November 24, 2012

Posted on November 26, 2012 by jgarrott

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

This verse should be inscribed over the entry to every institution of learning, but sadly, it isn’t. Most schools focus on knowledge, which is distinct from wisdom and understanding. Knowledge isn’t bad, but by itself it has no moral compass, and often can be immensely impractical. This is why home-schooled children often turn out so much better than those sent to public schools. It isn’t that the public schools are necessarily bad, it’s that they aren’t enough to provide a true education, and they have the wrong emphasis. If parents are fully engaged with their children, providing moral and religious example and instruction, then public schools can be very useful, and are certainly convenient. However, for the past several decades at least, parents tend to pack their children off to school and think they have thereby fulfilled all their obligation for the education and training of their children. The results of such irresponsible misunderstanding are plain to see. Home schooling certainly isn’t for every family, but every parent needs to understand that “book learning” is just a fraction of their children’s education. Sadly, many parents don’t have the “fear of the Lord and knowledge of the Holy One” to impart to their children. That is the first step, and everything proceeds from that.

I was not home schooled and neither were my children, but my parents were highly engaged with us children, and I tried to be so with my own children. (We actually tried home schooling for a while with our older daughter soon after we arrived in Omura, but there were numbers of problems.) I currently teach in a couple of private schools, but they are on the college level and so well past the optimal point for starting moral and religious instruction. Even so, I feel I do have a good impact on the students in the direction indicated by this verse. The schools are totally secular, but after 30 years of my teach­ing they seem to grasp that I’m imparting more than the curriculum would indicate, and thankfully, they seem to appreciate it. I have a real desire to get the truth of this verse across to parents, but that task is all the more daunting when the Christian population of Japan is so small. However, I am not to give up, but rather understand that it is in God’s hands, and He can use even me to do His will.

Father, thank You for Your grace. Thank You that my daughters turned out as well as they did even though we sent them to boarding school, which is the antithesis of home schooling, for several years. Thank You for the opportunity just yesterday to communicate some of the truth of this passage to some people in a non-religious way, since they were not Christians. Thank You for the opportunity I’ll have today, in performing three weddings, to proclaim the truth of Your love and grace to people who have probably never heard it. I pray that Your words through me would impact each hearer, opening their eyes to see themselves and their need and You and Your supply, so that they may repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 23, 2012

Posted on November 24, 2012 by jgarrott

Proverbs 8:13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.

Christian churches today have great hesitation in calling hate a good thing, but the Bible has no such reservations. In particular, several passages, like this one, encourage us to hate evil. As many people have pointed out, the difficulty comes in “hating the sin but not the sinner.” Humanly speaking, we tend to equate the messenger with the message, which means that the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 and following puts us in a very difficult situation. After all, “love your enemies” doesn’t come naturally! However, the devil has been all too successful in deceiving many that loving sinners means accepting their evil, and the results of that are obvious in society today. “Tolerance” is preached for every sort of perversity, while those who do so practice anything but tolerance for Biblical morality. Every human being is someone for whom Christ died, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t to hate the evil that they – or we – do. This verse gives specific examples of evil that are to be hated by those who fear God, and it’s a very interesting sample. The first two are attitudinal, the third is behavior, and the fourth is speech. We tend to focus on behavior, but this makes it clear that’s only part of the picture. It all boils down to seeing things from God’s perspective and accepting His values.

I had the immense blessing of growing up in a family that sought to follow Christ, but that doesn’t mean I’ve always been personally successful at it. Society today numbs us with a constant barrage of evil of all kinds, and I am under that influence as well. The song, “Anything Goes,” is all too true, talking about what is accepted in society. I need to remember to love those for whom Christ died, but not forget to hate evil. The silence of Christians has been a major factor in the explosion of public evil. I can’t change society with a word or a wave of my hand, but I am not to support evil by my silence. I am to be gentle and loving, but firm, with the emphasis on the firm! I am in a position of influence toward many, and I must make the use God intends for that influence, destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) rather than propping them up by my passivity.

Father, this isn’t a comfortable Word, because it’s a call to action. Keep me from letting it pass unanswered. I ask for wisdom in my daily living – speech, purchases, TV watching, computer usage, and all that – so that I may discern evil and hate it, rather than “going with the flow” and supporting it by my passivity. Looking at the world around me, I am at times overwhelmed with the reality that there is much that is not pleasing to You, as You once told me personally. Help me indeed hate the evil, even while loving those who are ensnared in it, so that Your Name may be hallowed, Your kingdom come, and Your will be done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 22, 2012

Posted on November 22, 2012 by jgarrott

Proverbs 4:18-19 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.

