February 20, 2012

Posted on February 21, 2012 by jgarrott

Zephaniah 3:8 “Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD.

Throughout the Bible we are enjoined to wait for the Lord. No matter how bad the situation looks at the moment, wait for the Lord. No matter how powerless you feel, no matter how dark the way ahead, wait for the Lord. That’s good advice! We are not to deny or ignore our current circumstances, but we are to remember that God is greater than all of that, not to mention more powerful, and His plan is perfect. This is not a passive waiting but an active obedience, choosing to trust and therefore obey. We have a lot of trouble doing that! Of course the devil tries to stop such trusting obedience, but sometimes it seems like he doesn’t have to try very hard! That’s why it’s vitally important that we stay clad in the armor God provides, (Ephesians 6:10-18) because otherwise we’re easy targets. Waiting for God means being faithful at the immediate task at hand, not being anxious about next year, next month, or even the next minute. That again is easier to say than to do! However, anxiety comes from lack of faith. Since faith is the shield that quenches the fiery arrows of the enemy, (Ephesians 6:16) failing to exercise the faith we have already been given leaves us rather like a pincushion! We are to stand firm in Christ, not depending on ourselves in any area but trusting Him to be strong in us when we have no strength ourselves. That is waiting on God, and we are assured that if we will do that, we will find our strength is replaced with His, and we will mount up on wings like eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

This is certainly timely! As this church moves more and more into what God has planned for us, the spiritual opposition is becoming more intense. That’s not a reason to despair, but to rejoice! However, I’m not to be passive, but rather cover each of the believers in prayer, praying for them by name multiple times a day. I’m also to train them in spiritual warfare, and the message I’ve just been given on Armor is an important step in that. I’m to be gentle with the wounded, but absolutely unyielding against the enemy. I am to be on guard not only for the flock, but also for my own soul, because I am what is called a “high value target.” That’s not pride, it’s recognizing that every shepherd is targeted, and all the more so as they become more effective. I am not to be afraid on either front, for myself or for the sheep, but submit to God and resist the devil, so that he may flee. (James 4:7)

Father, thank You for this strong Word. Thank You for starting to speak it to me from last night. Guide me in my obedience, that I may be fully effective in binding up wounds and setting captives free, so that together we may stand up as a mighty army, tearing down the strongholds of the enemy, for Your kingdom and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 19, 2012

Posted on February 19, 2012 by jgarrott

Habakkuk 2:1 I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

One of the best things you can say about Habakkuk is that he expected God to answer him. He doesn’t seem to have tried to dictate what answer God would give, but waited expectantly. If only all of God’s people would be that way! There are many reasons we don’t hear what God says to us, and the first, and most damaging, is that we don’t really want to. We think that God isn’t going to give us the answer we want, that He’s going to “cramp our style,” and so we turn our backs on Him and cover our ears. I’m not just talking about people who are in open rebellion here; all too often even “good Christians” act like this. We want God to confirm what we are thinking, to indulge our whims, and when we learn that He’s not like that, we don’t want to listen to Him. God will always give us the best answer, but that’s not necessarily what we want! A step back from that attitude, though still damaging, is the idea that we are totally unworthy of God paying enough attention to us to answer us. That actually has a good bit of logic behind it, but the Bible and experience tell us otherwise. I continue to like Joy Dawson’s statement that “God wants to guide us more than we want to be guided.” That actually applies to both of the incorrect attitudes I’ve just mentioned! The best attitude for hearing God is a commitment to be obedient to whatever He says, before we know what that is. God doesn’t hesitate to speak to someone with that attitude. From our perspective, sometimes answers seem delayed. That point came up not long ago with Daniel. Like Habakkuk, we need to wait expectantly, trusting not only that God will answer, but that it will be the best possible answer, whether it looks like that to us in the short term or not.

