Faithfulness; April 11, 2024

Posted on April 12, 2024 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 33:18-19 “If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so.”

This is the second time the Lord has spoken to Ezekiel on this subject, the first being back in Ezekiel 3, which we had April 7th. That time, the focus seemed to be more on the responsibility of the watchman, which is mentioned here, but this time the emphasis seems to be on the response of the people. We’d better be paying attention! This throws a real wrench into Calvinism, or at least in the way a lot of people interpret Calvinism. It certainly doesn’t sound much like “Once saved, always saved!” The thing is, there are many tensions in faith, generated, I think, by our very limited perspective. God sees everything all the time, past, present, and future, so He knows what we will do because from His perspective, we’ve already done it. I think the lesson we need to take from this passage is that we aren’t to get cocky and presumptive because “we’re good people,” and also that genuine repentance is truly effective. David is an excellent case in point, because he started well, fell very badly, and yet ended his physical life in a good place, spiritually speaking. We aren’t to live in terror that we will fall, but rather know that it is only by God’s grace that we stand, and walk in obedient trust. (1 Corinthians 10:12) We should have a bedrock awareness that we can’t go it alone, but when we abide in Christ, we’ve got nothing to worry about. (Philippians 1:6)

I’m all too familiar with presumption and hubris. I think I have an advanced degree in it! I need to approach each day in humility and gratitude, amazed that God would choose to love and use such a one as I am, and yet be absolutely assured that He can and does. I am not to trust in what I do for God, but rather in the One who enables me to do it. I am frequently reminded that I am no more perfect than Paul was, (Philippians 3:12-14) nor immune to temptation, and so need to keep my trust in my Savior, and not in myself. My goal is to be faithfulness, doing what He wants me to do when and How He wants me to do it, on every level, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I’ve long been aware that this issue comes up twice in Ezekiel, but I haven’t always been a faithful watchman. Help me indeed speak what You are saying, in warning, encouragement, blessing, and whatever else You want to do through me, so that people may be drawn into right relationship with You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Death; April 10, 2024

Posted on April 11, 2024 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 18:32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

This whole section is a refutation of the image the devil tries to project on us of what God is like. The devil wants us to see God as just waiting in heaven to strike us down if we displease Him. If that were the case, the world would have been destroyed a long time ago! God’s perfect justice requires Him to punish iniquity, so that’s why He sent His Son to take that punishment on Himself, so that all who believe in Him may be set free from their sins and live. That’s what John 3:16 is all about. Back specifically to this verse, physical death is an inevitability for all of us. There is a hospice nurse (who goes by hospicenursejulie on social media) who has a very compassionate and helpful channel on YouTube. Many people don’t want to confront, much less accept, that reality, but that doesn’t change anything. The important thing is a right relationship with our Creator so that we will have His eternal life, making our physical life just a brief, though important, footnote in our existence. As it says in Hebrews, the fear of death makes us slaves. (Hebrews 2:15) God wants us all to be liberated by the truth of His grace, mercy and love. (John 8:32)

Over 40 years ago there was a group that produced some very anointed songs that were Old Testament Scriptures set to music. I wish I could remember their group name, so I could look them up! One of their songs included this verse, and it has stayed with me ever since. I have thought a lot about death, and as a pastor I have “seen a lot of people off,” you might say. It’s never easy on the survivors, because of the temporal loss, but there is a world of difference between believers and nonbelievers in that situation. I have had joy in some cases, knowing where the people were going, and I have had profound regret in other cases. Absent an open commitment to Christ, all I can do is submit them to God, since I cannot tell their family, “They’re in heaven.” I have absolutely no fear of death myself, but I am concerned for those I will leave behind. That’s why I pray that my wife will go before I do, to spare her that. However, I’d like to keep her around as long as possible! Meanwhile, I seek to take as many people as possible with me, to rejoice before God’s throne together.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for the deep assurance of salvation that You have given me. May that assurance be rightly imparted to as many as possible, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Hidden Hypocrisy; April 9, 2024

Posted on April 10, 2024 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 14:3 “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?”

