April 10, 2012

Posted on April 10, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 24:44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Jesus was reminding His disciples that He had been pointing out to them all along the prophecies of His suffering, death and resurrection, but today, when those events are 2000 years in the past, we need to be aware that they apply equally to the prophecies of His return, and the end of the world. Before His cross Jesus said explicitly that no one knows the day or the hour that will happen, (Mark 13:32) and after His resurrection, when the disciples were speculating about it, He told them it wasn’t theirs to know. (Acts 1:7) However, He also said to be aware of the signs of the times, (Matthew 16:2-3) and that we are to keep watch. (Matthew 24:42, 44) Today we have the very real possibility of nuclear war in the Middle East, and we have a president in the US who seems bent on destroying everything Christian, and the nation along with it. That should drive every believer to the Word, and to faithfulness to whatever tasks the Lord has assigned them. As Jesus said repeatedly, every word of Scripture will be fulfilled, whether we anticipate it or not, and whether we like it or not. As it says in Hebrews, we should be all the more earnest as we see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)

I have never been an “End Times Preacher,” and I have been a bit distressed by well-meaning people who are obsessed with charts and time lines and speculation. I certainly don’t want to go that direction! At the same time, I am seeing enough things going on in the world today that make prophecies that previously seemed fantastic all too possible, that I can’t help but feel the time is near. That doesn’t mean I’m to run around like a chicken with my head cut off by any means. On the contrary, it means I am to be all the more faithful at whatever tasks the Lord assigns to me, however mundane they might seem. I am not to let my heart be troubled or afraid, (John 14:1) and that is a very real temptation for me. Political news from the US is distressing to say the least! I have to keep reminding myself that God is still God, and that His plans will be fulfilled. I pray for His mercy, and for protection for all who are His by conviction and choice. The only thing that keeps me from wanting Christ’s return to be tomorrow, or even today, is the desire to see so many more people saved before it is too late. We do have prophecies of end-time revival, and I want to see those fulfilled right here!

Father, this is more and more training in trusting obedience. Help me be fully obedient, refusing anxiety because I know You are faithful. Help me recognize and exercise Your priorities for my time and energy, so that I may be the harvest worker You want me to be, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 9, 2012

Posted on April 10, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 24:25-27 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ* have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Once again we are comforted to find that the early disciples weren’t any different from us, and that God was patient with them. Jesus certainly didn’t hesitate to call a spade a spade, whether it was people who were for Him or against Him, but He always did it in love. He didn’t just say these disciples were unbelieving with dull hearts, He then went on to correct that condition. We all need that kind of help! This passage also teaches us that the whole Bible speaks of Jesus, if we have eyes and hearts to see it. I have seen the figure of between two and three hundred direct prophecies of Christ being in the OT, but I haven’t confirmed that personally. There could well be more, but a problem in counting is what we call a direct prophecy and what is a reference, and whether we divide a prophetic passage up into multiple prophecies. In any case, focusing on numbers distracts us from the reality that the whole Bible is His book, because it expresses God’s plan for and dealings with mankind, and Christ is the very center of that plan. Every time we open the Bible we should expect to see Jesus, because it is the Word of God, and He is the Word of God. (John 1:1)

I have the incredible privilege and blessing of having been steeped in Scripture from infancy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I really see, understand, and appropriate it all. I too am slow to believe the prophets, and my heart is dull. However, by God’s grace I have made some progress along the way. I need to be aware of that grace, and never be dismissive of those who have more trouble believing in some areas than I do. One person in particular comes to mind, but we all need to keep growing. I must be very careful not to discourage, but always impart faith and anticipation of what God is going to do. I am to call a spade a spade, but always in love and gentleness. It’s interesting to try to imagine Jesus’ tone of voice in this passage! My goal must always be Him speaking through me, because only then will His perfect will be accomplished.

