Purpose; October 23, 2025

Posted on October 24, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 1:24-25 But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith.

This is an attitude that unbelievers flat do not understand. They live for themselves, their own enjoyment and advancement and whatever, but a Christian believer knows that what is ahead is far better than anything they could have or experience here, so their time on earth isn’t for themselves, but for the benefit of those around them. That’s not at all to say that life here doesn’t have it’s good moments, because it certainly does. However, even at its best it is no more than a prelude for what is to come. Actually, that applies to unbelievers as well, even though they don’t know it. For them, even at its worst it is just a prelude to what is to come. If they really grasped that, it would certainly scare them into repentance! Not wanting to go to hell is a very low-level motivation, but if it gets the job done, it certainly isn’t to be sneered at. All that said, it comes back to the question of why are we here? The first purpose is to find and get to know our Creator, so that we will indeed be able to spend eternity with Him, but the second is to do the good works that He has prepared for us to do, (Ephesians 2:10) specifically so that the people around us will be blessed and drawn to God themselves, hopefully to repent and believe for their salvation. Victor Frankl wrote that mankind’s greatest need is for purpose, and there you have it. Our purpose is to know and love God and serve as His agents in blessing the people around us. Various studies have been done as to what produces the greatest happiness, and the very highest correlation was with being kind to those around us. The attitude most related is gratitude. If you are grateful for the opportunity to be kind to others, then you are blessed indeed!

All of this is being taught to me more and more as the days and years go by. As I have commented recently, my anticipation of heaven is growing all the time, but like Paul, I am convinced that I have more work to do here, so I don’t expect to go momentarily, or anything like that. I work to stay healthy, not so much for my own sake as to stay fully available for my wife, because she would be most inconvenienced if I were to be incapacitated or depart ahead of schedule. I do enjoy life, and particularly moments like on Monday, when I was able to explain God’s salvation to two ladies who likely had never heard it before. However, I do get tired and have various aches, pains, and frustrations. I need to keep remembering what is laid up for me in heaven, and treat all that stuff as the very small potatoes it really is. Here or in heaven, my purpose is in Christ Jesus my Lord, and I must never forget it!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me keep this in focus, so that I will 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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Proclaiming Christ; October 22, 2015

Posted on October 23, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 1:18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Philippians is so rich! Verse 21, the last in today’s reading, is one that I have loved for a long time and preached on more times than I can remember, but this one speaks to me right now. I haven’t been very active in personal evangelism for most of my life, despite being a missionary for well over half of it, but God has really been waking that in me of late, and I’m grateful. The thing is, Jesus directly connected the operation of the Holy Spirit in our lives to being His witnesses, as Acts 1:8 so famously proclaims. The question becomes, how open are we to the work of the Holy Spirit? Acts 4:31 says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” We depend on the Holy Spirit for many things, but we tend to focus on the ones that make us feel good, or important, or whatever, like the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12. However, what Jesus focused on was our being His witnesses. We do witness of Him in many ways, only some of them using words. As Francis of Assisi said, “Preach constantly. When necessary, use words.” However, some of us are scared witless of using words, and sometimes they are indeed necessary. We fear how our words will be received, and we are more concerned with what people think of us than what God thinks of us. That’s sad! There is a grave in northern Japan that is said to be that of Jesus. Of course, that’s not who’s buried there, but it seems very likely that it was a Nestorian missionary from China, who talked about Jesus so much that they associated the name with him. After all, that’s how the early believers started being called Christians, in Antioch of Syria, where the culture as a whole had no expectation of a Savior from God. (Acts 11:26) Would we be open to such a thing? As I heard said many years ago, “If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