This is a very interesting section. Some of the elders of the exiles had come to Ezekiel in a show of piety, but God knew everything in their hearts and lives, and He wasn’t about to be taken in. The same sort of thing happens today, with people making a show of being on the church board and the like, all the while they are living in direct opposition to God. Today (at least in America) they wouldn’t have religious idols actually installed in their homes, but any of a number of things could well be an idol in their heart. It’s interesting to note that in verses 9 and 10 it goes on to say that the minister who swallows the hypocrisy is in deep trouble too. God is not to be trifled with! It is actually amazing, when you think about it, that so many people seem to think they can manipulate God and use Him for their ends. Trying to do that will be the end of them! As David recognized, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17) Humility is essential!

This is dangerous territory for me, because I am all too familiar with spiritual pride in my own heart. That makes it fairly easy for me to spot such pride in others, but I must never respond in a “holier-than-thou” fashion. I know how dangerous hypocrisy can be from my own experience, and so need to be merciful toward others. Sometimes the Lord gives me, or particularly my wife, a “word of know­ledge” (1 Corinthians 12:8) about someone, filling us in on what they have been doing in secret (or so they think). We are always to seek God’s wisdom and guidance as to what to do with that information, but we are never to take it lightly. In the past, some people have responded in repentance and some have responded by getting away from us. Repentance is always the desirable outcome! However, that will not happen unless we speak the truth in love, however much it might shock them that we know it.

Father, I’ve been on the receiving end of such experiences, as well as on the giving end. May I always operate in humility and love, continuing to grow as well as helping others to grow, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Results of Repentance; April 8, 2024

Posted on April 9, 2024 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 11:18-20 “They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.”

And here we have the results of repentance. In the first place, the Jews discarded their idols, that is, the things that had come between them and God. In places like the US that don’t have many physical statues of deities, the idea of idolatry doesn’t necessarily click, but it’s no accident that popular entertainers are called idols. That can be all too accurate! All sorts of things can come between us and God, and repentance involves getting them out of the way. The second thing is that God responds to genuine repentance by giving us a new heart. To be honest, our old heart loves the idols, the things we have set up in place of God, and God has to change that. However, our own will is involved, and that is an essential part of repentance. We need to choose to be different. If we will make that choice, God will bring it to pass. And the result of all of that is that our lifestyle will change, from avoiding God to seeking Him, from flaunting our disobedience to obeying Him in humility and gratitude. That can be such a dramatic change that people all around us will notice and be influenced. That is one of the most powerful forms of evangelism!

Just recently a lady in this church, who moved here from another city, gave a testimony in which she explained how she had come to Christ. She is a music teacher, and she had a voice student who was so negative and pessimistic that it was depressing dealing with her. Then that student moved to another town, and after some time they had a telephone conversation. The former student was so up-beat and happy that the music teacher thought she might be talking to a different person! It turned out the student had made a friend in her new location who was a Christian, and before long the student opened her own heart to Christ and was transformed. The music teacher was so impressed that she sought out a church herself, and before long she discovered what it was all about. Transformation is contagious! I have been a Christian for so long that probably even my siblings have no memory of me from before that, but my life still needs to be an example of what it is to walk with Christ. My problem as a Caucasian missionary in Japan is that people tend to explain away my lifestyle as simply American. They don’t know some of the Americans I do! Besides, I still mess up on a pretty regular basis, and I have to keep my repentance up to date. I too have the tendency to let things come between me and God, and I have to deal with that as soon as I realize it. Also, I have learned the hard way that I can’t walk the right path on my own; I’ve got to have God’s guidance, protection, and support. It is only when I walk in that humility that I walk right, and others can be drawn to Him through me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the strong reminder yesterday of my human fallibility. Thank You for prompting me to withdraw for a while so that I didn’t compound the problem, and for enabling me to apologize appropriately. Help me indeed let go of my “rights,” because they come between me and Your children, and even between me and You. May I be the obedient vessel that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Evangelistic Imperative; April 7, 2024

Posted on April 8, 2024 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 3:18 “When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,” and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die and I will hold you accountable for his blood.”

