January 21, 2012

Posted on January 22, 2012 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 3:15 “Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.”

This verse should be a comfort for every member of the flock, but it calls for humility and dedication on the part of every shepherd! The idea of being a shepherd of God’s people, whether on the scale of a local congregation or on a national scale, is an awesome one that must not be entered into lightly. It is clear that there are false shepherds in abundance, both on the local and the national scale, so what are we to do? Prayer is the obvious Biblical answer. We are enjoined to pray for leaders of all sorts. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Representative democracy was an unknown when that was written, but if the command to pray applied then, it applies doubly now. With this being an election year in the US, believers not only in the US but around the world should be praying that those candidates after God’s heart would rise through the process and be elected, considering the influence the US has on the world scene. Such prayers need to come all the way down as well, to those in authority over municipalities, companies, institutions, and even homes. When leaders are in line with God, operating in His wisdom and understanding, good things happen. There are indeed no perfect leaders on any of those levels; Jesus Christ alone is the perfect Shepherd. That makes prayer all the more imperative. This verse should give us boldness in prayer, because we are praying for the fulfillment of one of God’s promises.

I have had grave doubts about my own ability as a shepherd, and those doubts in themselves have been a drag on my ministry. Since this is God’s promise, I need to pray and minister with the assurance that it will be fulfilled. I am not to think that the necessary wisdom and understanding are intrinsically mine, but seek God for them at every turn, with the assurance that He will provide all that is needed. That last is the big point for me! As a demonstrable geek, I have felt I had brain power but not people power, when the truth is, my brain power is totally insufficient and God will supply all the people power I need, if I will allow Him to do so. When my trust is in Him and not in myself, then I operate in line with His will. When I get cocky that I can do it, or anxious that I’ve got to do it, then I stray from His will. As He’s been telling me with great frequency for over a year now, I’ve got to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him to get it right!

Father, thank You for all You’ve been doing in and around me in recent days. Help me really absorb and retain all You’ve been teaching me. I ask for Your wisdom and understanding to mentor those in the flock who are feeling Your call to be shepherds themselves. I’ve not done so well with some of those in the past. Help me mentor without micromanaging, supporting and encouraging while releasing them in their giftings, so that they and the Body of Christ may be build up according to Your plan, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 20, 2012

Posted on January 20, 2012 by jgarrott

Isaiah 65:12 “I called but you did not answer,
I spoke but you did not listen.
You did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me.”

As I read this my immediate response is that it is all too descriptive of America today. With the World Trade Center attack 10 years ago, churches were filled for a little while, but then it was back to business as usual. Even Church leaders were afraid to proclaim that it was a judgment from God. Frankly, at this point, if things don’t turn around quickly, I would expect far worse. We have a remarkable capacity for turning to God when we need something and spitting in His face when we think things are OK. As the old science fiction radio drama used to say, “That does not compute.” God is certainly the God of grace and mercy, but we have twisted that into what Bonhoeffer called “cheap grace.” Study after study shows that the average church member in the US watches the same TV shows as their non-Christian neighbors, and they allocate their finances in much the same way too. In many areas, church members are actually more likely to divorce than those who are not members, and sexual mores are too often indistinguishable. That is no way to receive the blessings of God! There are some preachers who call people to repentance, but all too few, and some of those are so legalistic they seem to have forgotten grace entirely. We need both to fear the Lord and to love the Lord. The Bible is very much a record of consequences for actions and attitudes, teaching personal and national responsibility. That’s no longer “politically correct!” As Jesus said, we need to choose the narrow way, because the wide way leads to destruction. (Matthew 7:13-14)

I certainly have no high horse to talk down from on this issue. For too much of my life I winked at things I knew were displeasing to God, just because they pleased my flesh (and I’m not just talking about physical pleasures). Having received God’s grace and mercy I need to proclaim it, starting with our absolute need for it. Grace and mercy have no meaning for someone who doesn’t know they are guilty! When we know how much we have been forgiven, it’s much easier to forgive others. That right there would eliminate a lot of trouble in the Church! Repentance isn’t just a one-time thing; we need to be up to date at all times, to walk in the full flow of God’s grace and mercy.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The news from the US is certainly distressing, and the current political campaign is causing many people to come out clearly with their positions on a wide variety of issues, and that’s not just the candidates. Help me not take it all on as a personal burden, because that would destroy me, but help me be faithful in prayer, walking in and proclaiming personal humility and purity, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 19, 2012

Posted on January 19, 2012 by jgarrott

Isaiah 63:16 But you are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us
or Israel acknowledge us;
you, O LORD, are our Father,
our Redeemer from of old is your name.