There is a great deal of truth in these two verses, and it deserves a lot of thought and application. The first thing to remember is that this is talking about two lifestyles, not some individual actions. Doing a few good things doesn’t make you a righteous person, and tripping up doesn’t necessarily make you wicked. In that context, it’s easy to see that these things are a process, a journey, and that is where the con­trast gets striking. Both types of people are moving. For the righteous person, it’s like setting out at daybreak. Things are pretty indistinct at first, so it helps a lot to have a guide who knows where you’re going. As the journey progresses, the light level rises so that you walk with more and more assurance, avoiding obstacles of various sorts with greater and greater success. In the full light of mid-day, the risks are at a minimum. The contrast with the wicked couldn’t be more stark. Things are so dark for them, they don’t even know what they’ve run into when they stumble or bark their shins. So what is the difference between the “righteous” and the “wicked?” Put simply, it’s heart attitude. A righteous person is seeking to follow God, and a wicked person is focused on their own desires and pleasures. At the start of a righteous person’s journey, that is, at the point they decide and commit to follow God, they don’t have much more light than the wicked person does. That’s because until they make that commitment, they are a wicked person too. However, with that commitment made, they find the light just keeps growing. Particularly at first, if they trip and find themselves face down in the mud, things can look as dark at times as when they weren’t seeking God. That’s when they need someone with a little more light to come alongside and help them up again. That’s why the New Testament is filled with instructions to encourage one another, forgive one another, and generally help one another along the way. After all, we’ve got a glorious Noon to look forward to!

As a pastor, my job is to come alongside, helping and encouraging those around me, but I must not think I’ve gotten to Noon yet myself. I am to share the light I have received, but never in pride. Likewise, I am to let those who are still completely in the dark know that light is available. There too I am not to come across as holier-than-thou, but as the saying goes, as one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. As I am faithful to do that, my way will keep getting brighter and I will keep leading more and more into the light.

Father, thank You for this clear word picture, and for reminding me of it this morning. Help me be faithful in the righteousness of Christ, so the devil won’t be able to trip me up with his dark lies. May I be effective in the power of Your Spirit in drawing others with me in Your path of light, so that the works of the devil may be torn down and many set free, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 21, 2012

Posted on November 22, 2012 by jgarrott

Proverbs 3:32 for the LORD detests a perverse man
but takes the upright into his confidence.

Are you on good terms with God? Do you want to be? Those are questions we need to ask ourselves. If the answer to either is no, then we are in rebellion against Him, and that’s hardly a good place to be. The book of Proverbs focuses on practical, day-to-day living, and this certainly fits into that category. However, a lot of people don’t realize that, and essentially ignore God, not recognizing that failure to respond to His desire for fellowship with us is rebellion against Him. Because we can’t see God with our physical eyes, many of us have trouble grasping emotionally that He is real. However, in times of emergency, practically everyone cries out to Him! Actually, that’s the biggest reason He allows emergencies to arise, because He wants us to open our hearts to Him as His children. As a father myself, I can relate to how painful it must be to God for most of His children to ignore Him! The first step in being on good terms with God is indeed, simply to want to be. Another way of expressing that is to say, love Him. The Bible is filled with injunctions to love God, from Moses (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) to John (1 John 4:7~) Jesus made it very clear that love involves obedience (John 14:21, 23), and that’s precisely why so many do not love Him: we don’t want to obey! The thing is, all of God’s commands are for our good, so failure to obey hurts us more than anyone else. That’s why “His commands are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3) An upright person is on good terms with God because they recognize that God desires the very best for them, so they strive to be obedient to Him.

This is very much where the Lord has brought me, and I am deeply grateful. Recently I’ve watched several YouTube videos of Heidi Baker, and have been moved to hear that intimacy with God is the secret to her ministry. Thinking about it, Dennis Balcomb told me much the same thing, though in different words. Paul is of course the perfect Biblical example, placing intimacy with God above and before everything else. (Philippians 3:8-11) I hope I’m there in my priorities, but I don’t know that I’m there in my practice, and that’s where the rubber hits the road. My use of time is the biggest issue. I have a persistent tendency to think of my time as my own, rather than something entrusted to me by God for His purposes. I need to be open and obedient to Him for every moment, so that His will may be done in and through me for His glory.

