September 24, 2011

Posted on September 24, 2011 by jgarrott

Hebrews 6:19-20 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

The Japanese and English divide the sentences differently here, which makes me need to use all of both verses. The thing that struck me just now about this was the image of the anchor. That image is used in several well-known hymns, but it has always seemed a little strange to me, since I’m not much of a boatman. However, the more I think about it, having experienced as much of life as I have and having watched so many other lives, the more sense it makes. Anchors are used to keep boats from drifting out of place, when winds and waves and currents would otherwise carry them away. Our lives are very much like that, with constant influences of one sort or another. We might have the best of intentions, but without an anchor of some sort, we will drift. The writer here speaks of the hope we have in Christ Jesus as the anchor we need to give us stability. The next part of the image is rather confusing to people today, because it speaks of the anchor “entering the veil.” Even Jews today aren’t that familiar with the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the temple in Jerusalem, because that temple was torn down in AD 70 by the Romans. The Most Holy Place was where the Ark of the Covenant stayed, signifying the presence of God Himself. It is of great significance that one of the events of Jesus’ death on the cross was that veil splitting in two from top to bottom. (Mark 15:38) The separation between God and man was breached, and it was initiated from above, that is, from God’s side. Our hope is anchored in the presence of God Himself, which is why it is sufficient to stabilize us no matter how great the storm.

I’ve been through a few storms myself, though in retrospect they don’t seem so severe. However, as a pastor I am constantly ministering to people who feel like they are in major storms, even if to an outside observer things might not seem so severe. The point is, I need to teach people about the anchor that is available to them and how to cling to it. Some people speak disparagingly of those who “cling to religion,” but the day will certainly come when they will change their tune, if not sooner, then too late. I need to teach believers just how big and glorious their hope is, so that they will understand how small their problems and obstacles are in comparison. I must not belittle their problems, but rather point them to Jesus and the promises God has given us.

Father, thank You for the hope that You have given me, which is for all who will believe. Help me communicate that hope more and more effectively, so that more and more people will take hold of it as their own, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 23, 2011

Posted on September 24, 2011 by jgarrott

Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Maturity doesn’t come simply with the passage of time, but with experience and practice. Some people seem never to learn from their experiences! Failing to learn from experience is not being a good steward of what God provides, because He allows things in our lives to bless us, either directly, as correction, or as training for maturity. The most important point of this verse is the matter of distinguishing good from evil. To do that consistently, we’ve got to be desiring to please God, that is, do good. Far too many people don’t really have “pleasing God” even on their radar, much less in the forefront of their awareness. When that is the case, “good” becomes whatever feels enjoyable at the moment, without regard for absolutes of any sort. It doesn’t take a very close inspection to realize that is the case for much if not most of society today. Such an attitude essentially closes the ears to truth, to the point that they really don’t hear it at all. Christians have at least opened the door to truth, but their capacity to hear it will be governed by their commitment to follow it. None of us has a perfect grasp of God’s truth, which is why dogmatism can be so dangerous, but we grow in our understanding and appreciation of God’s truth by applying it to the degree that we have it. That, too, is what this verse is talking about. We aren’t given deeper revelation until we walk in what we already have.

This applies to me personally, as well as to my ministry of the Word to others. Those who are committed to obedience to God grow by leaps and bounds, while those who cling to things of the flesh and the world hardly grow at all. The crazy thing is, sometimes what people cling to isn’t pleasurable, but is something like resentment or unforgiveness or jealousy. I need to be gentle but firm with all, keeping watch over my own commitment to obedience and administering God’s grace even as I have received it. I know too well how easy it is to be distracted from the high calling that God has given us!