Talk about a scary verse! We tend to think of repentance as a purely individual thing, but God is saying that if those who know better fail to call others to repentance, they bear responsibility! We don’t want to hear that! This is an explicit condemnation of preachers who never talk about sin, but only about things like “your best life now.” And who warns those preachers? We are all urgently in need of the grace of God! The thing is, it is very true that no one can repent on behalf another person, but we are responsible to “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom.” (Colossians 3:16) The Body of Christ is an organism, not an organization, and we are indeed responsible for each other. Of course, this Word to Ezekiel also speaks to the evangelistic imperative, because people will not turn to Christ for salvation unless they know about Him, and with very few exceptions, that means that someone who already knows Him will have to introduce them to Him. And it’s no use claiming inability, because we are all dependent on God working through us. Evangelistic gifting is a real thing, and not everyone has it by any means, but excusing your silence by saying, “I’m not gifted that way” doesn’t cut it with God, as He made very clear to Ezekiel.

Ouch! I may be a missionary pastor, but I have used my lack of gifting as an evangelist as an excuse more times than I could count. I’m not responsible for how the message is received, but I am responsible for getting it out there! Japan is certainly a “target-rich environment,” but then, everywhere in the world is, even ostensibly Christian countries like the US. No one is born knowing the way of salvation, so someone needs to tell them. I am a man of words, but I need to be more intentional in having those words call people to repentance and faith for their salvation. We have been living in this location for 25 years now, and I’m not sure I’ve given a clear Gospel presentation to any of our current neighbors. I have talked about the Gospel with various people across the city who have since died, and they are in God’s hands, with my responsibility discharged. However, there are so many more! I am to be sensitive to every opportunity the Lord gives me to communicate the Gospel, whether in words or otherwise, so that all that He is calling may come into His family, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. Thank You for the specific person You brought to mind. I ask for wisdom and anointing so that He may be brought from death to life, and soon, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Responding to Trials; April 6, 2024

Posted on April 7, 2024 by jgarrott

Lamentations 3:40-42 Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord.
Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven and say,
“We have sinned and rebelled,
and You have not forgiven.”

This chapter is justly famous for verses 22 and 23, but just remembering that God is merciful and kind doesn’t mean much if we stop there. When rough times come, we need to respond as Jeremiah says here, honestly examining how we have been living, to see how we might have invited the trial. Of course, not every trial is the consequence of our own sin; plenty of problems come from the sinfulness of others. After all, Jesus said clearly, “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) However, we have got to be humble enough to accept that our own actions might have at least opened the door for the trouble to come in. That’s what repentance is all about. Generally when we complain, “Why me?” we are thinking, “But I’m a good person.” That is rarely the case, when we get down to details! Even Paul struggled with doing the right things and not doing wrong things. (Romans 7) I have known of military drill instructors who required recruits, when assigned calisthenics or the like as punishment for some infraction, to shout out, “Thank you, Sergeant!” (Not, thank you, Sir, because that was reserved for officers, at least when I was in the Army.) When God is the one assigning punishment, that is entirely appropriate! God never punishes just to make us suffer, but rather to lead us to repentance and keep us from eternal suffering in hell. Going through trials, whether circumstantial or self-inflicted, strengthens us and sharpens our focus on God, if we respond to them correctly. That correct response is indicated by Jeremiah here.

God has had to correct me more than a few times, and I am amazed that He has been so gentle and restrained in doing so. I have gone through some rough times as the result of others’ actions, but God has used those too in training me to trust Him and forgive. I really have nothing to complain about! That’s a good thing to realize, because I have seen that complaining just saps the energy of the one doing it, and rarely if ever accomplishes anything good. Any time things are less than optimal, asking why is certainly appropriate, but it must be done in full humility. I’ll never forget the time I was thinking – not really praying – “There are so many things I wish were different.” As clearly as if He had been a person standing next to me, I heard the Lord say, “How do you think I feel?” When bad things happen and I know they aren’t my fault, I need to pray and act in full assurance that God wants things to be different too, and offer myself to Him as His agent of change.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for this abundant life You have provided for us in Christ. (John 10:10) May I recognize Your grace at all times and give You the thanks and praise You deserve, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Forgiveness; April 5, 2024

Posted on April 6, 2024 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 50:20 “In those days, at that time,”
declares the Lord,
“search will be made for Israel’s guilt,
but there will be none,
and for the sins of Judah,
but none will be found,
for I will forgive the remnant I spare.

