter but also for the opportunity to focus on it and what it means. Help me make full use of this opportunity, communicating the wonderful news of Your grace, power and love to all who will receive it, so that we may walk in all that You intend and You may receive all the praise and glory that You deserve. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 26, 2013

Posted on March 27, 2013 by jgarrott

John 18:37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

You know that Pilate had never met any prisoner who responded like Jesus did! Jesus’ words shook him to his core, as is evident from what he did after this. However, his fear of man was greater than his new-found fear of God. Jesus’ words here challenge us as well. Do we belong to the truth, or do we love lies? This is the same issue that is brought up in John 3:19-21 using the terminology of light and darkness, rather than truth and lies. “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5) In modern times we have a lot of artificial light, and that applies in the spiritual sense as well as the physical. There’s nothing wrong with using electric lighting, but when we substitute humanistic “truth” for God’s Truth, we’re in deep trouble. There’s an interesting pun in Japanese, that “truth” sounds the same as “psychology,” even though they’re written differently. I’ve seen a lot of people who try to substitute psychology for the truth of God’s Word. I don’t know if you could really say that the darkness is really getting darker these days, but it’s certainly getting more aggressive! We are bombarded with words and images that do not belong to the truth, to the light, so we must be all the more careful to listen obediently to Jesus. Those who refuse the Gospel do not yet belong to the truth, so we should pray for them but not be personally offended by their rejection.

This is the reality of my daily life, as it is for every Christian. I am in the world, darkness and all, but I am not of it. (John 17:16) I must be careful that I don’t act like I belong to it! Being Christ’s witness means being a channel of His light, no matter how dark my surroundings. He has said that we are His witnesses (Acts 1:8) and that we are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14) I am not to draw back from that, but proclaim Christ boldly. As Francis of Assisi said, I am to “Preach constantly. If necessary, use words.” If I live as a disciple of Jesus Christ, I will carry light with me wherever I go, and people will be blessed. Some will retreat from the light, but others will be drawn to it, and I can share Christ with them. That is the calling and great privilege of every believer. As a pastor, I am to be helping all the believers understand that this applies to them, and not just to “professional Christians.” When they catch that vision, we will have harvest indeed.

Father, thank You for this clear Word! I pray that I would communicate it in the grace and power of Your Spirit, not beating people up over how they have been but giving them hope and vision for how You want them to be. May I too be a carrier of Your light more and more, to the point that just by my walking into a room Your Spirit might bring people to repentance and faith. May we Your children indeed be all that You desire and intend, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 25, 2013

Posted on March 27, 2013 by jgarrott

John 18:11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

This is a point that I mention almost every time I talk about the cross, which is frequently. That is, Jesus went to the cross willingly. Had He allowed His flesh to persuade Him to do so, He could have avoided the cross. Jesus knew that He had come to die. (John 12:27) That in itself intensifies the depth of His sacrifice, because anticipat­ing something painful or unpleasant always makes it worse. Sacrificial heroes generally decide in a split second that they are going to do whatever to save someone, even at the cost of their own life, but Jesus knew early on, and that knowledge cannot have been an easy thing to bear. He never asks us to do anything He wasn’t willing to do Himself, and He said we are to take up our crosses daily. (Luke 9:23) Jesus truly gave Himself daily for us, not just that one time on the cross.

I am all too aware of the drag of negative anticipation. It is perhaps the biggest motivator behind my procrastination. If there is a task I don’t want to do, I multiply my discomfort many times by putting it off. That’s not “taking up my cross daily!” At the same time, I frequently counsel people who are in the same boat, agonizing over possible outcomes that haven’t materialized yet. That’s what Jesus was talking about when He said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34) Had Jesus not lived by what He taught, He would have been paralyzed very early in His ministry by anticipation of the incredible suffering on all levels that He endured in the 24 hours before His death. I need to live by what He taught, and lead others to do the same! One thing that helped Him was knowing what lay beyond the suffering, (Hebrews 12:2) and I need to keep that in mind as well. I don’t know things in such detail as He did, but I do know that the end result of a life of obedience to God will be more than worth any suffering or discomfort I encounter on the way. (2 Corinthians 4:17) And I also need to get that good news across to every believer I counsel.

Father, thank You yet again for Your grace. Thank You for the much better than anticipated outcome to the incident that came up yesterday. That mother has quite a track record of agonizing over things that never materialize! Help me be a strength and encouragement to all to whom I minister, so that together we may be able to say, as the song says, “I know who holds the future, and I know who holds my hand.” Thank You. Praise God!

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March 24, 2013

Posted on March 25, 2013 by jgarrott

Matthew 21:16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“‘From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise’?”

It’s significant to note that Jesus was never at a loss for words, even though He often put His opponents in that position. This response to the priests and the teachers of the Law is a beautiful example of that. However, it’s extremely interesting to me that He changes a word in His quoting Psalm 8:2. The NIV adjusts Psalm 8 to match this, but most translations of Psalm 8:4 say, “ordained strength.” Praise had to be an acceptable translation, or the priests and teachers of the Law would have called Him on it, but the implications of the two translations bears careful thought. There are various other passages that carry the feeling of praise equaling strength. Isaiah 61:3 comes to mind, which speaks of “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” A major benefit of the Charismatic movement has been the rediscovery of the power of praise. That’s what has created such a massive shift in church music over the past few decades. Simply speaking, it makes a difference to praise God! And as Jesus makes clear here, it is God’s intention that even small children praise Him. Sometimes we relegate religion to the “experts.” That was certainly the tendency in Jesus’ day. However, God says quite the contrary. Praising Him is so easy and so natural that even the smallest children can do it! And doing so brings spiritual and emotional strength that can be had no other way.

I grew up in a very musical family and we sang together often, most often hymns, so I dearly love many of the old hymns. However, it was liberating to me, when I first encountered the Charismatic Movement 40 years ago, to discover the joy and liberty of singing simple songs of praise directly to God. The “great hymns of the faith” have a lot of good to them, but they are very seldom addressed to God. It is good to encourage and exhort one another as believers, but if we fail to sing directly to God as well, we are missing a vital cornerstone of our worship. I have sought to help people understand that, and in this church we use a mix of hymns and praise/worship songs. Because we are a bilingual congregation, the Lord has allowed me to translate a couple of hundred originally Japanese songs into English, and close to a hundred in the other direction. Sometimes they come out better in the new language that they were in the original (and not just with my translations)! I am to lead as many as will follow into the joy of praising God for who He is, because that is the path of fellowship with Him, and all the blessings that brings.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that today is Palm Sunday, when it is so natural to praise You, and Christ Jesus Your Son. May today be a day of praise indeed, not just in this church but in every part of the Body of Christ around the world, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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