Good Intentions; March 27, 2024

Posted on March 28, 2024 by jgarrott

Matthew 26:33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

I’m reminded of the saying, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” We are experts at saying the right things, and even genuinely intending the right things, and then falling flat. We sometimes overlook the record, in verse 35, that all the disciples joined Peter in his protestation of faithfulness, but Jesus already knew what they were actually going to do when push came to shove. As He noted in verse 41, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” That’s why repentance is absolutely essential on an ongoing basis. As Paul noted in Romans 7, we want to do the right things, but all too often fail to do them, or even actively do the wrong things. The amazing thing is not our weakness, but rather that God loves us anyway, and makes forgiveness available to all who will acknowledge their sins and turn to Him. (1 John 1:9) The thing is, we don’t know how we will respond until we are tested. I watched a video just yesterday that talked about how the Chinese military is a very unknown quantity, because hardly any of the personnel have any actual combat experi­ence, and for the few that do, Chinese performance was certainly nothing to be proud of. We don’t know how we will act until bullets are actually flying around us. That’s why God allows trials of various sorts in our lives at rather frequent intervals. Some are so small that we might not even notice them, but overcoming them strengthens us anyway. Some are so big that we don’t see how we will get through them, but as Paul said, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) And when we get through those, we are much stronger than we were before them. I keep saying it, but God is not mean; He doesn’t pick on us. Everything He allows in our lives is because of His love.

I remember Sgt. Boney, (I’m not sure of the spelling) a drill instructor I had in Army Basic Training. This was 1970, and he well knew that the majority of us were going to go to the battlefront in Vietnam. He had come back from Nam with one arm and both legs in bandages and/or casts, and he wanted to give us the best possible chance of survival. He seemed merciless, but I could tell that it was all from a genuine desire for our best. I’m sure he never thought he would be an illustration of how God acts toward us! I was told just yesterday that one of the problems with my pastoral ministry is that I haven’t been strict enough with the believers, and that may be true. I know I don’t enjoy exercising discipline, and I have a real aversion to legalism. I may not love the believers enough. However, I remember that Jesus didn’t chew Peter out, He just warned him what would happen. I am not to be accusatory, but I am to be both cautionary and encouraging. When I have stumbled so many times myself, I need to lift people up and not push them down.

Father, thank You for Your grace and mercy toward me. Help me be an accurate conduit of that grace and mercy toward those under my care, that they may be strengthened and guided into the way You want them to go, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Passing On Blessings; March 26, 2024

Posted on March 27, 2024 by jgarrott

Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

The fact that the English “you” can be either singular or plural can mask all sorts of nuances in speech, particularly in the Bible. I had never realized, before now, that the “you” in verse 31 is plural, but in verse 32 it is singular. In other words, all of the apostles were to be “sifted,” but Jesus had prayed specifically for Peter. I wonder how soon after he denied knowing Jesus that Peter remembered Jesus had said this? What stands out to me is that Jesus, having prayed for Peter, was confident that he would indeed turn again, back to the faith that had grown over the previous three years, and at that point he had a job to do: strengthen the other apostles. The best counselor is always someone who has been through what you are experiencing. That’s why Paul wrote, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) Going through what he experienced, having Jesus look at him right after the rooster crowed, (Luke 22:61) and then meet with him personally after the resurrection, (Luke 24:34) Peter was uniquely equipped to strengthen faith without judging, and the evidence is, he indeed did that. I say it frequently, but our experienc­es and blessings are never for us alone, but are to flow through us to others, for the glory of God.

Of course, this applies to me as much as it does to anyone. In my case, I have experienced God’s incredible patience, mercy and grace in the face of persistent pride. I should certainly be able to help others who are struggling with pride, and not just by putting them down! (I’ll confess that temptation arises at times.) Going to what Paul wrote to the Corinthians, I have experienced God’s provision in what I feel were miraculous ways, though He used people in the process. I am well equipped to assure people that if God tells you to do something, He will supply everything necessary to accomplish it. However, I have also learned that His provision often doesn’t look like we imagine it will. The point is, I am to be a good steward of all that God has placed in my hands, experiences as well as abilities and material goods. I am to be indeed, a channel of blessing, as the hymn puts it so clearly, so that God may be glorified as His will is done in and through me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for this new season in my life, with the pressure of school commitments removed, but many things for me to do. Help me not overlook or resent any of the things You put on my calendar, but do it all with my whole heart, unto You for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Doing Truth; March 25, 2024

