February 10, 2012

Posted on February 12, 2012 by jgarrott

Daniel 5:22 “But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this.”

Human capacity for not learning from the experiences of others, or even our own experiences, is astounding at times. Belshazzar was Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson (the terms “son” and “father” were often used to indicate “descendant” and “ancestor”) and without question knew the story of his grandfather’s seven years of insanity, but he didn’t apply it to himself at all. A major reason for God causing the Bible to be written was to give us a record of the consequences of obedience and disobedience, humility and pride. It contains both explicit teaching and the unadorned record of what people did and the consequences of their actions. However, most of the time we read it as a story of “back then,” and fail to apply it to our own lives right now. Treated that way, it does us no good. That’s why the devotional pattern developed by Wayne Cordeiro, which I use, is so good. It uses the acronym SOAP, for Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer. Most people, even if they have regular devotions, just read a scripture passage and then pray. The Observation step is to think about what the passage actually says, perhaps rephrasing it, so as to seek to hear what God is saying through it to you right then. That of course is of the greatest importance, because we need to hear what God is saying to us. But even if we do that, and then fail to apply what God has said in our daily lives, the whole process has broken down and we are engaging in empty ritual. Our circumstances will probably not be as dramatic as what Belshazzar experienced, but they can be just as final, if we fail to apply the things God teaches us.

This has been a weak spot for me all my life. By the grace of God I have been steeped in the Bible since infancy, but my application of the truth I know has been spotty at best. That should give me great compassion for those to whom I minister. However, compassion doesn’t mean compromise. Writing that, I remember I preached on the subject of “Compassion, not Compromise” a couple of years ago. I don’t always apply even the truth I preach! I am to extend the grace of God to others without telling them their sin is OK. That puts me once again in conflict with the Japanese language, in which “forgiveness” and “permission” sound alike. I have great difficulty communicating the vital reality that God forgives but He doesn’t excuse. However, I’m not to give up! I am to remember the grace and patience God has shown me, and exercise that same grace and patience toward others.

Father, thank You for repeating Yourself to me as many times as necessary. Help me hear and obey You more quickly! Help me get Your truth through to the believers so that they may be set free indeed from all the lies and misconceptions that have bound them, so that together we may be and do all that You intend, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 9, 2012

Posted on February 9, 2012 by jgarrott

Daniel 4:25-27 “You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”

This is one of the most remarkable stories in the whole Bible, and the interesting things is, it is confirmed by other historical documents that indicate there was a seven year period in which Nebuchadnezzar was sidelined and an unnamed regent ruled the Babylonian Empire. There is ample reason to think that Daniel may well have been that regent. Those documents indicate that Nebuchadnezzar exhibited a particular medical condition that has since been named, and was indeed chained out in the open because of what he would do in his insanity to any room where he was kept. That in itself is remarkable enough, but the courage it took for Daniel to confront Nebuchadnezzar, and then the humility it took for Nebuchadnezzar to write this account after his sanity was restored, are practically without parallel. The lessons we get from this are that humble obedience to God, in preference to your own life, produces great blessings, and hubris is extremely dangerous for any human being. We all need to remember the lesson Nebuchadnezzar was taught the hard way, that God is God and we are at best His instruments.

Since, like practically everyone else on earth, I’ve never had the kind of position and authority Nebuchadnezzar did, I might be tempted to think this was just an interesting story. However, again like everyone else on earth, I am tempted to think I am in control of my own life and the things around me. I need to remember that God is God just as much as Nebuchadnezzar did! That’s not at all to say I’m to be irresponsible, but it is to say I’m to let go of the reins. I’m not in control! Practically all stress comes from the impulse to be in control, when things don’t go as we think they ought to, so my stress level is a clear indication that I’ve got plenty of room to grow in this area! At the moment, that clearly applies to the political situation in the US. I am to pray for God’s will to be done, but I am to trust that it will be and not get tied in knots over it. If I were physically present, political activism might well be in God’s plan for me, but since I’m not, it clearly isn’t. Closer to home, I can’t control how people will act or react, so I am to pray for them and express God’s truth to them in love, and leave the results up to God. I need to trust both that God has a plan and that it is good, and let Him be God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I often butt heads with others who have the same problem of feeling they need to be in control. Help us all recognize our respective areas of responsibility and fulfill those faithfully, not trying to be or do more than You intend. May we all walk in Your peace and joy, delighting to be Your children, doing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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February 8, 2012

Posted on February 9, 2012 by jgarrott

Daniel 3:29 “No other god can save in this way.”

