October 4, 2011

Posted on October 7, 2011 by jgarrott

Genesis 21:1 Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised.

Throughout the Bible it keeps pointing out that God is true to His word. Some people might claim that’s a trivial thing, but actually it is of the utmost importance. If God were not trustworthy, we would have no real hope or peace, much less assurance. However, He is fully trustworthy, and we had better believe it. We have trouble trusting God because we ourselves are so untrustworthy, and in our thoughts we pull God down to our level. Just because we think of Him that way doesn’t change how He really is! The better we come to know Him, the more we trust Him. As Paul said, “For I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to keep what I’ve committed to Him until that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12) That too is part of becoming “as a little child.” (Mark 10:15) Small children believe whatever you tell them. In an adult, we call that being gullible, but if we lose the ability to believe and trust God, we have suffered a huge loss indeed. That’s why absolute honesty is such an important principle. Those who know they are God’s children should be, within the limits of their ability, as trustworthy as He is. That’s not to say that teasing or playing jokes is sinful in itself, but even there we need to be very careful. If people never know when we are joking, they will have trouble trusting anything we say.

That last point is one where I need to be careful. I don’t think puns invite mistrust (though they do sometimes invite confusion!), but deliberately misleading someone, even as a joke, is very risky. People tend to look at me as God’s representative. My life should give them an accurate picture of what He is like. I know I have no wisdom or power to accomplish that on my own, but the better I know Him, the more He will manifest His character through me. To know Him better, I need to choose to trust Him, in little things and in big. As a pastor, I am called to encourage others likewise to trust and obey Him. The more we do that, the better we will understand His absolute faithfulness, as we walk in all that He has promised.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You also for the further amplification of the message You started giving me yesterday. Thank You for the clear word yesterday that I am supposed to share that message this coming Sunday, rather than what I had been intending to do. Help me trust You enough to be fully responsive to whatever You say to me, whether it agrees with my previous plans or not. Keep me from using that as an excuse not to plan, but keep me flexible and available to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 3, 2011

Posted on October 7, 2011 by jgarrott

Genesis 18:14 “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”

This question was famously repeated in a slightly different form to Jeremiah, (Jeremiah 32:27) and stated in positive form to Mary. (Luke 1:37) We have such difficulty really accepting it! On one level it’s only reasonable that the Creator of the universe would be able to do anything He liked, but on practically every other level we try to pull God down to ourselves, and refuse to believe that He could do anything we couldn’t do. That’s even worse than a small child thinking their father couldn’t reach the cookies on the shelf, when they are at eye level for the father. Human beings could be described as a list of limitations, but there are precious few things, indeed only one, that can be said to be impossible for God, and that is that He can’t be untrue to Himself. He is Love and He is Holiness and He is Justice and all of that, and He can’t be untrue to that. However, things that seem impossible to us are absolutely no obstacle. We generally take a lifetime to re-learn that, after we lose our childlike faith. That’s why Jesus said we can’t enter His kingdom unless we receive it as a little child would receive something you give them. We doubt God’s ability to save us, and worse, we doubt His love and His will to do so. As Jesus told Thomas, we need to stop doubting and believe! (John 20:27)

You would think that by this time such faith would be automatic for me, but I find I often have to choose to believe. Faith is a gift, but we must choose to receive it. I need to make this more clear as I talk to those who have not yet received. In Japanese society, “faith” is seen as something esoteric, difficult, and even a little scary. Christians of course have gotten past that on the surface, but there is a good bit of residual hesitation about faith. I need to believe that God will use me to help others believe Him! Perhaps the most difficult thing from my perspective is helping the members of this church believe that God can and will use them to bring others into faith. I need to trust that He can use even me to accomplish that, for the salvation of many and for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word this morning. Help me receive the faith to trust You to do this in and through me. Birthing people into Your family is no more difficult than Sarah birthing Isaac! Help me remember that nothing is impossible for You, and be faithful to do the work of an evangelist, not making excuses but trusting You, so that Your will may be done in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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October 2, 2011

Posted on October 2, 2011 by jgarrott

Genesis 15:1, 6 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.”
Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