I really don’t think we understand God’s forgiveness very well. When God forgives something, it’s gone, period. It is true that at times the effects of sin linger, but the original offense is simply gone. We have trouble grasping that because we have such trouble forgiving others, and even ourselves. This isn’t the same thing as excusing, which we love to do for ourselves. Genuine forgiveness can only occur when we acknowledge something was bad, whoever did it. That’s why the devil works so hard to get us to excuse ourselves and never forgive others: he doesn’t want to go into hell alone. There is something of an epidemic of mental illness today, and much of it is from this very source, a lack of genuine forgiveness. When we shift blame, we are blocking forgiveness. Recently a crazy thing has appeared, and that is false guilt. “White privilege” and “white guilt” are manufactured by those who want to excuse themselves, and the results are predictably devastating. It is no accident that the devil’s name, Satan, means, “the accuser.” He hates forgiveness because he himself can never be forgiven for his rebellion against God, and he wants to drag as many people as possible down with him. James told us that if we submit to God and resist the devil, the devil will flee from us. (James 4:7) An essential part of resisting the devil is to forgive, others and ourselves. We can do that properly only when we are submitted to God, seeking and accepting His forgiveness. After all, Jesus said very clearly, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

I struggle with this issue constantly, because Japanese society has very little grasp of forgiveness. The language itself interferes, because the word for genuine forgiveness sounds the same as one that means permission, and the average person doesn’t even know the character that actually means forgiveness. I always talk about this in premarital counseling, and in 38 years of doing weddings in Omura, I’ve only encountered 19 people who were familiar with the character that means true forgiveness. That’s one every two years! However, I also know Japanese believers who have had a revelation of God’s forgiveness, and they are both radiant and loving. I am never to stop proclaiming the good news of forgiveness, both that it is necessary and that it is available. I need to resist the devil, who wants people to believe that forgiveness either isn’t necessary or that it’s impossible. When Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing,” from the cross, (Luke 23:34) I must never give up proclaiming that forgiveness.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Proclaiming forgiveness in Japan is certainly a challenge, but nothing is impossible for You. May I be an effective instrument in Your hands, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Calling to Repentance; April 4, 2024

Posted on April 5, 2024 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 36:7 “Perhaps they will bring their petition before the Lord, and each will turn from his wicked ways, for the anger and wrath pronounced against this people by the Lord are great.”

Jeremiah had the unenviable task of calling to repentance a people who were set in their evil ways. Here, he is delegating the specific proclamation to Baruch, but the desire is always for the people to repent. The same may be said for the situation today. Across the world there are people who are stubbornly set in their rebellion against God and there are people who are calling them to repentance. America was founded on Biblical principles, but you’d never know it from looking at much of society today. Just yesterday I was seeing statistics that said that about ¾ of the population claims to be Christian, but for the majority of those it’s simply that they aren’t any other religion. More and more people are honest enough to say they have no religion. Those who seek to proclaim repentance are often shouted down, because people don’t want to even be exposed to any opinion other than their own. That is sad indeed. When and how judgment will come is something only God knows, but it is absolute that no one ultimately “gets away with” anything. All we can do is keep speaking the truth in love, seeking to keep our own lives in line with God’s Word and inviting others to do the same. Chances are good that we will be treated much as Jeremiah was, and that won’t be pleasant, but we need to love people enough to warn them, however they respond.

I have never been a “hellfire and brimstone” preacher, but I must never shy away from saying whatever the Lord directs me to say. I want people to like me as much as anyone wants that, but my focus is to be on God’s approval, not man’s. I have seen people on YouTube who are called to confrontational ministry, and it gets pretty heated at times. I respect them, but I’m thankful that’s not how the Lord has directed me! That said, when the Lord gives me a hard Word, I must not draw back from delivering it, regardless of how it is received. I’ve got to remember that everyone who does repent is saved from eternal destruction, and that goal is certainly worth inconvenience and discomfort and much more on my part, if that is how it works out.

