October 15, 2012

Posted on October 19, 2012 by jgarrott

Psalm 36:1-2 There is no fear of God
before his eyes.
For in his own eyes he flatters himself
too much to detect or hate his sin.

As occasionally happens, the Japanese for this passage is obscure because of its very literalness, but I think the NIV makes a good call as to David’s intent here. These days Humanism is generally seen as noble, caring for the needs of mankind, but the problem is that such nobility has been hijacked by the kind of people described here. The driving force behind the vast majority of atheism is the desire to deny accountability to God on the part of man. As David says, they have “no fear of God.” When God is taken out of the equation, that eliminates all moral underpinning for man’s actions, so someone who is completely man-centric will indeed not detect, much less hate, their own sin. The big problem with the people who pit science against religion, putting themselves on the “rational” side of science, is that they are actually worshiping man, that is, themselves. How futile is that!? Catherine Marshall wrote a book with a very meaningful title: Beyond Our Selves. If we have no resources beyond what is intrinsic to us, we are pathetic indeed! The logical conclusion to that way of thinking is evident in the world all around us, with the destruction of the very fabric of society. Human beings have demonstrated their almost unlimited capacity for evil down through the centuries. When we ignore God, evil is all we have left.

I was raised in the blessed, but rare, combination of diligent intellectual inquiry and strong faith. Science and faith were never seen as being in opposition to each other, but rather complimentary. However, I encounter people all the time who think they are mutually exclusive, and that is sad indeed. I am grieved both when people of faith essentially extol ignorance, and when intellectuals deride faith. An awareness of the vastness of the universe should give us a profound humility, but unless that is coupled to a conviction that there is a Creator who made all of this because He wanted to, it removes all meaning from our lives. That is why the center of the Gospel I proclaim is that God loved the world, His creation, so much that He sent His Son to take the penalty for human sin and so open a way for us to fulfill the purpose for which we were created, that is, fellowship with God. Those who reject accountability to God don’t realize that they are also rejecting the reason for their existence, and so rejecting life itself. That is why I must never stop communicating the love and grace of God to everyone, praying that they would have ears to hear and hearts to receive.

Father, lately my blog has been getting some interesting responses from skeptics, but that’s nothing new. You know how many people have declined the Gospel that I have presented to them. I ask Your grace and mercy on us all, so that more and more would let go of the lies that have kept them from You, and turn to You in repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 14, 2012

Posted on October 19, 2012 by jgarrott

Psalm 34:19-20 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

This Psalm is one of a few that give the specific circumstances of their having been written. This one has an interesting story indeed, recorded in 1 Samuel 21 (though the attribution with the Psalm says Abimelech rather than Achish). These two verses are important for every believer, but verse 20 was specifically applied to Jesus by the Apostle John. (John 19:36) That should reassure anyone who has ever broken a bone that it doesn’t mean they aren’t righteous! It is verse 19, however, that should be an enormous comfort. The NIV says “may have,” but the Japanese, following the Hebrew, bluntly says, “has many troubles.” There are those who teach that when we are perfectly in God’s will, everything will go perfectly. That simply isn’t true. A quick look at the life of Paul should completely dispel that idea, not to mention that John was the only one of the original 12 apostles to die a natural death. We live in a fallen world and we have to deal with the consequences of sin, not only our own but that of everyone else. The first half of verse 19 is pure reality. The good news comes in the second half: “but the Lord delivers him from them all.” Every once in a while a Biblical but means good news indeed! We aren’t to be surprised at troubles, but neither are we to be dismayed by them. We are to keep our eyes on Christ, and remember that God will turn everything that is yielded to Him around for our benefit (Romans 8:28), with a final outcome that will make us forget we ever had any troubles! (2 Corinthians 4:17)

This is an important truth that I not only need to remember myself but also transmit to others. That’s not always easy! When someone is in the middle of circumstances they see as terrible, this truth can seem like a belittling of their suffering. I have received kickback and rejection for that very reason. I need to teach this consistently in good times, so that when bad times come people will already have it planted in their hearts. Of course it comes back to trust, and those who have felt betrayed by their parents or others close to them have the most trouble trusting God. I have a huge advantage there, having never felt so betrayed in my childhood, that I can remember, so I need help from God in dealing with those who have more trouble than I do in trusting God. There is a never-ending parade of such people! However, God loves them just as much as He does me, and he has blessed me so that I may be an instrument of His blessing to them. I am to lift them up, rather than bash them for their lack of faith, remembering my own struggles when difficulties have loomed large. The hymn, “God Leads Us Along,” by George Young, is very true: “Some through the waters, some through the flood, some through the fire, but all through the blood.” I am not to be surprised or dismayed at anything that comes my way, and I am to be a strength to others to help them on their journey as well.