Posted on March 26, 2024 by jgarrott

John 13:17 “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

This is a dearly loved story that shows Jesus’ teaching style very clearly. The idea that the disciples were to be servant-leaders was very counter-cultural at the time, and indeed, it still is today. However, Jesus didn’t just tell them to serve one another, He illustrated it by His actions, completely shocking them. He had said similar things previously, but here, with very little time left before his arrest, he pounded the point home with what was considered something you would only ask a slave to do. Peter famously tried to reject such a menial act on the part of his Lord, but his desire to be connected to Jesus won out over his sensibilities. (verses 8-9) However, it’s this verse that hits home hardest for me. Most Christians, especially in culturally Christian nations like America, know a lot more than they do in terms of following Christ. By failing to do what we actually know to do, we miss out on far more blessings than we realize. For example, many studies have shown that altruism feels good, and actually has positive health benefits. Serving in a soup kitchen, for example, is good for you! However, lying Satan has twisted that around to make us do things just to feel good, instead of genuinely serving, and that is what is called “virtue signaling.” Sadly, many of the things that are done for that purpose actually hurt, rather than help, those we are “serving.” It is only when we are submitted first to God that we can discern what He wants us to do in genuine service, to Him and to our neighbor. When we do that, we are blessed indeed!

This verse, coupled with James’ famous instructions to “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says,” (James 1:22) have always hit home for me, because I have had a lot of Bible knowledge from a very young age, growing up in the home that I did. I honestly don’t know how many blessings I have missed because of failing to act on the truth I knew, but I’m sure it’s a lot. Now, as a pastor, I need to be encouraging the believers to act on the truth they are hearing week by week, and hopefully reading every day. It was shocking to two of the men in the church yesterday when they found out I take Communion every morning as part of my devotions. I hope the point got home that faith isn’t just a matter of words, but is to be acted on. Just a few minutes before that, they had been commenting that they hoped they could be as active as I am when they reached my age. My prayer is that they realize that my current blessed state is a demonstration of this verse!

Father, thank You indeed for Your blessings. Thank You for Your patience with me over the years, as truth has slowly moved from my head to my heart and out into my actions. I know I still have a long way to go! May I be an effective example, drawing those who see me into a right relationship with You, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Christ’s Passion; March 24, 2024

Posted on March 25, 2024 by jgarrott

Luke 19:41-42 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes.

As Jesus was entering Jerusalem, just days from being scourged and crucified, He wept, not for Himself but for the city. We have trouble wrapping our minds around all that Jesus did for us, so it’s very good that we take time every year to think specifically about it. We get so familiar with the story that we are in danger of taking it for granted, but that is a terrible loss. Josephus recorded that Jesus was known for mood swings, and this particular incident is an illustration of that. Today He would probably be diagnosed as bipolar, at least! However, He had to deal with the impossibility of all of God’s emotions manifesting at once. There was the great joy of the disciples welcoming Him as King, but there was at the same time the awareness of all that was going to happen, to Him and to the city and its inhabitants. I certainly don’t think I could have handled that! Jesus’ commitment, His sacrifice, was total, as the events of Passion Week make clear. We need to respond with equal commitment, offering ourselves totally to Him, as He did for us.

Of course I’m talking to myself here. If I think of this in the abstract, simply as something to preach, then I will miss out on the benefits. I will indeed be preaching this morning, and the very topic sounds very theological: substitutionary atonement. If I fail to bring it down to where we live, and most particularly, if I fail to apply it to my own heart and life, then it will all be a futile, intellectual exercise. I need to speak out of a very deep awareness that Jesus died for me, not simply “for mankind.” Until I grasp, not just in words, that it was my sins that nailed Jesus to the cross, then I am no better than a talking head, possibly interesting but of no major concern. We all need that awareness, and there is a high probability that there will be people physically present, not to mention over the Internet, who do not know Jesus as Lord at all. I need to let the love of God flow through me by His Spirit, so that all may be drawn to You for their salvation and God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. May I indeed not just write about it, but put it into practice. May today be the spiritual birthday of many, not just here but around the world, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Genuine Repentance; March 23, 2024

Posted on March 24, 2024 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 34:16 “But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again.”