This certainly applies to me as much as it does to any believer, and doubly so because I’m a pastor. Not only am I responsible to listen and be obedient in my personal life, I carry that responsibility in this church as well. I am not to ignore what others say, particularly those who have demonstrated spiritual maturity, but as the saying goes, the buck stops here. Just this morning the Lord has been saying something that will require a little personal confrontation from me. I am not to draw back from that, but I must be very careful that I do it in love. I am not to excuse my own inaction because of the failures of others. With my background in the Bible, it should be easier for me to recognize what the Lord is saying than for someone without that background. That must not be a point of pride, but it does increase my responsibility, because as Jesus said, to whom much is given, of him much will be required. (Luke 12:48) I am to expect God to speak to me, and I must be committed to obedience even before I hear.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I’m quick to be defensive and make excuses for myself! I pray that I would flow with Your Spirit, today and each day, speaking Your truth in Your love so that Your will may be accomplished in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 18, 2012

Posted on February 18, 2012 by jgarrott

Micah 5:4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely.

The Japanese and English divide the sentences up a bit differently, but I like this division, because this much should apply to every pastor serving today. Sadly, it doesn’t necessarily, but it can for anyone who is properly called and obedient. The point is, pastoring a flock cannot be done properly in merely human strength. Jesus came as a man, but He ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit, and that same power is available to every believer today. This is doubly important for everyone who has received God’s commission as an under shepherd over a flock. There are lots of abilities and management skills that can be brought to bear, but those are ultimately not enough without the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. Only when He is in control do the “sheep” really dwell in peace. That’s not to say there aren’t disturbances at times even in a flock that is properly shepherded, because we are constantly under attack. However, trying to keep a flock together, well fed and at peace, with merely human strength and wisdom, is a lost cause.

This is of course extremely and directly applicable to me and my situation. I’ve had too many times of trying to rely on human strength and wisdom, my own or someone else’, and I know it doesn’t work! The Lord has pointed out to me that’s a good thing, because I’m not building His Church, He is! I’ve got to stay fully submitted and available to Him, but I’m not to be anxious about whether He can get the job done. Anxiety comes only and to the degree that I’m depending on something other than Him, because He will never fail. That’s not to say that I’m not to be earnest in prayer and faithful in obedience; that would be foolish presumption. I’m to pour all I’ve got into it, knowing that’s not enough but also knowing that He will multiply and make it enough, just as He did with the five loaves and two fish. If I am standing in Christ, then He will accomplish His will in and through me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The past couple of months have been a bit rocky at times, and I’ve taken my eyes off of Jesus a little. Thank You for Your grace and patience toward me. Help me indeed stand and minister in Christ and not in myself, so that the results will be Your glory and not my nothingness. Thank You. Praise God!

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February 17, 2012

Posted on February 17, 2012 by jgarrott

Micah 4:11 But now many nations
are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
let our eyes gloat over Zion!”

Here we have the current nation of Israel’s situation in a nutshell! They do need to be vigilant and proactive, but they need faithful, obedient hearts most of all. The world does not understand that God is the ultimate Shield and Defender, and as long as we operate by the world’s thinking, we won’t understand it either. Israel’s situation is pretty obvious, but many Christians are oblivious to their own situation. They either don’t realize they are at war, or they think they have to wage that war on their own. Either way is a terrible misunderstanding. Everyone who seeks to follow God needs to realize that the forces of the devil are arrayed against him, but that if he is clad in the armor of God, that is, Christ, (Ephesians 6:10-18) he has nothing at all to fear. Daniel 7:21 says that at times the forces of evil will indeed defeat the forces of good in the short term, but we must remember that is the short term, and never lose hope. The point is, the devil is a terrorist, and his chief weapon is fear. All terrorists follow him, whether they realize it or not, and their end will be the same as his: eternity in the pit of hell. Those who follow God are not to be passive, certainly, but neither are they to be anxious, but rather trust God.

This is certainly topical and applicable! Yesterday I received some fresh information as to what the devil is doing to try to subvert the next generation in the US, and I was flabbergasted that they could get away with it. This is why those who seek to follow God must not be passive. It has become a truism, but Benjamin Disraeli’s famous quote is certainly applicable: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Particularly in America, that has had such a strong Christian cultural framework in the past, what is called for is believers rising up and saying, “Enough is enough, and this is more than enough!” Japan doesn’t have the same history, so it’s not a matter of people returning to the “faith of their fathers.” Most Japanese need to be liberated from the faith of their fathers! However, the spiritual battle is just as real and just as intense, and as a pastor I need to equip and train the believers to stand strong, not being anxious but not being oblivious either, so that together we may advance against the gates of hell, which we are promised will not be able to stand against us. (Matthew 16:18)