Father, several examples immediately come to mind. I expect to interact today with one person who is struggling in this area. I ask for Your words to flow from Your love through me to them, so that they may be strengthened and encouraged, rather than cast down. I pray that I would be an instrument of affirmation, helping them stand against all the lies of the devil, so that they may have the courage to choose obedience to You at every turn, believing and trusting that Your plans for them are good, acceptable, and perfect, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 22, 2011

Posted on September 24, 2011 by jgarrott

Titus 2:11-13 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Paul is famous for his long sentences, and this is a minor example of that. They require some real thinking to grasp them properly, but they do show how things are interrelated. Here, he has just been talking to slaves about their relationship to their masters, which is a subject we don’t want to think is related to us. However, some employment situations aren’t much better, and in any case it leads into what Paul says here. The point is that no situation is so bad as to overshadow the magnificence of God’s grace toward us. The better we understand that grace, the better equipped we are to to resist the temptations of the world and live as God desires and intends us to do. It gives us a joyous anticipation of Christ’s return, because it helps us grasp the reality that everything in this world put together can’t hold a candle to the magnificence of what God has prepared for us in Christ. We are very slow to learn that lesson, on the one hand clinging to things of this world and on the other, seeing the problems of this life as insurmountable. God wants to lift us out of that pitiful state into the realm of faith and trust, so that we may walk in peace and joy whatever is going on around us.

I well remember the hymn, “The Solid Rock,” that is about precisely this subject. Too often we sing songs in church without really processing the words through our minds and hearts. If we did, we would realize that some songs should be discarded, but many are useful to teach, encourage, and strengthen us in our daily walk. I feel my family’s love of Christian music as I was growing up was a great blessing. Some of the songs used archaic language that was hard to relate to, some were simply silly, and a few were downright unbiblical, but there were quite a few treasures. As a pastor, I need to seek every way I can to communicate the reality of the grace we have received, and good songs are an excellent tool. That’s a major reason the devil seems to target musicians, right along with pastors and teachers, because their influence is so great. I need to pray for the musicians in this church, that they would be protected and that they would grow in faith and knowledge as well as in musicianship, so that they may be fully effective in leading us all in praise and worship. I need to use the broad foundation I’ve been given in this area to teach lyrics that will equip the believers to stand firm and strong, in full commitment to the Lord of glory.

Father, this went in a quite unexpected direction. That gives me all the more reason to feel it’s from You! Thank You for Your faithfulness to speak to and through me. Help me receive and apply all that You say, not thinking it’s just for “them,” but knowing that I need Your grace as much as anyone. Help us as a congregation rejoice in and walk in Your grace at all times, extending that grace to all who will receive it, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 21, 2011

Posted on September 24, 2011 by jgarrott

Titus 2:78 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

The best defense against criticism is to be blameless. The scenario that Paul paints here has been played out countless times in the 2000 years since then, as people who have opposed Christianity have been embarrassed to say that Christians were such good people. As has come out from another passage recently, sometimes people oppose Christians simply because they know they themselves look bad by comparison. Frankly, that can’t be helped, and the best we can do for such people is pray for them and seek to help them understand that the same grace we have received is available to them. Anyone in leadership in the Church, in particular, is going to be watched very closely, and needs to be careful that they are a good example. That doesn’t mean putting on a good front, but rather being good, through and through. That can only be accomplished by the help and grace of God, but it certainly makes for sleeping better at night!

I haven’t escaped criticism, but interestingly, I’ve had more from within the church than from outside of it. People tend to erect ideal images in their minds of how those around them should be, regardless of the practicality or even possibility of those images. I’m not to ignore criticism, but rather submit it to the Lord in all humility and let Him show me what is valid and what is not. When criticism is unjust, I am to forgive and pray for my critics. When it is just, I am to repent, apologize as called for, and seek God’s help in changing. I am not to resent my position of high visibility, but rather be thankful for the impetus to walk as I should even if people weren’t watching!

Father, thank You again for Your grace toward me. You know my faults and failures better than anyone, and yet You still love me. Help me indeed walk in Your grace, never taking it lightly but being grateful and extending it to those around me as well. May I be the example to them that You want me to be, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 20, 2011

