The Power of God; November 11, 2023

Posted on November 12, 2023 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

The Greeks were used to orators, and tricks of oratory were something of a hobby for them. Many commentators have pointed out that Paul went to Corinth right after his experience in Athens, as recorded in Acts 17:16-34. He certainly preached an eloquent sermon there, but got very sparse results. That taught him a lesson, which was not to rely on his training and gifting but on the power of God. That’s a lesson we all need to take to heart! It’s not that training and gifting are meaningless or useless, but just that they aren’t the main thing. Ben Wong frequently says, “The main thing in ministry is to keep the main thing the main thing.” We very easily get distracted! It is only when we keep our focus on the Lord that our words become His words and work His will in the hearts and lives of our hearers. Some have taken this passage to mean that only “miracle ministry” is valid, but there are many more manifestations of God’s power than visible miracles. Yesterday I was saddened to hear Dennis Prager, whom I respect and admire very much, talk about salvation from a Jewish and a Christian perspective. As a Jew, he can’t imagine a genuine assurance of salvation apart from works, and he essentially insulted God’s holiness by saying that God’s OK with our being less than perfect. By human logic that’s entirely reasonable, but it totally misses the greatest miracle of all time, which is the atoning work of Christ. When a person receives that atonement by faith, that is indeed a demonstration of the power of God. Miracles are nice, and can indeed confirm the words we speak, (Mark 16:20) but the greatest miracle is in the human heart.

I have had assurance of salvation for many, many years, and I am deeply grateful. That has been even when I have stumbled badly, with no excuse. That in itself is a miracle! Our Verse for the Year in this church is Ephesians 2:10, which talks about the good works that God has prepared for us to do, but our salvation isn’t dependent on those good works, as the previous two verses so famously declare. As I proclaim the Gospel to people, specifically here in Japan where there is no cultural framework for it, I must rely always on the power of God, because my powers of persuasion certainly won’t cut it. I am to speak what, when, where, and as the Lord directs, but know that the power is entirely His. His power is certainly up to the task!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the incredible privilege of being an agent of Your power in proclaiming the Gospel. May that proclamation be more and more effective, bringing many into Your family, Your kingdom, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Power of the Cross; November 10, 2023

Posted on November 11, 2023 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

The moment I read this just now it struck me that all the people who ridicule the Christian message are proclaiming that they are headed for destruction. That has recently been very much on display in the US, with all the response to Mike Johnson being elevated to Speaker of the House. He has been clear and open about his strong Christian faith, and both politicians and media people are having fits. You would think he was advocating having barbecued babies for breakfast! Human intellect and logic have given us many good things, but they have also given us terrible horrors. The Holocaust, for example, was run very efficiently, as was the recent attack by Hamas. As this verse and those that follow point out, there are limits to everything human, but not to the things of God. This verse brings to mind the very wise words of Gamaliel, who was Paul’s mentor before his Damascus Road experience: “Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:38-39) I would hope that before he died he acknowledged that Jesus was the promised Messiah, but at least he was not an active enemy. The same cannot be said for a lot of the people who are attacking Mike Johnson. All believers need to get it through their heads that we will have opposition, but that doesn’t mean we are wrong. On the contrary, as the military expression has it, it means that we are “over the target.” Every preacher experiences the truth of the words God speaks through them, and Paul had a very strong lesson in the power of God when he pleaded with God three times to get him out of a particular situation: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) We aren’t to depend on human resources of any sort, however many we might think we have, but rather depend fully on God, who is the ultimate Source of every good thing. (James 1:17)

This is something I have had to learn, sometimes painfully. I have been gifted in many ways, and at one time in my life I was foolish enough to think I deserved it! Now, I have far more peace in knowing that all of those things are totally insignificant when compared to God’s perfection, and since He guides and carries me along, it’s no big deal when some of those gifts depart, from age or for any other reason. I have been particularly proud of my relationship with my wife, but just yesterday I proved that I can be insensitive and even cruel, and He reprimanded me for it. I think my repentance was real, but I am never to be surprised at my own imperfection. Rather, just as He has told me to, I am to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, so that His power may be manifested in my weakness.

