May 30, 2012

Posted on June 3, 2012 by jgarrott

Acts 27:23-24 “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, `Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'”

Two things stand out to me from this. The first is that Paul was aware of who he belonged to and served, and he wasn’t afraid to say it. The second is that God indeed gives people to His servants, not for the personal aggrandizement of the servants but for the salvation of those who are given to them. There have been numbers of saints in the past who have prayed for souls to be given to them, but that has rather fallen out of fashion. It’s not a custom the devil wants us to have! However, that’s all the more reason to pursue it. People are not to be looked on as trophies, especially in evangelism. However, numbers matter, because each one is someone rescued from destruction, and that is something worth working for and celebrating. We cannot bring others into salvation if we aren’t serving the Savior ourselves, but if we aren’t drawing others closer to God, it’s probable we aren’t very close to Him ourselves. Different people have different gifts, and not everyone is to be an evangelist as in Ephesians 4:11, but everyone should be drawing those around them closer to God in one way or another.

I have prayed at various times for specific individuals to be given to me, in the sense I’m talking about here, but it hasn’t been very consistent. I remember particularly one time when, in a very rich time of fellowship with God through praise, I felt Him telling me to ask for whatever I wanted, and I named someone. I think it was about two weeks later when that person came to me and said they wanted to be baptized, because “This Bible wasn’t written just by men, and if God caused it to be written, then I’d better believe it.” The first thing is obviously knowing Who I belong to, and serving Him! I interact with many, many unsaved people every day. As I pray for their salvation, I need to be very careful that I am walking in full obedience to God myself, fully available to Him for however He wants to use me in saving those people.

Father, You know who is on my heart particularly at the moment. I do ask for them, that You would give them to me as brothers in Christ. I pray that my every interaction with them, on the physical level and on the spiritual level, would be fully effective for their deliverance, healing, and eternal salvation, as a testimony to many of Your power, love, and grace, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 29, 2012

Posted on May 29, 2012 by jgarrott

Acts 20:20-21 “You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”

The message of repentance is lost from many churches today. I read of mega-church pastors who don’t use the word “sin” because “it makes people uncomfortable.” I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes at the Judgment Day! John the Baptist and Jesus both preached repentance. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 3:2) “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.” (Mark 1:15) Not surprisingly, Paul seems to have expressed it much as Jesus did, preaching repentance and faith. Too many today just preach faith, and repentance is forgotten. The problem is, that cannot be saving faith, because it leaves out the need for a Savior. We can hardly claim that Jesus died for our sins if we don’t acknowledge that we have committed sins worthy of death! Preaching repentance is foundational to every other sort of preaching, that is, “anything that would be helpful (of benefit).” We tend to avoid the subject for two reasons, first that we don’t want to make others feel uncomfortable, and second that we don’t want to keep our own repentance up to date. God’s grace is sufficient, but we have to acknowledge that we need it.

Ouch! As I comment not infrequently, I like the Japanese term for repentance, but I still don’t preach it all that much. I have a humanistic desire not to be a “negative” preacher, conveniently forgetting that the result of genuine repentance is the most positive thing ever. If I want people to come from death to life, from darkness into God’s light, then I need to lead them into repentance. It is indeed the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin, (John 16:8) but I need to be fully available for Him to use me to that end. Without the message of repentance and forgiveness, telling people they are sinners is simply judgmental. Some people retreat behind “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned,” (Luke 6:37) thinking that liberates them from calling people to repentance. We can call people to repentance without being judgmental if we are fully aware of our own need for repentance. Saying, “The wages of sin is death,” (Romans 6:23) is not being judgmental, it is simply stating fact. Repentance is the way out of that death, and I’ve got to make that clear to as many people as possible.