Father, it’s hard to get through to people when they are in a panic, as I have experienced from both sides of the issue. Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You so that I may help others do likewise, whatever we are going through at the moment, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 13, 2012

Posted on October 13, 2012 by jgarrott

Psalm 33:20-21 We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.

We don’t know the circumstances of this Psalm being written, but verse 19 indicates it might have been in a time of famine. If so, it is a remarkable testimony of faith! Since it is one of very few Psalms in Book 1 (Psalm 1 ~ 41) that is not attributed to David, it is also a reminder that David wasn’t the only person in Israel with strong faith. These two verses give the key to making it through anything, and doing so with joy. For once the NIV renders a common Biblical expression exactly as the Japanese does, and that is “wait in hope.” Many people are familiar with several passages, notably Isaiah 40:31, that speak of “waiting on the Lord,” but most of those are actually exactly as here, “wait in hope.” (Interestingly, the NIV has “hope” for Isaiah 40:31, leaving out the “wait.”) Concurrent with waiting in hope on the Lord is rejoicing in Him, because we can look forward to His solution to our situation, whatever that solution might be. Trusting in God is hardly passive. Rather, it is actively yielding ourselves to Him for Him to use us in working His will on this earth, in our lives and the lives of those around us. When we understand to the depths of our being that His plan is best, then we will pray the Lord’s Prayer with our whole hearts and look forward to the answer.

The longer I walk with the Lord the more I find myself praying the first part of the Lord’s prayer. I do make specific requests, and I do see answers to many of those, but more and more I simply pray that God’s will be done, because I know that it is good, acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2) That’s not to say I don’t get frustrated at times, because I do. The day before yesterday was a good case in point, when I just about lost it over having misplaced a very important paper. I never found it, and yesterday I applied to have that reissued. However, the evening of the day I was so frustrated with myself, I was given the opportunity to minister to the mother of a young man who is currently going through a good bit of emotional turmoil, and I was able to tell her from very immediate experience that we all need God’s help in that area! We are called both to be responsible adults and trusting children toward God, and we have real trouble balancing that at times. However, we need to have patience with ourselves, because God does.

Father, thank You indeed for Your patience with me, and for the privilege of sharing with others the lessons You teach me. Help me wait in hope for You, rejoicing, and help me lead the flock to do likewise, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 12, 2012

Posted on October 13, 2012 by jgarrott

Psalm 32:1-2 Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

David had a remarkable grasp of the whole issue of sin and forgiveness. That was certainly a good thing, when he blew it so badly in the whole situation with Bathsheba! However, we need to realize that we have just as much need to grasp this issue as he did, because we too are sinners, and it’s not so much a matter of degree as it is a matter of holiness and the lack of it. I don’t think David gained his understanding from a human teacher, and he certainly didn’t gain it in an academic setting. Rather, David as a young boy had a heart that was tender to recognize his sins and acknowledge them to God, and he discovered that God was faithful to forgive. This was what gave him the humility to trust God when he encountered a lion, a bear, and Goliath, as is recorded in 1 Samuel. He didn’t get conceited because of those exploits, but he gained the assurance that God through him could accomplish great things. The point in these two verses that we need to pay most attention to is the line, “in whose spirit is no deceit.” This is expanded in verse 5, but the point is, to be forgiven, we have to acknowledge what we’ve done. Any parent knows this is a major issue, encountering firm denials of things that could have happened no other way. In America there’s the famous story, probably entirely apocryphal, of George Washington as a boy chopping down a cherry tree and then refusing to lie about it. The thing is, though, that it’s not just enough to say, “yes I did it.” Sometimes that is defiance, and sometimes it’s even bragging! What David is talking about is knowing what you have done is wrong and being genuinely sorry for it, not wanting to do it again. That’s called repentance, and it brings forgiveness and restoration.

I have certainly had my own times of repentance, and I can say a hearty AMEN to what David recorded in this Psalm. As a pastor, I seek to help others come to the same understanding, so that they too may lay their burdens of sin down before the Lord and be washed clean. David didn’t even know about the cross, but I have that knowledge and seek to impart it to others. However, to receive the benefit of the cross we have to acknowledge that we need it, so we’re back to what David says here. I encounter so many people who are more concerned with the shame of their deeds that with the fact that they are sins against God. Sometimes public confession can be a powerful tool to liberate people from sin, but the question there becomes how the community receives it. I think most churches would be far more accepting, and forgiving, than even the people in them think they would be. I need to encourage people to confess first to God, and then to other people if He so directs.