This is the prayer of every Gentile Christian today, if they have any understanding of the Bible at all. Sadly, many Jews today do not acknowledge Christians as being from the same spiritual stock, because they depend on physical genetics. As Paul wrote repeatedly in his letters, spiritual descent is more important than physical, and that is what this verse is all about. Paul also pointed out, particularly in Romans and Galatians, that the spiritual reality doesn’t nullify God’s promises to Abraham’s physical descendants through Isaac, but they too need to make the spiritual connection to receive God’s salvation. From the moment of creation there has never been any Creator besides Yahweh, no Savior besides God, and that certainly qualifies as “from eternity past.” That is just as true for Gentile as for Jew, and that is an essential part of the Gospel. Our understanding of just what a “redeemer” is, is generally deficient. Anyone who has ever pawned something should have some insight, because that too involves redeeming. As a very foolish college student I once pawned my clarinet, and the joy and relief I felt when I repaid the money and got my clarinet back was indescribable. God redeemed us from slavery to sin by paying the highest price ever paid, the body and blood of His own Son. That is the Gospel, that God is indeed our Redeemer, that He loves us that much. Believing and acknowledging that is the only way to be saved.

This of course is the major thrust of my life at this point, since I am a pastor in a society that is at least 98% non-Christian. My heart’s cry is that as many as possible would believe and trust that their Creator is indeed their Redeemer, and commit themselves to Him as His disciples. I am constantly reminded that I can’t save anyone on my own, so I’ve got to remember and trust that He can and will use me in saving others. Not only that, I need to get it through to each of the believers that God can and will use them, just as much if not more than He will use me. My track record to this point is somewhat like using a pair of pliers for a hammer; the nail may go in, but the process is hardly elegant or efficient. I need to help each believer discover what sort of a tool they are in God’s toolbox, so that they may rejoice to be available to Him for His purposes.

Father, thank You for this reminder of why You have me here. Help me not focus on the difficulties, but rather on Your power, love and grace, so that as many as possible may indeed know You as their Redeemer, in the magnificence of all that means. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 18, 2012

Posted on January 19, 2012 by jgarrott

Isaiah 56:8 The Sovereign LORD declares–
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather still others to them
besides those already gathered.”

This verse in a way sums up the preceding seven, because it points out that God’s intent is to include, not exclude, particularly on many points that people tend to think are important. God is saying, “I’ve already messed with your categories, and I’m going to do it even more.” The one condition that God gives for being gathered to Him as one of His is heart attitude. Anyone who is committed to God out of love for Him belongs to Him, and nothing can separate them from Him (Romans 8:35-39) However, people today are trying to say that right heart attitude isn’t a requirement either, and that leads to all sorts of aberrations. Biblical morality is disappearing, not only from many sectors of society but even from parts of the Church. The Bible is very clear indeed that such an attitude leads to exclusion, if it is not repented of. (Revelation 22:15) That’s not to say for a moment that you are excluded if you have ever been in that category, because that would exclude everyone. The key is repentance, acknowledging our absolute need for the grace of God and throwing ourselves on His mercy. Jesus saved His harshest words for the self-righteous. We can’t know God’s grace and mercy without acknowledging that we are lost without it.

This applies to me as well as it does to anyone, and as a pastor I am charged with instilling this understanding into as many people as possible. We tend to write people off, to say they will never come to God, and that is denying the power of God! We are to be active both in communicating the Gospel and in praying God’s grace and mercy on those who hear it. The big issue that is thrown around today is homosexuality. I need to make it clear that God loves homosexuals as much as anyone else, and that is why He calls them to repent. He also calls to accountability those who were compliant with the devil in twisting those people’s understanding of their own sexuality. This is hardly a simple subject, and I am not to be simplistic about it, but neither am I to back down from the clear Biblical position on the matter. At the same time I am not to overlook heterosexual promiscuity, because that is part of the same lying package from the devil. I am to be very clear about Biblical standards, while at the same time proclaiming God’s grace, as well as the reasons His rules are far and away the best way for us to live.