Father, thank You for this reminder, putting a focus on the events of yesterday. You are indeed incredibly gracious. Help me let that grace flow through me, rather than hogging it to myself. If I do that, it ceases to be a blessing even to me! May I be an undistorted channel for You to flow through, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Blessing; November 9, 2023

Posted on November 10, 2023 by jgarrott

Romans 16:25-27 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him–to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

This is the longest benediction/doxology in all of Paul’s letters, which is perhaps fitting since it is the longest letter! I personally prefer Jude’s more succinct doxology: “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy–to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25 I can’t read that without hearing Don Francisco’s musical setting in my head and heart.) In most church services the one from 2 Corinthians is used: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14) The distinction between a benediction and a doxology is the focus. A benediction is focused on blessing the recipients, whereas a doxology is focused on God, Who is the source of all blessing. When it came to praising God, Paul certainly didn’t limit himself to the end of his letters. In writing to the Ephesians he couldn’t hold himself back, and in the middle of the letter he burst into, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21) All believers have the privilege of verbally blessing those around them, that is, pronouncing a benediction. (Benediction means precisely, speaking blessing.) However, for such blessings to have genuine power they need to be rooted in the One who is the source of all blessing, God. (James 1:17) When we really grasp what God has done for us in Christ, then like Paul to the Ephesians, we won’t be able to hold back from praising and thanking Him. And actually, that’s a very good thing for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that numerous studies have shown that gratitude is the absolute key to happiness. When we focus on all that God has done for us, and thanking Him for it, we can’t help but be happy!

I have certainly experienced the blessings of gratitude, and I had the huge advantage of being raised in a home that knew and praised God. I have also learned the joy of speaking blessing to and over people. I generally use the benediction from 2 Corinthians in formal settings, not only because it is compact but because I know it expresses something that God desires for each of His children. After all, we were created to be recipients of grace and love, in full and consistent fellowship with God. It is a joyous thing to be an instrument of the blessings God loves to pour out. Blessing people is fun, in word and deed!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for being able to bless the sister who moved here from Canada. She is grateful, but we are grateful to be Your agents. May we all be instruments of Your grace and love, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Hope; November 8, 2023

Posted on November 9, 2023 by jgarrott

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

What a beautiful benediction! And what a wonderful name for God: The God of Hope. This is far from the “I hope so” that we hear and perhaps say frequently. That is essentially wishful thinking, but this hope is based on the One who spoke the universe into existence. He can indeed fill us with all joy and peace by the faith that He also provides. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Such a God is certainly worthy of all praise and devotion! A shockingly large number of people in the world today essentially have no hope, simply living from day to day, if that can indeed be called living. And that isn’t limited to impoverished or war-torn countries, either. A lack of genuine hope is a major driver of all sorts of destructive behaviors, particularly including addictions of various kinds. A young person with active hope isn’t going to be taking fentanyl, for example. Such things totally lose their appeal for anyone who has “the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) Politicians and charlatans of all sorts do their best to hijack hope, to make us place our hope in falsehoods of various sorts, but only the God of Hope can give us the genuine article.

To be honest, I’ve always been somewhat shaky on the subject of hope, because I was raised with an emphasis on faith, which is, as Hebrews puts it, “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) I have frankly never been tempted by drugs or alcohol, because I have gotten my “buzz” from intangible things. (That’s not to say I’m impervious to temptation, just not to substance abuse.) I have associated with or dealt with many people who were indeed vulnerable to such things, and I’ve not always been very good in giving them the hope that they so obviously lack. When I operate in the realm of faith, as described in Hebrews, I need to be gentle with and understanding of those who don’t even have hope they would want to be sure of. I need to remember that the Gospel is indeed good news, and communicate it to all who don’t yet know it.