Father, this is a big issue. Thank You for the message You’re building in me for Sunday, and for confirming last night that I was hearing You correctly as to the theme. I pray that I would be on the right side of repentance, confession, and forgiveness, not allowing the fear of shame to keep me from it. May I likewise be effective in drawing others to the same position in Christ, so that together we may walk in all that You provided for us through the cross, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 11, 2012

Posted on October 13, 2012 by jgarrott

Psalm 31:5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

Psalm 31 is another of David’s Psalms that Jesus quoted from the cross, and as such it is particularly worth studying in its entirety. The interesting thing about this is that most people tend to take, “Into Your hands I commit my spirit,” as Jesus giving up, when the Psalm as a whole ends on a very upbeat note, from verse 19 on. The whole point seems to be that righteous people can experience serious trouble, but if they will indeed commit themselves to God, then the outcome will always be good. We tend to hear Jesus’ words as, “God, I’m going to die now,” but they were far more than that. They were an affirmation of perfect faith, based on experience. What Jesus was wanting his disciples, and by extension us, to remember was perhaps verse 24: “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” Incidentally, there is again an interesting difference between the NIV and the Japanese. Where the NIV frames the second half of the verse as a request, in Japanese it is a statement: “You have redeemed me.” That seems to be much more of an affirmation of faith in the middle of suffering.

I have never been crucified, or even put in a situation where I thought I was about to die, but I have been given many opportunities to commit myself to God. The statement, “Into Your hands I commit my spirit,” has two elements. The first is the awareness that physical circumstances aren’t the final answer, because we are spiritual beings who belong to a spiritual God. This is something I’ve known in my head for a long time, but it is still working its way into my heart. We are so easily consumed by the physical! That’s not to say that the physical is inherently bad, because it is God’s creation and He said it was good, but it isn’t the “be all and end all” of our existence. The second element is the active operation of the will in trusting God. This is also of vital importance, because trust is indeed a choice, and many have stumbled terribly on it. I’ve got to choose to trust God each moment, whatever my circumstances look like, remembering that He has redeemed me with the blood of His Son, and that outweighs everything else. This is a truth I try to convey to others, but with varying success. When we really grasp it, it brings an unshakable peace and joy that can be had no other way.

Father, thank You for Your grace toward me and toward all mankind. Help me communicate that grace more and more effectively, even as I walk in it more and more fully myself, so that all of Your purposes may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 10, 2012

Posted on October 13, 2012 by jgarrott

Psalm 25:1-3 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame.

It is often said, rightly enough, that Japan has a “shame culture” while the West has a “sin culture.” That’s why it’s so striking that the Bible speaks of both in terms of God’s salvation. David is well known for understanding sin, with many Psalms including this one dealing with the issue. However, sin is transgression against an absolute standard, and doesn’t have an inherent emotional component. Shame, on the other hand, is fundamentally emotional. It is obvious today that people can sin without shame, but it is also true that people can be quite ashamed when there is no actual sin involved. That’s why it’s so important that the Bible deals with both. Often, shame can be a bigger deterrent to wrong action than the idea that it is sinful, which is why it’s important that society in general not condone or even encourage sin, as is happening in the US today. People are doing all they can to remove all shame from activities that are clearly, blatantly against God’s stated rules and standards, just as Paul said in Romans 1:32. You cannot “legislate morality,” as people are fond of saying, but tacit approval of immorality is an affront to God. David’s statement that “No one who waits in hope for You will ever be put to shame” is a very important affirmation. The Bible speaks many times of the righteous being persecuted, but that’s not the same as being ashamed. Indeed, it was the Christians’ joy at being persecuted for Christ that blew the Romans out of the water, and brought the Christians honor in the minds and hearts of the people.

I have sinned at times and not cared, I have sinned and been asham-ed, and I have been ashamed at times for things that were not sinful. I guess I’m pretty typical! One of the deeper joys involved in growing in faith and knowledge of the Lord is having the Holy Spirit sort all of that out. It is a sign of spiritual maturity, as I see it, to care more about whether I have offended God than whether people know about it, but I can’t say I’m totally there yet. Something I need to keep in mind is that often, people notice my sins before I do! That applies particularly to sins of interaction with others, such as looking down on them or speaking hurtful words to them. Ministering in Japan, sometimes I have a hard time helping people understand that things can be wrong even if nobody knows about them. I need the help of the Holy Spirit not just to shed light on my own heart and motives, but also to give me wisdom in helping others also open up to Biblical standards.

