What God Desires; July 28, 2024

Posted on July 29, 2024 by jgarrott

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

This is a famous verse that is absolutely powerful in its simplicity. It strips away all the trappings of religion and gets down to what really matters. It doesn’t ignore anything. “Justice” almost seems old fashioned these days, but it is absolutely essential for a functioning human society. That, frankly, is one reason for Donald Trump’s current popularity: people see the “lawfare” that has been waged against him as terribly unjust. And then emotions are brought in. Different translations say “mercy,” or “kindness,” or “faithfulness,” but they all say love. This isn’t just an academic, theoretical exercise, it’s something that involves our whole being. And then it brings in the vertical element, of walking humbly with God. That it would specify “humbly” immediately knocks out pride. Pride was the original sin of Lucifer, and it will turn us into little devils too, if we give in to it. The Mosaic Law is simply a much more detailed instruction manual in how to do the things in this verse. That said, we can’t do it right in our own strength, wisdom, and righteousness. That’s why Jesus came to give His life as an atonement for our sins, to enable us to do what this verse says. The average individual knows little to nothing about actually walking with God, but that’s what He desires for and of us. Jesus said it a little differently, when an expert in the Mosaic Law asked Him which of the laws was most important. “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’” (Matthew 22:37-40) We cannot ignore God or mistreat our neighbor if we are to live the life, and receive the blessings, God intends for us.

My younger daughter frequently mentions the “vertical and horizontal” elements of life, and she is spot on. The Bible is amazingly consistent throughout in bringing up these two factors. You’d think God had something to do with it being written, wouldn’t you? In my case, I’m very familiar with what is written, so I’ve got to focus on putting it into practice. As I comment frequently, James 1:22 was certainly written for me! Coming back specifically to this verse, pride has always been a snare for me, thinking that I didn’t need my neighbor, or even that I didn’t need God. That is certainly the height of foolishness! I need to meditate on this verse and let it work into every part of my being, so that I may put it into practice and so please my loving Creator, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It points up my weakness that I need such reminders! Help me indeed put Your word into practice on every level every moment, so that Your will may be done in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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

Speaking the Truth; July 27, 2024

Posted on July 28, 2024 by jgarrott

Amos 5:10 They hate him who reproves in the gate,
    and they abhor him who speaks the truth.

Prophets and truth-speakers often get a rough reception! Of all the Old Testament characters I like Isaiah the best, but reliable legend has it that he was sawn in two, along with Jeremiah, who was stoned to death in Egypt, and the list could go on and on. People don’t like to hear what conflicts with their preferences and preconceptions! We recognize that easily when those being hard-headed are in opposition to us, but we don’t see it so easily when we are the guilty party. The thing is, falsehood is one of the few things that are impossible for God. Genuine humility means acknowledging that God is always right, whatever we think or desire. This means that we need to be truth-speakers as well. The Japanese expression here is “speaks completely straight.” Many cultures, Japan included, are shocked by such speech. America is noted for frankness, but these days that’s very much on a case-by-case basis. Americans can be as devious as anyone else! We aren’t to go around hurting people needlessly with our words, but we must remember that ultimately, truth is always kinder than a lie. That can lose us friends in the short term, but in the long term it is always the better course. Jesus was very frank with the Pharisees, but it was out of His love for them. It ultimately got Him crucified, but He came through that with the greatest victory in all creation. Everyone likes to be liked, but if that in itself is our goal, then our lives will be shallow at best, and likely end up completely separated from Christ, who is Truth. (John 14:6)

I had the great blessing of being raised by a father who held absolute honesty as one of his guiding principles. As a result, though I have demonstrated that I am quite capable of deceiving myself, (James 1:22) I generally accept truth when it is presented to me. I like it that way! I do get defensive at times, and I’m certainly not always correct, but I choose to be on the side of truth, whatever the consequences. Even if people detest or abhor me for it! That said, I must always be careful to speak the truth in love, just as Paul pointed out. (Ephesians 4:15) If people respond well, praise God! If they don’t, then so be it. I do need to seek God for when to speak and when to be silent, because there is indeed a time for everything, but if I am being obedient to the Holy Spirit, then the consequences are in His hands, whatever they might seem like in the short term.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed walk in Your truth on all levels, so that those who see me may see more and more of You, drawing them to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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