Father, I am very aware of my own humanity, and we certainly live in a hyper sexualized age. I ask You to enable me to think, speak and act in line with Your Word and Your will, expressing Your truth in love so that as many as possible may indeed be gathered, just as You expressed in this verse, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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January 17, 2012

Posted on January 19, 2012 by jgarrott

Isaiah 50:4 The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

This has long been a dearly loved verse of mine, and this passage of course came up last year when the theme was Discipleship Training. Where the NIV says, “an instructed tongue,” the Japanese says, “a disciple’s tongue.” Likewise at the end of the verse, where the NIV says “one being taught,” the Japanese says, “disciple.” Sadly, English-speaking society, and particularly America, has forgotten what it means to be a disciple, and that has had a massive impact on the Church. Discipleship was a well-understood concept in Biblical times, because most education was very personal. They didn’t have educational institutions, for the most part, and if you wanted to learn something you had to find someone to teach you. That meant you would then do anything they asked, in exchange for being able to absorb some of their knowledge, wisdom, and/or skill. (An echo of that is preserved in Japanese elementary schools, where the children do virtually all of the cleaning of the buildings and grounds.) We have such a tendency to consider education a purely intellectual exercise, and I think we lose a great deal by that. After all, Jesus didn’t tell us to go into all the world and make students, He said to make disciples! (Matthew 28:18-20) It is only when we become disciples of Christ that we begin to reflect Him truly in our words and actions.

It is a point of joy and gratitude for me that the Lord indeed awakens me morning by morning to have these times with Him, but that must not become a source of pride. Jesus’ words in Luke 17:7-10 should certainly put a stop to that! I must never forget what a privilege it is to serve the living God. I am perhaps as prone to complaining (at least internally) about the assignments I’m given as anyone, but that benefits no one, least of all me. The harder the assignment, the more I gain from it! I need to remember that more consistently, on the emotional level as well as the intellectual, so that I will avoid unnecessary emotional exhaustion. I’ve experienced more than enough of that!

Father, thank You indeed for Your faithfulness to put me through exactly the training You know I need. Forgive me for how much I have complained about that over the years! Help me be so grounded in You that I am indeed imperturbable, to the degree Jesus demonstrated when He was asleep in a boat that His disciples thought was in imminent danger of sinking in a storm. (Matthew 4:35-41) May I listen to and obey You at all times, being unshaken by every other voice, so that as a good disciple I may do Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 16, 2012

Posted on January 17, 2012 by jgarrott

Isaiah 45:3 “I will give you the treasures of darkness,
riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the LORD,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”

Several years ago the speaker at a missionary women’s retreat used this as her theme passage. Of course I wasn’t a participant, but I did hear about it, and it brought this passage to my active awareness for the first time. Her point was that God uses dark times – depression, difficulties of all sorts – to give us treasures we couldn’t receive otherwise. There is validity to that, but I think the broader message is that God can and does provide for us in totally unexpected ways. He indeed uses circumstances we would not choose to teach us valuable lessons, but beyond that, He has abundance for us that we won’t recognize if we aren’t tuned to Him, to see things as He does. I recall my total panic and despair when we ran out of funds in the middle of building this building, but God used a non-Christian man to suggest time payments to the different companies involved. That turned out to build relationships that are strong to this day. I would have chosen a lump sum provision, but God knew that spacing it out would provide more total benefit. Provision is never a problem for God, whether it be financial, emotional, spiritual, or whatever, but we fail to receive not only because of wrong motives, (James 4:3) but because we can’t imagine that God would provide whatever it is in that particular way.

This is a lesson I’ve been learning over many years, and I’m not through learning it! I need to listen to what God says through me to others, because I often pray with people to be able to recognize and apply the lessons God is wanting to teach them through their circumstances. Unexpected blessings are always nice, but I think God wants us to expect blessings and be on the lookout for them, to give Him the thanks and praise He deserves. (John 1:16) God wants me to practice gratefulness and teach others to do likewise. The more I learn to give thanks for everything, the better I will recognize the riches of all sorts that God is pouring out on me.