Father, Your record of the Garden of Eden in Genesis includes both sin and shame. Help me and those to whom I minister understand both, so that we may walk unashamed in obedience to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 9, 2012

Posted on October 9, 2012 by jgarrott

Psalm 24:5-6 He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God his Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

You don’t have to read very many of David’s Psalms to understand that he had a very special understanding and appreciation for the Lord. That’s all the more remarkable when you realize that the only Scriptures he had were the Pentateuch (the five books of Moses), possibly Joshua, and maybe Job. The Psalms David wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit greatly expanded mankind’s grasp of the God of Jacob. The importance of that fact can be seen when you compare the religious practices of the cultures that surrounded Israel in those days. In that context, David’s understanding and faith were nothing short of miraculous. Here he has briefly given credit to the Creator and then described the sort of person acceptable to such a God. Then, in these two verses he describes the benefits of being such a person, and states that these benefits aren’t limited to the few, but are for all who will seek God’s face. That’s pretty remarkable, when you come right down to it. There’s a difference in translation between the NIV and the Japanese in verse 5 that makes me want to check the Hebrew. The NIV says, “receive vindication,” and the Japanese says, “receive righteousness.” The Japanese term for “righteousness” has strong overtones of “justice,” so that is probably the connection, but even so, it seems like an interesting echo of the statement in Genesis 15:6 that God credited Abraham’s faith to him as righteousness. David knew God by personal experience, and all generations since have benefited from what he recorded of that.

I too have experienced God from my youth, and I too have stumbled in my obedience to Him. Because of the completed Canon of Scripture there isn’t the need to record my experience of God that there was for David, but it doesn’t hurt that I do so. It goes without saying that current technology would have been totally unimaginable to David, but that certainly doesn’t make it wrong to make use of computers and the Internet. Of course I am not to limit my sharing of my experience of God to an Internet blog; my sermons as well as my personal interactions with individuals are to be expressions of my fellowship with my Lord. When Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and You will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth,” (Acts 1:8) He was including everything from casual conversations to sermons to acts of kindness to publishing on the Internet. I am to make use of every avenue He opens up to me, so that through my witness, as many as possible may come to know Him.

Father, thank You once again for the privilege of being Your agent. Thank You for being able to bless the lady we went to see yesterday in the hospital. It was an encouragement to me when she told us she came to Christ because of the love she saw in Cathy and me. May we indeed be Your witnesses on every level, so that more and more may come to know You as she did, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 8, 2012

Posted on October 9, 2012 by jgarrott

Psalm 23:3 He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

The 23rd Psalm is one of the best known and loved of all Old Testament passages, certainly, and perhaps second only to John 3:16 in the whole Bible. For all its familiarity, we sometimes fail to really consider what it means. This one little phrase actually has deep meaning for our lives, if we will understand it. Going with English word order, the first point is that God leads us. A lot of people don’t think that’s true, or at least that’s how they live. Even if they go to church, the rest of the time they ignore God completely, and then complain that God isn’t “nice” to them when things don’t go as they would like. The vast majority of people, even Christians, miss God’s leading, or at least fail to recognize it, because they simply aren’t looking for it. Perhaps one reason some people, at least, ignore God is that they understand on some level that His leading will indeed be in “paths of righteousness,” and they frankly don’t want to be righteous! A few years ago it was current slang to call something “righteous” when it was good looking, strong, in style, or whatever. The people who used that slang probably weren’t leading very righteous lives! God is indeed holy, righteous, just, loving, and gracious, and He will always lead in ways that are in keeping with His character. The last point in this brief phrase is that God leads us for His Name’s sake. David is of course talking to the children of Abraham, by genetics and by faith. God’s children bear His Name, and He doesn’t want us rubbing His Name in the dirt! In some cultures, “honor killings” are even accepted among human beings. I certainly don’t think that is pleasing to God, but even a casual reading of the Bible shows that God’s Name is always to be treated with reverence and respect. It’s even the 3rd of the 10 Commandments! We need to remember that ultimately, it’s not about us, it’s about God. We are important simply because God chooses to love us and assign value to us. That’s a very high value, but we have it because of God, and not the other way around. God doesn’t lead us just to be nice to us, He leads us because we belong to Him.

This is something I was indeed taught as a child, but it is also an understanding that I have grown into over the years. I couldn’t count the number of times I have had unnecessary hardship simply because I failed to seek, and pay attention to, God’s guidance. I also couldn’t count the number of times – and they are far more – that I have had unexpected, and certainly undeserved, blessings because of following God’s guidance. As a pastor, I am currently in a position of giving God’s guidance to others. I must never do that without asking Him first! My guidance, without His, certainly isn’t worth much. However, I have seen Him use me in this way, and I am not to draw back from it. And certainly, I must continually seek His guidance for my own life, so that in righteousness I may bring honor to His Name.