Father, thank You for all yesterday held. Thank You for Your anointing in the two services, just as I asked. I pray that what You spoke through me would remain in the hearts and minds of all who heard, producing abundant fruit in Your time. Thank You particularly for keeping me from pulling any punches in the message here. I pray that the man who has been coming off and on for about five years now would be unable to forget what he heard, unable to rest until he commits himself to Jesus Christ as Lord. May we all be emboldened to believe You, trust You, and follow You more completely in all things, so that all of Your plans for us may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 8, 2012

Posted on April 10, 2012 by jgarrott

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

I don’t know to what degree angels experience emotion, but this must have been a fun message to deliver, besides being the highest of privileges. We can only imagine the total confusion it generated in the women, and how completely incredible it seemed to the disciples when they relayed it. Even though Jesus had been telling His followers for months, at least, that He would have to go through Passion Week, culminating in resurrection, it was so outside their experience that they really couldn’t absorb what He was saying to them. With the angels’ reminder they did remember, but the pieces still didn’t seem to fit. After all, they had watched Him die in the most horrible of manners, so beaten and bloody that he hardly seemed human. We tend to dress the whole story up, with Easter parades and eggs and bunnies and chocolate, when actually it was the most raw story imaginable. That’s one reason far too many churches lack the life that is found in the Risen Lord. If Easter is relegated to a spring festival centered around a fable, there is no life in it at all. It is only when we say (or sing) with complete conviction, “I serve a risen Savior; He’s in the world today,” that we experience His life flowing through us as His agents and representatives.

This year I have been particularly reminded of the song, “He Lives,” with which my mother very wisely reassured me of my own salvation so many years ago. I remember during the “God is dead” hoopla around the time I was in seminary that someone put out a bumper sticker that said, “God’s not dead; I talked with Him this morning.” That truth is of the utmost importance. Without the resurrection, Christianity is just a philosophy, and an impossibly hard one to follow at that. I must never gloss over the resurrection in my presentation of the Gospel, because God has to reveal it to someone’s heart before they can truly be born again with resurrection life.

Father, thank you for today! It’s a very full one in many respects, with the Sunrise Service in just a few minutes, our regular service to follow, including placing Brother Kobayashi’s ashes in the columbarium, and then a church board meeting after lunch. However, all of that pales in comparison with the reality that my Lord Jesus Christ is risen. Help me, help us all, operate in the joy of that awareness each moment, not just today but every day, so that we may be strong against every attack and bring Your kingdom to this city, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 7, 2012

Posted on April 7, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 23:46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Jesus’ death was volitional. This was of particular interest to Luke as a physician, because such cases are rare indeed. Quite apart from suicide, sometimes people decide they have lived long enough, and they die. I really feel this was a major factor in my paternal grandmother’s death at age 80. However, even in such cases, there is not the direct connection that we see here. Jesus deliberately gave up His life as an atonement for our sins, having already acknowledged that His work was done. (John 19:30) Had this been suicidal, He would have done it much earlier, to avoid all the incredible pain of the scourging and crucifixion, but instead, He endured all that on our behalf. The soldiers, who had seen many people die and knew what they were looking at, were a bit surprised at the timing, and for good measure pierced His heart with a spear. (John 19:34) However, that didn’t change the fact that He was already dead, it just made His resurrection a touch more miraculous, if that is possible. As the Bible says in several places, Jesus actively gave His life for us. He Himself said that no one could take it from Him. (John 10:17-18) The more we meditate on this, the more we understand the depth and breadth and height of God’s love for us, though it is beyond knowing. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

I certainly can’t say I have meditated enough on God’s love, though every once and a while the awareness of it washes over me. I need to be conscious in recognizing and acknowledging that love, responding to it as He enables me to do so, because I have no strength or ability to do so in myself. As a minister of the Gospel, my commission is to communicate that love to all, and that again is beyond my personal ability. I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in that love, as He has been telling me, allowing it to flow over and through me and carry me along, so that I won’t get in the way of its accurate expression. We have trouble grasping and believing the love of God because we can’t generate such love ourselves, but He can and will manifest that love through us if we will allow Him to do so.