As I said, God’s been working on me about this recently. Just two days ago I took my wife to the doctor for a problem with her foot, and got into a conversation with two older ladies in the waiting room. In that I expressed the problem, for missionaries, that Japanese don’t have a clear understanding of sin, conflating it with crime, and so have no awareness of a personal need for salvation. I then went on to explain what the Bible calls sin, that is, anything that disagrees with God, starting with lying and giving a few more examples we can all relate to. The ladies seemed very struck by that, and I went on to tell them that God, though perfectly holy and unable to abide sin, loved us so much that He “divided His heart” and sent His Son to die to take the penalty for our sin, so that by faith we could become His children. I didn’t start our conversation with all of that, but it all flowed very naturally, and I’m very grateful. I’m not to make excuses about not being “gifted as an evangelist,” but rather seek to make full use of all the opportunities God provides to be Christ’s witness, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how You are indeed working in me, continuing to grow and shape me. May I be more and more effective as Your witness, making full use of every opportunity You give me, so that many will repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Relationships; October 21, 2025

Posted on October 22, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 1:3-5 I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

With the theme of The Joy of the Lord, we will be reading just about every verse of Philippians. Thinking about it, Paul’s ministry in Philippi got off to a pretty rough start, what with being beaten and imprisoned, as is recorded in Acts 16. However, that very suffering seems to have forged a bond between Paul and the believers in Philippi that was perhaps stronger than his bond with any other group. For one thing, they never doubted his commitment, to the Gospel and to them! It was that relationship that gave Paul joy in praying for the believers. God gives us all sorts of relationships, and we never know when we meet someone how that relationship will develop or continue, or perhaps be strictly passing. The thing is, we were created for relationship, most importantly to God but also to the people around us. It is well known that Jesus said that the most important commandment was to love God, and the second, of similar importance, was to love our neighbor. (Matthew 22:37-40) You can’t have love without a relationship! That’s why people who think they love entertainers, or even AI chatbots, are severely deceived.  There is no genuine reciprocity there, and thus no relationship. Men and women, in all their multitude of differences, tend to approach relationships differently, with men likely to have fewer close relationships than women, but even men were created for relationship. If we will get our relationship with our Creator right, (the vertical part of the cross) then He will guide us into the right horizontal relationships we need with those around us. If He commands it, and Jesus said He does, then He makes it possible, and the blessings are boundless.

I have always thought of myself as something of a loner, and I have had to learn the importance of relationships. God blessed me incredibly in that area when He matched me up with my wife, when I was just 20, and our relationship has just grown since then. He has blessed me with a few very close friends, and many more less intimate relationships. Above all, over the years I have learned to draw closer to Him, to deepen my surrender and obedience to Him. At just five years old I protested my love for Jesus, but that was naturally a very childish love. 72 years later, my love for Him continues to grow, to the point that I now have an almost intense anticipation of being with Him, with no earthly things in the way. However, I can’t love Him accurately here and now if I fail to relate rightly with the people around me. Relationships are complex! I need to walk in humility, always remembering that I have room to grow, and seeking His assistance in doing so.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the past several days of being with my daughters. One leaves today to return to the US, and the other tomorrow. Thank You for the substantive interactions I have had with them. Help me make the use that You intend of these last hours, so that they, and we, will be built up and grown as You intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Walking in the Spirit; October 20, 2025

Posted on October 21, 2025 by jgarrott

Galatians 5:16, 25 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

There are various songs that I like very much that deal with this matter of walking in the Spirit. For once, I like modern English translations better than I like the Japanese here, at least for verse 25. The Japanese just says, “move forward/make progress” by the Spirit. That is also an important point, that we aren’t just wandering aimlessly, but I still like the English, “keep in step with the Spirit.” That implies a level of discipline that is often lacking in our personal lives. Again, our lives aren’t to be wandering, lackadaisical, but purposeful, obedient to our Commander in Chief. Legalism isn’t good, but neither is being unfocused. Ephesians 2:8-9 is justly famous, expressing the basis of our salvation, but verse 10 is also important: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Doing the works that God prepared for us is keeping in step with the Spirit, advancing as He intends.

Having been in various marching bands from the time I was in 4th grade through getting out of the army, I know about keeping in step! My band experience made me proficient enough in marching that I was quickly tabbed as a “cadence counter” when I was in Basic Training in the Army. In my personal life, sometimes I have been more in step with the Spirit than at other times. As a pastor, I have found that getting a church body to walk in the same cadence can be a monumental task! This church is making progress in that area, and yesterday was a good step in that direction. My younger daughter, who is a church minister of music in her own right, noticed that in the service and fellowship yesterday, commenting on the family atmosphere and unity she felt in being here. That she responded that way really blessed and encouraged me! That said, we still have plenty of room for growth, not just in numbers but in hearing and obeying the Lord. In my absence last week the Assistant Pastor preached on listening obediently to the Lord, and it was very good. I want to be a good example to the flock, but at the same time, I don’t want them to be dependent on me for their spirituality. I want each of them to be in step with the Spirit, moving forward as God intends, so that as His agents we may bring His rule and reign to this city where He has planted us, for His glory.

