April 30, 2012

Posted on May 1, 2012 by jgarrott

John 1:16-17 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

These first verses of the Gospel of John are so incredibly rich and deep! They are an instance of the reality expressed in these two verses, because nothing required God to have John write them, yet they have blessed countless people in the almost 2000 years since they were written. To me these two verses speak volumes, but what stands out this morning is the fact that we have all received abundant grace. That is true, yet many people fail to recognize it and so fail to be thankful or, for that matter, happy. A dissatisfied, ungrateful heart is certainly not a happy one! This is at the core of something Jesus said repeatedly, that has come up repeatedly in recent readings, and that is that those who have will be given more, and those who don’t have will lose what they do have. It is only when we recognize that God has been gracious to us that we line up with Him so that more grace can be received. Refusing to recognize grace shuts us off from God in many ways, and that is never a good thing. God is always there and available, arms outstretched to receive us, but if we fail to recognize that and turn to Him, it does us no good. There are many things in this life that are not pleasant. Some of them are God’s tools for training and growing us, and some are simply the result of human sin, our own or others’. However, focusing on those things will blind us to the overwhelming weight of God’s grace toward us, and that benefits no one.

This is certainly a reminder that I needed this morning, because I did not go to bed with a grateful heart last night! It wasn’t anything really specific, but I allowed the devil to use physical tiredness to trigger emotional tiredness, and that clouded my eyes to the grace with which I am surrounded. As abundantly as I have been blessed, that is certainly an indication that no one is immune to such attacks! I need to listen to and act on my own sermons, and not just speak them at others. Likewise, I need to be gentle and understanding toward those in the flock who are struggling with such things. None of us can stand on our own, much less be fruitful, but God’s grace is sufficient for us, if we will only receive it. As it says in the lyrics to “Jesus Loves Me,” we are weak, but He is strong.

Father, thank You for Your patience with me! There are so many lessons I should have learned fully long ago, yet I still need reminders and refresher courses. Thank You for providing those. Thank You for the good, full day yesterday. Thank You especially for the good, clear Word through Brother Kawata. It was indeed what we as a body needed to hear. Help us apply it, waiting faithfully on You, trusting that Your plans are perfect and overflowing with grace and love. Thank You for those who came to the service and to the BBQ afterward. May we as a church be an open conduit for Your grace and love to all, so that many may receive and be saved, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 29, 2012

Posted on May 1, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 22:25-26 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.”

It is interesting to see that human nature has been consistent over the millenia. The title of Benefactor is still in use in dictatorships of all political stripes. It’s also interesting to note that even though Jesus had taught on this subject before, the 12 were arguing over who was greatest even here, though they had no idea what a momentous occasion this was. We love power and authority, and all the “perks” we assign to them, not really grasping that there is no true authority without commensurate responsibility, and forgetting the ultimate example of Jesus Christ Himself. He was His own best illustration of this point, as He had to point out to the 12. Paul pointed out that all authority, even political, ultimately comes from God. (Romans 13:1) It follows, then, that anyone rightly exercising authority will be submitted to God as the ultimate authority, and not imagine that their authority is intrinsic to themselves. This point is very important, and it caused Jesus to praise the faith of the Roman centurion who recognized it. (Luke 7:1-9) Christians need to realize that Christ’s authority operates through them (Matthew 28:18-20) and so serve with assurance, but always with the attitude of Jesus Himself. (Philippians 2:5-11)

The whole issue of authority is one I have wrestled with for as long as I’ve been in ministry. I have no problem with serving, but I hesitate to exercise authority! I feel I have grown in this area, but I still have plenty of room for more growth. I am never to mistake authority for privilege, but I must also remember that I’m not to do it all myself. Delegation is extremely important, and failure in that area is an expression of pride, because it says, they can’t do it as well as I could. Even if they can’t, I need to let them participate! Today is a good case in point. I’m not speaking, just interpreting this morning. I need to be listening to what the Lord says through my brother, and not just processing it through my language ability. In the barbecue to follow, I need to supply direction as needed without insisting that things be done my way. I need to rejoice in God’s patience with me, and exercise that same patience toward others. We are all equally in need of His grace!

Father, I do ask Your guidance and anointing on all of today’s activities. I pray that Your will would be done in every detail, and that we would rejoice to be obedient to You. May we worship in spirit and in truth and rejoice to fellowship with one another and with Your Holy Spirit, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 28, 2012

Posted on April 28, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 21:14-15 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.”