Father, help me be fully faithful to You on every level, walking in Your truth myself and proclaiming it as You give me opportunity. May Your words through me indeed wake people up and cause them to repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Schedules; April 3, 2024

Posted on April 4, 2024 by jgarrott

Acts 1:7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

An enormous amount of attention is paid to the next verse, about being witnesses under the power of the Holy Spirit, but this verse gets glossed over for the most part. To me it fits with what the angels said to the disciples in verse 11: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” I made reference to that on the 29th, talking about how we need to be fully present in our immediate circumstances, and not daydreaming about how things are going to be someday. Jesus wanted all His disciples, down through the ages including us, to be ready for His return, but we are to do so by being faithful in whatever task He has given us in the moment. (Matthew 24:45-46) Sadly, I have known good people who were totally caught up in timelines and such, trying to figure out where we were in John’s Revelation to the point that they were missing opportunities to represent Christ in the here and now. That pleases only the devil! It isn’t wrong to be aware that prophecies are being fulfilled and conditions for Christ’s return are being met, but that should make us all the more eager to complete whatever work He has for us before that time.

I’ve mentioned before that I have long had an expectation of Christ’s return during my natural lifetime, but I have known saints, one of whom lived to over 100, who had that feeling as a conviction, but it didn’t turn out that way. That age is just 25 years off for me now, which is rather exciting, but I’m not to get all worked up over it. God has given me His Spirit in order for me to be His witness, just as it says in verse 8, so I’m to spend my time making the most of every opportunity He gives me to do just that. (Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5) If I will do that, then I don’t have to worry about anything else.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Right now I’m having to get used to my largely empty datebook, and it’s a strange feeling. Help me recognize each task You have for me, regardless of the presence or absence of outside demands, so that I may indeed do Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Purpose; April 2, 2024

Posted on April 3, 2024 by jgarrott

John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

I dearly love this section of Scripture, and I’ve even written a short book based on verse 21, but I feel led to write on this verse right now. John wrote his Gospel quite a few years after the other three were already circulating among believers, and he clearly wanted to record things that the others hadn’t. The general outline of Jesus’ ministry is the same, but John fleshed it out a great deal, especially in the area of Jesus’ teaching. He clearly had to have the help of the Holy Spirit to do that, but as he recorded Jesus saying in the Upper Room Discourse, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) Here, John gives us his motivation for this major labor of love: bringing people to saving faith. Our over-arching goal and motive should be pleasing God, and nothing pleases Him more than leading people out of darkness into light, out of death into life. We need to realize that we don’t have to be Billy Graham to do that. He was certainly faithful with the gifts and opportunities he was given, but everyone has a different mix of gifts and opportunities, and we are only responsible for what we have been given. That said, we should use all we have been given to please our Creator, and nothing pleases Him more than our leading others into a vibrant, life-giving relationship with Him.

I have long been aware that my gifting is as a teacher, rather than specifically an evangelist, but my teaching is also to lead people closer to God. I’ve just retired from secular teaching, but even there my motive was to enable my students to be good stewards of the abilities they had been given. More directly, I’d say my calling is to lead people into true discipleship, rather than leaving them as people who agree with a set of facts but don’t apply them. I should be good at it, because I’ve had to struggle my whole life to apply the Word I know, and not deceive myself! (James 1:22) It is deeply satisfying to see that some of the people I have discipled are indeed going on to disciple others, and that is certainly the Biblical pattern. (2 Timothy 2:2) I have been slow to learn that, rather than my trying to do it all,  I am to “prepare (equip) God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” (Ephesians 4:12) My studying Coaching over the past few years has been helpful in that. I need to keep learning how to get out of the way and allow those God has prepared to do the work He has been speaking through me. The better I do that, the more God’s truth will get out and the more people will repent and believe, for their eternal salvation and God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all that You are doing in and through this church. We have the annual business meeting coming up in less than two weeks, and we will be discussing plans and dreams for the coming 12 months. Give us hearts that are tender to hear You, and to hear You through our brothers and sisters, so that we may move forward as You intend, in Your power on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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