Father, thank You that You don’t just make us march for the sake of marching, which sometimes happened in the Army. Help us indeed hear the rhythm of Your Spirit and get in step, to move forward as You intend indeed, fulfilling Your plans for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Middle East; October 19, 2025

Posted on October 20, 2025 by jgarrott

Galatians 4:29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.

And here we have a clear, concise, theological explanation for the mess in the Middle East. Arabs, until they become children of Abraham by faith, (Romans 9) are going to hate the Jews and try to wipe them out. It is only in Christ that the “dividing wall” (Ephesians 2:14) is destroyed. “Daddy always loved you more” is a pretty powerful motivator! However, Arabs are just as eligible as anyone else to repent and believe, and thus become “children of the promise,” as Paul says here. The recent developments in the Middle East are encouraging indeed, but they certainly aren’t the end of the story. We aren’t to put down what has happened, but we must remember that Christ is the only “final answer” to all of that mess. As it looks right now, Hamas is all too likely to blow it and be fully wiped out militarily, but we can pray for mercy. Secular media isn’t going to pick up on this underlying reality, so we don’t need to pay too much attention to them. Rather, we are to pray that God’s name would be acknowledged as holy and His rule and reign be established as His will is done, for His glory.

This is something I’ve realized for much of my life, but I’ve also been aware that the majority of the world doesn’t realize it. I’m not to feel superior, but rather be a faithful steward of the understanding I’ve been given, and act accordingly. I frankly haven’t been very faithful in praying specifically for Israel, as much as I’m “on their side,” so to speak. I’m to pray for the Lord’s return, certainly, but also for His will to be done in the meantime, resulting in a massive harvest of souls of every nation and people-group. The Japanese have next to no understanding of what is going on spiritually, in the Middle East or elsewhere, so I’m to pray for their eyes to be opened and God’s truth set them free to repent and believe, for their salvation and the glory of God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the seeming peace that has “broken out,” and for those involved in bringing it about. I pray for Your mercy, that this movement will be continued and the road be made level for the Gospel to go forth. There are many other areas, such as Nigeria and India and China and the list could go on and on, where Your children are being persecuted and martyred. I do indeed pray for Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done throughout this earth, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Wealth; October 18, 2025

Posted on October 19, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

From the world’s perspective, it operates on wealth, and specifically financial wealth. Those who don’t have it want it, and those who have it tend to lord it over those who don’t. All of that totally ignores the reality that we are created beings, and our Creator never lacks for anything. After all, there’s an asteroid out there that is largely made up of gold, platinum, and other valuable metals, to the point that there are serious plans to go out there and mine it. However, if all of that were brought to earth at once, it would drive the price of each of those metals down to almost nothing. In human economy, price is determined by supply and demand, and when the supply exceeds the demand, the price plummets. That is demonstrated in what is happening in China right now, with a glut of both manufactured goods and of young people with advanced degrees. With exports being limited by political pressures, the supply of many kinds of manufactured goods greatly exceeds the demand, so they become worthless. With so many young people with college and graduate degrees, wages are so low that there are many people with Masters or even Doctorate degrees working as food delivery drivers, for example. God values each of us individually, and the supply can never exceed the demand there. That’s why we need to get away from the world’s valuations and let the Lord reveal His heart to us. After all, He values us so highly that He sent His Son to die for us! This verse addresses that whole issue. Elon Musk, currently the richest person in the world, can’t begin to compare to the wealth of Jesus Christ, who owns the whole universe! As Paul says here, He set all that aside to come and deliver us from our sins, making available to us His riches in glory. (Philippians 4:19) When we gain that perspective, material wealth ceases to have much meaning at all.

