October 23, 2011

Posted on October 28, 2011 by jgarrott

Joshua 21:45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

God’s promises are always true. However, at times we misunderstand them, and so either fail to appropriate them, or fail to recognize their fulfillment when it happens. The prime example of the latter is when so many people failed to recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah, when an objective analysis from our current perspective shows that He fulfilled an amazing number of prophecies. Sadly, the majority of Jews today still fail to see that. As big a problem as that is, perhaps the failure to appropriate what God has promised is even more frequent. As came out in yesterday’s reading, often God’s promises require our active participation. It’s not that we could do those things on our own, but that we need to learn responsibility and accountability. Also, we tend to value lightly things we haven’t personally worked for. That’s why grace is such a difficult subject: by definition it can’t be worked for, but if God’s grace is taken lightly, we get in a world of trouble. God’s gift of Canaan to the Israelites was grace, with no touch of their having “deserved” it. However, they were required to go personally and take the land, working hard to make it their own. Virtually all of the promises in the Bible have some sort of condition attached to them. Salvation itself is given to those who believe, but we are required to believe. There are those who say that isn’t fair, that everyone is entitled to be saved. The fact of the matter is, NO ONE deserves to be saved, but God in His grace gives salvation to those who choose to submit their pride and their will and believe. God wants mature sons and daughters who value what He gives them, so He has given us His Word, His instructions for how He wants us to appropriate all that He has prepared for us.

I could probably go on for hours on this subject, because it’s so important. As a pastor, it is one of the central truths I am charged with imparting. However, if I am so focused on imparting it that I fail to implement it, then I myself miss out. Frankly, I haven’t been very energetic in my pursuit of some of God’s promises. Rather than just acknowledging that, I need to repent, which means changing my ways. I have a lot of inertia there! Apathy benefits no one, least of all me. I need to seek, receive, and apply the energy and drive to fulfill all the conditions God has laid out for the promises He has given me, so that all of His plans may be fulfilled for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word this morning. Even after what You said to me yesterday morning, I wasted much of the day, failing to remember and take care of things You have for me to do. Forgive me. Today, my day is pretty well laid out for me, which makes it easy to be active in my obedience. Help me grow in active obedience when I don’t have an external schedule, so that I may avoid the traps of the enemy and walk in all that You intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 22, 2011

Posted on October 22, 2011 by jgarrott

Joshua 18:3 So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?

Everything we have comes from God, but sometime, as in the case of the Israelites and the promised land, we have to be active in appropriating what God has provided. The balance between God’s part and our part can be hard to discern at times, but a passive sense of entitlement is very dangerous. This is what the US government has generated in many people today, and it’s threatening to tear the nation apart. The problem with being aggressive in going after things is that we so often mistake what we really need, and so go ofter the wrong things. The other problem is that we tend to get proud and think we can get those things in our own strength, rather than recognizing that we don’t deserve them, but that God will enable us to get them if we will submit to Him. There is hardly a sadder song, in the final analysis, than “My Way,” as sung by Frank Sinatra. It certainly fit his lifestyle, but it proclaims an attitude of ignoring God that is absolutely destructive. Waiting on God is not at all the same thing as laziness. The people Joshua was berating just didn’t want to make the effort involved in taking hold of what God has said He was giving them. That certainly isn’t the path to growth and blessing! We do the same thing in relation to our spiritual heritage, choosing not to take the time in devotions, for example, that would lead to closeness to God through the day. The point is in being active in our pursuit of God’s kingdom and His righteousness. When we will do that, there is no limit to what God will pour out on us.

I have tended far more toward being lazy than I like to think about. I do have a solid habit of personal devotions, but I’m not aggressive in making time for evangelism. I want God to pour His Spirit out on this church, yet I don’t take time in prayer and fasting toward that end. I know that God has promised marvelous things for this church and this city, yet I’m not active in seeking how I can cooperate with that. I need to surrender my time and energy to God more actively, so that I may move into all He intends and has prepared for me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word this morning. Help me not just say, Oh that was nice, and then forget it! Help me be fully active in laying hold of all that You intend for me and for this church, so that many may be brought into Your kingdom and Your plans fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 21, 2011

Posted on October 22, 2011 by jgarrott

Joshua 6:20 When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.