My first reaction on reading this this morning was, Wait a minute! Did Peter contradict Jesus? I have used 1 Peter 3:15 several times in messages, where it says “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” In Japanese it even uses the same word as today’s passage, though the NIV uses “defend yourselves” here and “give an answer” in 1 Peter. However, it didn’t take much reflection to realize the differences, thanks in part to the English nuances. Jesus is talking about when we are attacked, and He says we aren’t to lose sleep over trying to defend ourselves. The first test of this was Peter, who amazed the Sanhedrin with his response as an ignorant fisherman. (Acts 4:1-22) Perhaps an even bigger test was Stephen, who was on trial before the same body but with a different result. Peter was released, (that time) but Stephen was stoned to death as the first martyr for his faith. Did Jesus’ promise that “not a hair of your head will perish; by standing firm you will gain life” (verses 17 and 18) fail? Not at all! Stephen was gloriously received into heaven! However, that still leaves us with what Peter said in his letter. There, Peter is not talking about when we are attacked, but rather when our lives generate questions in people about how we can have such peace and joy in the face of our circumstances. He’s not talking about memorizing evangelistic presentations, he’s saying we should have enough of the Word in us so that no question will take us off guard. He certainly experienced God’s provision of supernatural wisdom and wording, as we just saw, but he also knew that if our relationship with God isn’t fresh, renewed daily, we won’t be in a position to receive that provision.

I’ve not been actively attacked that often, though it has happened. Each time, God has indeed supplied wisdom and wording that shut people up. As a pastor, I am to be faithful in sermon preparation, but that preparation must be in receiving and transmitting what the Lord desires to say, not in cooking up polished oratory. There is a world of difference between a speech, no matter how excellent, and a Word from the Lord. I’m not in the business of giving speeches! I am to encourage the believers to steep themselves in the Word, gaining spiritual nourishment and giving the Holy Spirit plenty of material to work with for guiding them and speaking through them.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to speak through me time and time again, often with things I hadn’t thought of before I heard them from my own mouth. Thank You for the memorial service I’ll be speaking at today. The truths You want shared there are very simple, but they are foundational. I ask You to use me to generate a hunger for salvation in every person who hears me, drawing those few who are saved closer to You and drawing those who are not yet saved to repentance and faith. I pray that Brother Minoru would have a rich harvest of souls even now, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 27, 2012

Posted on April 28, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 20:15-15 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
When the people heard this, they said, “May this never be!”

This passage has been used as a foundation of Replacement Theology, which says that the Jews have been replaced by the Church in God’s plans. The problem with that is the overwhelming weight of other passages that say otherwise. Paul wrote extensively in Romans about this issue, and Chapter 11 pretty well nails it. However, as this passage and history show us, God indeed took the nation out of the hands of those who were governing it at the time of Jesus, and they were certainly destroyed. The point is that God does hold leaders accountable, and pretending otherwise does no good. There have been Church leaders through the centuries who have tried to ignore this, but God has dealt with them. As I have said before, this whole issue is the major motivation behind a lot of “atheism.” I put that in quotes, because if those people really believed there was no God, they would not be so violently against Him! It is human nature to try to duck responsibility, to avoid accountability, but human nature can’t change God’s laws. God has given each of us a “field” of endeavor, whether it is large or small, and as the Owner, He is entitled to the fruit of our labors. That certainly doesn’t mean that we don’t benefit too, but it does mean that He comes first. It is only when we acknowledge that in our thoughts and actions that we walk in the peace, joy, and abundant fruitfulness that He intends for us.

This of course applies to me as it does to each individual, but doubly so because God has placed me in a position of authority and responsibility in the Church. That doesn’t make me better than anyone else, it just means I have more to answer for! That’s what James was talking about in James 3:1. I can’t really say I sought this position, but God has placed me in it and I am accountable to Him for it. As a pastor, I need to help each believer understand that they are likewise accountable for their stewardship of the tasks and opportunities they have been given. Each person has a different set, which makes comparisons difficult, not to mention foolish, but we are all accountable to God.

Father, the longer I live, the more I am aware that I can’t fulfill the tasks set before me apart from Your guidance and strength. Thank You for that awareness. Thank You that I can have complete assurance that with you guidance and strength, everything will be done well. Help me be sensitive and responsive to Your guidance, accepting Your strength in place of my own weakness, so that all of Your plans for me may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 26, 2012

Posted on April 26, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 19:26 “He replied, `I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.”