This is extremely timely, because just last night I was discussing finances with my younger daughter, who happens to be a banker. Because of various circumstances, my wife and I are currently in the very unaccustomed place of no financial anxiety. That in itself produces a degree of anxiety in me, because I am so unaccustomed to it, and I very much want to be a faithful steward of what the Lord has placed in my hands. I am reminded of someone who was in our church years ago who inherited a fairly considerable sum, but through poor financial management, quickly lost most of it, both through buying things and through giving things away. That’s an example of what not to do! My wife and I need to listen accurately to the Lord as to what He wants us to do with the resources He has placed at our disposal, recognizing that the spiritual wealth we have in Christ far exceeds anything the world could possibly give us.

Father, thank You for Your incredible generosity. Help me operate in Your wisdom in relation to the material and spiritual wealth You have poured out on us, so that we may be instruments of Your will being done on this earth, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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Grief; October 17, 2025

Posted on October 18, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Many translations use “sorrow” in this verse, but some use “grief,” which is much stronger. Grief is a strange thing. It seems entirely negative, and indeed, there will be no more grief in heaven, but at the same time, the right sort of grief works good things in us. It is a very powerful emotion, as anyone who has lost someone close to them can testify. I can hardly imagine what Erika Kirk has gone through and is still going through, because grief of that magnitude certainly doesn’t disappear overnight. However, she is channeling her grief wisely, as best I can see from this considerable distance, to energize her in continuing the work that Charlie started. However, her sort of grief is distinctly different from what Paul is talking about here, because she had no part in causing the circumstances that triggered her grief. What Paul is talking about is the sort of grief that comes from our own actions, as in “He brought a lot of grief on himself.” Sin very naturally brings grief, because it is a violation of God’s will for us, and He always wills the very best for us. That’s why there’s no grief in heaven: there is no sin there. Godly grief, as Paul calls it here, is when we realize we have sinned and genuinely regret it. In our foolishness, we all too often don’t regret sin, but rather revel in it. I’ve seen a t-shirt that says, “That’s a terrible idea. What time?” That’s amusing, but it can mask a horrible attitude toward sin. When we have blown it, we should indeed feel grief that we have done so, and as Paul says here, let it propel us to repentance that will get us right with God and keep us from committing that sin again in the future.

I’m not sure that I have felt sufficient grief for some of the sins I’ve committed, because my repentance was shallow at best. I need to let that awareness govern my response to those around me, because as a pastor, others are watching me and getting cues from me as to how they should act and be. In the case of grief from loss, such as Erika Kirk is experiencing, I am to be an open channel for God’s comforting Spirit. However, in the case of grief over sin, I’m not to gloss it over, but rather allow the Holy Spirit to use it to grow the individual and make them more Christlike. I am to forgive people and help them receive God’s forgiveness, emotionally as well as in objective fact, but I’m not to gloss over sin, essentially giving permission for it. There are far too many people who mistakenly think that’s the loving thing to do. Genuine repentance produces changed behavior, and I’m to encourage that in love, with God’s wisdom.

Father, thank You for this Word. Help me respond to sorrow/grief as You want me to, in myself and in others, so that You will be able to turn every negative into blessing, as only You can do, (Romans 8:28) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Perspective; October 16, 2025

Posted on October 17, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 6:10 … sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

The seeming contradictions of God’s economy are extreme. When we apply this world’s standards to ourselves and to each other, we come up with a very different picture of how things are than when we apply God’s standards. Guess which are correct? I come back to Charlie Kirk, whom I talked about in yesterday’s prayer meeting. He lost his physical life, yet he gained eternity, and a heritage that is absolutely magnificent. Cardinal Dolan was not wrong when he said that Charlie was like Paul. The better we understand that this world is temporary, that we were created for, and are being prepared for, eternity, the better we will be able to have peace and joy in the middle of whatever is going on. John 16:33 has long been one of my favorite verses: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” When we anchor ourselves in Christ, we can see things from His perspective more and more, and thus rest, relax, and rejoice in Him. That’s what Charlie did, it’s what Erika needs to do more and more, and what we all need to do.