Father, thank You for how far You’ve brought me. Thank You for the awareness of how far I yet have to go. Keep me from stagnating at any point. Rather, keep me moving closer and closer to You, so that as Christ is demonstrated through me, more and more people may be drawn to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 20, 2012

Posted on November 20, 2012 by jgarrott

Proverbs 2:17 who has left the partner of her youth
and ignored the covenant she made before God.

This particular passage, and several more like it, focus on the wayward wife, but they apply equally to the wandering husband. I am reminded of the statement of my wife’s great aunt who said, “Young people today divorce so casually. I never considered divorce. Murder, yes; divorce, no.” Of course she was joking about murder, but it is all too true that society has become entirely too accepting of divorce. A major reason for that is in the second half of this verse: we have forgotten that marriage is a covenant before, and really with, God. That’s why Jesus said, “What God has joined together, let man not separate.” (Matthew 19: 6) I do a lot of weddings, and I require some premarital counseling beforehand, so I talk about this a lot. Very few of the couples I marry are Christians, but frankly, few Americans enter into marriage as Christians. They choose their partners with little or no thought of God, and the results are obvious. Marriage was indeed instituted by God, both to provide a foundation for society and a stable environment for raising children and, quite frankly, because men and women need each other. A man is woefully unbalanced without a woman as a life partner, and a woman is equally unbalanced in the opposite direction. When we fail to recognize that, and especially when we think that our spouse is there simply to “meet my needs,” (rather than it being entirely mutual) then we get into a lot of trouble. My experience, backed up by a lot of psychological research, is that the more we focus on my needs, my satisfaction, the less happiness and true satisfaction we experience. We aren’t to ignore our own needs, but the more we are focused on ourselves, the less happy we are.

Obviously, I could go on at great length about this! From over 43 years of personal experience at this point, and from having observed countless other marriages, I am strongly confirmed in the idea that I had at the point I got married, that marriage is the biggest job of our lives, but it carries the greatest rewards. The problem is, fewer and fewer people are willing to work at it, so they miss the rewards. I find that communication issues are often a problem, but that the root issue is self-centeredness. I have yet to find a couple that was unable to work our their problems if they were centered on God. At the time I got married, frankly, God was not a priority for me, though I didn’t recognize it at that point. As I have made Him my first priority and my wife my first responsibility, the blessings have just piled up, and today our marriage is the envy of all around us. As a marriage coun­selor, my message is that anyone can have just as good a marriage, but they have to start with the foundation of a covenant before God.

Father, thank You indeed for how you have blessed us so abundantly with marriage. Thank You for the partner You have given me, and for how beautifully we complete each other. Help me communicate Your plans for marriage effectively to more and more people, so that the devil may be defeated in more and more families, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 19, 2012

Posted on November 19, 2012 by jgarrott

Proverbs 2:1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,

It’s a bit difficult to pull one verse out of this section, because the first five verses are all one sentence! However, this first verse quite naturally gives the starting point for gaining all the good things that are talked about further on. That starting point is simply receiving, not rejecting, God’s word and storing it up in your heart. Psalm 119:11 famously says much the same thing. As adults, we’ve all seen – and been – rebellious teenagers who don’t really hear what their parents say to them. That’s bad enough on that level, but it’s worse, and even more common, for people not to hear what their heavenly Father says to them. If we want the knowledge, understanding, and victory mentioned in the following verses, we have to start with listening to God. Many people would protest that God doesn’t talk to them, but they ignore the fact that He’s written them a letter! Frankly, many people don’t read the Bible precisely because they don’t want to hear what God is saying to them. They know they’re in the wrong, and they don’t want to be corrected. How foolish! God’s rules are never to restrict us, but rather to protect us from the consequences of dangerous activities. The problem is, those dangerous activities can be fun, at least at the start, and we don’t want to hear about the danger. It is totally illogical that someone would take methamphetamines, for example, because of the disastrous consequences, but sadly, many do. To receive the blessed, fulfilling life that God intends for us, we have to start by listening to Him.

I grew up with a great deal of head knowledge of God and the Bible, but that doesn’t mean I was consistent in applying it. I have tasted the bitter fruit of bad choices, and that helps put things into perspective. I have also tasted the rich fruit of obedience, and that is far better! There’s no such thing as “easy street” in this life, but walking in obedience rather than rebellion makes it possible to have peace and joy whatever else is going on. (John 16:33) I deal with people all the time in various stages of ignorance of and/or rebellion against God. The simply ignorant are much easier to deal with than the rebellious! However, people don’t like being told they are ignorant, and many resist the good news of God’s love. That’s never easy for me to deal with, but I am not to give up. Rather, I am to pray that they will stop, turn round (repent), and believe, for their salvation and for the glory of God.