Father, thank You again for Your incredible patience with me. I have been so slow to learn! Thank You for Your presence and guidance in the service yesterday, and in the board meeting that followed. Thank You for how You are working in each individual, and in the church as a whole. Thank You for Your plans for us, and how You are moving us along in that, even though we experience some bumps and scrapes along the way. Help us all continue to grow in fixing our eyes on Christ, so that everything else will fall into perspective and we will be able to rest, relax, and rejoice in You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 15, 2012

Posted on January 17, 2012 by jgarrott

Isaiah 43:10-11 “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from me there is no savior.”

This passage is echoed so many times in the NT that it would take quite a while to list all the references! I’ll hold it to two: Acts 1:8 and 4:12. God’s people are His witnesses, to His reality, His uniqueness, and His saving power. That’s why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be quiet. He can’t “unsave” anyone, but he tries to keep what he views as an infection from spreading. That’s all the more reason to be bold in our witness! As Paul lays out with irrefutable logic in Romans 10, people can’t get saved if they don’t know about the Savior. That’s where we come in. We can’t save anyone, but we can introduce them to the Savior, and He will do the “heavy lifting,” so to speak. We need to recognize and rejoice in the fact that we are intimately involved in God’s plan of salvation. Too many people think God could never use them to lead someone to Christ, but that discredits the power of God! Recently I’ve been thinking about Balaam’s donkey a good bit. Since my name is Jack, I need to be willing to be a jackass for God! I need to be willing and available to Him to say whatever He wants, whenever and to whomever He wants, so that His will may be accomplished in that person’s heart and life. As a pastor, it is my desire and prayer that every member of this church would come to that same commitment.

Though this is my desire, it is beyond my ability to force anyone into line with God’s plan. However, I can instruct, encourage, and admonish, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through me to them. I have no wisdom to shepherd them aright, but God can and will give me all the wisdom I need, when I need it if not before. It is good to be aware of my own inability as long as I don’t lose sight of God’s absolute ability, that includes using me for His purposes and His glory.

Father, thank you for this cold that reinforces my awareness of my own weakness. If I weren’t the pastor, I would probably stay home today! However, I don’t have that option, and I need to preach in the service and chair the board meeting this afternoon. I do ask You to carry me along and carry me through it all, so that I won’t get in the way of what You want to do through me. May we all receive what You want to say to us today, however and through whomever You want to say it, so that we maybe perfected as Your witnesses, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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January 14, 2012

Posted on January 14, 2012 by jgarrott

Isaiah 42:6-7 “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”

Messianic prophecies always need to be examined as to how they apply to believers today, in light of Jesus’ statement that He sends us as He was sent. (John 20:21) In this particular case, we are not able to do these things in our own strength, but we are to be God’s agents for Him to do them through us. I like it that the Japanese makes it clear that when God takes us by the hand He holds our hand firmly. We don’t have strength to keep holding onto God in all the storms of life, but not to worry, because He won’t let go of us. I like Paul’s expression of “take hold of that for which God has taken hold of me.” (Philippians 3:12) God’s purpose in taking hold of us is to liberate others. Physical prisons are one thing, but spiritual prisons are far worse. The strange thing about spiritual prisons is that the door is always open, but those caught in them are unable to see their way out. God doesn’t call us to be locksmiths, He calls us to be guides. However, as the saying goes, there are none so blind as those who will not see. Some people like their prisons! We cannot force anyone to walk out of their prison, whether it be lust, unforgiveness, greed, or anything else. However, there is no room for pride or condemnation, because we all have our blind spots.

As a pastor, I am constantly encountering one sort of blindness or another, and more prisons than I could count. What makes it more complicated is that most people are caught in multiple prisons. It can be quite discouraging when someone who is walking out of one prison refuses to leave another. I cannot force anyone to do anything and have it stick, just as in the proverb of leading a horse to water. What I can do is be faithful in prayer and obedient for whatever God wants to say or do through me. He is able though I am not, and He will never let go of my hand.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for being faithful even when I’m not. Thank You for calling me, and for the privilege of being Your agent. I do pray that the veils of all sorts that cover people’s eyes and keep them from seeing Your truth would be removed. Keep me from pride that I do see, because I don’t see nearly well enough, and I’m not obedient to all I do see. Help me walk out of the prison of excuses that I’ve stayed in far too long in regards to pastoral ministry. Thank You for guiding and protecting me to this point. Help me trust You fully to do through me what I can’t do myself, guiding and nurturing the flock so that they may walk in the liberty of Your Spirit, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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January 13, 2012

Posted on January 14, 2012 by jgarrott

Isaiah 40:27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?