Father, thank You for this powerful reminder. Help me stay up to date with my own repentance, and faithfully call others to do likewise. I delight to teach others to build them up; help me not forget this necessary foundation, so that what is built may stand firm, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 28, 2012

Posted on May 29, 2012 by jgarrott

Acts 17:27 “God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”

The reason Paul’s “Mars Hill Sermon” is significant is that it shows his approach to people who had absolutely no knowledge of Jewish Scripture and tradition. That description certainly fits the Japanese! I have heard preachers put this message down because of the sparse results, mentioned in verse 34. They say that 1 Corinthians 2:2 is Paul’s response to what he experienced in Athens. There may be an element of truth in that, but how many preachers today really start with miracles and then explain them with the Gospel? Reinhard Bonnke comes to mind, and a few others, but they are few indeed, that we know of. Probably there are more in places like rural China, but that is missing the point of why Luke chose to include this whole sermon in his record. What we need to get from this is that Paul started from where these people were. He quoted their own writings to them, rather than the OT. (Anyone doing that had better be firmly grounded in the Bible and filled with the Holy Spirit themselves, or they risk getting pulled into all sorts of error. I have known missionaries in Japan to whom that happened.) Once he gained a point of common understanding, he then moved to the subject of repentance. Preachers today tend to leave that out completely! Any religious presentation that leaves out repentance cannot be called the Gospel.

I’m certainly in the middle of this issue myself, because the Japanese in general have a nearly complete ignorance of all things Biblical. Buddhism has borrowed a number of Biblical concepts, (though they would deny that’s where they got them) which makes it all the more dangerous to stray from the foundation of repentance and faith. If I present Christianity as “good teaching,” they just feel, “We already have that.” Buddhism does have the concept of repentance, and Japanese has a particularly good term for it, (regret and start over) but they have no Savior and no doctrine of salvation, other than “emptying yourself.” I need to let the Lord show me the hooks to make contact, and also how to build the foundation of understanding that they need. With my personal background, I tend to assume entirely too much prior knowledge!

Father, You know that I have desired “signs and wonders” to validate the truth You allow me to speak, but I’ve not seen much. I pray that I would communicate Your Gospel effectively, whatever that means. May the current believers, who have far more points in common with those around them than I do, grasp the vision of being Christ’s witnesses indeed, so that many may be brought into Your kingdom, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 27, 2012

Posted on May 28, 2012 by jgarrott

Acts 11:17 “So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?”

Sometimes God has to use pretty dramatic means to break through our prejudices, but He knows what it’s going to take. The whole world has benefited from the fact that Peter was more committed to Christ than he was to his prejudices. I will never forget being told by one of the deacons of the rural White church I once pastored, “Blacks may get into heaven, but they won’t do it through my living room.” He was quoting his father at the time, but he was expressing his own feelings. I wound up resigning that church over the race issue, but many years later I learned that deacon eventually became head of the local Rescue Squad, which was thoroughly interracial. God had gotten through to him! We tend to put so many things in the way of what God wants to do for and through us, and we ourselves are the ones who suffer most for it. There is no path of greater blessing than being totally yielded to God, serving Him faithfully in intimate fellowship. The better we understand that, the more we will see His glory.

This is something I have known for a long time, but it’s interesting how long it has taken me to really practice it. I still protest at times at things God wants me to do! I desire that every member of this church be a fully committed servant of God, so I’d better set the example. I have no room to feel superior to anyone, but I am not to draw back from teaching and admonishing, to build them up. (2 Corinthians 10:8) We are in this journey together, and I cannot wait for my own perfection before helping them along toward theirs. I tell people I really like the honesty of the Bible, because it records people’s failures as well as successes. God is the only one with a perfect track record, but He chooses to use us anyway. Just as He has instructed me to say in this morning’s message, I need to keep my focus on Christ so strongly that everything else will be insignificant.

Father, thank You for Your plans for today. Thank You for all You have been doing in me and in all the believers. Thank You that You are indeed transforming us into the likeness of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18) May we not draw back from any of it, but rejoice to be and do all that You intend, causing Your Name to be hallowed and Your kingdom come, as Your will is done. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 26, 2012

Posted on May 28, 2012 by jgarrott

Acts 10:42-44 “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

Once again, Peter is focused on Jesus. The world would be a very different place if every preacher, every evangelist had that focus! It is important to note that Peter really only stated the facts of the Gospel, and didn’t really “give an invitation” as such. These people were primed to receive, because they had all heard of the angelic visitation that Cornelius had experienced, so they just needed to know what to do. When Peter said, “Believe in Jesus,” that’s exactly what they did! The Japanese has a nuance that is missing from the NIV, and that is where the NIV says “all who heard the message.” In Japanese it says, “all who turned their ears to listen to the Word.” There’s a world of difference between hearing with our physical ears and hearing with our wills, our hearts. These people received the Word of Truth that came from Peter’s lips, and it transformed them. Peter’s only mention of the Holy Spirit had been to say that Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, (verse 38) but these people’s surrender to Jesus was complete enough that they received all He wanted to give them. We have a lot to learn from both Peter and his audience here!