Loving God; July 26, 2024

Posted on July 27, 2024 by jgarrott

Hosea 6:6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Many English translations say “mercy” here, following the Septuagint, but the ESV (quoted here) and the Japanese go with “love.” This passage as a whole is very familiar, with verse 2 being a prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection, and verse 3 having been very well set to music in Japanese. However, it is this verse that resonates at this moment, with a theme that is repeated several times throughout the Bible. It cannot be said too strongly that God wants our hearts, not our religious formulas. It is certainly true that, as James stresses, if our hearts are right before God then our actions will line up as well, but we are entirely prone to focus on externals, instead of on what really matters. This is true in virtually every area of life. Even in the marital relationship, if the physical is everything, then the marriage falls apart very quickly. That’s the biggest lie of pornography, focusing entirely on the physical. Extending that, there are religions that are essentially pornographic, because they focus entirely on forms and obligations, rather than on the true love that God says here that He delights in. I’m reminded of a picture I saw some years ago, of a beautiful woman in a sexy pose. The caption said, “You can be sure somebody’s already tired of her.” That’s what happens when we focus on externals. The reverse of that are the multiple stories of people who had disfiguring accidents and the like, but their spouse was all the more dedicated to them. If we follow God just for the nice things He does for us, that is a sham. He desires our obedience that comes from genuine love. It is no accident that Paul conflated the relationship of husband and wife with that of Christ and the Church in Ephesians 5. We need to love God even if He never does another single thing for us. That won’t happen, but I think the point is clear.

I had the advantage of growing up watching parents who truly loved God and truly loved each other. That image was so attractive that I got married at 20, and have been happily married for over 55 years now. My relationship with God didn’t get straightened out until a few years after that, but the concept of loving God was integral to my life from at least the time I was five. The song, All You Need is Love, is actually true, but it requires a much deeper definition of love than we are used to. I could hardly be more grateful that God has been teaching me what love really is, all my life.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace to me. By definition, grace isn’t something we earn or deserve. Help me respond to Your love and grace more and more fully, more and more accurately, so that my love for You may be pleasing to You indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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

Substitutionary Repentance; July 25, 2024

Posted on July 26, 2024 by jgarrott

Daniel 9:18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.

This prayer is often held up as the ultimate example of substitutionary repentance. Daniel was personally righteous, to the degree that He is held up elsewhere in the Bible as an example of a righteous person. (Ezekiel 14:14) However, he identifies with his ancestors and says that God’s judgment on them was just. That said, he still intercedes for his people and for their land, not on the basis of human righteousness but of divine mercy. And from verse 20, we have the record of God’s response to such confession and intercession. Not too many people get a personal visit from the archangel Gabriel! We tend to like to think that our ancestors were good people, but everybody’s human, and as Paul said, all have sinned. (Romans 3:23) It never does any good to try to come before God on the basis of human righteousness. However, coming before Him on the basis of His mercy and grace is a different matter. That’s why personal pride is so deadly: we have nothing to be proud of! God is the source of everything good, not man, even when the good flows through a human instrument. It is when we realize, as Daniel did, that God’s grace and mercy are greater than our sin that we learn to come boldly before Him. Daniel didn’t know about Jesus, unless God showed him the plan of redemption by personal revelation, but he did know God’s character and that’s what he relied on. We have the huge advantage of knowing not only John 3:16, but all of the New Testament, not to mention the flow of Christian history since then. We have every reason to pray as Daniel did, not depending on human righteousness but on the God who loved us enough to send His Son to die for us.

I still remember my father telling me, essentially, that he was as human as I was. He didn’t go into graphic detail, but the message got through. I have every reason to be proud of my ancestors’ devotion to God, but I am quite aware that they were all human, just as I am, and human righteousness is imperfect at best. I am not to be proud, but grateful, because I have enjoyed generational blessings to a degree few can claim. That said, God has had to teach me that it is all grace, because I have done things that should have disqualified me from the succession! I keep coming back to it, but the time when God showed me, just for a moment, the state of my own soul was absolutely devastating. When I pray for America and her many sins, as I do, I must remember that I am in the flow of those sins, and pray in humility as well as in the assurance that God is far greater than all those sins put together, and the cross of Christ cancels them all out, if they are placed under the blood of the Lamb.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for what You are doing in America even as I write. Thank You for Your miraculous protection for Donald Trump in the assassination attempt, and how that is convincing even some sceptics that You are real. He is certainly a flawed vessel, but then we all are, and You are clearly working on him. I pray that in the next four years and following that much would be done to restore America to the image You had of her at her founding, for the blessing of the world and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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