This whole passage is such an egregious story that it was hard to pull out just one verse to write on. We are generally so far removed from slavery that we have trouble imagining the circumstances of the story, but slavery is actually going on even today to a degree at least equal to any time in history. We just call it “human trafficking.” It all comes from people’s distorted view of themselves and others. It can only happen when some people think of themselves as superior to some others, and therefore entitled to treat them as you would an animal. There are of course people who treat animals very well, but they still don’t treat them as equals, nor should they. It is a horrible thing when we exercise that attitude toward other human beings. It is a very similar thing that is very much in evidence across the world today, with some people considering themselves to be “elites,” above the “rabble” of “common” people, and the results are just about as bad as slavery. Going into examples would take all day! In the story here, the king had realized that slavery was an affront to God and had ordered the “nobility” to free their slaves. On the surface they had followed through, even going through the formal step of a covenant before God, as specified by Moses, but their hearts hadn’t changed and they didn’t really fear God, so they turned around and enslaved the people again. Public repentance is meaningless if there isn’t an actual change of heart, and that change of heart isn’t going to happen without an actual fear of God. We need to remember that as we look at our politicians and leaders, especially in this election year in the US!

I’ve never enslaved anyone, but I have thought of myself as an elite at times, and that is the root attitude behind slavery. As I seek to confront evil around me, I need to be careful that the root attitudes that produce the evil aren’t operating in me! I am disgusted quite often as I read about what is going on in the world, but I must remember that I am as human as those people are, and walk in humble submission to the Lord. I have fought with pride in my own life enough that I should be done with it, but it is remarkably persistent! I need to be careful that my own repentance is real and not just a matter of words, so that the Holy Spirit may be free to work in me however He pleases, for the glory of God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. With Japanese respect for age I am often in a socially superior position, and that can be uncomfortable. I pray that it would stay uncomfortable! May I stay humble before You however You choose to use me, so that I may not open myself to the devil’s deceptions but walk faithfully before You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reward; March 22, 2024

Posted on March 23, 2024 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 31:16 This is what the Lord says:
“Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for your work will be rewarded,”
declares the Lord.
“They will return from the land of the enemy.”

Verse 15 is famous because it is quoted by Matthew in relation to the killing by Herod of all the boy babies in Bethlehem, (Matthew 2:18) but we see here in context that it was spoken in relation to the Jews being carried off into exile. The thing is, the Bible speaks many times about our work being rewarded. The two passages that jump out at me are, “You know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free,” (Ephesians 6:8) and, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” (Hebrews 10:35) We can’t “work our way into heaven,” but that doesn’t mean our work is meaningless. To emphasize, this isn’t the same as salvation. Paul spoke to this very clearly to the Corinthians: “If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” (1 Corinthians 3:14-15) We sometimes have trouble balancing it all out in our minds. How much is it our faithfulness? How much is it God’s grace? To be honest, I don’t think we will know the answer to that completely until we stand before God’s throne, but I don’t think we need to be anxious about it. As it says in Hebrews, we will be richly rewarded! The point is to remember that in the middle of all the trials we encounter, because as Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33, emphasis added)

This feels very “up close and personal” right now. We will shortly be celebrating 40 years since the founding of this church, and our attendance has shown wide swings throughout that time. Sometimes it really does feel like we are building sand castles, and the waves keep crashing in. When we celebrated our 25th anniversary, within a couple of months many in our congregation had left! The devil is working overtime to tell us the same sort of thing is going to happen now, but he’s no match for the Holy Spirit who is in us. God’s plans are going to be fulfilled! Our former members are scattered literally around the world at this point. Those who left for work reasons we generally have good communication with, courtesy of the Internet, but the ones who left disgruntled are often much closer by. God hasn’t forgotten them, either! We don’t know when or how God will draw those people back to Himself, or whether that will involve us, but we can safely leave it in His hands. What we are to do is recognize the task at hand and do it with our whole heart, as unto the Lord, (Colossians 3:23) knowing that we will be rewarded in His time.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s important! Thank You for being able to meet up with our missionary friends yesterday, and for the huge encouragement that was. They too are facing “terminal issues,” and they have gone through very similar things as we have. I pray Your encouragement for them and for all of Your faithful servants in this nation in particular, that we may never lose hope, but rejoice to trust You who alone are totally faithful. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Consequences; March 21, 2024

Posted on March 22, 2024 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 25:7 “But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have provoked me with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves.”