Father, words aren’t enough to thank You for Your love, expressed so magnificently in Christ Jesus my Lord. Help me respond with my whole being, keeping myself fully available to You for however You want to use me, so that as many as possible may repent of their blindness and rebellion and respond to Your love in faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 6, 2012

Posted on April 7, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 23:40-42 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Here we have the essential elements of salvation expressed in painfully graphic detail. This man first confessed his own sin, saying than he deserved the crucifixion he was experiencing. Then, against all human logic, he addressed Jesus as the Divine Ruler, and asked for mercy. He got far more than he imagined! This story is of course very famous, but religious people like to gloss over it for one reason or another. The first is that this man didn’t go through any religious rituals for his salvation. This is not to say that baptism isn’t important, because Jesus commanded it, and obedience is of the utmost importance. However, there was no question of this man’s submission to Jesus, even though Jesus was nailed to a cross just as he was. The second reason religious people gloss over this story is the openness of this man’s acknowledgment of his guilt. He didn’t go into a detailed description of all he had done, but he said plainly that he deserved to be executed. We are uncomfortable with that. We don’t like to admit that we are all deserving of execution. However, this is why many religious people actually aren’t saved, because like the Pharisee in Jesus’ story in Luke 18:9-14, they trust in their own righteousness, not realizing that before God it is no better than filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6) God’s mercy is abundant, but only for those who acknowledge that they need it.

I have certainly had my own struggles with self-righteousness and pride, and I am deeply grateful for God’s grace and patience. I find myself torn, and to a certain extent accused, over the issue of baptism. The recent discovery that someone whom I had assumed had been baptized, and so had been serving him communion, hadn’t been, comes up against someone else whom I know is a believer, but to whom I have not been serving communion because he hasn’t been baptized. I don’t doubt the salvation of either of these brothers. The one has asked for baptism, (which is how I found out he hadn’t been baptized) but I really don’t know what is holding the other one back. I need to seek and follow God’s wisdom and guidance, drawing people to discipleship rather than to religion, so that together we may be obedient to God.

Father, thank You for all You are continuing to do in this church. I don’t have wisdom in myself for any of it, so I ask Your guidance and protection step by step and moment by moment. May this coming Sunday be all that You intend it to be, as a celebration of resurrection and life, so that people may be built up and confirmed in faith to be and do all that You intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 5, 2012

Posted on April 7, 2012 by jgarrott

Matthew 27:24-25 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”

This is certainly a dramatic, highly charged scene, and it is one that has been used, and is being used, to justify antisemitism even to this day. There are several things wrong with that. In the first place, Pilate washing his hands didn’t really relieve him of responsibility. In the second place, nowhere in the Bible does it speak of sins echoing past the fourth generation. In the third place, every one of the first Christians were Jews, so that nullifies antisemitism right from the start. Responsibility is sometimes a tricky thing. We have to remember that responsibility is inseparable from authority. Many people want authority without responsibility, but at least the crowd in Pilate’s courtyard understood that in demanding authority they were also accepting responsibility. Pilate is an interesting figure here. The historical record shows that he was not what we today would call a good man. But for all his faults, he knew an innocent man when he saw one. However, he was more afraid of the crowd, and what Rome would do to him if there was another riot, than he was of his wife or even his own conscience. As he saw it, he was willing to sacrifice Jesus for the sake of his career as a Roman administrator. History shows that didn’t work very well for him, and tradition says that he was haunted by what he did for the rest of his life. Even so, the expression of “washing your hands” of something remains to this day. It didn’t work for him, and it doesn’t work today! We are responsible for our actions, which means every human being alive is guilty before God. That’s why we need a Savior! It is ironic, even tragic, that there is no record that Pilate, who was instrumental in God’s plan of salvation, ever received that salvation for himself.

I am constantly confronted with the issue of responsibility, because avoidance of responsibility is so rampant. People can’t receive salvation unless they accept responsibility for their sins! That is a major barrier for people of most cultures, and certainly for Japanese. I am to speak the truth in love at all times, confronting people not only with their sin but with God’s love and grace that are more than adequate to deal with that sin. Likewise, I must accept responsibility for my own actions, and keep my repentance up to date. Excuses don’t cut it! Human free will is real, and no amount of psychological rationalization can change that.