I’ve never gotten to preach to a group that had been prepared by an angelic visitation, but that’s no excuse for failing to keep the focus on Jesus. Like Paul, I need to “resolve to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2) It’s not that I’m to say nothing else, it’s that I’m to relate everything to Jesus, because otherwise there is no foundation for anything I might say. There’s a reason John 3:16 is so famous! It is absolutely pivotal that “God loved the world so much that He have His only Son.” I can talk myself blue in the face, but if I don’t get that foundational truth through, it’s just empty words. Anyone who is totally convinced of that glorious reality will be open to receive anything else God might want to pour onto, into, and through them, just as the people in this passage were.

Father, thank You for realigning my thinking. Like a car, I tend to drift out of alignment over time! Help me indeed focus fully on Jesus, in the pulpit and out of it, so that all whose hearts are ready may receive and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 25, 2012

Posted on May 25, 2012 by jgarrott

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

This is one time when the NIV makes a bit more sense than the more literal Japanese translation. In Japanese, the image that comes to mind is of people walking in circles and talking, like some patients I’ve seen at the mental hospital! However, in context it’s very clear that’s not what was meant. The biggest real take-away from this verse is that persecution couldn’t make these believers shut up. They left Jerusalem because of the increasing pressure there, but they certainly didn’t leave their faith behind. Some people seem to have a very contextual religion, going through all the motions when they are in their familiar environment, but essentially chucking it all when they go somewhere different. I’ve seen this in quite a few foreign English teachers here in Japan. Frankly, some of them seem to take overseas jobs precisely to escape accountability. What they don’t realize is that this only exposes the shallowness of their faith. The same applies to people who don’t even think of finding a place to worship on Sunday when they are on vacation, as though they were taking a vacation from church! For these early believers, new settings simply meant new people with whom to share Christ. If all believers had that attitude today, the world would be evangelized in no time!

I can’t say that I haven’t had my times of wanting to “escape from church,” but they have mercifully been few. As a pastor, when I start thinking that the load is on me, the impulse to bolt arises. However, when I rightly realize that I am no more than an instrument in God’s hands, gratitude and strength well up. I desire that every believer in this church have the attitude of the early believers in this verse, and that calls for major “renewing of their minds.” (Romans 12:2) That in turn calls for them to be open to the filling, empowering work of the Holy Spirit. I can’t change anyone, even myself, but God can through His Spirit, and that is what I am to pray for. Along with that, I am to speak the truth in love, helping them understand not only how far they are from the Biblical pattern, but also that God is able, ready, and waiting to transform them to that pattern.

Father, thank You for the message You’ve birthed in me for this coming Sunday. Guide me now in completing the notes for that, so that it will be exactly what You desire and intend, opening minds and hearts to the magnificence of Your gracious plans for us. May we all be Christians indeed, little Christs, accurately expressing Your grace and love to the world around us, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 24, 2012

Posted on May 25, 2012 by jgarrott

AC 5:29, 42 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!” Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