The Parable of the Minas isn’t nearly as famous at the Parable of the Talents. (Matthew 25:14-30) There are some interesting differences, but the punch line is essentially the same. The situation Jesus starts with here, of someone going off to be made king, is exactly what happened with Herod I, the king when Jesus was born, so this was a scenario his listeners could relate to, however strange it seems to us. The difference between this parable and the talents is that here, everyone starts on equal footing, receiving one mina, which, though a considerable sum of money, was nowhere near as much as a talent. In the Parable of the Talents, two men who started with different sums each doubled what they had received, and were commended exactly the same. Here, the results and the rewards vary. However, they come down to the same statement: the one who has will be given more, and the one who has not will have even what they do have taken from them. In this story, bystanders protest the seeming unfairness of it, but that doesn’t make Jesus change His tune. The whole point of stewardship is that we aren’t doing it for ourselves, but for our Lord. However, those who have proved faithful with what they start with are rewarded. Actually, this principle applies in such areas as marriage as well. If each marriage partner is focused on their own happiness, both will end up miserable, and in current society, the marriage will dissolve. It is when each focuses on the happiness of the other that both discover more happiness than they could have dreamed. Jesus expressed this to His disciples by saying that what­ever they gave up for Him would be returned 100 fold. (Matthew 19:29) Put another way, it all boils down to: when you focus on yourself, you lose.

This is something I, of course, try to communicate to couples in counseling, but I sometimes think I have less success in communicating it to church members in general. I have learned in my own experience that the Bible is true, and there is no better or shorter path to blessing than focusing fully on Jesus my Lord in total obedience, trusting Him with every detail of my life. However, in our human weakness we have trouble really believing that. I need to remember how far I have come (and how far I still have to go) as I work with those who are further back on the road, expressing to them patience and grace but never wavering from the truth, so that we may all be liberated from the lies of the enemy and walk in the abundance God intends.

Father, thank You for all You are doing in this church right now. Thank You for how You are dealing with each believer where they are, knocking off rough edges and filling in the holes, so to speak. Help me be the shepherd they need, encouraging and admonishing and speaking Your truth in love, so that we may be all that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 25, 2012

Posted on April 25, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Jesus expressed His calling several times in different ways, notably by quoting Isaiah 61:1-2, (Luke 4:16-21) but this is perhaps the most succinct. In the first place, He uses His title as Son of Man, which is significant because it points to the whole narrative of God becoming a human being, as Paul expressed so eloquently in Philippians 2:6-11. Then He speaks of lost humanity, which of course brings up the whole story of Adam and Eve in Eden. There is a particular echo there when He says “seek.” that brings to mind God’s saying, “Adam, where are you?” (Genesis 2:9) It wasn’t that God didn’t know where Adam was, or that He doesn’t know today where each person is; the point is that He is calling for a response. Jesus came to “seek and save,” calling on people to repent and receive the salvation that He was providing through His own body and blood on the cross. The story of Zacchaeus is an excellent example, because Jesus obviously knew who he was and where he was, just as He does everyone today, and He challenged him to come and receive salvation. Zacchaeus could have refused, but instead he accepted with his whole heart.

I have no trouble identifying the lost around me – they are over 90% of the people I see every day! My task is to challenge them to repent and receive the salvation that God has provided through Jesus Christ. Every once in a while I encounter a Zacchaeus, but they are all too few and far between. The point for me is not to give up, but be faithful in communicating the Gospel to all. I particularly need to be sensitive to the “special appointments” God sets up, just as He did with Zacchaeus. To that end, I must let God have full control of my schedule, particularly in regards to time. That’s a difficult area for me because I hate to be late, and I also tend to be jealous for “my” time. Being prompt certainly isn’t a bad thing, but I must not let my desire to be prompt tear me away from someone who is ready to receive the Gospel. I don’t know who the “ripe fruit” is, but God does, and I need to let Him show me when, where, and how to harvest.

Father, thank You for the privilege of being Your agent, in planting and watering as well as in harvesting. Help me be fully sensitive and obedient to You so that I may see Your results, bringing many into Your kingdom for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 24, 2012

Posted on April 25, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 18:19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good–except God alone.”