Posted on September 20, 2011 by jgarrott

2 Timothy 4:5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Along with verse 2, these are essentially Paul’s final instructions to Timothy. He hoped that Timothy would get to him before he was executed, but he had no guarantee of that, and these words are what he wanted to leave with his son in faith and ministry. Not knowing the Greek, I don’t know if the NIV or the Japanese is closer in the first phrase, but the point is that Timothy, like every Christian, is going to encounter a variety of situations, and he is to be consistent in serving God in all of them. There is the reminder that some of those situations are going to be difficult, but he must not give up. Then, though there is no indication in the Bible that Evangelist was Timothy’s primary gifting and calling, there is the instruction to evangelize. This is a point that many Christians miss. They think that because it’s not their primary gifting and calling, they can forget about it. Not so. As long as there are people around us who don’t know and follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we are responsible and privileged to share the Gospel with them, giving the information they need to make that commitment and praying for them to overcome every barrier and distraction. That actually is part of the last instruction, to fulfill his ministry. Every believer has a different ministry, to some degree at least, so this will mean something different for each individual. What it does mean for everyone, however, is seeking God’s guidance and being faithful in all He says, not being halfhearted but following through fully.

This is a pertinent reminder for me, as it should be for every believer. I am enormously limited in almost every way, but God is not limited in any way, and I need to be faithful in my obedience so that He can accomplish all that He desires to do through me. I am not to allow difficulties, or anything else, to distract me from the tasks the Lord has set for me. With God’s strength and energy I am to be tireless in communicating the Gospel to those around me, in all its glorious depth and richness. To those who know nothing, I am to be simple and uncomplicated. To those who have had their eyes opened, I am to point out the panoramas of the kingdom of God. I am not to rely on myself, but neither am I to hold anything back in my obedience. It is God who has called and equipped me, and He will carry me through to His desired fulfillment.

Father, I am reminded of the song, “The Longer I Serve Him, the Sweeter He Grows.” That is certainly true for me. Thank You. Help me raise up more and more disciples for You who will make the same discovery, so that You will have the faithful family that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 19, 2011

Posted on September 20, 2011 by jgarrott

2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

I doubt that this is very many people’s favorite Scripture! However, unless this is made clear, too many earnest new Christians will think they are unique in running into opposition. In Japan and America, the two worlds that I straddle, there isn’t much organized governmental persecution (yet), but social persecution is very operative in both cultures. It’s important to notice that Paul says here, the one who “desires to live a devout life.” The average person on the street couldn’t care less about living a devout life. That’s why they resent anyone who does, because it makes them look bad by comparison. Most people are actually comforted, in a sense, to read or hear about horrible criminals, because it enables them to feel good about themselves because they aren’t like that. When they rub shoulders with someone who is living a holy life and actively pursuing God, they feel horrible. That’s why evangelism must always be on the foundation of humility, that is, God was this gracious to me, so you can experience His grace too. An effective evangelist will always have a sharp focus on the reality that they are hopeless without Christ. Meanwhile, everyone who is genuinely living for Christ is going to encounter envy and resentment at the least, and those will often manifest in various forms of persecution. Every believer needs to keep that in mind, and indeed pray for those who persecute them and mistreat them. (Matthew 4:44)

I feel I have personally encountered very little that felt like persecution to me, but I have been yelled at in a bar because I was drinking a soft drink instead of alcohol. That’s a good illustration of what I’ve just said, but because that man wasn’t close to me emotionally, it didn’t feel like persecution. However, this church has many who are the only Christians in their families, and they encounter a wide variety of persecution every day. I need to encourage them and help them keep their eyes on Jesus, as it tells us in Hebrews 12:2-3. A problem I have encountered in trying to do that is that I haven’t personally been in their situation, and as a Caucasian in Japan I’m not expected to conform perfectly, so I sometimes get the response that “I don’t know their suffering.” That’s true, actually, but I do know our Lord, and I know that His grace is sufficient for us regardless of our situations. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Father, thank You that Your grace is sufficient for me, too, as I try to shepherd this flock. I am achingly aware of my own inabilities at times. Help me be even more aware of Your sufficiency. Help me indeed encourage and strengthen the believers to stand firm in Christ against all of the onslaughts of the devil and the fallen world we live in, whether they be physical, emotional, or spiritual, so that we may walk in Your peace and joy at all times, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 18, 2011

