Death and Life; December 1, 2023

Posted on December 2, 2023 by jgarrott

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

This is rightly one of the most famous verses in the New Testament, but it was good to read it again just now in full context. There are some who take Paul’s opposition to Peter, expressed earlier in the chapter, as a sign of Paul’s pride, but this makes it absolutely clear that his opposition was in order to defend the essential principle that salvation is by faith alone. It’s true that Paul was still a little defensive about being an apostle who had not walked with Jesus before His crucifixion, as comes out in the very first part of the chapter, but that is simply evidence that, like all of us, Paul was a work in progress, as he himself stated so firmly in Philippians 3:12-14. The point we need to remember that our life itself doesn’t belong to us; we have been bought and paid for by the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The better we realize that spiritually speaking we are already dead, the better we will be protected against the tricks and lies of the devil. That’s what Paul expounded on in Romans 6. We aren’t talking zombies here, but rather glorious reality. I have read many testimonies of “near-death experiences,” and something expressed in a lot of them is, “I felt more alive than I have ever been.” The more we grasp that in Christ we are already dead, the more we can walk in His life that is far more, and far better, than anything we can experience in the flesh.

At 75, my anticipation of being through with my current body is growing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the life of Christ right now. Actually, I do enjoy it a great deal, as various people have commented about me, but I need to remember that it is no better than a shadow of what awaits me. As Frank Viola and others have pointed out, I am not to run from the cross but to it and embrace it, just as the youngest of the 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki did. And as Luke made clear, Jesus said I have to do that daily. (Luke 9:23) Crosses aren’t fun, but I have a lot of stubborn areas in my life that are still kicking, and an extra nail or two is very necessary! At the same time, I need to remember that from God’s perspective this verse is already accomplished fact, and so rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, just as He has told me to do.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that I seem to be dealing with the busyness of the season somewhat better than in some years. (I pray that statement isn’t premature!) Thank You for reminding me just now that I need to get the Advent candles today, since we’ll be lighting the first one on Sunday. Help me deal with each thing in turn, not panicking over all that is coming but letting You carry me through, so that my delight in You may be an example to draw others to delight in You as well, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Possibility; November 30, 2023

Posted on December 1, 2023 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 13:8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.

I felt the Lord was directing me to write on this verse, but I wasn’t sure why. Then I read it in the Japanese, where it says, “We can do nothing in rebellion against the truth, but if it’s for the truth, we can do anything.” That puts a different spin on it! I am naturally reminded of Philippians 4:13. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” When we are genuinely on the side of God and His truth, then everything becomes possible. I could be here all day affirming from Scripture things that God desires, and that He desires of each individual, but the point isn’t just to affirm things as objective fact, but to follow through and act on them. (James 1:22) Paul was literally writing the Bible as he went, allowing God’s truth to flow through his words, and he needed the assurance of the truth in this verse. Some would call that conceit, but as my grandmother once told my father, it isn’t conceit if it’s true. It of course requires great humility to operate in this without wrecking on the rocks of pride, and God kept doing things to keep Paul humble. In the chapter just before this, Paul famously recorded one of those. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) The point is always to keep our focus off of ourselves and on our Lord, as it says in Hebrews. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) If we will do that, then indeed everything will become possible.

A Brazilian missionary in the Nagoya area designed T-shirts in English and Japanese about revival in Japan, with  the word, “Impossible,” prominently displayed, with the “Im” crossed out. I’m sure he was inspired by God, because it works equally well in Japanese. I like those shirts very much, since I delight in plays on words, but I need to keep living like I believe the message. Following my father, next year will mark a 90 year history of my family’s ministry in Japan, and we haven’t seen revival break out yet. That doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t! God is freeing me from my school commitments in another month, and I will be the speaker at a small conference in February. I certainly don’t know the details of God’s plan, but I do know that “With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) I am never to think that I could do anything on my own, but I am to have complete assurance that God can do anything at all through me.