This is the moral and theological foundation for what in recent years has been called “civil disobedience.” In Romans 13:1-5 Paul expressed clearly the general rule for living in society, which is to be an exemplary, law-abiding citizen. However, when the government comes out in direct opposition to God, then God must always take priority. This is happening today in the US, with the government mandating that all employers must pay for abortifacients, and the government is being sued over the issue. Legal channels are still being used, but whatever the outcome in the courts, the government isn’t going to win this one. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. We have the record of how it played out in 1st century Jerusalem: God won! Almost every time governments have tried to get believers to abandon their faith, it has resulted in a massive increase in the number of believers! If the current US administration, by hook or by crook, manages to stay in power past the coming election, then it will be clear that God is allowing persecution in order to purify the Church and prepare for Christ’s return. However, such large-scale events aren’t the whole picture. Every believer faces times of choosing whether to go with the crowd or be obedient to God. Sadly, too many people take what they think is the easy way out, and go with the crowd. Sometimes it takes quite a while, but they eventually see how wrong they were. Sometimes there are genuine questions as to what God wants, but those are much fewer than rebellious people like to pretend. Even there, if the commitment to obedience is there, God will always make His will clear. “Jesus is Lord” is an absolute statement.

I minister in the one nation in which historic persecution was largely “successful,” driving the Church out of society to a degree that has been seen nowhere else. There has been great and long debate as to why that is so, because even today Japanese seem more resistant to the Gospel than any comparable people group. Other than specific issues of spiritual warfare, the first thing that stands out to me is Japan’s long history of enshrining loyalty as the supreme virtue. That was how they managed to do all they did in the 20th Century, both good and bad. The problem with that is that people see becoming Christian as being disloyal to their ancestors who were not Christian, and we have had people tell us explicitly that they choose hell over being disloyal. The second issue is how private they are, not wanting to invade someone’s “personal space.” That is a major hindrance to evangelism, because it takes enormous conviction and strength of will for Japanese believers to be active in personal evangelism. In written prayer requests this past Sunday, one believer wrote that we need to pray that believers would “break their silence” about Christ. I certainly agree with that!

Father, I am also faced with the question of how well I obey You, rather than the many other voices that speak to me. Help me lead the believers by example in being committed to obedience on every level, not making You speak twice but obeying immediately. May we miss none of the appointments You have for us, so that people may be brought into Your kingdom for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 23, 2012

Posted on May 25, 2012 by jgarrott

Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Peter is still rightly fixated on Jesus Christ alone. Far too many churches effectively teach “Jesus and…” It is true that the Bible is of great importance and is a wonderful gift from God, but we are not saved by Jesus and the Bible. It is true that the Church is the Body of Christ, and every believer needs to be actively planted and participating in it, but we are not saved by Jesus and the Church. And it is even true that the Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity, and is the One who brings the conviction of sin that is necessary for repentance and salvation, but still, we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone, not in Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Frankly, all these other things can and have been counterfeited. In competition with the Bible there are the Koran and Book of Mormon, not to mention Buddhist sutras and many other “sacred” writings. Many religions effectively suck people into organizations that pervert the whole concept of “church” in one way or another. And there are multitudes of evil spirits operating in the world today. Just because something is “spiritual” doesn’t mean it’s holy! As a matter of fact, a tract from a Buddhist cult was put in our mailbox just yesterday that talked about “spiritual alignment!” Some genuinely Christian churches today put so much emphasis on manifestations that may or may not be of the Holy Spirit that you hardly hear anything about Jesus. The way to discern if a manifestation is indeed of the Holy Spirit is if it exalts Jesus, because the Holy Spirit will always do that. This whole emphasis on Jesus is of course a terrible affront to every person and organization controlled by the devil, because he hates Jesus! That’s why there’s such a push in the US right now against any public prayer in Jesus’ name. Pious-sounding prayers to “almighty God” don’t raise much stir, but the minute someone starts praying to “Lord Jesus,” like they know Who they’re talking to, all hell breaks loose, literally. Christians must not back down from the supremacy of Jesus, or stop using His name rightly, in thanks and praise rather than profanity, because it is at the name of Jesus that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess. (Philippians 2:10-11)

This is a powerful Word, and I’ve got to remember and act on it. In my public prayers I generally start off with “Heavenly Father,” or “Lord.” I don’t feel that’s bad, particularly since very few non-Christians have any concept of God as Father, but they also don’t know that when I say Lord, I mean Jesus. I need to be intentional in bringing out the name of Jesus in my interactions with others. Particularly in Japan, there’s no telling what image comes up in someone’s mind when you say “God!”