Miracles; July 24, 2024

Posted on July 25, 2024 by jgarrott

Daniel 2:11 “What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”

On one level, Nebuchadnezzar’s demand was entirely unreasonable, and the “wise men’s” response entirely correct. On another level, this was an entirely effective ploy on Nebuchadnezzar’s part to unmask these men, who doubtless enjoyed all sorts of privileges because of their claim to special knowledge or ability. Behind all that, however, was God’s plan to show Himself real, and His servants genuine, in contrast to these “wise men.” As the story famously goes on to reveal, God indeed let Daniel know what Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was, as well as its meaning, thereby showing that Daniel’s God was real, in contrast to the Babylonian pantheon. There’s something about the “impossible” happening that is very convincing! God has always done miracles of various sorts, but seldom in response to human demands. The irony is that we tend not to recognize His hand even when we see it, but attribute events to “chance.” That’s not very smart! We need to remember always that, as Gabriel told Mary, “Nothing is impossible with God,” (Luke 1:37) and expect Him to act in accordance with His character.

I saw several “minor miracles” yesterday. I was working with a short-term missions group that was coming through Omura on their way to the Goto Islands. Weather issues had made them miss their connecting flight in Atlanta and they had to come by a different route than planned, naturally delayed, with other complications on top of that. However, God worked it all out and they made it to Goto just a few hours late, ready to start ministry as planned this morning. Then later in the day as I was driving around taking care of various things I had two very close calls, missing collision with other cars by inches. In both of those cases my actions had been reasonable but insufficient, because I didn’t know what the other drivers would do – but God did, and He enabled me to stop without contact each time. I can’t take credit for either of those, any more than I could take credit for working things out for the mission team. God does act in my life, and I need to pay attention and give Him the glory!

Father, thank You for Your grace toward me. Help me recognize that grace at all times, whether other people recognize it as miraculous or not, and give You the gratitude and glory that are due You alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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

Ministers; July 23, 2024

Posted on July 24, 2024 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 3:15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.

What a succinct description of a true minister of the Lord! Once again the Japanese gives fresh insight. Where the NIV says “lead,” and the ESV says “feed,” the Japanese says “raise,” as in raising children. To me that really captures what I’m sure the Lord is saying here. In the first place, ministers need to be people after God’s own heart. I’m reminded of my experience in seminary. Many of the students were indeed called and sent by God, but a sad percentage were “Mama called and Papa sent,” and there were even those who were there out of personal ambition. Anything less than submission to the Lord does not produce a genuine minister. Then we have the two factors of knowledge and understanding. These cut both ways. The minister needs to have knowledge and understanding, and they need to impart knowledge and understanding to their flock. Some go overboard on the knowledge side, producing an academic, theoretical exercise of religion, and that is dry and empty. There must be understanding that we are powerless without God, but that He is totally gracious and loving and delights to work in and through us. Both knowledge and understanding are areas in which we can and should keep growing as long as we are on this earth, and that is the commission of the minister. Talk about life-long education! Even in our moment of taking our last breath we are learning more about the God who created and loves us. Titles and degrees are meaningless in all of this. What matters is a heart that continually seeks after God.

As a missionary pastor, this certainly gets my attention! How well I meet this description is for God to decide, but I do know that it is my personal ambition and goal. I have told people for many years that pretending to be a minister, without the calling and anointing of God, is the most dangerous thing anyone could do. That automatically makes someone a false prophet, however well they might mouth platitudes and truisms. A minister should always be a prophet, in the sense of speaking out what God is saying. That has always been my desire and goal. I have been used in predictive prophecy a few times, and even in prescriptive prophecy, telling someone what God wants them to do, but very seldom have I done either of those things in this church. That said, I pray and hope never to say anything from the pulpit that God is not saying. I don’t want to impart knowledge without understanding! Recently we have started having a sharing time after every service where believers can share what the Lord has said to them, particularly through the message that day but sometimes in other ways as well. I have been touched and grateful as even mature believers have shared fresh insights, and I give glory to God that He would use even me to bring that about. I want to raise up strong, obedient children for my Heavenly Father, and every evidence I see of that happening gives me peace and joy.

Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of being Your minister. Thank You for all You have done to prepare and use me. May I indeed fulfill all of Your plans and intentions for me, so that the Body of Christ may be built up and Your name glorified. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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

Father God; July 22, 2024

Posted on July 23, 2024 by jgarrott

Isaiah 63:16 But you are our Father,
    though Abraham does not know us
    or Israel acknowledge us;
you, Lord, are our Father,
    our Redeemer from of old is your name.

This strikes me as an intensely beautiful verse. Fathers and father figures didn’t just become a problem in modern times, however bad the issue might be today. God is spoken of as Father countless times in the Old Testament, but He gave Isaiah this intense revelation of His unchanging nature, and we are the richer for it. It is interesting to note that this came in a time of difficulty, when Isaiah was wanting God to act in power on behalf of His people, but it didn’t seem to be happening. It is always true that we don’t have God’s vantage point of seeing all of history, the present, and the future at a glance. That’s precisely why faith is essential for us. I have always liked the line from It Is Well Withy My Soul that says, “O Lord, haste the day when our faith becomes sight.” That won’t happen until we are with Him, but He does give us faith to get us through until then. The sad thing right now is that many people did not have a physical father sufficient to give them an appreciation of what Father God is like, and so this verse rings hollow to them. However, for even such people, God can, will, and does give a revelation of Himself to us, if we are willing to accept it. Some people have a deep-seated anger at God, rooted in their anger at their inadequate human father, even to the point of rejecting that revelation. God is amazingly patient, but it is ultimately our own choice whether we will be His children or not. The entire plan of redemption is to make that adoption possible, if we will only accept it.

I was blessed with a very good father, as was my wife, but we deal constantly with people who were not so blessed. I know that a good father blesses but doesn’t pamper his children, allowing them to learn things through sometimes painful trial and error. Total avoidance of danger is not on the menu! My father was certainly not a “helicopter parent,” and I have the physical scars to prove it! However, he was both loving and just, meting out discipline as it was called for and expressing affection and respect. I at times have to remind myself that very many of the people around me did not have such a father, so the idea of Father God doesn’t really click for them. At this point I am a father figure to many, even including some people who are physically older than I am! I am not to draw back from that, but rather point them consistently to Father God, because only He can heal and fill the “father wound” in their soul.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace toward me. Help me share that grace freely, so that others too may know You intimately as Father, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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

Repentance; July 21, 2024

Posted on July 22, 2024 by jgarrott

Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

God’s invitation is universal and it is clear, besides being incredibly gracious. Here He isn’t addressing “good” people, but the wicked and unrighteous. As Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) Many people seem to think they aren’t worthy to enter a church, and on at least one level, they aren’t; none of us are. However, God’s love and mercy are so great that He calls us anyway, and rejoices when we respond. The parable of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15) is spot on. The son who ran off and wasted what his father had given him was indeed not worthy to be called his son, but the father loved him and welcomed him anyway. That parable was told by Jesus Himself, and can’t be accused of being wishful thinking by someone else. People hesitate to come to God because they think their acceptance depends on them, when all God asks of them is repentance for not having come sooner.

Most of this chapter has been set to music, and I have memorized even the remaining parts, in addition to being able to sing the musical arrangements. However, familiarity doesn’t always mean assimilation and application. Though I have been reading the Bible for over 65 years, I can’t say that I put it all into practice. I’m grateful to say that it is an essential part of me, but its depth is such that I can’t claim mastery. In reference to this specific section, I’m deeply grateful that I’ve never gone through what has been called “the dark night of the soul,” when God seems impossibly distant. That said, there have been plenty of times when I have ignored Him, even knowing on at least some level that He was right there. Repentance is as necessary to me as it is to anyone else – that is to say, absolutely essential! I haven’t been snared by many “wicked ways,” but when it comes to “unrighteous thoughts,” I have absolutely no defense. I need constant care to keep my thoughts in submission to my Lord. I am reminded of the time a young man complained to D. L. Moody that it was impossible to keep lustful thoughts out of his mind. Moody replied, “You can’t keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” I have had times of helping them build the nest! I am strongly aware of God’s grace and mercy, but I am never to take it for granted, and keep my repentance up-to-date.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There’s a lot going on, and when I am tired I am often more vulnerable to the devil’s subtle lies. Help me depend fully on You, so that I may walk in step with Your Spirit to do Your will alone, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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

Politics; July 20, 2024

Posted on July 21, 2024 by jgarrott

Isaiah 47:6 I was angry with my people
    and desecrated my inheritance;
I gave them into your hand,
    and you showed them no mercy.
Even on the aged
    you laid a very heavy yoke.