Posted on September 20, 2011 by jgarrott

2 Timothy 2:14 Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.

I had not previously underlined this verse in the Bible I’m using now, but it strikes me that many if not most of the Church splits over the centuries at the very least involved words and their interpretation, even if that wasn’t the central issue. Paul is saying that hair splitting destroys, it doesn’t build up, and it must be dealt with strongly. Also, the verse starts with the instruction to be persistent and consistent in teaching. We human beings tend to forget! We need to keep reminding ourselves and each other of the great, glorious truths of the Gospel, or the pressures of the world and our own weakness will get us to acting like we’ve forgotten them. Whereas I can certainly understand the frustration of the writer of Hebrews, that his readers needed the basic truths all over again, (Hebrews 5:11-6-3) such truths must not be forgotten, and any teacher of the word should keep touching on them regularly. However, this shouldn’t have to be from the pulpit all the time; believers should be reminding each other as circumstances present opportunity.

I sometimes feel my sermons are just replays of things I’ve said before! That isn’t surprising, considering how long I’ve been in ministry, but I must neither resent it nor give “canned” messages, because I always have a mix of those who should have heard before and those who perhaps have not heard. At the same time, considering how much the Lord blesses me through repeated reading of the Bible, I should trust Him to give my hearers fresh insight even if they are hearing something they’ve heard several times before. On the issue of quarreling over words, I’ve had words thrown at me in the past, and I’ve done more hair splitting myself than I like to think about. At this point I think I am honestly on my guard about such things, and I have indeed had occasion to call believers down about word arguments. I must always do that gently and in love, but as firmly as necessary. I do not want the fellowship of the Body of Christ to be sacrificed for a shibboleth!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me be faithful as the shepherd You want me to be, feeding the sheep what they need as they need it, neither overloading them with sugar or spice, figuratively speaking, nor making it bland and uninteresting, nor giving them “food” that isn’t real nourishment. Help me keep my eyes on Christ, reminding myself of the fundamental truths, just as You were saying to me yesterday, so that I may be faithful and undeceived, as a good son and servant, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 17, 2011

Posted on September 20, 2011 by jgarrott

2 Timothy 2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel.

It’s interesting the difference a minor change in translation can make. The NIV just says, “remember,” but the Japanese has “always think about.” That difference can have a massive impact on how we live. The average American Christian hasn’t forgotten the facts of the Gospel, but doesn’t really live with them in the forefront of their awareness. In contrast, it would seem that the average Chinese Christian is indeed doing what Paul says here, because they are willing to risk imprisonment or even death for their faith. The Gospel is not something to be believed once and then forgotten, it is to be the very foundation of our lives. The world today is filled with distractions, and Attention Deficit Disorder is rampant. I feel that is a ploy of the devil, because he doesn’t want us to meditate on the truth of God. We have forgotten how to “Be still, and know that [God] is God.” (Psalm 46:10) The Gospel is something to be meditated on, mulled over and chewed on, to be digested and absorbed into every part of our being, until every moment of our lives, asleep or awake, reflects the reality that God loved us so much that He planned from the foundation of the earth to send His Son to be our Savior.

I can write that and know that it’s true, but I can’t say that I’m there 100% myself. There are many times when my body is busy but my mind isn’t, that it would be very easy to mull the Gospel over in my mind, since generally I’m thinking pretty random thoughts at those times. I genuinely desire to be more like Christ, to have Him formed in me, and this is the way to do that. This doesn’t mean at all that I’m not to be fully present in all the situations that require my attention, but it is to say that the awareness of Christ is to be the foundation of my every thought, word and action. As long as I cling to this world that won’t happen, but by God’s grace He will enable me to shift my focus to Christ and keep it there, if my heart is truly in it.