Father, help me live as Your agent at all times, making no excuses but depending on Your mercy, grace and love. Help me be an example to others to draw them to You, helping them understand not only their own sin but Your provision, so that they may receive Your salvation for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 4, 2012

Posted on April 7, 2012 by jgarrott

Luke 22:61-62 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

This is one of the best known dramatic moments in Scripture, and it is dramatic indeed. However, I think it’s the key to Peter’s later success as the leader of the Jerusalem Church. Here Peter found out that his very best intentions weren’t enough, that he was a weak, fallen human being, looking out for his skin more than for his Lord. We don’t know the physical distance between Peter and Jesus, but they were close enough to see each other directly. However, when the rooster crowed, Peter felt like he was a million miles away, and it was all his fault. I can only imagine the devastation he felt. The next 2½ days were as deep a pit of darkness for Peter as anyone ever experiences on this earth. However, we have the record that Jesus made one of His first post-resurrection appearances to Peter, (Luke 24:34, 1 Corinthians 15:5) even before He showed Himself to the other disciples. Here again we can only imagine the depth of the relief and forgiveness Peter experienced. As a result, Peter knew without the shadow of a doubt that he couldn’t rely on himself at all, but that didn’t matter, because God was absolutely trustworthy. That’s a lesson we all need to learn!

I have thought various times about the moment when Jesus looked at Peter, and it has made me examine the depth of my own repentance. As the Japanese expression for repentance makes clear, it’s more than just regretting something I’ve done, it’s regretting it enough to change. That’s how we have so many unsaved people as members of churches: they haven’t really repented, but rather just agreed to a set of facts. Repentance doesn’t have to involve tears, and tears don’t guarantee repentance. Repentance is first of all an act of the will, which will probably have major emotional repercussions. As a pastor, I’m not to fish for emotions, but rather let the Holy Spirit bring real conviction of sin. When that is present, and then people are helped to understand the forgiveness that is available to them, the emotions are strictly a byproduct. That said, I am never to belittle emotions, because Jesus never did. However, I must never forget human weakness, and keep my focus and dependence on God, leading others to do likewise.

Father, I’m not the best judge of repentance, but then that’s not what You’ve called me to be. Help me call people to repentance and lay out the reasons and conditions for it, but then let Your Holy Spirit do the “heavy lifting,” convicting and convincing, bringing people to new birth. Help me keep my own repentance up to date, so that nothing will come between us and I may walk in the full fellowship of obedience, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 3, 2012

Posted on April 6, 2012 by jgarrott

Matthew 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

This is one of the most famous prayers of all time, and certainly one of the most important. We have a lot of trouble distinguishing between fatalism and faith, resignation and acceptance, in ourselves or in others. However, the differences are very real. Jesus was not “resigned to His fate,” He was choosing to accept and follow through with God’s plan of redemption. That is an example every believer needs to follow! It’s not that we aren’t to pray earnestly and in faith, but it is that we are always to leave the reins in God’s hands, trusting that His will is best in the end, regardless of what we go through in the process. We tend to err on one side or the other of that. Some people are fatalistic to the point of not praying. This is the tendency of what is called Hyper Calvinism, where predestination is seen as a strait jacket that we can’t escape from, so why struggle? However, as James said, often we don’t have because we don’t ask. (James 4:2) This is also part of Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son, (Luke 15:11-32) where the older brother thought the father was stingy, when he had never asked for what he wanted. The other side of the prayer question is people who essentially demand that God do things their way. They take Jesus’ parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8) for justification, and refuse to accept that God might have something for them that is ultimately better than what they are asking. This is, frankly, a difficult thing, because our vision, understanding and wisdom are so limited. However, like Jesus, we can choose to pray earnestly, yet at the same time trust God to be God, and give Him glory.

I’ve had my moments of struggling with this issue, as I think every believer does. However, I know that in going through such times my faith has been strengthened, and I’m better able to deal with the next thing that comes up. I need to be careful not to give up when answers seem delayed, but trust fully, actively and joyfully, being faithful in prayer and obedience. As a pastor, I am to be a model and an encouragement to the flock. They shouldn’t see me as perfect, or they might give up on themselves. Rather, they should see in me that it is more than possible for God to work in and through flawed human vessels, and receive hope and assurance for their own journey.