Father, there is again the temptation to be overwhelmed by the task, but that comes from looking at myself instead of Christ. Help me follow Your instructions in Hebrews 12 and lead many into the victorious life You intend for us, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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February 16, 2012

Posted on February 16, 2012 by jgarrott

Joel 2:28-29 “And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”

This is of course one of the more famous passages in the whole OT, having been quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2. However, there’s an aspect to it that I think gets overlooked much of the time, and that is age and gender equality. It is disruptive enough to some social systems that both young and old are specifically mentioned as recipients of God’s Spirit, expressed through revelatory gifts, but it is absolutely revolutionary that both genders are mentioned on absolutely equal terms. That is, of course, an area where Islam is horrendously different, which should be another indication of who is following the true God. It is also important to notice that whereas the Spirit is given equally, the manifestations are different from group to group, and by inference, from individual to individual. Great damage has been done to churches and to individuals by demanding that people be the same. God’s grace is the same, but its manifestation is different, to some degree at least, for every human being. The point to be taken from this passage is to seek and expect God to pour His Spirit out on us, but not demand that it be done in a specific way, in us or in anyone else. We should desire and expect revelation from God, both to and through us and our brothers and sisters in Christ. That said, we need to be firmly grounded in the Scriptures as protection against the lying spirits that are constantly trying to deceive. However, we are not to be so afraid of deception that we close our minds and hearts to what God is saying to us.

This is intensely applicable, and personal, to me. I remember back in 1974 when I was seeking to be baptized/filled with the Holy Spirit, but was getting nowhere because I was insisting that I be given the gift of tongues as evidence. When I got it through my head that we are to trust God to be true to His Word without dictating how He’s to do that, I received beautifully, and months later was given the gift of tongues. Since then I have operated in every gift mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 at least once, and I think multiple times for each, but that has always been in God’s timing and direction. Over the years I have seen God act through some pretty surprising vessels at times, humanly speaking. We tend to evaluate whether a person is “worthy” of being used by God, but God is far more interested in availability. I need to walk personally in purity, humility, and obedience, but never think that I have “earned” being used by God. Nevertheless, I am to expect Him to use me, and I need to strive to help all the believers have that same expectation, so that we will be an effective army in His hands, tearing down the works of the enemy for God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder and encouragement. Help me follow through in obedience, because I know from experience how easily sidetracked I can be. I pray that I may be fully useful to You in opening the eyes and hearts of the believers to see and trust how much You want to pour through them, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 15, 2012

Posted on February 16, 2012 by jgarrott

Hosea 11:3-4 “It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
it was I who healed them.
I led them with cords of human kindness,
with ties of love;
I lifted the yoke from their neck
and bent down to feed them.”

Once again we are back to the fact that we recognize so little of what God does for us. We tend to think of God as though he were like Eliza Dolittle’s father in My Fair Lady: “I gave her the gift of life, and then I gave her the whole city of London to wander around in.” In other words, he fathered her biologically, and then had essentially nothing more to do with her. Nothing could be further from the truth. The picture in Hosea is of a doting Father teaching His child to walk, removing hindrances and feeding him his food. That’s the God who created us and loves us as His children, but we recognize Him all too seldom. We cannot receive but a fraction of all that God wants to give us unless we do see Him as He is and open our hearts to Him in loving obedience.

This is of course the message that I bring to the Japanese who know virtually nothing about God. A few years ago the Guinness Book of World Records listed the Japanese as the ethnic group with the highest average IQ, but human intelligence alone will not lead you to God; it takes revelation from Him. Likewise, human intelligence and persuasive skills alone will not lead anyone to a genuine encounter with God; it takes the work of the Holy Spirit. I’ve got to both teach and model the love of God, not excusing sin and rebellion but communicating God’s incredible plan of redemption through the cross of Christ. Just as God has been gentle with me, I can expect Him to be gentle with others, and I must keep myself available to Him as His instrument for their salvation and growth.

Father, at times I am overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of ignorance of You that I see around me. Help me never give up, but keep myself available to You and expect You to use me to open people’s eyes and lead them out of their prisons of ignorance, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 14, 2012

Posted on February 16, 2012 by jgarrott

Hosea 2:8 “She has not acknowledged that I was the one
who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,
who lavished on her the silver and gold–
which they used for Baal.”