I think Jesus may have been asking here, “Do you acknowledge me as God?” That’s a vitally important question. Jesus famously asked His 12 disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” eliciting Peter’s magnificent confession that “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Matthew 16:15-16) Sadly, this rich young man wasn’t ready to make that confession fully, and I think a lot of church members are in the same boat. It all comes down to a question of lordship. If Jesus is not your Lord, then He isn’t your Savior, either. That’s a little easier to explain in Japanese, because the Japanese for “Savior” is “Saving Lord.” Paul famously said, “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) It’s important to note that confessing with your mouth isn’t the same as simply saying, it is acknowledging verbally something that is true internally. That is to say, if you have made Jesus your Lord and admit it out loud, believing that He died for you and rose again, then you will be saved: you have entered into the family of the redeemed. We have a lot of trouble understanding and submitting to Lordship, but here again Japanese can provide an illustration. Someone who has a pet is a “pet-keeping lord.” That is, they are the owner, and have full authority over the animal, whether the animal cooperates or not. When we acknowledge Jesus as Lord, we are saying, “You are my owner; I belong to You. You are the ultimate authority in my life.” The rich young man was not ready to make that confession.

For a long time I have acknowledged on several levels that Jesus is Lord, but I still don’t always act like it. In its fullest expression it means never complaining about anything, never doubting that His plan is absolute and perfect, always giving Him the thanks, praise, and adoration He deserves. I don’t think I’m there yet! That’s particularly problematical because I’m an example to many; I’m to be showing them how to live. If I fail to submit to Jesus’ Lordship consistently, they aren’t likely to believe it’s really possible for them. The rub is, it’s not possible for any of us without the help of the Holy Spirit! I need to be consistent in seeking and accepting the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, neither quenching Him nor grieving Him. (1Thessalonians 5:19, Ephesians 4:30) Only then will I walk in full submission to Jesus my Lord, for His glory.

Father, thank You for arranging that I have a picture of Brother Minoru and his three dogs right in front of me for this morning’s time with You. Thank You that You keep teaching, training, and growing me. Help me not protest the process, but rather trust You fully, not just with my circumstances but with who I am. Thank You that by Your grace You are transforming me into whom I ought to be, because that’s who I want to be, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 23, 2012

Posted on April 23, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 18:17 “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

As came out in yesterday’s message, God delights to give us His kingdom, (Luke 12:32) but Jesus says very clearly here that we must receive it as little children or we’ll never enter in. It is very worthwhile to consider just how a child receives things. We tend to let our “adult” minds get in the way of any number of God’s blessings. It is when we think we know better that we close the door. A child will receive or not depending on whether the thing seems desirable to them, not on the basis of whether they are worthy, or it is logical, or anything else. The fact is, none of us are worthy of the kingdom of God, but in His love and grace He has opened the door through the cross of His Son, and that’s all we need to know. Actually, it’s extremely illogical that the Creator would love His creation so much, but that doesn’t stop His love. If God delights to give us His kingdom, then we should gratefully delight to receive it!

I run into this issue all the time, in myself and others. I do know that as a good Father, God doesn’t spoil us, but I am to expect good of Him and not evil, fulfillment and not disappointment. I was talking just yesterday with a man who is convinced Christianity is the best religion, yet he can’t bring himself to believe Jesus was really God and really rose from the dead. He’s letting his “adult” mind get in the way of his salvation! There’s another friend to whom I’ve been witnessing for many years, but he’s made a god of “science,” as he perceives science, and can’t bring himself to accept that the physical universe was created by an immaterial Being, who also happens to love us enough to die for us. He admires and envies my faith, but can’t bring himself to receive it as a gift. These are the sort of people Jesus was talking about, and it breaks His heart even more than it breaks mine. I am to pray for them, and never give up speaking God’s love and grace to them.

Father, I really don’t understand the mystery of free will. I know that You love us all and want us all to come to salvation, yet so few accept Your offer. I ask Your overflowing grace and mercy on us all, and that You would make me more effective as an instrument of Your truth to cut away the lies that bind people and keep them from coming to You. May I never be limited by looking at my own wisdom, strength and ability, but be totally available to You for You to do through me what I could never do, in bringing these people to salvation for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 22, 2012

Posted on April 23, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 16:10-11 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?