Father, this is a bit scary for me, when I have struggled with pride so much over the course of my life. I don’t want to fall into that! Help me take my eyes off of myself so thoroughly that I won’t get in Your way for however You want to use me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Warfare; November 29, 2023

Posted on November 30, 2023 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

This is a well-known passage, but far too many people ignore it, or at least badly misunderstand it. One thing I notice is that where the NIV says “the world” in the first sentence, the Japanese sticks with the Greek in saying, “the flesh.” I understand the decision of the NIV translators, but at the same time I think it’s important to connect all of this to our physical bodies. Of course, “the flesh” isn’t limited to our actual bones and muscles, but rather includes the emotions and motives that are so tied to our physical being. The point is, striking out when we are hurt is not effective spiritual warfare, and is generally counterproductive. As Frank Viola and others have pointed out, an important part of being submitted as a disciple of Christ is giving up the right to be offended. “I’m offended” is currently seen as justification for all sorts of things, when for the disciple it’s no justification at all. Fighting to defend yourself, rather than standing up for the truth of God, is ultimately self-defeating. That’s not to say that we are to be doormats, but it is to say that personal offense will sabotage our spiritual warfare. After all, James said “Submit yourselves, then, to God,” before he said, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) If we try to do spiritual warfare in the flesh, we are defeated before we start.

This is easy for me to say, but I’ve learned the hard way that putting it into practice isn’t so simple. The flesh is very good at taking over! I am very aware that the major struggles of my life are spiritual, but my flesh keeps rearing up and trying to take control. If I am to be effective as God’s agent, I’ve got to be fully submitted to Him. As it says in verse five here, the battle largely takes place in minds and hearts – my own as well as those of the people around me. It takes very little perception to realize that there are lots of “pretensions setting themselves up against the knowledge of God” running around in the world today, and I’ve got to be firm and loving in standing against all such lies. I can’t rely on my own “wisdom” or “gifting” if I’m to have any sort of success, but God is more than able to use me to defeat anything at all, if I will be fully submitted and available to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It is by turns amusing, sad, and even disgusting to see what some people are saying today, in virtually every area of life. Help me not hate any individual, but rather speak Your truth in Your love so that Your Spirit will be free to work through me to accomplish Your will for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Stewardship; November 28, 2023

Posted on November 29, 2023 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 8:12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

This passage is remarkable in explaining the whole concept of giving. Sadly, we are surrounded by a cacophony of voices begging for donations, to the point that it tends to turn us off to them all. That is sad because some of them are worthy indeed, but we would have to be exceedingly rich financially to respond to even a fraction of them. At this point, politicians are some of the most insistent, which can be particularly irritating even when we like them as candidates. On top of that, some of the pleas that on the surface seem noble are in fact no more than scams, with only a fraction of the funds collected going to the purported cause. It all calls for spiritual discernment as well as a healthy dose of common sense. There is a motivational gift/personality type of Giving, (Romans 12:8) and such people are particularly in need of discernment and common sense or they will be bled dry in no time. I have known people who needed specific interventions to keep them from giving to the point of damaging themselves and those around them. Whereas that might bring to mind the second verse in this chapter, (Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.) they can easily become patsies for the unscrupulous. We are all called to stewardship of what the Lord places in our hands, and not just finances. Some people give so much of their time that they destroy their own health! Accurate stewardship calls for faith that God is our ultimate Source, (Genesis 22:14, James 1:17) as well as total submission to Him as to what to do with what He has provided.

I am very aware of the tensions involved with money in the Church. I have consistently been turned off by preachers who were constantly begging for money. Many people feel that’s all that churches do! From the beginning of this church we have avoided “passing the plate,” but rather have had a designated offering box where people could be anonymous in their giving. I agree that giving is a part of worship, but at one point I yielded to such arguments and we tried “passing the plate” for a few months. Our intake dropped noticeably! On the other side, I have testified many times of how faithful the Lord has been to meet our financial needs since Cathy and I committed to consistent tithing, and that’s been for over 50 years now. For the past several years we have increased that to 15%, and our bank balance continues to grow! I try to let God be in charge of both our income and our expenses, and I find that He’s a much more generous accountant than I am!