I don’t know the Hebrew for this passage, but for once I like the NIV interpretation even more than the Japanese, though the Japanese is probably more literal. Where the Japanese says, “She didn’t know,” the NIV says, “She didn’t acknowledge.” True ignorance isn’t as reprehensible as ignoring the facts. In any case, this verse is about gratitude. As long as we refuse to admit that everything we have comes from God, we aren’t going to walk in the blessings of intimacy with Him that He desires. The whole story of Hosea and his prostitute wife is a painfully graphic illustration of how we prostitute the relationship God wants to have with us. As I tell couples all the time, sex is only a small part of the intimacy for which God has designed a husband and wife, and by extension, for which He has designed mankind in relation to Him. Again as I regularly tell couples, the most missing expression (that should be used but isn’t) in marriage is “thank you.” Marriages fall apart without appreciation being felt and expressed, and we cut ourselves off from God by failing to appreciate all that He has done and continues to do for us. Current “atheism” that seems all the rage in some circles isn’t actually atheism at all, it’s an elevation of man to godhood, and that was part of the original temptation in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:5) The devil doesn’t want us to appreciate and thank and praise God, and we fall into his trap all too easily. That is probably the chief reason God allows disasters of all kinds to happen to us, to help us recognize that we can’t go it alone, that He is our Source, our Supply, our Shield and our Healer.

Japan has been something of a “poster child” of the modern age since the end of WWII, focusing on and promoting human ability. She has seemingly done very well at it, but now the cracks in the facade are becoming quite evident. Even before the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster almost a year ago, Japan was in quite a fix with political and economic stagnation. I have been physically present in Japan for the vast majority of the post-war period, so in a way I’ve been too close to have a good perspective on the situation. However, I am painfully aware that Japanese society as a whole has not acknowledged their Creator, and that’s why I’m here today. My calling is to be an instrument for opening the eyes of the Japanese to see who God is, and who they are in God’s plan. Of course, I can’t accomplish that in my own strength and wisdom, so I must be actively obedient to God at every turn. I also need to set an example in recognizing and acknowledging God’s abundant blessings, so that their eyes may be lifted from their problems to the Answer, and they may turn their hearts to Him in repentance and faith.

Father, I am amazed at times at how even Christians fail to recognize all You do for us. If they understood, they couldn’t be kept from gathering to thank, praise, and worship You! Help me speak Your truth in love, as gently as possible but as firmly as necessary, to cut through the lies of the enemy and set people free to be all that You desire them to be, for their perfect blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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February 13, 2012

Posted on February 16, 2012 by jgarrott

Daniel 10:12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.”

This is an extremely important passage for understanding prayer. In the first place, it reinforces the truth expressed throughout the Bible that humility is the proper attitude for prayer. Arrogance is heard, but doesn’t get the desired response! In the second place, it teaches us the very important truth that just because the answer seems delayed, that doesn’t mean our prayers haven’t been heard favorably. It’s interesting that English, Japanese, and Hebrew all speak of prayers being “heard,” when actually God hears everything. A more accurate term would perhaps be “received.” Prayers that don’t stem from a right attitude “pile up on the loading dock,” so to speak, and are not really received. The whole matter of timing is an important one for us, since we live in the flow of time. However, God is outside that flow, which is why Jesus is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,” (Revelation 13:8) even though the cross was at a specific moment in history. We could say that from God’s viewpoint, prayers are always answered instantaneously! That’s one of the mysteries of prayer. We may never know the reasons for seeming delays in answers to prayer, but we do know that God uses those delays to grow and strengthen our faith. In the great discussion of faith in Hebrews 11 it points out that sometimes we die physically without seeing the answers to prayer for which we have believed. (Hebrews 11:39-40) God is ultimately more interested in our character than our comfort, but that doesn’t mean He’s stingy about answering prayer, because He is a good Father who delights to bless His children.

One area of prayer which I am still learning is the balance between faith and persistence. Jesus said “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24) However, He also told the story of the persistent widow, and Luke specifically says that He did so to “show His disciples that they should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1-8) I am to pray persistently, but not doubting that I have been heard. Recent events in this church should help me understand this, as God has brought resolution to various vexing situations. I am to rejoice that God indeed hears humble, believing prayer, and delight to exercise the privilege of prayer and lead other to do likewise, so that God’s will may be done in and through us, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder and clarification. Guide me as I communicate this gracious reality to the believers. May they too delight in intimacy with You through prayer, so that we may be the body of believers that You desire, fulfilling Your purposes for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 12, 2012

Posted on February 12, 2012 by jgarrott

Daniel 9:18 “We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.”