Here’s the perfect answer for those who insist that they aren’t obligated to tithe. God didn’t institute tithing because He needed the money! It’s very much like the situation in the US government today: people who cheat on their own taxes shouldn’t be trusted with other people’s tax money! However, what Jesus is talking about is far more important than that, and that’s the whole point. We have great difficulty getting it through our heads that this world’s riches are just a drop in the bucket compared with all that God has prepared for those who love Him, who have really placed Him first in their hearts and lives. No amount of money can buy assurance of eternal life, for just one example. Some people put out great sums to have their bodies, or the bodies of their loved ones, cryogenically frozen in the hope they can some day be revived when human science has advanced to that point. What a sad, pathetic thing! Any true Christian is going to get a new body in the resurrection, without any of the enormous questions and difficulties involved in cryogenics. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg (to stay on the frozen theme). Paul, who experienced a foretaste of heaven, (2 Corinthians 12) repeatedly used expressions like “more than all we can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20) when it came to the sort of thing Jesus is referring to here as “true riches.” Jesus’ point is extremely clear, that material wealth is no more than a training tool for true riches, and some people flunk out before they get started! I am reminded yet again of Nate Saint’s famous quote: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” Nate gave his life in martyrdom, but he’s certainly enjoying incredible riches in heaven right now.

We in this church are in the middle of training in this right now, but when I think about it, all of life is training in this area. God calls for faithfulness, and I need to respond to that call. Material things are indeed good indicators of focus. If my focus is truly on God and His kingdom, material things will never be an issue. (Matthew 6:33) The trouble is, I get distracted! Yesterday God beautifully provided a new video camera for recording the messages in our services here, but I’m so uptight about using it correctly that I’ve lost sleep already! I need to trust that if God can provide the camera, He can also provide the wisdom and knowledge to use it properly. There are seemingly far larger issues confronting the church at this point as well, but in each one I need to be faithful with what is at hand, trusting God to supply whatever else we need. Jesus wasn’t talking about being faithful with what we don’t have yet, He was talking about what we already have. I need to lead the church in consistent faithfulness, so that we will be prepared for all that God wants to pour out on and through us.

Father, it seems like I’m so slow to really learn this lesson! Thank You for Your patience and persistence. Help me indeed be faithful with what is at hand, not because that thing is important in itself, but because You are more than worthy of total faithfulness in all things. May I be an example to the flock of stewardship in all areas, so that together we may be found faithful in Your eyes, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 21, 2012

Posted on April 23, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 15:31-32 ” `My son,’ the father said, `you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

God does not spoil us, His children, but He is not stingy, either. So many people misunderstand Him in one direction or the other on that issue. In recent years we’ve heard a lot from Prosperity Gospel people who focus on the abundance of God’s supply, but the key that there is something wrong is that they seem almost entirely fixated on material wealth, and there’s a lot of “giving to get.” Some organizations (I don’t want to call them ministries) are essentially pyramid schemes, with the man or woman at the top raking in the money. I will leave it to God to settle those accounts. On the other hand, there are those who refuse the spiritual abundance God has for us, and turn their backs on all sorts of blessings. They malign God by saying that He changes, that He doesn’t do today the things described in the Bible. There too, God is the judge. Jesus had the father in this parable say, “Everything I have is yours,” and there is complete agreement that this is a picture of our heavenly Father. Paul echoed this in 1 Corinthians 3:21-23, keeping it in the context of God’s supremacy, yet by his own testimony he experienced times of lack in virtually every area. (Philippians 4:12) People tend to forget this when they quote Philippians 4:19! God never runs short of anything, and He is not at all stingy, but He is more interested in our character than our comfort, our maturity than our physical pleasure.

I have experienced this enough to have a good bit of peace with it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still have my panic moments. That should give me empathy and patience with those who are much less secure in God’s provision. The current situation is a case in point. I hesitate to tell some of the people that God’s plan isn’t what we thought it was, because I’m concerned what their reaction will be. However, I need to praise God that He has provided this training opportunity so that we may grow as His disciples. I am not to hesitate to ask God for my needs, or even for my wants, but I need to walk in complete trust that He knows my true needs better than I do, and He will supply those in gracious abundance. If I am not living that way, how can I train the believers to walk that way?

Father, thank You indeed for Your perfect plans for us. Help me grow in my submission, trust, and obedience, so that all of Your plans for me and for this church may be fulfilled, on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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