Father, the whole matter of finances has tripped up so many people, both inside and outside the Church. Help me not only be a good steward myself, but lead those in my care to be likewise, so that Your plans for what You put in our hands may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Meditation; November 27, 2023

Posted on November 28, 2023 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Logically speaking, the more we understand God’s promises to us, the more we will respond to Him in full obedience, living as He desires and no other way. Unfortunately, most humans aren’t very logical! We hang onto things that do us no good and we fail to take up the things God offers us in their place. The simple act of regular morning devotions is an excellent case in point. We choose late-night TV programs over getting up in the morning to spend time with God. Likewise, we choose the vocabulary and speaking patterns of the world over letting God use our mouths to bless people and draw them to Him. The problem, I think, is how much we let God’s Word penetrate into the depths of our being. Most people don’t have much idea of how to meditate on Scripture. “Meditation” is something of a new-age buzzword, but it makes all the difference in the world – and in eternity – what you meditate on, if you really understand meditation in the first place. The thing is, we really aren’t very bright, whatever our IQ might be. The Bible isn’t really that complicated, but we need to take it in over and over and over again for it to penetrate and overcome the lies to which we have become accustomed. After all, the devil is “a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) That, incidentally, is one reason why it is so very helpful to get the Word into children before the world system fills their minds and hearts with junk. We are seeing overwhelming evidence of the latter these days. However, adults won’t be very successful in getting Biblical principles into children if they aren’t living by them themselves. We need to start by examining our own priorities under the guidance of Holy Spirit, and then ask His help in living out our adjusted priorities. That’s what Biblical meditation is all about: not examining the Word, but letting the Word examine us. If we will do that, we will discover that God’s promises are trustworthy indeed, as they are fulfilled in every area of our lives.

I had the huge advantage of being raised in a home of faith and obedience to God, but I don’t recall ever being taught how to meditate on the Word. We were a very musical family, and I really think good hymns came closest to meditation for me. I remember one time, when I was no more than junior high school age, that I sat on my bed and the lyrics of Just as I am ran through my mind and heart, and I had deep fellowship with God. Even though I got horribly mired in spiritual pride after that, that experience convinces me that I was indeed a genuine Christian, even from my baptism at seven. Today I have far more actual Scripture in me, but Christian songs are still a very valuable part of my relationship with God. Some “ear worms” can be huge blessings!

Father, thank You for what You are teaching me about meditating on Your truth, whether it is Scripture or Scripturally sound music. The Messiah enabled me to memorize a lot of Scripture! Help me keep growing in living out Your word and not deceiving myself, (James 1:22) so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Joy and Thanks; November 26, 2023

Posted on November 27, 2023 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

This church is having our Thanksgiving celebration today, and there is nothing for which we should be more thankful than what this verse says. This chapter is absolutely loaded with truths that should shape our perception of ourselves and of the world around us. We have to believe them for that to happen, so as it says in verse seven, we live by faith, not by sight. When we have that faith, everything falls into place and we understand that, though we live in a fallen world, God has a perfect plan of redemption and we don’t need to be anxious about anything. With that assurance, we can indeed be ambassadors for Christ, as it says in verse twenty. We aren’t worthy to receive any of this, but in a totally one-sided action, expressed in this verse, God made us worthy by proxy, so to speak, so that we can walk in everything God the Father has provided through His Son and His Spirit. The better we grasp that, the more we will overflow with joy and gratitude.

This is a very timely reminder for me, since temporal factors have been pushing to make me dread all the busyness of today. Whatever my body is doing, my spirit should be rejoicing in the truths of this chapter. I’m the one who complies these Bible-reading lists, but I am frequently touched by how very timely the readings are – which proves that I can be led by God, both consciously and unconsciously. That’s another thing to be grateful and happy about! Today is a day with many opportunities for God to display His love and grace, and my job is to not get in His way. My body will indeed be busy, but I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him through every moment of it all, so that all present may be touched by His Spirit for His glory.