Human beings are born with very little, if any, patience. A baby wants what they want NOW. Acquiring patience is a major part of the process of maturing, and psychologists call it “tolerance for delayed gratification.” However, this is not the same thing as resignation or despair, giving up on something. This is where maturity is intertwined with faith. However, in our weakness and immaturity it’s easy to fall into the attitude expressed in this verse, feeling like God has forgotten us and He isn’t going to come through with what we need, or think we do. That is actually a major trap of the devil. God is true to His Word, period. That’s why the last verse of this chapter is so justly famous. Waiting expectantly on God is the key not only to receiving what we need, it is the key to spiritual growth, intimacy with God, and more spiritual riches than we could possibly imagine. Trusting God to be God, and remembering that He is love itself, frees us from all the weight of anxiety that we are so quick to take on ourselves. It does take faith to trust Him when we don’t see the answer ourselves, but He will provide the faith if that is our choice.

This is spot-on for me and for essentially everyone in this church! We see problems right in front of us and we are called on to trust God with them, specifically because we ourselves don’t see how they are to be resolved. Turning verse 31 around, failing to trust God results in falling to the ground, exhausted, passing out from the stress of it all! That of course is the aim of the enemy of our souls, and we are taught to stand firm in resisting him, so that he may flee from us. (James 4:7) I was reminding someone just yesterday that God is God and He loves us, but I must not forget it myself! It is indeed heartbreaking when people we love fall for the lies of the enemy, but the answer is not “fixing” the situation ourselves, but rather letting God do it, making ourselves available for whatever He wants to do in and through us toward that end. I’ve got to remember that I don’t have the answer in myself, and especially that I’m not the answer, but that God always has the perfect answer, and wait expectantly for Him.

Father, thank You for this clear reminder this morning. Help me remember it through the day, each day. Anxiety robs me of peace, health, and other things. Help me trust You even with things that I know break Your heart as well as mine, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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January 12, 2012

Posted on January 14, 2012 by jgarrott

Isaiah 35:3-4 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”

The Bible has many promises of this sort, but we are so slow to trust them. The more we focus on our own resources and abilities, the weaker we get. It is only when we look to God and allow Him to work through us that His power is manifested. When we get this fully through our heads and hearts, nothing will faze us, because our confidence will not be in ourselves but in Him. As this verse indicates, this applies not only to what we do but to what is done to us. We tend to get defensive over a wide variety of things, and in line with the thinking that the best defense is a good offense, we tend to attack others. That’s certainly a self-defeating spiral! Paul dealt with this issue in Romans 12:17-21, but he had plenty of OT Scriptures to draw from. That’s not to say we are to be doormats, inviting abuse, but it is to say that we should rest secure in the knowledge that God is our Defender. We can’t see around the next corner, and we don’t like that. Fearful of what might happen, we gear up emotionally to deal with it. Whether or not it ever actually happens, that’s a waste of emotional energy, draining us and demonstrating our lack of trust in God. The abundance of the riches of God’s glorious grace are for those who trust Him.

This is easy for me to write, but not so easy for me to walk out. I am attacked by anxieties of various sorts, just like everyone else. The difference is that I have experienced God’s faithfulness more times than I could count. That should make it easy for me to trust, but I still get anxious at times! As a pastor and counselor, it’s easy for me to see that the vast majority of anxieties of all sorts come from the desire to be in control. It is when we release control to God emotionally that we are set free from anxiety. Anxiety is crippling, but we hold onto it because of our desire to be in control. The right attitude is not, “Que sera sera,” but rather, “God is God and He is love, and that’s all I need to know.”

Father, this issue is so easy to see in others and so difficult to deal with in myself. Continue to grow me in releasing things to You, not in irresponsibility but in obedient trust. I seem to have the most trouble with issues that involve other people. Help me trust You to deal with them just as You deal with me, so that together we may “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1) Thank You. Hallelujah!

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