As with probably every other child in Sunday School, I have always loved the story of the three men in the furnace. Their declaration of faith and commitment in verses 16-18 is one of the finest in the whole Bible, if not in all human history, and this statement by the most powerful human monarch of the time is the result. Nebuchadnezzar’s understanding of God was faulty at best. He could not conceive of any deity outside of his polytheistic context, but what he saw happen with these young men was enough to convince him that Yahweh was the strongest of all the deities around. Theologically, most Japanese are in the same place as Nebuchadnezzar. They speak of “8 million gods,” but no one knows the exact number, and most of them are very hazy on the whole subject. Japanese Buddhism has taken on the flavor of Shinto, to which the 8 million gods belong, adding countless bodhisatvas and what have you, going so far as to make every dead ancestor an object of prayer. The end result is that most Japanese are extremely weak on the concept of God being both unique and absolute. However, if the truth be told, most Americans aren’t much better off! Everyone tends to imagine God from their own perspective, attributing to Him most of their own characteristics. That’s why God has to completely rearrange our thinking through His Spirit and His Word. (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 5:26) Sometimes He uses something as dramatic as this story in Daniel to kick-start that process, but it is a process that must be continued, or we will stop far short of a proper understanding of God. In Nebuchadnezzar’s case, the very next chapter (and tomorrow’s reading) tells what happens when we fail to continue seeking God.

Once again I am back to the incredible advantage I have of having been raised in a home that knew and served God. I never had the concept of multiple gods to trouble me. However, as I am often reminded, that didn’t keep me from wandering away in my devotion, or rather lack of it, at times. I am not to look down on people because they don’t have an accurate concept of God, but rather be patient with them, allowing God’s grace to work through me. I tend to presume far too much understanding in my hearers, glossing over things that to me go without saying, when for them, they are essentially new concepts. That has been a major hindrance to effectiveness in my evangelism. I need to let the Holy Spirit give me the necessary wisdom and give them the necessary understanding, so that God’s Word through me may take deep root and bear much fruit, for His glory.

Father, thank You for reminding me of this. This is hardly the first time You’ve pointed it out to me! Guide me in training and equipping the believers, who are at least one spiritual generation closer to those without Christ, so that they may be effective in communicating the Gospel that they have received. Help me cut Your Word into sufficiently small bites so that they may take it in, digest it, and make it part of them, to live as Your agents in the Word, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 7, 2012

Posted on February 7, 2012 by jgarrott

Daniel 2:27-28 Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come.

One of Daniel’s great distinctives was that he always gave God the glory. He didn’t try to gain any credit for himself, nor did he get all mealy-mouthed before a man who had authority and power to kill him in countless ways. It says in verse 14 that he spoke to an official with wisdom and tact. He exercised the same wisdom and tact to speak to the ultimate king over that official, but that did not mean he failed to speak clearly and to the point. His focus wasn’t on saving himself, it was on God and being His instrument. Daniel is a superb example for believers today in virtually every area of his life. His intellect was second to none, even Solomon, but unlike Solomon, he didn’t trust in his intellect or other gifts, but in the God who had provided them. As in the later story of the lions’ den, (Daniel 6) he placed obedience and devotion to God above and ahead of his own life. He realized the truth that Nate Saint put into words in the middle of the 20th Century: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” If more believers lived like Daniel and Nate Saint, the world would be a different place indeed.