Father, I’m still not sure I have a very firm grasp on just what hope is, because You have given me such assurance of what is laid up for me in glory. I feel that’s a step beyond hope, but so many around me don’t even have hope. May I be a carrier of all that You are, so that as many as will may open their hearts to receive all that You have provided in Christ, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Belonging to God; November 7, 2023

Posted on November 8, 2023 by jgarrott

Romans 14:7-8 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

This is another very important passage that many people want to ignore or outright deny. We want everything to be all about us, when it simply isn’t. Those who commit suicide are in a way the ultimate expression of this, but probably even more people live in totally self-centered fashion. We want to be independent of our Creator, and it just doesn’t work that way. The only way to total peace and joy is to be in right relationship with our Creator, knowing that He loves us and loving Him obediently in return. When we get that settled in our hearts and minds, all kinds of conflict just go out the window. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the issue of sexual immorality, “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) We belong to God not only by right of creation, but because He purchased us at the cost of His Son. We had sold ourselves to sin, receiving little to nothing in the exchange, but God bought us back for Himself, out of sheer love and grace. The better and more consistently we remember that, the more peace and joy we will have.

This is something I have known for a long time, but I still need reminders. Every time things fail to go the way I want them to, I need to remind myself of this. Every time things do go in ways I don’t want them to, I need to remind myself of this. Opportunities for that abound! Already this morning I have been frustrated and a little depressed, when that is meaningless in the light of this truth. I need to keep my eyes on my Lord and trust Him with every detail, knowing what a good thing it is that I belong to Him and not just to myself. He has plans for me, not just for today, or even for the rest of my life on this earth, but for eternity, and those plans are very good indeed. As He famously told Jeremiah, His plans are indeed to give me hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) That is true even when we have things along the way that we don’t desire, like Jeremiah getting stoned to death in Egypt. I don’t see the whole picture, and I need to trust the One who does.

Father, thank You for this reminder. When I wrote on Joy a few days ago somebody wrote to ask me how I deal with times when I feel less than joyful. I responded that praise songs are a big help. I need to remember that all the time! Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me to do, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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End Times; November 6, 2023

Posted on November 7, 2023 by jgarrott

Romans 13:11-12 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Believers have felt they were in the End Times ever since the 1st Century, and since it’s now the 21st, some people have ridiculed the whole idea. Such people forget that they themselves have a personal “expiration date,” and they don’t know when it will come up. Just last month there were two different incidents in this city of pedestrians being killed by cars when they were walking at dusk or after dark, and yesterday I was talking with someone who recently lost her mother, living in an entirely different place, that same way. And that doesn’t mention the countless other ways we might leave this life unexpectedly. It has rightly been said that life is a fatal condition! None of us can stop time, and it wouldn’t be good if we could. “Time in a Bottle” is a very moving, tender song, but it expresses emotion, not current reality. There are many things going on today, including social degradation and wars, that could well be fulfillments of prophecy, and many Christians are convinced that the Lord’s return will be within their natural lifespan. They could well be right, but even if they aren’t, no one reading this has more than 90 years left on this earth at the outside, and probably much less. At the very least, Paul is here cautioning us that our time isn’t unlimited, so don’t waste it. We are indeed to take appropriate rest, and failing to do so will shorten our healthy lifespan, but we are accountable for every minute, and we are to spend them all doing what our Creator desires and intends.

I have been aware of this reality for a long time, but the fact that I have currently outlived my father by over 11 years, when physically I am his virtual clone, certainly puts a point on it. I am not to be frantic, but I’m to seek my Lord for how He wants me to use every bit of my time. I was greatly blessed to participate in the celebration of Phyllis Kaylor’s life, since she certainly used her almost 91 years in full service to her Lord. I could hope for no better. At 75, that age is less than 16 years in the future for me! It is a blessed anticipation, just as Paul used the expression, “our salvation.” That will be the moment of liberation from all the pains, physical and otherwise, of this life and release into the glorious eternity my Lord has prepared for me. However, my looking forward to that should spur me on to greater obedience right now, with no hint of “biding my time.” I want neither to “burn out” nor to “rust out,” but rather to walk out in joyful obedience, whether that is as my Lord returns or in something more individual.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Such reminders have been more frequent recently. Help me indeed listen to You more and more accurately, more and more obediently, so that all of Your purposes may be fulfilled, on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Conforming; November 5, 2023