Father, thank You for Your amazing grace and mercy. Thank You that Christ indeed took on my human weakness and yet prevailed, as an example as well as our Savior. Help me pray with all fervor and persistence, without insisting that things be my way. Help me lead the flock in faith and obedience, so that we may be and do what You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 2, 2012

Posted on April 2, 2012 by jgarrott

Matthew 20:28 “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

When we had the parallel passage in Mark a little over a week ago the context of the crucifixion wasn’t quite as clear. Matthew makes it very clear indeed, talking about how Jesus had just been talking with the disciples about how He was going to have to suffer, die, and be resurrected, when James, John, and their mother came to ask Him for positions of authority. This last sentence says that our attitude is to be the same as that of Jesus, just like Paul said in Philippians 2:5. Jesus came to give, holding nothing back, and we should do the same. Our flesh fights against that, so we’ve got to remember that we are more than flesh, we are children of God by faith. (John 1:12-13) Passion Week is an excellent time to reflect on what it means that Jesus died and rose again, and then said, “As the Father sent Me, so I send you.” (John 20:20) Jesus never put Himself first, but rather submitted Himself completely to the Father, and we should certainly do no less. However, that’s far easier to say than to do! That’s why, in all humility, we need constantly to be seeking the guidance and empowering of the Holy Spirit, so that we will live out our commission faithfully.

I tend to focus on the reality that Christ is risen and at the right hand of the Father, but I must not forget all that He went through on the way there, and that He did it for me. The old hymn, “Lead Me to Calvary” is excellent in that regard. If I will keep in focus what He did for me, everything He asks of me will seem appropriately small and insignificant in comparison. As much as I tell others to focus on Jesus instead of their problems, I’m not consistent in that myself! An objective analysis of my life in the context of the cross shows that I live on Easy Street! I must not preach to others and then fail to follow through myself.

Father, thank You for Your incredible love for me in sending Your Son to be my Savior. Lord Jesus, thank You for Your incredible love and endurance in going through all You did to purchase me from sin. Holy Spirit, thank You for Your presence and infilling, working out in and through me all the blessings of the cross and the empty tomb. Lord God, may I be faithful and totally committed in my response to You in all Your love and glory. So that Your love and grace may be expressed through me to bring many more to salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 1, 2012

Posted on April 2, 2012 by jgarrott

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

God in His wisdom had John, son of Zebedee, be one of John the Baptist’s disciples before he became the youngest of Jesus’ 12 disciples, and then had him write this Gospel years later as an old man. That is how we have this record of the interaction between John the Baptist and Jesus. John was widely spoken of as a prophet, but he didn’t do much prediction of the future, which is how many people think of prophecy. Rather, he spoke what he heard God saying, which is much more the Biblical definition of prophecy. Here, he was perhaps doing both. I doubt that God had shown him how Jesus was going to take away the sins of the world, but he was thoroughly familiar with the temple sacrificial system, and that was the terminology he used. I bring it up regularly, but it is important to remember that Jesus is the only person ever born for the purpose of dying. It is beyond human intellect and understanding that God would create mankind, knowing that we would rebel against Him, and love us so much as to provide His own Son to take the penalty for our sin so that we might come to Him as His children. No merely human love could ever be that great! As the Christmas song, “Ring the Bells,” says, Jesus was “born to die that man might live.” Today starts Passion Week, in which we commemorate His death and resurrection, but this is a truth that needs to be strong in our awareness all the time.

Not being from a liturgical tradition, commemorative dates tend to sneak up on me. Knowing full well that today is Palm Sunday, I still didn’t focus on that in preparing this morning’s message. Next Sunday I have the message for the Joint Sunrise Service, as well as our regular service here. I need to allow the Holy Spirit to speak a fresh expression of God’s unchanging love both times, so that the believers of Omura may be encouraged and emboldened to proclaim the Gospel, the reality of salvation in Christ, to all, for the salvation of many.

Father, thank You for the message that is prepared for this morning. Help me speak whatever You want said, whether it agrees with my current notes or not! May I be as obedient to You as Jesus was and is, whatever that means for me personally, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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