I know this truth well, but I have to ask myself how well I live by it. If I am not modeling this sort of lifestyle, I won’t be effective in leading others to adopt it either. Priorities are always an issue, as is believing that God provides the abilities and other resources for everything He asks us to do. I’ve certainly experienced the second half of that, but I don’t always act like I believe it. If this church will get these two issues straight consistently, there is no limit to what God will do in and through us. I cannot force or even convince anyone on either of these issues in my own strength and wisdom, but the same God who revealed Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to Daniel is my God, and His Spirit dwells in me, so I am to trust Him and keep myself available to Him for however He wants to use me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You are doing in this church, and all You will do in the future. Help me keep my eyes on You and not be distracted or worn down by the issues that confront me constantly. May I say with assurance , “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13) Thank You. Praise God!

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February 6, 2012

Posted on February 7, 2012 by jgarrott

Daniel 2:23 “I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

God gives wisdom and He gives knowledge. Paul refers to these as “the word of wisdom” and “the word of knowledge” in 1 Corinthians 12:8. I wonder how many young people have prayed earnestly for these when confronted with a test in school! However, God does not give these to make us, or even let us be, lazy. As in the story of Daniel, these are given when God knows they are necessary to advance His purposes. However, we aren’t to get all hung up on “advanced knowledge.” That was a major problem in the 1st Century and following, and the whole “mind over matter” movement was called Gnosticism. Its remnants and descendants are still active today. Also, God’s wisdom and knowledge aren’t the same as simple information, which is an important distinction since we live in the Information Age. They aren’t things we get from a computer screen! The point is to walk in humility, knowing that circumstances are beyond our ability and asking and trusting God to supply whatever is necessary. As I already said, this isn’t being lazy, but actively seeking and obeying God, and giving Him the glory for the answers He provides.

I have experienced these (“word of wisdom”/”word of knowledge”) at times, sometimes to the consternation of others. Just yesterday I was talking to some people about counseling, and expressing how important these gifts are in that area, because merely human wisdom doesn’t really heal emotional wounds and scars. I am not to be cocky, but I am to walk in the assurance that God will provide the wisdom and knowledge necessary for any task He assigns to me. That means applying myself diligently to store up His Word in my mind and heart and seeking Him regularly and earnestly. I am not to ignore the information stream that comes at me via the Internet, but I am to ask and allow God to guide me in what I take in and how. I am to remember always that I’m not smart, He is, and rejoice to let Him be God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the many beautiful things You did yesterday. Thank You for the privilege of being part of the Body of Christ, included in Your plans for Your glory. I pray that everyone in this church would open their hearts and their lives to You fully, allowing You to supply all they need and use them as You desire, so that all of Your plans for us individually and as a church may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 5, 2012

Posted on February 7, 2012 by jgarrott

Daniel 1:17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.

Intellectual gifts are just that, gifts. We are responsible to exercise them and apply them, but there is no room for pride. Most gifts are a matter of discovery; we don’t know we have them until we try something new. These four young men were immersed in the new, as far as they were concerned, and they clung to the one thing that they knew could not be taken from them: their faith. The closest parallel for young people today might be going away to college. Sadly, faith is one of the first things a lot of young people discard! Many campuses today are indeed actively hostile to genuine Christian faith, but not any more so than Babylon was for these young men. Just as they chose not to partake of the indulgent diet that was offered to them, young people today need to stand firm against the indulgences of the flesh that are pushed on them. That’s more easily said than done! It is probably a corollary that a recent study has shown that an American university education doesn’t really educate most students in the areas that really matter, which are analytical thinking and maturity. The young men in this verse gained in those areas because they placed God first.

I came from a highly educated family, but my biggest advantage has been that I was steeped in the principle that God comes first. I can’t say that I’ve always lived by that principle, but having that environment was an enormous advantage. Sadly, I’ve used my intellectual gifts as a refuge all too often, looking down on others to try to feel better about myself. That never works! Essentially all of my life I’ve known the principle that God distributes gifts according to His plan, differently to each individual. (1 Corinthians 12:11) However, really getting that understanding into the core of my being has taken quite a while! I need to remember that God gives whatever gifts are necessary to accomplish whatever tasks He assigns, and look on all gifts, in myself or in others, as tools for building the kingdom of God.