Posted on November 6, 2023 by jgarrott

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I couldn’t begin to count the number of times I’ve heard this verse used or have used it myself, but that’s all good and appropriate. The pressure to conform can be overwhelming at times. The Japanese doesn’t have it, but I kind of like the NIV saying, “any longer,” indicating that we have all conformed in the past. We all tend to get mired in what we have been, instead of looking forward to what the Lord is enabling us to become. Thinking we can do that on our own is certainly an exercise in self-deception, but trusting that God can and will do it in His grace and power is the best kind of faith. None of us are perfect at any point this side of heaven. We are never to be satisfied with that, but keep pressing in, as Paul so famously wrote of himself in Philippians 4:12-14. The power is not ours but the choice is, and we must be faithful and consistent in making that choice. After all, the world’s pressures to conform never let up. We may have a nonconformist streak, but if that is expressed only in things like hair color or style or tattoos and piercings, that’s simply conforming to a different part of this world, and is a literal dead end. We need to seek and strive to conform to the ultimate model and pattern set out by our Creator, and that is Jesus Christ our Lord. He certainly didn’t have an easy or long life (until His resurrection, that is) and that shouldn’t be our aim either. His biggest distinctive was that He conformed perfectly to God’s will, and that should be our aim as well.

This certainly applies to me. Yesterday we had the very moving experience of participating in the memorial celebration of the life of Phyllis Kaylor, who graduated to heaven five days shy of her 91st birthday. Her official cause of death was Alzheimer’s Disease, and her cognitive abilities had been slipping for several years, but a brief video was shown during her husband’s remarks that was miraculous. She had gradually been losing her ability to speak, but when the “media minister” of the church they were attending asked her and her husband why they kept coming so faithfully to a weekly prayer meeting, she hesitated a moment and then said, very clearly and lucidly, that prayer enriches you. I wish I could remember the full quote, but I’m sure I can find it on the Internet, because it has now been viewed over 20 million times! She was certainly someone who followed the instructions in this verse, and I can do no better.

Father, thank You for the privilege of taking part in that service yesterday, and for the magnificent example the whole Kaylor family has been and is to so many. I pray that, like Leo and Phyllis, I may be increasingly conformed to the likeness of Your Son, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Fear of the Lord; November 4, 2023

Posted on November 5, 2023 by jgarrott

Romans 11:20-21 Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

This chapter as a whole is confusing to many Gentiles today, but at the very least, it should put an end to “Christian” antisemitism. The fact that God would allow the things that have happened to the Jews, His chosen people, should make us realize that God doesn’t play games, and He is NOT Santa Claus! The sermon that triggered the Great Awakening revival in America just before the Revolutionary War was based on this verse: “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31) It is said that when Jonathan Edwards preached that message he read it from his manuscript in a largely uninflected voice; it was the Holy Spirit who worked the words into the hearts and minds of those who heard them, not tricks of oratory. Likewise, Peter tells us, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17) We tend to focus so much on God’s grace and mercy that we forget why those are absolutely essential! If God were not absolutely serious about dealing with sin, there would have been no need to send Jesus to take the penalty for our sin. He went to the cross, yes, but if we fail to believe and make Him our Lord, then the penalty for our sin remains on us. We take His grace lightly to our peril.

I generally don’t like “hellfire and brimstone” preaching, but failing to express the natural consequences of sin is far from loving toward my hearers. I don’t want fear to be people’s motivation, and all the mess about COVID has only intensified that feeling, but we all certainly need an appropriate fear of God. After all, when even John, the “beloved disciple,” saw Jesus in His glory, the very sight made him pass out! (Revelation 1:17) I too need to have an appropriate fear of God, along with love that drives me to complete obedience. (John 14:15) I grew up surrounded by love from my family, with the awareness that the origin of that love was God, but I must never let familiarity breed contempt in this area. As Paul, Peter, and indeed the whole Bible tell us, I am to be fully respectful in every way, because my God deserves nothing less.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that we’ll be going to a memorial service today for Phyllis Kaylor, who loved and served you throughout her long life. I pray that everything that goes on would be a comfort and blessing to her husband Leo and all their children and grandchildren, and glory to You. Thank You for the assurance that there is indeed an abundant reward for faithfulness. May today’s events inspire all present to more faithfulness, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Evangelism; November 3, 2023