When the people were obedient to God, even when the directions sounded a bit absurd, God moved in a remarkable way. One of the strangest things about mankind is that we tend to think we know better than God. That is of course completely not true, and it gets us into a lot of trouble. The Bible is full of examples in both directions on this issue. King Saul lost his kingship, eventually, over the simple matter of failing to be obedient, having rationalized his own behavior. Peter, on the other hand, was obedient when Jesus told him to let the net down yet again, when he had been trying all night and had gotten nothing. He not only netted a huge catch of fish, he committed his whole life to Jesus. (Luke 5:1-11) Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, but when that repetition is in obedience to God, the results can indeed be very different. Marching around the city, as the Lord told Joshua, would be seen as a show of force and nothing more. On top of that, after doing it so many times, I’m sure the Israelites were a bit tired of it. However, the last time, God acted as He had said, in a way that defied human expectation. We need to remember that it is God’s power that accomplishes things, and not our own, and so be faithful in our obedience no matter how silly it might seem.

Sometimes I am reminded of that definition of insanity when I am yet again sharing the Gospel with someone, either for the first time or for the nth time. I’ve got to remember that I could never save anyone in the first place, but that God will use my words and my life to save others if I will be yielded and obedient to Him. I do need to keep growing, and not be repetitious simply from inertia. I must be willing to change, to do something different, but whether I’m doing something for the first time or the nth time, I must be careful that I am doing it in obedience to God. There have been a number of changes in this church, even over the past year, and I am aware that God is shaping, growing, and guiding us. I’m not to try to guess ahead as to what He will do, but I am to hold myself in readiness. The Israelites were ready when the walls collapsed, so they were able to take the city. If they hadn’t been ready, many in Jericho would have escaped. I’ve got to be ready for when God brings in the harvest that He has been indicating for some time, and I need to prepare the believers as well.

Father, thank You for Your plans. I ask You to show me as much as I need to know of my part in them, and I ask You to enable me to fulfill whatever role You have for me. Help me not be afraid to look foolish, but rather obey You in every detail, so that all of Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 20, 2011

Posted on October 20, 2011 by jgarrott

Joshua 1:8 “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Many people want the secret to success, and here it is expressed very clearly: get God’s word into you thoroughly, and do what it says. Anyone who fails to do this doesn’t succeed in all areas, however successful they might seem, because they don’t succeed in having a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. The current political campaign in the US is making it very clear how few genuine Christians are in the public eye, because of all the statements that are being made about how “extreme” or even “dangerous” certain candidates are for being forthright about their faith. “Why, they would pray and seek God’s guidance above any other! Horrors!” Such critics would be completely laughable if they weren’t so pathetic. The point is, whoever you are and whatever you are doing, success is in the hands of God. It generally requires our cooperation, as in actively seeking to make God’s Word the foundation of our lives, but as Solomon noted, time and chance happen to everyone, (Ecclesiastes 9:11) and anxiety won’t change that. Even many Christians are practical atheists in their daily lives, because they don’t consider what God wants them to do and fail to seek His guidance. That’s no way to succeed!

I’ve done better than many in this area, but I’m far from perfect. By God’s grace a lot of His Word is ingrained in me, but I could do better about seeking His guidance about the details of my life. The flip side of that is being active in obedience when I know what He wants me to do. It is an indication of the immaturity of my faith that I sometimes do things I know He doesn’t desire, and I sometimes fail to do things I know He desires. I am charged with leading others to grow in faith, but I must not forget how much room my own faith has to grow. Jesus is my example, and He perfectly listened to His Father and obeyed Him. As a result, nothing He did was a failure, however it looked to those around Him in the short term. The trial, scourging, and crucifixion were not failures, because they led up to His resurrection, which was the greatest success/victory of all eternity! I need to remember that, and let God be the judge of my success, trusting Him with who I am and what I do, for His glory.