Right now I feel overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of things to do. There are things I am obligated to do, things I want to do, and things that just happen. I don’t have the wisdom to keep it all straight, and that’s why I feel overwhelmed. God has told me to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, but I’m still learning how! My daughters are here from America right now, and that automatically multiplies the things I want to do. At the same time, my highest priority at the moment is listening to my Lord to hear what He wants me to say this coming Sunday in the service. I’m very aware of my inadequacy for all the demands on me, but that’s actually a very good place to be, because it forces me to depend on God. He is up to the task!

Father, thank You for this reminder. You know how much I feel like crawling into a hole and forgetting the world. Help me instead crawl further into Christ, allowing You to fill me with Your Spirit to do everything You have planned for me, for the blessing of the people around me and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Church Discipline; October 15, 2025

Posted on October 16, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 2:8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.

Church discipline was difficult in the 1st century, and it’s difficult today. We aren’t to overlook major sins by any means, but if there is repentance, such people are to be restored. The problem comes in our evaluating the degree of repentance. Simply hiding sins from other people doesn’t cut it, but then, we can’t see people’s hearts the way God can and does. There have been errors in this area throughout Church history. We need to operate in humility, purity, and love. All of us fall short in each of those areas at times! However, that doesn’t mean we are to give up, and fail to insist on Biblical standards. The problem comes when we substitute our standards for God’s. As Jesus put it, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” (Mark 7:8) We aren’t to excuse sin, but we are to forgive it.

In my first pastorate, a previous pastor had a nervous breakdown over this issue, because a church officer was known to be in an immoral situation, yet continued coming to church as though nothing were wrong. That had fortunately been resolved by the time I got there, but such things aren’t unusual. When high-profile people get caught in such things there is a big stink, because the devil loves to discredit the Church, but the problem should be resolved sooner than that. I need to have the courage and love to confront people when I am made aware of issues, but I may well be blind to them. I need to ask and allow the Holy Spirit to “ride herd” on us all, pointing out areas we need to repent, first to the individual, and if necessary, to me or another church officer. Formal discipline is never to be done lightly, and always in love. The biggest issue we have had in this church has been people who were divisive, and God has taken them away from here without completely splitting the church. I’m very grateful.

Father, thank You for this Word, and for Your mercy to us. You know the other church that I’m concerned for in this area. Thank You that it’s not my personal responsibility! I do pray for a spirit of repentance to come on them, to restore them to the pattern You have laid out in Your Word, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Control; October 14, 2025

Posted on October 15, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 1:24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.

This is clear evidence that Paul wasn’t a cult leader, because this is not how cults operate. In contrast to what Paul says here, cults specifically try to control the faith of their followers. Yes, there are some Christian cults, and some of the members of them are genuinely saved, but those who are saved tend not to remain in the cult, because their allegiance is to Christ, rather than to the cult or its leader. Sadly, some more genuinely Christian groups also tend to have cultish characteristics, specifically in the area of control. We humans tend to have a lust for power, and when that operates in a religious framework, cults develop. In contrast, genuine Christian faith says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) Paul was constantly fighting with those who insisted that to become Christians, Gentiles had to convert to Judaism first, in true cultic fashion. We tend to be afraid of freedom, because we recognize our own rebellious tendencies. However, human control is never the answer, even over ourselves. We need the Holy Spirit’s control! When human leaders try to take the place of the Holy Spirit, genuinely horrible things happen.

I have an instinctual reaction against legalism, but that certainly doesn’t mean I’m always right. An overreaction to legalism is very dangerous. As Paul said, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:15) As a pastor, I’ve got to walk the line of expressing God’s rules but not trying to enforce obedience myself. Tithing is an excellent case in point. I have experienced the blessings of tithing, acknowledging God as my supply in that way, and I certainly recommend it to all, but if I make it an “admission fee” for church membership, I have strayed into cult territory. I know of churches that treat it as exactly that! I’ve got to remember that “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) Likewise, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Galatians 5:13) I’ve got to let God be in control on every level, in my own life and in the lives of those under my care. Only He can get it right!

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do pray that every believer would indeed discover the freedom of Your Spirit, in full righteousness and holiness, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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