A major reason for the study of history is the awareness that actions have consequences. It says in Hebrews, “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:11) If we don’t know what that example is, we are open game for the devil to trick us into doing the same thing. That’s precisely why the Left has been working to remove the study of history from US schools, or at least distort that history to a caricature of actual events. The historical sections of the Old Testament teach us that, in general, A+B=C, whether C is something we want or not. Throughout history God has told mankind what activities would bring blessing and has warned them what activities would bring disaster, but all too often we have been deliberately deaf. The record of events leading up to the Babylonian captivity are a stark example of that. Jeremiah had the unenviable task of informing the people of what was going on, several times quoting the actual words of God, as in this verse. We shake our heads at the stubborn foolishness of the people, but are we any better? The state of America, and the world, right now is an indication that we are just as stubborn as our ancestors. We need to rise up and insist that our children be taught history as it actually happened, so that they may avoid the pitfalls and reap the benefits of what has gone before. Jesus’ words, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” (John 8:32) apply to far more than theology. We need to be truth seekers indeed, in every area of life, so that we may walk in the freedom God intends for us.

I like to think of myself as a truth seeker, but I have demonstrated that I am quite adept at deceiving myself. (James 1:22) That should keep me from looking down at others, but I should not be hesitant to share the truth I know, particularly in terms of the consequences of our actions, both good and bad. What makes that easier is the message of God’s grace, but we shouldn’t be in the position of demanding grace when we know good from bad in the first place. I am to walk in both humility and assurance, knowing that I don’t know everything, but God has imparted a good bit of truth to me, and it is a privilege and responsibility to share that truth with others. And above all, I need to walk in the truth I know!

Father, thank You for Your patience and grace toward me. Help me walk more and more fully in Your way, not insisting on my own way, so that Your plans may be fulfilled in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trusting God’s Plans; March 20, 2024

Posted on March 21, 2024 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 24:7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

As Gilbert and Sullivan famously wrote in HMS Pinafore, things are seldom what they seem. The people being taken to Babylon as prisoners were probably bemoaning their fate, envying those left behind in Jerusalem, but this whole revelation, comparing the groups of people to baskets of figs, turned that on its head. Being taken as forced exiles seems to have shocked the group taken into genuine repentance, and as the Lord says here, they truly came to know Him as Lord. Thinking about it, Daniel was part of this first group, and he was one of the most upright people in the whole Bible. We don’t see the end from the beginning the way God does, so we don’t recognize which things are tragedies and which are actually blessings. What this chapter shouts to me is that we need to trust God and indeed thank Him for everything, just as Paul said to do. (Ephesians 5:20) That can be a real faith-stretching exercise at times, but the results are out of this world!

I have experienced this in various ways, though not to the degree of the people in this passage. I well remember my response when my father went directly to heaven from anesthesia at 64, that he wouldn’t have to retire, and knowing that it was a blessing for him. It felt like a huge loss at the time, because I had just had 2½ months of deep fellowship with him, adult to adult as well as father to son, and I wanted more of that! However, the experience was ultimately a blessing to me as well as to him, and talking about it has impacted many people in the years since then. Just yesterday I had a much more minor incident, where I was shopping and left one of my wallets at the store. (I carry two, because I have so many cards of one sort and another.) It was a big deal, because it had my driver’s license, insurance card, and other legal paperwork in it that would have been a major headache to replace. However, when I realized my loss I called the store and they had my wallet, and despite being nervous about it, my drive back to the store was uneventful. I had visions of needing to produce my license for one reason or another! I don’t know of any specific benefit from the experience at this point, but at the least it was further training to trust God and not panic. And I am certainly glad I live in Japan, with such a high level of public safety!

Father, thank You for Your love and grace that always plan good things for us. (Jeremiah 29:11) I do continue to pray for my brother in Christ who wrote a song based on Jeremiah 29:11-12, and who just lost his wife. Thank You that he is indeed walking in faith, and that You will continue to bless and use him for as long as You keep him here, before letting him join his wife before Your throne. Thank You for the example that he is to me, and to all who know him. May we all grow in faith and obedience, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Human Stubbornness; March 19, 2024

Posted on March 20, 2024 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 18:12 “But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his evil heart.'”