This is the essential, foundational attitude of prayer for all people at all times. When we forget this, we end up talking to ourselves instead of to God. This is precisely what Jesus was talking about in His famous illustration of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:10-14. The minute we start thinking we’re good enough to be heard by God, we stop praying and start boasting. The better we understand that God’s grace is indeed amazing, the more ready He is to hear us. Daniel was a very righteous man. He remains one of the finest examples of faithful living we can find in the whole Bible. He lived like that precisely because He understood that apart from God’s grace none of us can stand. He was faithful in prayer to the point of getting thrown into a pit of lions precisely because he understood what an incredible privilege prayer is. God heard him because he didn’t demand to be heard, but rather threw himself on God’s grace and mercy. In Christ we have been given sonship, and so can come boldly before the throne of grace, (Hebrews 4:16) but we must never forget that it is a throne of grace, and not something we have earned.

As much as I pray, I am still boggled at the very idea of prayer. That the Creator of the universe would pay attention to something as insignificant as we are violates all human logic. However, the Biblical record is clear, and my own experience lines up with it: God delights to hear and answer prayer. I have found that prayer is a difficult thing to teach, because in many ways it is a product of some fundamental attitudes and understanding, rather than being independent. If we don’t understand that we need to pray, we won’t. If we don’t understand that God loves us, we won’t pray. If we don’t understand that God knows far better than we do what we need, yet He still tells us to pray, then we won’t pray in faith. (Matthew 6:32, 7:7-8) Sadly, people seem to be somewhat intimidated at times to hear me pray, thinking they could never pray like that. That shows they don’t understand that the foundation of prayer is not form and vocabulary, but faith and humility. I must not give up seeking to open people’s eyes to the glorious reality of who God is, so that they may receive not only salvation but the intimacy in prayer with Him that He desires, for our blessing and His glory.

Father, thank You for the amazing privilege of prayer. Help me make more and more effective use of it myself, and be fully “contagious” so that others may “catch” it as well. May we be a praying church indeed, understanding and delighting in our total dependence on You, so that we may be fully useful in Your hands, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 11, 2012

Posted on February 12, 2012 by jgarrott

Daniel 7:18 “‘But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever–yes, for ever and ever.'”

O: This chapter isn’t usual fodder for daily devotions, but it’s an important one to have laid down in your heart, especially in times like these. This verse, expanded slightly in verse 27, is the enduring point I get from this chapter, and it is glorious indeed. We need to remember that things are going to be tumultuous and look very bad. Verse 21 specifically says the forces of evil will overcome the saints! However, we must remember the final outcome, and that is in this verse: we win! At the same time, we must remember that it won’t be by our own strength, as verse 22 makes clear. The way it was expressed to John is actually pretty graphic: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” (Revelation 12:11) In other words, even if we are killed, we win! There are things going on in the US today that would have been unimaginable 50 years ago, but they are all too real. God’s people aren’t to be passive, but neither are they to be anxious, regardless of the immediate situation. After all, we win!

This is an important truth the Lord has been reminding me of in recent weeks. Rather than get worked up over presidential politics, for example, I need to trust God and be faithful in the tasks He has assigned to me. The possibility of a total economic collapse for Japan, or even for the whole world, seems very real. That would affect my daily life a good bit, but there too I am not to be anxious. The more uncertain this world’s systems become, the more people will be seeking eternal security, and I need to be ready to bring in the harvest! I am to stand firm in God’s promises to me and to this church, submitting to God and resisting the devil, so that all of God’s plans for us may be fulfilled, on His schedule and for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me look to You in faith and trust so that I may rejoice whatever is going on around me. I am already amused at some of the scrambling around being done by people who are used to being “in control,” so they think. Help me remember, and teach others to trust, that You are in control whatever is going on at the moment. Help me, help us, remember that Your Spirit in us is greater than all the forces arrayed against us whatever might be happening at the moment. (1 John 4:4) May I, may we as a church, be carriers of Your hope and peace to a world that is so desperately in need of them, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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