Posted on November 4, 2023 by jgarrott

Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Just a few days ago I quoted verse 14, which is justly famous. The whole passage describes the mechanics of evangelism, but what strikes me about this verse in particular is the way it specifies “the word of Christ.” The Japanese actually says, “the word about Christ.” In far too many churches today you will hardly hear the name of Christ from the pulpit. Instead you get essentially self-help talks, and that can hardly be called the Gospel. After all, the good news about Christ is that “At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6) That’s not self-help, that’s Divine intervention! In contrast, Buddhism demands that you pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. I have had three different Buddhist priests, of different Buddhist denominations and in different locations, concede that there is no salvation in Buddhism. After all, the “highest good” in Buddhism is mu, nothingness! There are Buddhist denominations that have adopted the idea of “help from an external power,” tariki hongan, but I think they stole it from Christianity! In any case, genuine evangelism has to be based on the incredible reality that God loved us so much He sent Himself, in the Person of His Son, to be born as a human being, suffer and die for the sins of all mankind, and be raised from death as proof that salvation is real, and we can be freed even from death itself. The other side of that, of course, is that faith in Jesus Christ as Savior is spiritual new birth, and we are to grow from there into mature children of God. Quite a few years ago Amy Grant had a very pointed song titled Fat Baby, that talked about the many horribly immature Christians in the Church. We don’t want that, for ourselves or for anyone else, but it all starts from faith that God loved us so much that Jesus died for us. (The Japanese for this verse says explicitly, “Faith starts from hearing.”) In any case, if we want more people to be born into God’s family, and we certainly should, then we’ve got to talk about Jesus!

Since I minister in a nation that is 98% non-Christian, this couldn’t apply to me more! With my Teacher gifting I am most comfortable working to mature people who are already believers, but that doesn’t excuse me from evangelism. I have had people tell me they wanted to hear more of “the Gospel” in my preaching, but I got the distinct impression they were uncomfortable with my continued exhortations to spiritual growth. That said, everything is indeed dependent on Christ, so “the word about Christ” is absolutely essential in everything I do.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed be someone who shares the word about Christ continuously, with everyone and in every context, so that more and more people may be brought to faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Salvation; November 2, 2023

Posted on November 3, 2023 by jgarrott

Romans 10:10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

This whole section is of enormous importance and is justly famous. However, current Evangelical interpretation of it tends to leave righteous living out entirely, in practice though not in official dogma. Church members tend to live no differently than their non-religious neighbors, and that is a tragedy. That’s what yesterday’s reading was all about. That said, we cannot earn or work our way into heaven; it’s all by grace through faith. At its heart the Gospel is astoundingly simple: recognize that you need salvation but can’t achieve it, that God has provided it through His Son’s death on the cross, and then receive it in total surrender of yourself. It’s that last part that we trip up on so badly. We tend to reduce everything to a formula, whether it’s spoken words like the Evangelicals or following a system like the Catholics, either Roman or Orthodox. There are reflections of truth in both, but neither paints the whole picture. We forget that a verbal confession of “Jesus is Lord” could get you accused of treason in the Roman empire, because they insisted that Caesar was lord. Such a confession could only come from genuine faith; intellectual assent alone doesn’t cut it. In America today we are getting back to a situation where a simple statement of fact can get you into a lot of trouble, as witness the boy who was expelled from school for a shirt that said, “There are only two genders.” Likewise, the furor over the statements of the newly elected Speaker of the House is deafening, when all he has said has been simple Biblical facts. “Jesus is Lord” is again becoming “hate speech!” Maybe the current situation is God’s grace to teach us that our confession of faith really means something.

I occasionally generate some violent responses with my blog, but I don’t “approve” such comments for others to be exposed to them. I have even had Christians essentially accuse me of being hateful for standing firm on issues of sex and morality. However, I have never been in danger of physical martyrdom because of my faith. At the same time, I know that there were more martyrs in the 20th Century than in the previous 19 combined, and the pace has continued to pick up in the 21st. I am to support my brothers and sisters in dangerous parts of the world in prayer, and I am to prepare the believers under my care to stand firm in their faith regardless what happens in society around us. I can’t help but feel we are in the Last Days, and I want us all to be among those who stand firm to the end.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your truly amazing grace. Help me live out the faith You have given me on every level, so that Your salvation may be manifested in and through me, drawing others to faith and giving You the glory that only You deserve. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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