Father, success feels good. Help me view it with Your eyes, and not those of the world. Help me be true to You and Your Word, so that at the end of my journey I may be able to say with Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,” for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 19, 2011

Posted on October 20, 2011 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 26:11 And you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.

When you think about it, it’s interesting what we are commanded to rejoice in God’s goodness to us. You would think that would come naturally! However, human beings have a remarkable capacity for looking at the dark side of things, for saying “This isn’t enough,” or “This won’t last.” God says to cut that out! One of the biggest secrets to real happiness is recognizing the blessings you already have. That’s why the devil, who hates mankind because God loves us, does all he can to keep us blind to God’s blessings. God desires the very best for us, and He is amazingly faithful. When we get that through our heads, it becomes easier to recognize more of the blessings He gives us along the way. We will never know the extent of His negative blessings – keeping us from assorted harm and disaster – that He pours out on us, but we get glimpses of that from close calls and from things that happen to others around us. We need to remember that we deserve no better than others, as Jesus reminded the people who told Him about some current events of the day. (Luke 13:1-5) Positive blessings are easier to recognize, but even there our appreciation is generally far too limited. We fix our hearts on something we don’t have and then fail to appreciate and enjoy what we do have. That is one of the greatest causes of human misery, and God wants to lift us out of that mindset.

I’m certainly vulnerable in this area, though the Lord has taught me a lot about contentment and appreciation. As Paul said, Godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6) Any time I do any kind of an inventory I find that there are things I would like to be different, but I also find an overwhelming abundance of God’s grace and provision. I need to teach the believers to look for and appreciate God’s grace and blessings toward them. This is the message I’ve already been told to speak this coming Sunday, and I’m certainly being given a wealth of material! I too have the tendency to be put into a sour mood by one negative event, and if I am going to help the believers out of that trap, I need to get out of it myself!

Father, thank You indeed for Your overwhelming grace toward me. Help me walk in more consistent appreciation, recognizing more of Your blessings and giving You thanks and praise. Thank You for the recent training in trusting You when I didn’t see the solution to a problem I was facing, but You of course did. Thank You for manifesting that solution yesterday. Thank You for how Your plans for me indeed fit in perfectly with Your plans for everyone else. Help me be a joyful, open channel of Your grace and blessing to each person around me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 18, 2011

Posted on October 20, 2011 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 16:16-17 No man should appear before the LORD empty-handed: Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you.

With blessing comes accountability. This is sadly a truth that is being lost in society today, because so many parents fail to teach it to their children at a point when it would become ingrained. That’s a fundamental problem with the whole Santa Claus business, because it teaches children that they can receive stuff without thanking anyone. This leads to a sense of entitlement and a suppression of gratitude, and current demonstrations around the world are showing where that leads. God doesn’t need out gifts and He never has, but we desperately need to recognize and acknowledge that everything we have comes from Him. Otherwise, we become conceited brats, thinking we don’t need anyone even while we are being supported by God’s grace every second. Gratitude is one of the purest motives, and gratitude toward God is the purest of all. The better we understand how much He has done and is doing for us, the more in tune with Him, and therefore the more blessed, our lives will be.

I am very grateful that my parents made it clear that everything we received as children came from someone, and that someone was to be thanked. With my father’s position my family received many gifts, to the point he had to be careful to refuse any that were intended as bribes, so expressing gratitude and appreciation was part of the whole family lifestyle. Also, I was taught to tithe, from the point when I first started receiving an allowance. However, few people are so blessed in their upbringing. As I minister to the flock here, I need to instill in them the recognition and awareness of God’s blessings to them, so that they may grow into that mindset. That will of course mean good things for our church finances, but that in itself must not be my motive. I need to help them delight in being part of the flow of God’s grace and provision, starting with a tithe given to the church but not being limited to that, delighting to bless others because God has blessed them. In that, I must not make them feel like this is a tax being exacted from them, but rather a privilege. It is a joyful thing to recognize that our Source is the Creator of the universe, who gives to all without being stingy.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and thank You for the message for this coming Sunday! You indeed supply unstintingly. Help me communicate that reality to the believers so that their eyes of faith may be opened. Some are bound by a fear of lack, of not having enough, and they especially need to receive this truth. Help me communicate it effectively with Your words, in the power of Your Spirit, so that together we may walk in the flow of Your abundance, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 17, 2011