Father, thank You for Your timeliness, and for using even me to bless me with this Scripture today. May I delight to be a channel of Your blessings to each person with whom I interact today, not being demanding or impatient but allowing Your love to flow freely, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Perspective; November 25, 2023

Posted on November 26, 2023 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

I quote this verse so often, and there are certainly other magnificent, vitally important verses in this chapter, that I almost didn’t choose to write on it, but it is extremely pertinent to the current season. This verse needs to be coupled in our minds with the widely quoted secular aphorism, “This too will pass.” Perspective can be very hard to come by at times. Presented with the immediate crisis, we panic as though the worst possible outcome were guaranteed, when that is not the position of faith at all. We live in the flow of time and we are accountable for our stewardship of the time we are given, but temporal things are by definition temporary. We are so prone to forget that, emotionally at least, and that destroys our peace and upends our priorities. We are to appreciate the good times, but not demand that they continue forever. We are to endure the hard times, and rejoice that they will not continue forever. Eternity is for after this life! That takes care of the “momentary” part of this verse, but we are still faced with the “light” part. In the middle of it, any trial seems more severe than it actually is. It is only after we have gotten through it that we can look back and recognize that God was with us the whole time and we actually had nothing to worry about. It is as such experiences pile up that our faith is strengthened and we indeed learn to rest, relax, and rejoice in our Savior.

The reason this is so timely for me is the calendar. Every year I tend to dread Christmas because of how busy I am with various special events. I expect many if not most pastors feel that way. Tomorrow we will have our regular service and then in the afternoon we will be decorating the building for Christmas, culminating in the church Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night. As an introvert, I don’t enjoy the busyness of it all, nor do I enjoy my unavoidable leadership role in it. This morning I woke up at 3:25 and was unable to go back to sleep for thinking about it all. That’s not exercising faith! We have done this successfully year after year, and we will get through it this year as well. Every year there are some different challenges, but we have the same God, and He is more than able to deal with everything. I have two weddings to officiate today, but they won’t take the whole day. I have to go pick some people up tomorrow morning, because their usual driver has to work, but there really will be time to do that. The problems are almost all in my head, taking my eyes off of my Lord and feeling I have to do everything in my own strength alone. That’s a lie of the devil, and I must stand against it. God can and will carry me through every moment of the next two days, so I should shut up and enjoy the ride!

Father, thank You for this very necessary reminder. I quote this verse to other people all the time; help me keep it in the forefront of my own awareness. Help me indeed submit and surrender every issue to You, so that Your unfathomable peace may guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus my Lord, (Philippians 4:7) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Channels of Blessing; November 24, 2023

Posted on November 24, 2023 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 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.

I keep coming back to the awareness that God’s blessings are not to stop with the immediate recipient. God in His incredible mercy flows His grace through His children, allowing them to participate in the destruction of the devil’s works. (1 John 3:8) When we try to keep God’s blessing for ourselves alone, we quickly lose them, or at least the benefit of them. It is when we extend those blessings to those around us that they are multiplied in our own lives, for the glory of God. That’s fairly easy to understand when it comes to things like love and comfort, as in this passage, but Jesus indicated that it applies to material things as well, when He said, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29) That said, it is things like love and comfort that affect us most directly and deeply. It has been said that “Love isn’t love until you give it away,” and there’s a lot of truth to that. In much the same way, we receive the full benefits of comfort when we in turn comfort others. On a romantic level, there are countless stories of people who have been widowed discovering a new level of peace and happiness with each other, as each comforts the other. However, this certainly isn’t limited to that. I think just about everyone has experienced the joy of being able to help someone out in a situation we have experienced ourselves. That’s precisely what Paul is talking about here, and he gives God glory for it.

This is something I’ve experienced countless times, and I’m grateful. At the same time, I think my wife has experienced it more, because she’s been through a lot more. I have watched as she has comforted people with the same or similar medical issues as she has, and I have seen her be blessed in the process. She is also a much better tutor than I am, because academics have always come easily for me, but she has figured out methods of study that she has delighted to pass on to others. Whatever the area, I need to remember that I am simply a transit point for the blessings God pours out on me, and rejoice to see others blessed.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the hymn, Make Me a Channel of Blessing. It is true and appropriate indeed. Help me indeed live that way, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Masculinity; November 23, 2023

Posted on November 24, 2023 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