Father, thank You for this reminder, particularly when I’m facing a situation today for which I have not felt particularly gifted in the past. Help me trust You to supply what is necessary, not in presumption but in grateful submission, so that every facet of this church may be as You desire and intend, for the benefit of each member and for the advancement of Your kingdom, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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February 4, 2012

Posted on February 7, 2012 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 47:14, 23 “You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will become your inheritance. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance,” declares the Sovereign LORD.

These two verses taken together say something really powerful. Verse 14 is a confirmation that what God promises, He will do. The Jews had received the Promised Land under Joshua, but they had lost it due to their unfaithfulness. Here, in exile they are being promised that it will be returned to them. How precious that land must have seemed to them, and how precious it is to the people of Israel today! However, in Verse 23 they are told that them must share that land, their precious inheritance, with the Gentiles living among them. That probably got a reaction! The point is, we aren’t to grasp what God gives us as though it were our exclusive possession, we are to hold it with open hands, to share it as God directs. God’s supply never runs short! As much as we acknowledge that in our minds, we have a hard time grasping it emotionally. If God directs us to give something away, we can be absolutely assured that He will replace it with something as good or better. I’m reminded of the story I got by email recently of the father who asked his daughter to give up her treasured string of plastic pearls. Only when she did so did he give her the string of real pearls he had gotten for her. That story may well be fiction, but the principle is true. The more tightly we hang onto things, the less real benefit we get from them. Rather than being our possessions, they become our chains.

This is a lesson I have learned slowly, and am still learning. Looking for something in the attic yesterday I came across all sorts of things I had forgotten we had, and some of them have gotten ruined from disuse. That benefits no one! Amassing things just for the sake of having them benefits no one. This applies in the spiritual realm as well. Even the Gospel itself means little until it is shared. Until it is shared, it is salvation for one individual, but when it is shared, it is salvation for all in the whole world who will believe. It’s certainly not like we could lose our salvation by sharing it! Likewise, spiritual gifts aren’t to benefit the recipient so much as they are to bless those with whom he interacts. Paul tells us to seek spiritual gifts, (1 Corinthians 14:1) but that’s not as “merit badges” or personal trophies; spiritual gifts are to be used to build up the Body of Christ. I need to communicate all that the Lord has poured out on me, so that those who receive from the Lord through me may in turn pour it out on others, for the glory of God.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. If you hadn’t already given me Sunday’s message, this would really preach! Guide in when and how I am to share this truth, and all the other things You speak to me, so that Your Word may have its full intended effect, even as You promised, (Isaiah 55:10-11) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 3, 2012

Posted on February 3, 2012 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 37:24 “My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd.”

The Bible keeps coming back to the theme of unity. However, this isn’t sameness, nor a coerced union, nor something dreamed up by man in competition with God. God Himself foils that last one, as in the Tower of Babel. (Genesis 11:1-9) The unity that God desires is from the heart, from a common commitment to one Lord. Splits and divisions are all too common even in the Church, but the answer isn’t humanistic programs and slogans, it is humble submission to Jesus Christ as Lord on the part of all parties involved. Theological differences would either be resolved or understood to be unimportant, if only hearts were fully submitted to Christ. When Jesus Christ, the Son of David, is King indeed, then there is unity among His subjects.

This theme has been prominent in my ministry, and is why I don’t claim a denominational label. It seems that a major function of most denominations today is to differentiate themselves from other denominations, and that only builds walls. The source of that is largely pride, and human pride never produces good fruit. As even Paul recognized, sometimes groups get so far off track that those who are committed to Christ have no choice but to distance themselves, but that is a sad thing indeed. (1 Corinthians 11:18-19) However, in our human weakness we tend to take pride that “we are the pure ones,” not realizing that pride immediately makes us impure. I’m not to be proud that I’m nondenominational, but rather reach out in love to all who likewise love God. I have found I can have real fellowship with people with whom I have some very real differences. That’s not forgetting the differences, but rather focusing on our common commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As C.S. Lewis observed, one thing we can be sure of is that when we get to heaven, we will find out that we were all wrong on some points. The fact that we aren’t all wrong on the same points is why we need to be willing to let God teach us through one another.