This is one of the most important passages in the whole Bible. All the rest of the interaction between God and man for man’s salvation hinges on this passage. In the first place, this was initiated by God, who appeared to Abram in a vision. Jesus later told His disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” (John 15:16) Salvation is from God’s side, because there is nothing we can do that is sufficient to save our souls for eternity. God told Abram not to fear, that He would protect him and that he would be blessed abundantly. We have such a tendency to be afraid we’re going to miss out, that we won’t have what we need, much less what we want. God is saying to Abram, “Leave that up to me.” Then, after some interplay between the two, we have the statement that Abram believed God, and that God said, essentially, “That’s enough.” As Paul so famously explained to the Romans, that is the basis of salvation in Christ. God provided salvation for us through the cross of Christ. All we have to do is believe it, but we do have to believe it. People have many reasons for refusing to believe, but none of them hold water. God is absolutely worthy of our complete faith, trust, and obedience. When we get that through our heads and hearts, we step out of darkness into light, from death to eternal life.

This is of course the basis of my salvation, and it is the message I preach. There are a great many ramifications of course, and no limit to the depth of it all, but this is where it all begins. I must not forget that, failing to make it clear to everyone. It does no good for some­one to “join a church” without this foundation. We have such trouble with all parts of this at one point or another. We have trouble believing that God loves us enough, cares enough for us to make salvation available. We have trouble letting go of the various petty things we cling to instead of God. We have trouble really believing, deep down, that God knows better about our life than we do. I need to remember my own weaknesses and extend to others the same grace that was poured out on me, so that as many as will may believe and receive the salvation God has provided for them.

Father, thank You for the beautiful illustration we had of this last night in the meeting. Thank You for the five or so people who raised their hands asking for prayer. Guide as we read the questionnaires that people turned in, that we may follow up effectively. I pray that Your Word would be sealed in each heart, not just in those who raised their hands, so that none of the harvest may be lost, but so that all may be brought into Your family, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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October 1, 2011

Posted on October 2, 2011 by jgarrott

Genesis 9:3 Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

It had never struck me before that Noah wasn’t kosher! Restrictions grew in response to man’s sin. Indeed, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) That is why those who are in Christ are freed from the Levitical dietary restrictions. However, with freedom comes responsibility. (That’s why some people actually prefer restrictive environments.) All things are given to us as food if we want them, but some are better for us than others, and some are even poisonous. Likewise, overindulgence in even good food is not wise, as the current epidemic of obesity in the US makes very clear. God gives us all we need, but we are responsible to use it wisely, and with proper respect and gratitude toward our Provider. It is in this last point that most people fall short. Indeed, some people adopt the logically absurd stance of atheism precisely because they don’t want to acknowledge that everything they have was given to them, and so they should be grateful.

Thankfully, I was raised with a clear awareness that God is our Source, but that doesn’t mean I’ve always been properly grateful, or a good steward of what was in my hands. However, the longer I live, the easier such gratitude becomes. God has allowed circumstances in my life to teach me that I cannot get by without Him. Those lessons were at times unpleasant, but I am grateful to have learned them. If I were the source of my sustenance, every bit of the responsibility would fall on me! As it is, I am responsible as a steward, not only of the physical supplies I’ve been given but also of the time, energy, and opportunities that come my way. I am to seek God at every turn, asking Him what purpose He has for whatever I encounter, trusting that His plans and provisions are always good. That doesn’t mean I’m not to plan and prepare for the future, but it does mean I’m always to give Him permission to change my plans to fit His, knowing that His are always better.

Father, thank You indeed for Your plans and provision for me and for this church. Thank You for how we are seeing those unfold. Thank You for the special meeting tonight, that was dropped into our laps through no effort on our part. Thank You for the remarkable response we have gotten to the little bit of publicity we have done. I pray that everyone You want to be here tonight would come, and that You would prepare and “tenderize” their hearts in preparation. Above all I ask that Your Spirit, Your presence be here in power, touching hearts and opening them up to receive Your grace and love, planting seed, watering, and even harvesting those You have prepared, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 30, 2011