Posted on October 20, 2011 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

It is interesting that the wealthy sometimes seem to have the hardest time genuinely acknowledging God. Jesus famously said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:25) As came out in yesterday’s passage, Moses dealt with this issue repeatedly. Human pride is an amazing thing, particularly for how blinding it is. When we become proud, we become unable to see ourselves and others, much less God, as they really are. John mentioned such pride as one of the essential snares of the world we live in. (1 John 2:16) We have a hunger for a sense of accomplishment, which isn’t bad in itself, but it must be accompanied by an awareness that it is God who enables us to accomplish whatever good it is we do.

I’ve never been top heavy in the money department, but I’ve certainly had my problems with pride. God has given me a wide range of abilities, and at times I’ve forgotten where those came from. I am indeed very wealthy when it comes to spiritual heritage, coming from several generations of people who were committed to God and His Word. It is highly ironic that I would allow pride in such blessings to trip me up, but I have indeed done exactly that. The answer, for me or for anyone else, is not to deny the blessings, but to acknowledge their source, and in deep gratitude make the use of those blessing that God intends. God indeed enables some people to make a great deal of wealth, but that wealth is to be used in blessing many and advancing the kingdom of God. I am not to be troubled over those who fail to do that, but rather pray God’s grace and mercy on them, that their eyes may be opened to God’s reality, leading them to repentance and faith for salvation.

Father, You know the person who is on my heart right now in relation to what You just had me write. I have shared the Gospel with him before, but he clearly and politely turned it down. I pray for another opportunity, so that the way that You have been dealing with him would be brought to fruition and he be brought into Your family, while there is still time. You have used him over the years to do many good things and he has squandered much of that, at least as far as his own life goes. I ask Your grace and mercy on him, that I may have him as a brother in Christ, for his salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 16, 2011

Posted on October 16, 2011 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 6:11-12 When you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

This is a perennial problem for God’s people, and Moses touched on it several times in Deuteronomy. When things are going well, we have a strong tendency to forget God. In our shortsightedness and foolishness, we think we have accomplished things on our own, not realizing that we can’t even breathe without God’s grace upon us. It is easy to get righteously indignant over atheists who deny God’s existence with this kind of thinking, but Christians fall into it themselves all too easily. That’s a major reason why God allows trials and difficulties in our lives, because at such times we cry out to Him. He isn’t being mean to us, because He knows that denying Him brings far greater disaster on us than anything we could experience in this life. We could avoid a lot of trouble if we would only maintain a clear and obedient awareness of and gratitude toward God. That’s not to say that people with such an attitude don’t have problems, because there are other reasons as well for the trials we face. Sometimes God needs to teach us specific things, and sometimes trials are simply the consequence of living in a fallen world. However, maintaining a clear focus on God keeps us from unnecessary problems, and it certainly makes the journey more pleasant!

One of the biggest blessings of walking with the Lord for a long time is getting this truth worked into you. I can’t say I’ve learned it perfectly, but I am very grateful for the degree to which I have gotten it through my thick skull. Perspective does indeed change with age, and temporal problems are much better understood as temporary. I don’t enjoy problems any more than I ever did, but I don’t suffer from them as badly, because I understand better how minor they are on the eternal scale. That doesn’t keep me from all anxiety, as I just demonstrated, but it does make life much easier. The difficulty is in communicating this truth to others, especially those much younger than I am. I must be very careful not to sound superior or condescending, but rather let the love and grace of God flow through me.

Father, thank You for this reminder of an ongoing issue. Help me maintain sharp awareness of my own dependence on You and communicate effectively the blessedness of that condition to others. May we as a church rejoice to be Your children, fully dependent and obedient on You, not in a passive way but actively doing Your will in Your way for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 15, 2011

Posted on October 16, 2011 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 4:39 Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.