This verse is obviously why this passage came up in readings on mercy, but beyond that, it has an important cautionary note. God does use human beings to punish evildoers, but those doing the punishing need to remember mercy. That is very pertinent in America right now, where it looks like the Democrat Party will be largely wiped out in the coming election. Those involved in their machinations, including media companies, are in rather a panic at the moment, as well they should be, but the “Trumpians” need to remember the principle expressed here. There is every evidence that Republicans will gain control of the White House, the House, and the Senate. They are indeed to use that power to enact righteous laws and correct much that is wrong in the nation today, but they aren’t to be vindictive. That doesn’t mean that those who have actively broken existing laws aren’t to be prosecuted, but witch hunts should be out of the question. There are indeed whole departments of government that need to be abolished, but those who gain power in November need both God’s wisdom and restraint. It is far more productive to lead people to repentance than simply to punish them. Motive will be key here, and Christians need to pray, speak, and act as God directs, or they might find themselves in the place of the “daughter of Babylon” mentioned here.

I never expected to become so political, but the events of recent years have certainly grabbed my attention. Living in Japan, these things might seem irrelevant to me, but I am very aware of America’s influence in the world. Since childhood I have wondered why Japan seemed to copy America’s bad points instead of her good ones! I have already discovered that politics can be very divisive, sometimes painfully so. I need God’s wisdom in when to bring the issues up and when to let them lie. Even Japanese often have strong opinions about American politics! At the same time, I must remember that I am called to be salt and light, and if no one speaks out for truth, then lies will predominate. This might seem unrelated to my calling as a pastor and missionary, but the policies espoused by politicians are often closely related to matters of faith and righteousness. As Paul said, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18) I’m not to go picking fights, but I am not to draw back from speaking God’s truth.

Father, thank You for this clear Word. Being so wrapped up in politics is very unfamiliar territory! Help me keep my focus first and foremost on You, so that even “good” things will not distract me from being Your faithful servant, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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

Attitude; July 19, 2024

Posted on July 20, 2024 by jgarrott

Proverbs 28:9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
    even their prayers are detestable.

This verse kind of hit me between the eyes! It doesn’t matter how pious we might seem, if our hearts aren’t committed to obedience, then we are despicable. This is the big argument Jesus had with the Pharisees of His day, and human nature hasn’t changed. We go through assorted motions, thinking they qualify us for heaven, when God is always looking at the attitude of our heart. If we are set in our ways, always choosing whatever we think will advance our agenda rather than listening obediently to God, then He wants nothing to do with us. That actually breaks His heart, because He loves us enough to die for us, but if we ignore Him, what can He do? That is a big part of the mystery of free will. God did not create robots, or even pets; He created children, and generally speaking, children are not by nature obedient. If we want our prayers to be heard, we need to have the right attitude in the first place! God is incredibly gracious, and sometimes prayers get answered almost by accident, as it were, but if we want a consistent relationship with Almighty God, our hearts have to be lined up with Him in grateful obedience.

Of course I’m talking to myself here. I like to pray, and will do so at the drop of a hat, having grown up in a home where prayer was as natural as breathing. That’s why this verse hit me so hard. I cannot assume that because I can use words in a way that moves and impresses others, that those words go any farther than the ceiling. My heart has to be submitted to my Lord before my words are acceptable before Him. My heart attitude must be one of grateful obedience, or I am just playing a game. Over the years I have had real problems with this, with a level of spiritual pride that makes me shake my head just to think about it. I am not to presume on past encounters with my Lord, but always seek to hear and obey Him in every situation. That’s not automatic! Now that I have retired from school teaching, I need to be active and intentional in seeking God’s direction as to the use of my time, doing His will on His schedule for His glory, as I often pray to do. Just because I succeeded in doing that before doesn’t mean that I don’t need to stay focused right now. There are countless distractions, so I’ve got to let Holy Spirit be in charge, and rejoice to go along for the ride.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Feeling like I need to walk to maintain my physical health is awkward in this weather, because I come back soaked with sweat, which doesn’t leave me presentable for the visitation I feel is also on the schedule. Likewise, I need to write out Sunday’s message notes and draw up the August Scripture list for the church, and the heat is distracting from that. Help me hear what You say to me about my use of each moment, so that I will indeed do Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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