Father, thank You for this clear Word, particularly as I’ll be doing hospital visitation today. May my words draw people to Jesus, and not to me! This is going to require getting out of some habits, but that’s a good thing. Help me keep growing, so that I may be increasingly effective in drawing people to Jesus Christ as Lord, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 22, 2012

Posted on May 22, 2012 by jgarrott

Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

As is shown in verses 12 and 16, Peter’s entire focus was on Jesus. This is probably why most Christians today don’t see miracles: their focus is not on Jesus. Peter knew what he had, and he had Jesus, and that was enough. I’m reminded of the story of two priests walking in the Vatican, and one said, “We certainly can’t say we have no silver or gold, can we?” The other replied, “No, but can we say, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk?’” When our focus shifts from Jesus to anything else, we lose far more than we realize. Jesus wasn’t being egotistical when He spoke of all authority being given to Him, He was simply stating fact. (Matthew 28:18-20) If we fail to speak and act in submission to Him and in accordance with His Spirit, we have no authority to back us up. However, as is recorded throughout Acts, if we are in a right relationship with Christ by His Spirit, there is no limit to what God can and will do through us.

This is something I have known intellectually for a long time, but my focus is still too diffuse. As Jesus said to Martha, I am concerned with many things, when only one is necessary. (Luke 10:41-42) I worry about how I am going to do things, when my focus needs to be on Christ, period. Recent weeks have been good training in that, as various things have come up to give me anxiety, even as the Lord has spoken through me to others to assure them that He is still God, regardless of what is going on. I’m learning to listen to my own sermons! Faithfulness and obedience are still concerns, but they should be my only concerns, because God is more than able to handle every­thing. Even in the areas of faithfulness and obedience, if my commitment is there, then I have no worries because I know that God is working in me to will and to do His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13) My job is very simply to focus on Jesus, and act accordingly.

Father, thank You for this Word this morning. It’s certainly simple! Help me indeed follow through in full obedience. My life is very full of many activities, and I am so easily distracted from You. Help me focus on Christ indeed, so that Your Spirit will have full liberty to speak and act in and through me, whether I am in a church setting or not, so that Your will may be accomplished for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 21, 2012

Posted on May 22, 2012 by jgarrott

Acts 2:38-39 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Peter was speaking prophetically, and really didn’t understand the breadth of the truth he was proclaiming, as is evident from what is recorded in Acts 10. At this point, Peter probably thought he was just talking about Jews! It’s important to realize here that just before Peter said this, the Holy Spirit had spoken through him to bring conviction to his hearers. It doesn’t do much good to call people to salvation if they haven’t recognized they need it. Ray Comfort has a very effective, and very confrontational, ministry in the US, but I doubt his approach would bear much fruit in Japan because the people simply have no foundation for understanding the message. However far it has strayed from it, America indeed has a “Judeo-Christian Heritage.” Likewise, the crowd in Jerusalem at Pentecost was there precisely because they believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and so were primed to receive what Peter had to say. In terms of methodology, Paul is far more applicable to Japan because he ministered to Gentiles who didn’t have that foundation. Even so, he always started with the Jews wherever he went so that he could get a core group on which to grow. The point is that the promise is indeed for “all who are far off,” but the method of communicating it needs to be tailored to each specific situation, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

This is of course what I have struggled with in my 30 years of ministry in Omura, and I certainly can’t say I’ve come up with any pat answers! I find obstacles to each of the core elements in what Peter said: repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit. It is thus not surprising that I also have had difficulty in communicating a vision for the salvation of “all who are far off.” It is abundantly clear that this isn’t something I can do by my own wisdom and strength! I’ve got to stay actively dependent on the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to show me how much to say to whom, and when, because only He can bring true conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment, bringing the repentance that leads to salvation. (John 16:8) In that, I am not to be hesitant, but be bold to speak the truth in love as He directs, so that as many as possible may be brought to salvation.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the beautiful day yesterday, and for all You did in it. I pray that each of the believers would indeed seek to bear the fruit of Christ’s character in every way. They are much closer in experience to those around them than I am, and so can see the specific barriers that need to be overcome. Help them believe that You can indeed overcome every barrier, and so be bold witnesses to all they encounter, and especially to their families, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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