Absolute monotheism is essential. It has brought Jews and Christians into conflict with people of every other religion, and it was a lesson the Jews had a very hard time learning. Atheism is a pretty modern philosophical conceit, but it simply replaces God with man, and so runs afoul of this verse. The secular Jew is as much of an anomaly as the lukewarm Christian, though both are sadly very common. It is no accident that the first commandment is to have no other gods beside the Creator. That is a major problem devout Jews have with Christianity, because they see the Trinity as three gods. The reality of the Trinity is something it takes revelation to grasp fully, but though we experience God in three Persons, He is still One. The problem with Islamic monotheism is that they posit a completely different god. Though Islam is aggressively monotheistic, the god presented in the Koran bears no more than a very slight resemblance to the God of the Bible. One point that sticks in my mind is a statement from someone who encountered Christ after being raised as a devout Muslim, and that is that before, he couldn’t possibly have imagined God as a loving, heavenly Father. Those who are unfamiliar with the mindsets of other religions have no idea how absolutely wonderful and unique the Gospel is.

Living in a non-Christian nation as I do, I encounter this issue all the time. I have had someone who genuinely admired what they saw in us and in this church say that they could never become a Christian precisely because of the monotheism. One of the Japanese terms for Japan is, “The Land of 8 Million Gods.” This isn’t the place for me to go into a discourse on Shinto and Japanese Buddhism, but I am in constant conflict with the mindsets engendered by those religions. Even when people have genuine encounters with Christ and are born again, they often still have trouble with the “old man’s rubble,” to use the words of a Christian song. I am to be clear and persistent in teaching God’s truth, but I must never think for a moment that my words by themselves will produce lasting change. I must depend on the Holy Spirit, both to speak through me and to prepare the hearts of my hearers. At the same time, I must be careful that I don’t let anything usurp the place of God in my own heart. I must not be a theological monotheist and a practical polytheist!

Father, I desire an undivided heart for myself and for everyone in this church. Actually, I desire it for everyone in this nation! I pray that starting right here, You would reveal Yourself so that we would give You absolutely undivided devotion, trusting You and being obedient to You in every detail, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 14, 2011

Posted on October 15, 2011 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 1:8 “See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers–to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob–and to their descendants after them.”

Sometimes God’s gifts seem a long time coming. It had been hundreds of years since Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had each in turn been promised the land of Canaan, but now the time had arrived for that promise to be fulfilled. However, even at this point the Israelites had to go and take possession themselves. In one sense it was being handed to them on a silver platter, but it probably didn’t seem like that to them at all. They had to fight for it! God could give us every­thing instantly, but as has been said repeatedly, He’s more interested in our growth than in our comfort. God created us to spend eternity with Him, and He doesn’t want to spend it with a bunch of brats! Also, sometimes there are things He gives us in the process that we later realize were more valuable than what we thought was the goal. The hard part for us is remembering that we don’t see things from God’s perspective, and choosing to trust Him even when it seems like things are a long time coming. It seems like patience is one of the vanishing virtues, with everyone wanting everything instantly, but patiently, expectantly waiting on God is richly blessed, as the Bible tells us again and again.

I’ve experienced some of this just recently, with computer problems causing me to make first contact with someone who has the potential of becoming a good, long-term friend. The solution to the computer problem seems to have nothing to do with him directly, but God wanted to make that connection, so he allowed the problem in the first place. I’ve experienced this sort of thing many times, but I still get tied in knots with anxiety and frustration over things. God wants me to learn the trust that He has me preaching to others! God has made some remarkable promises to me personally over the years, and it looks like we might be approaching His timing for their fulfillment. That is exciting indeed, but I need to remember that whether the time is short or long, that doesn’t change His faithfulness. As He told me almost a year ago, I need to rest, relax, and rejoice, trusting Him enough to wait when He says wait and move when He says move. If I will do that, He will do far more than I could ask or even imagine.

Father, thank You for this Word, particularly as a followup to what You said yesterday morning. Thank You for knowing far better than I ever could what is best, for me, for this church, for this city and this nation. Help me be active in my obedience to You without thinking that I’m accomplishing anything on my own. Keep me especially from the pressure of thinking I’ve got to bring Your kingdom to earth, as though I could do it in the first place. Help me pray, trust, and obey, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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