Posted on October 2, 2011 by jgarrott

1 John 2:24-25 See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us–even eternal life.

It is amazing to me that the NIV translation committee didn’t pay more attention to what the same author, John, had written elsewhere. These two verses are a direct echo of John 15, and the promise isn’t simply eternal life, as the NIV seems to imply, but the whole matter of abiding, which results in eternal life. John heard Jesus say it in the Upper Room Discourse, and the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let him forget it. We too need to take it to heart, not moving away from the basics of the Gospel but building on them as we grow. The reality of Jesus’ death for our sins and His resurrection for our justification should be so foundational to who we are that it defines us. Some very vocal people today are letting their sexual orientation define them, and in their case that is sad indeed. However, too many Christians are not defined by the Gospel that brought them salvation. We need to examine ourselves and see how well we are abiding in God’s Word and allowing it to abide in us.

I feel like I’m fairly secure in this area, but as a pastor I deal with people all the time who need a lot of help here. Statistically, there is very little difference between church members and non church members, and that is simply wrong. Romans 12:2 states perfectly clearly that we are not to be conformed to the world, yet far too many Christians are more concerned about fitting in with the people around them than they are with following God. It’s no wonder they experience very little victory and joy in their faith! I need to make it very clear just how radical a commitment to Christ is, and help people follow through with such a commitment.

Father, You know better than I do that it’s only by Your grace that I’ve come as far as I have, and that I’m not home yet. Keep me from looking down on, much less talking down to, anyone. Help me admonish and encourage with all diligence and love, building up the believers so that they may walk in all that You desire and intend for them, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 29, 2011

Posted on October 2, 2011 by jgarrott

2 Peter 2:9 If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.

We get all worked up over assorted injustices, but Peter reminds us that God is more than able to deal with those who do evil, just as He is able to guide, protect, and rescue us if our hearts are turned to Him. Paul quoted Deuteronomy on this subject when he reminded us not to try to settle scores on our own, but rather trust God. (Romans 12:19) This is not to say that we aren’t to work toward social justice, or that governments aren’t to enforce just laws, but it is to say that we aren’t to think anyone ever “gets away with” anything that is apart from God’s righteousness. The lawman in Arizona who wrote, “Remanded to a higher court” on the report of a murderer who was found dead of dehydration in the desert had the right idea. Any punishment man could mete out is insignificant compared to God’s judgment! At the same time, we must remember the other half of this verse, and that is that God is more than able to take care of those who are His. The NIV uses “trials,” while the Japanese uses “temptations,” but trials are at least a temptation not to trust God, and temptations can be very trying. The point is, trusting God is the right answer regardless of the situation we find ourselves in, and whoever else it might involve.

This is a good reminder for me, because I can get pretty worked up over reports of injustice and the like. I am to strive for God’s righteousness in my own life and exercise my rights as a citizen of a democracy to seek righteous leaders of all sorts, but I must remember that God is still God, regardless of what is going on. The past couple of years have seemed disastrous for America, but the situation has waked up average citizens to a degree that is seldom seen, and God intended it for good all along. I am to be faithful to pray for those in leadership (1 Timothy 2:1-4), and cast my vote for those who seek God, but I am to trust God with the result, on every level. This is at least easy to understand on the political level, but when it comes down to the Church, emotions can get even higher, because it’s my family that’s being wronged! However, that’s exactly the scenario Peter is addressing here, so I must trust God that He will prepare the Bride of Christ to indeed be spotless on Her wedding day. (Ephesians 5:25-27, Revelation 19:7-8) Again, the key is personal righteousness, while letting God be God.

Father, thank You for this reminder this morning. Thank You for being so much wiser than all of mankind put together. Help me remember that You laugh at our foolishness, and that it doesn’t stop You in any way. Help me be fully sensitive and responsive to You so that I may be useful and not discarded. May my constant desire be that Your Name be hallowed, Your kingdom come, and Your will be done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 28, 2011