Father, thank You for the amazing privilege of being Your child. Help me be a loving, obedient child, pleasing to You, so that I may draw many others into that same relationship with You, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 7, 2012

Posted on October 9, 2012 by jgarrott

Psalm 22:28-29 For dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him–
those who cannot keep themselves alive.

The first 21 verses of this Psalm are an amazingly detailed and accurate description of Christ on the cross, which is doubtless why He quoted the first line of it while He hung there. However, from verse 22 it seems to switch gears. Actually, though David didn’t realize it when he wrote it, from verse 22 it is talking about Christ after His resurrection. These two verses are a reminder of a truth we are prone to forget, and that is that God really is in charge. Dominion really is His, and the “high and mighty” cannot even keep themselves alive. Everyone will bow before Him; the question is simply whether we will do it now by choice, or whether we will do it at the judgment seat in absolute terror. We spend lot of energy trying to keep our-selves alive, and medical science has benefited from that, but in the final analysis, we die. Keeping that reality in mind is very helpful in ordering our priorities in the here and now. We should receive and appreciate all the blessings God has for us in this life, but know that all of it put together is no more than a drop in the bucket (to use a Biblical phrase – Isaiah 40:15) compared to eternity to follow. If we have this reality firmly in mind, then all sorts of stress and anxiety go out the window. God is God, and that’s the last word.

I’ve gotten stirred up about many things over the years, and most of that has been a complete waste of energy. That’s not at all to say I’m not to care, and certainly not to say I’m not to pray, but it is to say I’m not to be anxious. I’ve put plenty of emotional energy into the current political situation in the US, for example, when that energy would have been better spent in trusting prayer. I’m also to remember that since we can’t keep ourselves alive, I am to use every moment I am given to serve my Lord. That doesn’t mean running around frantically doing things, because sometimes obedience means resting. However, it does mean that I’m not to consider my time, my abilities, or even my body as my own, but recognize that they are entrusted to me by my Creator, and keep them available for His use at all times. If I will do that, His purposes will be accomplished on His schedule for His glory, and I will be greatly blessed in the process.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Recently things have come at me at a pace that tempts me to become frantic and/or anxious. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, remembering that You are Lord and I shouldn’t try to be. I ask that Your perfect will be done throughout today, in the morning service, in the wedding, and in everything else. May today be a day of great blessing for the couple and for the whole church, and may their families hear and receive the Gospel that will be presented, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 6, 2012

Posted on October 9, 2012 by jgarrott

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

This Psalm has three sections, each of which could stand on its own as beautiful and dearly loved. This first starts with a commentary on how nature proclaims its Creator. The second section, from verse 7, is in praise of the Word of God, and the third section, from verse 12, is a deeply moving prayer of a man who understands his own tendency to sin. That all of these would come from one person, David, much less be included in the same Psalm, is remarkable indeed. Solomon was celebrated for his wisdom, but his father was no slouch! David was certainly not the ignorant tribal warlord some people try to make him out to have been. He was a deep thinker who used his times of solitude well, whether he was watching over sheep or running for his life from king Saul. This first section of this Psalm obviously came from his time as a shepherd, looking at the magnificence of nature and worshiping its Creator. That awareness and attitude laid the foundation for all his wisdom and understanding. (Proverbs 9:10) David is one of many, but I think one of the best models for living presented in the Bible. His flaws are not hidden, which in itself is unusual for the literature of the age, but his commitment to God stands out above every other characteristic. We do well to think deeply about his life, and his words that are left to us.

I have had various role models in my life, of course starting with my father. Dr. Richard Campbell Pettigrew also comes to mind, although my admiration and imitation of him was more intellectual than otherwise. Growing up with the Bible as I did, I’ve always liked David in the Old Testament and the apostle John in the New. It is always a bit of a shock to me when someone indicates that they consider me a role model, but then I’ve already passed the age my father was when he died, so it shouldn’t be too surprising. Paul was very aware of our need for models, and he was open in calling for people to imitate him as he followed Christ. (1 Corinthians 4:16, 11:1) I do desire that people learn to love the Lord as I do, and more, but I am also aware that I am a very imperfect example. But then, so was David, so I shouldn’t complain!

Father, You knew our need for models, and that’s one reason You sent Your Son. Thank You. Help me be a good model indeed, not in my own strength, which is not up to it, but by Your grace and power. May all who look to me find You and rejoice to serve You with their whole hearts, as I do, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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