Father, You know the people who came to mind as I wrote that. You love them even more than I do. I ask Your grace and mercy for them, that they will let go of the lying excuses the devil has fed them and open their hearts to receive all that You have provided for them in Christ, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 18, 2012

Posted on November 18, 2012 by jgarrott

Psalm 145:17-18 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

It would be hard to deny that David knew God, and this description of His character is further evidence for that. The first part of verse 17 says that God follows His own rules. That is to say, He’s not like politicians who make laws and then ignore them, thinking they are personally above them. God occasionally violates what we see as the laws of physics. We call such incidents miracles. However, He never violates His laws of holiness. The Japanese renders the second half of that verse as, “and gracious in all His acts.” “Loving” and “gracious” are deeply intertwined concepts, and it’s easy to understand how the same Hebrew could be translated either way. Verse 18 is extremely important. Many people complain that God seems “distant.” David says they are either not calling on Him, or they are not doing so in truth. It’s that last part that’s the kicker. Sometimes we think we are calling on God, but what we are actually doing is trying to get Him to rubber stamp what we have decided we want. That’s not calling on Him in truth! David’s experience with his first son by Bathsheba comes to mind. When the boy was very ill, David fasted and prayed that he might be healed. However, when he died, David got up, cleaned himself up, and worshiped God. He was more tied to God than he was to what he was asking of God. Joy Dawson rightly pointed out that the way to get clear guidance from God is to die to our own desires in the issue. It’s very hard to receive what He has for us if we won’t let go of our demands that things be the way we want.

I’ve certainly experienced this one! However, each time I’ve managed to let go of what I wanted so badly, I’ve discovered that what God had planned for me was even better. In the process, I’ve discovered that God is very near indeed. I frequently tell people in counseling situations of all sorts that wagamama (selfishly demanding your own way) never leads to happiness, and indeed cannot. One reason for that is that such an attitude makes us deaf toward God, even when He is speaking grace, love, and peace to us. As I seek to help those around me understand this, I need to practice what I preach! I must never think “I’ve got it all together,” but walk in humble trust and gratitude at all times in all situations. That is the way to the intimacy with God that I, and He, desire.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for desiring to be close to me! Thank You for the assurance I can have that You desire it even more than I do. Help me be completely honest and true in calling on You, so that nothing will get in the way of Your Spirit in me, doing Your will for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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November 17, 2012

Posted on November 17, 2012 by jgarrott

Psalm 145:5-6 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.

The NIV goes for poetic symmetry in their translation, while the Japanese is probably more literal, but the difference is small. (The Japanese says “I will” for all of verse 5, rather than “They will” and then “I will.”) David has just been talking about generational transfer of information about God, and here he is talking about his part in that. I like the Japanese expression for “meditate” in verse 5: “dye my thoughts” The picture is of soaking in a solution until the color is transferred. This is precisely what Paul was talking about in Philippi­ans 4:8, when he tells us to think about good stuff. What we think about makes a difference! The traditional translation to Proverbs 23:7 is, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he,” and there’s a lot of truth to that. Thinking deeply and often about God and what He has done causes us to take on His likeness, as Paul says in Romans 8:29. Another factor here is that we tend to talk about what is on our minds, as David says at the end of verse 7. If we are fully grateful for all that God has done for us, that is going to come out in our conver­sation without our having to evangelize intentionally. Such natural sharing is actually some of the most effective evangelism! “Soaking our thoughts in God” is a highly recommended activity.

As I read this Psalm I detect a degree of irony, because David really wasn’t very good at conveying his faith to his children. In fact, he was pretty much a failure at parenting. However, he certainly had a prophetic anointing, and what He wrote is true. My physical children and grandchildren don’t live close to me, but I do tell them of the ways that God blesses us. My spiritual children and grandchildren are all around me, and if I am to proclaim God’s great deeds to them, I need to watch my thoughts. This is certainly the Information Age, and we are bombarded with things to think about. I need to choose to think about God and His works, so that that will be what I commun-icate.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed “take every thought captive,” as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:5, so that in thinking Your thoughts after You, I may indeed be transformed into the likeness of Christ Jesus my Lord, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 16, 2012

Posted on November 16, 2012 by jgarrott

Psalm 141:5 Let a righteous man strike me–it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me–it is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers.