Posted on September 28, 2011 by jgarrott

James 3:2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

James was obviously painfully aware of our tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time in the wrong way! “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” is perhaps the least accurate of all aphorisms. Words can be intensely wounding, but speech is one of our most fundamental capacities as human beings, to the point that John started his Gospel with, “In the beginning was the Word,” meaning Christ. Something so powerful must be used with care. At the same time, we need to realize what words are. The reason John could effectively use that figure of speech is because our words are the expression of who we are, of our wills. Jesus is the expression of God’s will, so He is God’s Word. That’s why it is so painful when we are misunderstood: who we are has not communicated. That puts another slant on what James says here, and for the next several verses. If we really want to change what we say, then we need to be changed from the inside out. The reverse of that is the plot of Shaw’s play, “Pygmalion,” famously made into a movie as “My Fair Lady.” There, the male protagonist seeks to create a new person out of the female protagonist by changing her patterns of speech. To a degree that is indeed possible, but it is obviously possible to be incredibly cutting and cruel and sound genteel and refined at the same time. No, real change in the content of what we say must come from a change in heart, and that is possible only with the help of the Holy Spirit. James is saying that we need to use our words as an indicator of our spiritual condition, and seek to have our words, and everything that underlies them, conform to our Lord Jesus Christ.

As a man of words, this is obviously extremely applicable to me. I probably speak and write significantly more than the average person, but quantity is no gauge of quality. I have demonstrated my ability to wound with words from childhood, when I considered them my main weapon against those I saw as my enemies for any reason. Sadly, I have found that words are most wounding when they come from those closest to us. As a pastor and teacher, my words to my congregation and to my students carry more weight than casual speech, so I must be all the more careful to speak the truth in love – emphasis on the love. I have been given the privilege of speaking what God has said and is saying, at times, so I must be vigilant not to pollute that with my own words that add nothing good. However, I must not let the fear of misspeaking make me silent, and more than Jeremiah could do so. (Jeremiah 20:9)

Father, I obviously could go on for quite a while on this subject! Help me not only speak as I should, but also shut up when I should. There are many times when any words are wrong. I’ve spoken in such situations far too often. I ask for Your brakes on my mouth – and my fingers, as I type – so that I will say only what You would have me say, building up my hearers and drawing them to You, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 27, 2011

Posted on September 28, 2011 by jgarrott

Hebrews 12:7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

The saddest thing about this verse is that today, all too many children are never disciplined by their fathers, either because their fathers are simply absent, or because their fathers have swallowed some perverted psychology that says it’s “damaging” to children to punish them. I could easily go off on quite a rant on this subject! The devil hates families, and fatherhood in particular, because they are an expression of God as our Father, just as this verse says. Fathers who are physically or emotionally absent from their children have fallen for a huge trap, and those who are petty tyrants toward their children have fallen for one that is hardly any smaller. Fathers are called to love their children enough to take the time, and the physical and emotional energy, to discipline them correctly. Proverbs clearly says that includes physical punishment, even though that is anathema in many circles today. The fact is, rational argument doesn’t penetrate, because their thought processes aren’t that developed. Lectures don’t work! That’s not to condone abuse, or capricious punishment. We are called to do everything in love, loving God first and then loving those around us. Fathers who fail to discipline their children have at best failed to understand how to love them.

This is an area in which my parents could have done better, though I understand their reasons for what they did. I think I perhaps needed a bit more of the rod than I got! However, they did give a superb example of being committed to God, and that compensated to some degree. I know of other missionary children who were over disciplined, and that certainly didn’t produce good results! The question for me now is how I am to act as a grandfather, particularly when I am so far physically from my grandchildren. Of more immediate concern is how I am to relate to my spiritual children, with whom I interact on a frequent basis. Physical punishment isn’t an option there – God is the only one qualified in that area. However, I am both to encourage and admonish, speaking as firmly as necessary but always speaking in love. I need to be especially careful not to dump on behavior that is not sinful, even if performance isn’t up to the level I would desire. I’ve had some real failures doing that. Rather, I need to focus on praising progress, encouraging and strengthening, and offering only as much advice as they are ready to receive. I need to remember that my way isn’t necessarily the best way, much less the only way.