Father, thank You for this reminder, challenge, and encouragement. I accept the challenge, and rejoice in Your love and grace toward me! Help me indeed follow through with this, so that I will be faithful in every task You have for me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 16, 2011

Posted on September 20, 2011 by jgarrott

2 Timothy 1:12 Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

I have sung this Scripture as the chorus of a hymn since childhood, and it has always been a comfort to me. I can’t say that I understood it very well back then, but I can say that I understand it better all the time. This attitude expressed by Paul has been a pillar of strength for believers through the ages, and will continue to be so until Christ comes again in glory. There are a number of secrets to the victorious Christian lifestyle hidden in it. In the first place, Paul is not ashamed, either of Christ or of what he, himself, has suffered because of his obedience to Christ. Jesus spoke of that directly Himself. “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26) Too many people apologize for being Christians! Proclaiming Christ can indeed lose friends and make enemies sometimes, but when we really know Him, we understand that it’s worth it. The second secret hidden here is that Paul committed things to Christ. That is to say, he recognized that they were beyond his ability to deal with, so he submitted them to Christ and let go of them, refusing to carry them around as baggage. That’s why he could say, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) So many of us are unable to let go of the things we can’t handle, and that’s a bad place to be. He was able to do that because he knew Christ, even though he never met Him physically. He knew Him from years of daily fellowship in prayer, seeing Him act and recognizing His voice in various ways. Knowing Christ became a passion for Paul (Philippians 3:10-11), and the same thing is open to every believer today, if we will set our hearts on it and make it our priority.

I find my heart echoing Paul! I am deeply grateful for the degree to which I know Christ, and at the same time I am deeply hungry to know Him more and better. I really like the saying I’ve seen on a T-shirt: “Know Christ, know peace. No Christ, no peace.” I see so many illustrations of that truth around me, and I’ve certainly experienced it myself. Every time I find my heart in a turmoil, I know it’s an indication I need to know Christ better. I recognize that I am called and sent to help others know Christ, and that I must lead by example. The prophet Hosea said, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6) So many, even of those who claim to be Christians, really don’t know the Lord whose Name they use. I need to be fully available to Him so that He may reveal Himself to them, and they may walk in the fulness of all He accomplished for them on the cross and in rising from the tomb.

Father, thank You for this reminder this morning. It is indeed glorious to walk in fellowship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit day by day, and yet I do it too little. Help me indeed know You more and better each day, so that more and more may desire and discover that same fellowship for themselves, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 15, 2011

Posted on September 20, 2011 by jgarrott

1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

These are pertinent words for any minister of the Gospel! There is a tendency for anyone to stress one side of that or the other, but both are of great importance. What we teach is of course important, but if we aren’t living it out ourselves, it becomes meaningless. Examples abound of ministers who have derailed because of this very issue. Perhaps one root of the problem lies in our attitude toward the Word in the first place. When the Bible is approached as an academic object, there is no life in it. There are denominations that require academic testing before ordination, but to me that is totally missing the point. Our calling is from God, and the focus must be on Him, and the Bible as His Word to us. It is all too true that familiarity breeds contempt, and people who deal with the Bible regularly, as of course preachers do, have a strong temptation to disconnect from the truth they are studying and proclaiming. That is disastrous, and I think it is what Paul is warning against here. We must always approach the Word with joyful anticipation that God is going to speak to us through it, so that we may in turn transmit that to those who hear us.

Sometimes I have problems with people thinking I am aiming sermons at them, and some have gotten offended. They don’t understand that I must and I do preach first to myself. If I ever think a sermon I preach is “for them,” and fail to apply it to my own heart and life, I have stepped onto a slippery slope indeed. Perhaps one reason sermons come to me so readily is because I need them so much! At the same time, it breaks my heart to see people hear the message and fail to appropriate and apply it to themselves. I see so much needless suffering in people who have heard God’s truth but have failed to receive it. I need to be faithful in praying for hearing ears and hearts, in myself as well as in my listeners. Because of the Internet, I have no idea how many people, much less who, hears the Word through me, but God knows every detail, and I can trust Him with it. If I will pray for hearing ears for my listeners, He will apply that appropriately!

Father, thank You for the immense privilege of proclaiming Your Word. Thank You for modern media that allow that message to go out far more broadly and easily than in past generations. Thank You for the possibility that has come up of live streaming our whole worship services, rather than just having the messages as podcasts. Guide in all the details of that, human as well as technical, so that whatever we do, we will do it Your way. Help me be faithful in sitting at Your feet to hear what You are saying, applying it first to my own heart and life so that it will be undistorted as I share it with others, in order that the Body of Christ may be built up, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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