Looking at the English I was struck by the first part of this verse, but then when I read it in Japanese, I was struck equally by the last part, and I like the first part even better. The NIV in a footnote says that this could be translated, “Let the Righteous One,” and that is how the Japanese takes it, making it a request for kind correction from Christ. It also makes the middle a request: “Make it so that my head does not refuse it.” We generally don’t respond well to correction, so it is significant that David is asking for it. When correction comes, we are all too prone to refuse it! That is all well and good, but it is the last line of the verse that struck me most forcefully, but only in the Japanese translation. That says, “Even if their evil deeds pile up, I will pray even more.” That’s powerful! Our response to evil should never be to yield to it or be defeated by it, but it is also not to try to rise up against it in our own strength. Our first response should be to pray, asking God for guidance as to the proper action and asking His strength to operate in and through us. Genuine righteous indignation is not bad, but we must remember that “man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” (James 1:20) We are not to be passive about evil, but we must remember that God is the answer to evil in others.

I have quite a history of responding poorly to correction, so this verse is very meaningful to me. In my mind I desire God’s correction, but when that correction comes through another human being, I am often defensive. That doesn’t do anyone any good, and it can do great harm. David had a track record of making mistakes, but then accept­ing correction. Since we all make mistakes, that’s an excellent ex­ample! As a pastor and teacher, I am often in the place of correcting others in one way or another, so it’s quite ironic that I haven’t responded to correction so well myself. I am to respond to evil in others with prayer, and to evil in myself with immediate repentance, so that God will be free to work in and through me as He desires.

Father, every day brings reports of evil of all sorts. News media certainly seem to focus on that aspect of life! Rather than getting tied in knots over it, help me be faithful in prayer and intercession. Help me also be more welcoming of correction, and to project that in my interactions. I’ve been told people are afraid to try to correct me! That’s not good. Help me walk in genuine humility, as well as the assurance of Your love and guidance, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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November 15, 2012

Posted on November 16, 2012 by jgarrott

PS 140:12-13 I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor
and upholds the cause of the needy.
Surely the righteous will praise your name
and the upright will live before you.

It has always interested me that, though Book 1 of Psalms (1-41) is almost entirely Psalms written by David, they are also scattered throughout the whole book, and here toward the end we find another group of them. This particular Psalm makes some people uncomfort­able because of the things David prays will happen to “the wicked,” but that is simply evidence that David was as human as the rest of us. His conclusion in these last two verses, however, shows that he had a genuine relationship with God and understood His character. In verse 12 the NIV says “poor” and “needy,” while the Japanese says “troubled” and “poor.” We miss truth when we equate finances with blessing. Many people have written on the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, pointing out that “poor” there doesn’t equate with a lack of finances, but that’s something to remember for the rest of the Bible as well. The point here is that David knows from experience that God is on the side of those who need Him and know it, who cry out to Him. David also knows that there are rewards for those who recognize their dependence on God and give Him the thanks and praise He deserves. Because contemporary English assigns two meanings to “live,” (“be alive” and “have residence”) we can easily miss something important in the last line. A better translation would be, “The upright dwell before you.” One of the unique things about the Bible, in contrast to the “holy books” of every other religion, is that it speaks of human beings having genuine, continuing fellowship with their Creator. That is certainly a prize worth aiming for, and it is the inheritance of everyone who will receive it by faith. (1 Peter 1:3-5 and many more)

I am commissioned to call people into the fellowship with God that is available to them, but I am totally dependent on God in doing so. To human intellect, it is absurd that the Creator would even desire such fellowship. It takes a revelation of God’s character, of His love and grace and mercy, as well as His holiness and power, to be able to appropriate all that He has done for us in Christ. I am to express those things in the words God supplies and I am to demonstrate them in my own life, but I have no power in myself to get them through to people. However, it is not a hopeless task, because the Holy Spirit can and will use even my imperfection to open people’s hearts and draw them to the Savior. I need to remember that my residence is in the presence of God, and rejoice.

Father, You woke me this morning with the message You want communicated to Your people on Sunday. Guide me in getting that outline written out in the way You desire. I pray that I would be totally available as Your instrument, so that Your Word through me may accomplish everything for which You send it. May we see rich fruit in hearts and lives, immediately and in the years to come, so that the Body of Christ may be built up, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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