Father, this is a vitally important issue, as You know better than I do. Likewise, You know my failures in this area even better than I do. Help me be the father You want me to be, to my physical children and grandchildren and to my spiritual ones as well, so that I may be Your agent for Your will to be done in their lives, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 26, 2011

Posted on September 28, 2011 by jgarrott

Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

These first three verses of Hebrews 12, and particularly this one, contain what has been a continuing refrain in my ministry for the past several years: keep your eyes on Jesus. Doing that puts everything into perspective and gives us strength and hope to deal with every­thing we encounter in our lives. One point that stands out to me from this verse this morning is that Jesus didn’t just deal with physical pain on the cross, he dealt with embarrassment. Depictions of crucifixion almost always have one inauthentic detail: a loin cloth. The Romans didn’t waste any scrap of clothing on those they were executing. Jesus endured everything for “the joy that was set before Him.” It does us a lot of good to consider just what that joy was. In the first place, it was returning to His position of glory with the Father, as it mentions in this verse, but if that had been all, there was no reason for Him to have left heaven in the first place. The special joy that was available to Him only after the cross was bringing us with Him into glory. Romans 8:29 speaks of Him being “the Firstborn among many brothers,” and Hebrews 2:10 speaks of “bringing many sons to glory.” As has been pointed out from the 1st Century right up through the present, Jesus went through all He did for us. The better we grasp that reality, the easier it will be to endure anything at all on this earth, because His love will blot out all our pain and suffering of all sorts.

As I have written recently, I have encountered opposition to this message from people who weren’t willing to concede that God was greater than their problems. That seems so absurd! Why wallow in misery when we can keep our eyes on Jesus? As someone mentioned in a testimony in the service just yesterday, physical pain can have a strong negative influence on us spiritually, and actually, emotional pain can do the same thing. That’s why spiritual maturity involves the choice to fix our eyes on Jesus regardless of our circumstances. I need to admonish and encourage the believers to make that choice, because if they will do it, the benefits are beyond calculation. At the same time, I need to be careful to make that choice myself, so that I won’t teach others and then fail to receive the benefits along with them.

Father, thank You for Your absolute faithfulness. Thank You for all You are doing in this church, in each member and in our interactions and organization. Help us keep growing in every way, so that we will be the body of believers that You desire, doing Your will in bringing many into Your kingdom, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 25, 2011

Posted on September 26, 2011 by jgarrott

Hebrews 8:10-11 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, `Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.

This prophecy from Jeremiah 31 is indeed magnificent, but it is helpful to consider what the implications are for right now, before we see its complete fulfillment. Every believer rejoices at the prospect of God writing His law in people’s minds and hearts, but it doesn’t take much observation to know that hasn’t happened yet for the majority of people. Understanding that, we can grasp that verse 11 is talking about what should be happening now, with every man who knows God teaching his family and neighbors about God. That won’t be necessary when everyone knows God, but until that comes about, every believer is to be teaching those around them. That will take different forms in different situations, but every believer is to be doing it all the time, in one way or another. So many believers think they can’t do that, that they have nothing to teach and they wouldn’t be heard if they tried, but that’s a lie of the devil. Everyone who has discovered a personal relationship with God who loves them is miles ahead of anyone who hasn’t made that discovery. Running around lecturing is hardly the most effective way to communicate the Gospel, but everyone can express the love of God through their attitudes and actions, and when that happens, opportunities will open up to express that love through words as well.

As someone with Teacher gifting, I tend rather strongly toward lecturing, and that’s obviously not very efficient. I’ve got to remember that people have to be loved into the kingdom, and not just ordered to enter. That’s why mass meetings are generally very inefficient in generating converts. They have benefit in getting some people to step into a church building for the first time, and they pull some people into commitment who have been wavering, but such conversions are the exception rather than the rule. We are having a special meeting this Saturday, and we have the prospect of many people entering the building for the first time. Some of those may have been prepared by the Lord for commitment at just this time. Some may be “closet Christians,” who will use this opportunity to reconnect to the Body of Christ. However, for all of them, the most important thing will be the love of God expressed through this congregation. We need to be prepared to get contact information and then follow through with it, contacting each person who comes, inviting them to come back, and otherwise making them feel loved. I’m not really good at that! However, by the grace and love of God, He can do it through me, and I need to make myself fully available to Him for that purpose.

Father, thank You for the seminar on evangelism that one of our members could attend yesterday. Thank You for the things he heard there. I pray that every member of this church would take hold of the privilege and responsibility of being Christ’s witness so that, led by Your Spirit, we may be effective workers in Your harvest, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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