From the modern viewpoint, this admonition seems almost contradictory. In the first place, where the NIV says “be men of courage,” the Japanese says, “be like men,” that is, be manly. Some people today like to talk about “toxic masculinity,” insisting that just being a man is a detriment to society, but Paul wouldn’t have understood that in the least, because it is contrary to fact. At the same time, he says, “do everything in love.” By modern standards, that seems to fly in the face of “be masculine!” However, God’s definition of masculinity includes love, because God Himself is love. (1 John 4:8) People who talk about “toxic masculinity” create a straw tiger that God never designed. I have recently enjoyed watching numbers of videos by Nick Frietas, who in my opinion is an excellent example of a strong, loving man – who also happens to have an excellent sense of humor! He is unapologetic about standing for God’s truth, and as a former Special Forces operator, he certainly fits several definitions of strong. At the same time, it is very clear that he loves his wife and children deeply, as well as loving America, and that love motivates the majority of all he does. Too many people want men to be passive, when that would be denying God’s template in creating men. (On a side note, He didn’t create women to be passive either, but modern society doesn’t attack women as much.) Strength of various kinds is part of how and why God created us, both men and women, and we need to exercise that to do His will and resist the devil. Love is an inescapable part of that, because the devil is in no way agape love, so exercising such love is the ultimate example of resisting him.

Physical strength has never been very high on my profile, but I find that people these days are surprised at the physical strength I have, given my age. Emotional and spiritual strength are characteristics the Lord has nurtured in me over the years, showing me that neither is automatic or to be taken for granted, any more than a novice could do a 100kg snatch-and-grab in weightlifting. I am to seek to exercise the strength God has given me to do His will, and always in love. (1 Corinthians 13) After all, Jesus said clearly that it is love that will mark us as His disciples. (John 13:35)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the various opportunities You have given me recently to express Your love. May I always do so accurately, as the man You created me to be, so that people may be drawn to You in repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Resurrection; November 22, 2023

Posted on November 23, 2023 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

To be honest, I don’t think churches or Christians today dwell on resurrection very much. We focus on heaven, which seems to make resurrection beside the point. Also, we think of resurrection in strictly physical terms, which makes people be afraid of cremation and other such things. When it comes to that, what about the martyrs who were literally eaten by wild animals in the arenas of Rome? Surely they wouldn’t miss out on any of their reward! Living in Nagasaki Prefecture, I think of believers who were vaporized by the atomic bomb, since the hypocenter was very close to a Catholic girls school. Resurrection is not a problem for God! However, failure to believe in resurrection is a major problem for us, as Paul expounds on right here. Some people, like the Japanese Catholic novelist Susaku Endo, have believed that Jesus died to atone for our sins, but they couldn’t bring themselves to believe that He really rose from the dead. To me, that removes much of the power and most of the hope from such works as his book Silence, which has been made into a successful movie. Jesus’ body after His resurrection obviously didn’t have all the limitations it did before His resurrection, because he walked into locked rooms and such. At the same time, it was not merely a spiritual apparition, which He proved by eating in front of His disciples. (Luke 24:40-42) That sounds interesting and fun, but at the same time my biggest anticipation is unlimited fellowship with my Lord.

And that brings me to my own attitude toward resurrection. I have no doubt whatsoever that Jesus rose, and since the Bible says that we will rise as well, I believe that. As I’ve already mentioned, my biggest anticipation for after this life is unlimited fellowship with my Lord. What form that will take is something that, as the song says, I can only imagine. However, I have great assurance that it will be glorious. I look forward to joining the “cloud of witnesses” mentioned in Hebrews 12:1. (Incidentally, I don’t think they are witnessing us, I think they are witnesses of the grace and love of God, as Jesus said in Acts 1:8.) There are many, many things I don’t know about life after this life, any more than an infant in the womb knows about life outside the womb, but I have tasted the grace and love of my Lord enough to have full assurance that it will be wonderful beyond my current ability to comprehend.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the assurance that makes me seem a bit weird to those who don’t have such assurance. As Jake Hess sang, “Death ain’t no big deal!” Use me as Your instrument to bring others to such faith as well, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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