Father, thank You for Your grace to me. Help me be an open channel of that grace to all around me, discarding all pride and giving You all glory. May I be a useful tool in Your hands to bring unity within the Body of Christ, not by human programs but by Your Spirit, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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February 2, 2011

Posted on February 3, 2012 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 36:26-27 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

This is the second time, after 11:19-20, that God told Ezekiel He would replace hearts made of stone with hearts of flesh, but this time He specifies that the new Spirit by which He would do that is His own Spirit. In Chapter 11 that wasn’t so explicit, though I was aware of it when I wrote on that passage a few days ago. In both passages God makes it very clear that the result and purpose of the heart transplant, the infusion of the Holy Spirit, is to cause God’s people to be obedient to what He tells them. Some people today seem to think the infilling of the Holy Spirit is simply to make us feel good! It is indeed glorious, but the purpose is not centered on us, but on God. Anyone who claims to be filled with the Holy Spirit and is not living a life submitted and committed to God is living a lie. God doesn’t withdraw His gifts once given, (Romans 11:29) but we are responsible to apply them as He intends, and not according to our own whims. There have been several high profile cases of Charismatic ministers derailing rather spectacularly, and one reason for that has been a misunderstanding of this principle. The more God anoints, the more He pours His Spirit through someone, the more humble they should be, the more committed to total obedience. It is heartbreaking that that is not always the case.

I’m certainly not a high profile minister, but the principle applies to me just as much as to anyone. I am aware that God speaks and acts through me by His Spirit, but I must never take that for granted, or think for a moment that it is “mine” to exercise as I will. I have got to walk in moment-by-moment submission and obedience, not trying to use the Holy Spirit but allowing Him to use me. My life needs to be a demonstration of obedient, trusting fellowship with God, so that all who see me may know that it is possible, even for a frail, imperfect human being. My life should make others desire the heart transplant that God offers, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for expressing this truth so clearly this morning. Help me indeed live it out fully at all times, for the sake of the believers in this church as well as for the many You want to draw into Your kingdom through this church, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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February 1, 2012

Posted on February 3, 2012 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 33:11 “Say to them, `As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'”

This is an enormously important Scripture, because it directly contradicts one of Satan’s most persistent lies, that God is out to get us. The devil does all he can to paint God as a vindictive ogre, not wanting anyone to have fun and smashing us if we get out of line. Here we have God’s direct words saying that is a baldfaced lie. As Paul said, God wants everyone to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4) That of course is what John 3:16-17 is all about as well. God was so desirous that we not die that He gave His only Son to die in our place. To be saved, we have to acknowledge that our attitudes and actions have put us into the category of the wicked, and then know and trust that God has given His Son to die in our place. So many people hang up on one side of that or the other. We don’t want to admit that we are sinners in need of repentance, and then we find God’s offer of salvation “too good to be true.” The Gospel is Good News only to those who will admit they need it!

This of course is what I am dedicated to trying to communicate. I rejoice to see others communicating it creatively and effectively, but at times I get discouraged about my own success rate. Whatever my success rate, I must remember the earlier verses of this chapter and not fail to call people to repentance. I do not know when my words might penetrate the veil of lies and confusion that covers someone’s heart, perhaps years after I speak them. I must always speak God’s truth in love, (Ephesians 4:15) not being condemnatory but not failing to make it clear that without repentance and faith, none of us has any hope. I need to make it clear to the believers that they have the same calling to be witnesses to God’s grace, and that no one else has exactly the same testimony they do. If they will get that through their minds and hearts and trust God to use them, then we will see a great harvest indeed.

Father, thank You for this very clear Word, and for making it clear this is what You want shared with the congregation on Sunday. I ask for wisdom and anointing both as I lay out the notes for the message and as I deliver it, that it may be Your words empowered by Your Spirit, cutting through the lies and confusion of the enemy and setting people free to be all You are calling them to be, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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