This is the recurring tragedy throughout the history of mankind. God has laid out the way of blessing for us, in His Word and in our hearts, and we stubbornly go our own way anyway. An example of that was brought to my attention yesterday, when I watched a video on YouTube presented by a very compassionate Christian man. He was talking about the epidemic of suicides and drug overdoses among those involved in producing pornography, and he had interviews with several such who were bitterly regretting the choices they had made. As he said, the consumption of porn is demonstrably destructive, but it is even more horrible for those who choose to be involved in producing it. The devil uses such lies as “liberation” and “empowerment,” but those caught in that trap end up regretting it indeed. The thing is, repentance and forgiveness are always available, if we will accept them. As I said a few days ago, repentance is recognizing that we have been wrong, acknowledging that God is right, and changing our behavior. If we will do that, then forgiveness is indeed available, as Jesus demonstrated in His ministry multiple times. He was pejoratively called a “friend of sinners” by the Pharisees, who thought they didn’t have anything of which they needed to repent. Jesus said of them, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” (John 9:41) Claiming righteousness apart from the shed blood of Christ is one of the most dangerous things we can do. Like the people Jeremiah was talking to, that is saying that we know better than God.

As I keep being reminded, for many years I walked in a level of pride that is now astounding to me. How could I have been that stupid? However, God in His absolutely amazing grace has worked patiently with me, and on me, much as the potter in the first few verses of this chapter. I’m not finished, and I’m at times manifestly “half-baked,” but God uses me in spite of myself. Now, I have the opportunity to tell other people of God’s grace, helping them understand how far they have strayed from Him, either in ignorance or willfully, and letting them know that repentance and forgiveness are possible, bringing eternal salvation. That is good news indeed, and I want everyone to know it!

Father, thank You for yesterday and all it held. Thank You for that video, and thank You for the extended conversation I was able to have with someone. It went all over the place, but You guided it to spiritual matters, and I’m grateful. I pray that the words that were said would work in the heart that person, opening their eyes and drawing them to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Depending on God; March 18, 2024

Posted on March 20, 2024 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed;
save me and I will be saved,
for you are the one I praise.

The passage from verse five on is very rich, with many beautiful and justly famous verses, but it is a little surprising that it is in Jeremiah. It seems more appropriate to Proverbs, or perhaps Psalms. We don’t often think of Jeremiah as a poet! However, he was certainly a major prophet, and we forget how much prophecy was intertwined with poetry and even music in Old Testament days. All of that aside, this is certainly a beautiful testimony of dependence on God. Advances in science and medicine are things to be grateful for, but we run the risk of depending on those things instead of on the One who made them possible. It is not wrong to go to the doctor, or, for that matter, to drive a car or use a computer or smart phone, but we must remember the God who not only makes all those things possible, He created every atom in our bodies, and apart from His will, nothing would even exist. That understanding is fundamental to the “fear of the Lord” that the Bible talks about so much. Sadly, that’s precisely what people today seem to have lost. Human achievement has come so far, we think we don’t need God! It’s not at all that we aren’t to recognize and appreciate all the things God enables us and others to do, but if we forget the Source of it all, it becomes completely empty. After all “You can’t take it with you” applies to all of that, not just financial wealth. There is peace and liberty in the true fear of the Lord, in recognizing that we can do nothing completely on our own, but there is no limit to what He can do through us.

This is an understanding that I have grown in over the years. I was mired in pride for too many years, having been given a high IQ and a variety of other abilities. I didn’t earn any of those myself! What I have done with them is my responsibility, and I will have to answer to God for it all, but it has been very liberating indeed to realize, on an ever deeper level, that absolutely everything comes from God, and I am only given the privilege of being the expression of it. I enjoy technology, and I am excited to see the advances in space flight and countless other fields, but I know that they will seem like stone-age tools when I am liberated from my current body. Likewise, I am grateful for the medical care I receive, but know that all of that will be unnecessary when I am resurrected. Right now, I am to seek God for what He wants me to do with what I have at hand, from physical health on to material goods and human interactions, knowing that it is all from Him and depends on Him, that I may be a good steward in His eyes.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how You have grown me over the years. Thank You for the awareness that I still have plenty of room to grow! May I receive each lesson You give me with gratitude, so that every part of my life may be pleasing to You, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

Posted in Christian, encouragement, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment