Fellow-workers; November 6, 2025

Posted on November 7, 2025 by jgarrott

Philemon 1:7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

We tend to think of Paul as some sort of “Christian Superman,” given all that he did for the Gospel and the kingdom of God. However, he couldn’t do it alone, and he was very aware of that. In all of his letters he mentions various fellow-workers, and his appreciation for them is evident. Philemon certainly wasn’t a major figure in the early Church, but here Paul expresses the joy and comfort he receives from knowing that Philemon was good to other believers. No single individual can do it all! Even Jesus, who was perfect in every way, raised up apostles to do things He wouldn’t be physically present to do, and that is how the Church has grown down through the centuries. He was spot-on accurate when He said that it was good for His disciples that He would be leaving them. (John 16:7) The Holy Spirit is available to every believer, making every believer an extension of God in ways that we can’t fully grasp. We need each other, because individually we are easily overwhelmed, but together, the gates of hell can’t stand against us. (Matthew 16:18)

This is a lesson I have had to learn, because it wasn’t instinctual for me. I have been blessed with a wide variety of abilities, and that has pushed me toward pride. Lots of things seem easier to do myself, rather than getting someone else to do them. I’m still learning! One of the blessings of getting older is being forced to recognize my physical limitations, forcing me to ask for and receive help. An immediate example is the spotlights illuminating the cross on top of the building here. I installed them, and I have changed the bulbs more than once, but they are burnt out again, and it would be the height of folly, literally, for me to try to replace them at this point. This gives me the opportunity to ask one of our young neighbors to do the job, giving us another contact to share the Gospel with them. For that matter, I can’t be in more than one place at a time, so I certainly need and appreciate the millions of believers around the world who are sharing Christ in ways and in places that I absolutely never could. I need fellow-workers, and I need to be a good fellow-worker for them.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how You have grown me, and for how You continue to grow me. May I fit into the Body of Christ, into Your plan, in the way that You desire, so that You may receive all the glory as Your will is accomplished. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Gifts; November 5, 2025

Posted on November 6, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Timothy 1:6-7 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Paul’s relationship with Timothy was tender and sweet, and an inspiration to many. Church history tells us that Timothy indeed went on to become everything Paul desired for him, as an extremely respected teacher, though he didn’t leave many writings. We don’t know what spiritual gift Paul is referring to here, but my guess is that it was prophecy, since it does take boldness to speak out what God is saying. However, this could apply to any of the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, or in Romans 12, for that matter. The point is that spiritual gifts are to be exercised and used in obedience to God, and not just left on the shelf, so to speak. Jesus’ famous parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) speaks directly to this. God gives us gifts, but it is up to us to choose to use them. Paul said that explicitly in 1 Corinthians 14:32: “The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.” That needs to be remembered particularly in the area of the gift of tongues. Some call it “ecstatic speech,” implying that it is just an emotional outburst. Sometimes the person speaking is emotional, but just as often they are not. I have a friend who declined to receive that gift because he wanted God to move his mouth, not understanding that God gives the words, but we have to choose to speak. Precisely the same thing may be said of prophecy. The connection might not be as obvious with some of the other gifts, but human will is still involved. And, like almost any activity, the more we use a gift, the better we are at it. It might seem strange to speak of “being skillful” at prophecy or speaking in tongues, since the source must be the Holy Spirit, or they are counterfeit, but we become relaxed in them, freely trusting God to work His will through us and so being more available to Him.

I well remember the first time I exercised the gift of tongues, and how hours before that I had experienced unknown words running through my mind, but I didn’t choose to speak. Months later I entered a Southern Baptist seminary, and I gradually stopped using the gift for a few years. Now, I think I pray in tongues just about every day, and sometimes many times in a day, but I don’t do it for others to hear, but rather to deepen my communication with my Lord. Prophecy is an area where I have been used before, but haven’t been much recently. I think God may be wanting to change that. A recent surprising discovery is my joy in being used in evangelism. God arranged an appointment yesterday with an older woman and her son, and I delighted to share the Gospel with them, explaining the triune nature of man, body, soul, and spirit, as well as the Trinity of God, and I was also able to express my anticipation of heaven. I felt that God directed every moment of that conversation, but I had to be willing to initiate it and let Him use me. Evangelism is a gift I have said God didn’t give me! As a pastor, I want every believer in this church to recognize and exercise the gifts God has given them, for their great blessing and God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. Thank You for that delightful experience yesterday. It was worth the dizziness and nausea that had taken me to that doctor’s office in the first place! Help me exercise the gifts You have placed in me, and encourage the believers to do likewise, so that all of Your purposes for us may be accomplished, on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Assurance of Salvation; November 4, 2025

Posted on November 5, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

A slightly different Japanese translation of these two verses was set to music several years ago, and I can’t read them without that song running through my mind. That’s not a bad thing! We aren’t to be lax in our obedience to God, practicing “sloppy agape,” as I’ve heard it said, but neither are we to be anxious about whether we’ll “make it into heaven,” as it’s often enough said. As Paul assured the Philippians, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6) We are indeed to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling,” (Philippians 2:12) but not with anxiety as to the final outcome. As Paul wrote in Romans 6, we aren’t to use God’s grace as an excuse for sin, but when we slip up inadvertently we aren’t to be in terror of hell. It can be a difficult line to walk! Paul himself had trouble with it, as he wrote in Romans 7, so we need to be active in our openness and submission to the Holy Spirit. When that is our choice and attitude, then this passage that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians can be our assurance.

I think the Lord settled the matter of assurance of salvation for me at a pretty young age, which is a good thing, because after that I really got off track! I have had assurance of God’s love, but I haven’t always understood sufficiently that it is pure grace; I don’t deserve it. That awareness, interestingly enough, has grown while I have been living what some people would think was a “saintly” life. It is my experience that the closer I walk to God, the more I’m aware that it’s all Him and not me. I am totally convinced of the truth of John 15:5. “Apart from me you can do nothing.” It’s been many years now since the Lord told me to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him. I’m still learning to do that, but it’s a blessed journey. Since Sunday I’ve been having issues with my right ear, with it feeling stuffed and hardly hearing. I took some herbal medicine and it cleared up by nightfall, and yesterday everything seemed fine. Then this morning I got up to extreme dizziness. I took some medicine I had been prescribed for that a while back and tried to do my devotions, but had to stop after the “Observation” section to go lie down again, only to have to get up promptly to vomit, because of a spate of nausea. All I had to get rid of was a mouthful of iced tea, which I had drunk as part of the Communion I celebrate at the beginning of my devotions every morning. I lay down again, getting up at 8 to hang the laundry, since my wife can’t reach up to do it because of her health issues. After that I felt good enough to share a little breakfast with my wife, and now I’m back to devotions. That was a little more reminder of just how helpless I am on my own! That’s good to remember, because the One in whom I trust has already prepared a residence for me in heaven, and I am really looking forward to it. (John 14:3-4)

Father, thank You for all the things that remind us to trust in You, and not in anything else. May I recognize and follow Your plans for today, as a good steward of this body You’ve given me, and as a good servant in Your kingdom, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Rejoicing in Fruit; November 2, 2025

Posted on November 3, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 2:20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

I wonder how many ministers really feel this way? There are certainly quite a few, but it’s a percentage, not the whole group. All sorts of things conspire to make us self-centered, when God wants us to focus first on Him and then on our neighbors. (Matthew 22:36-40) Some years ago someone came up with the acronym, JOY, for Jesus, Others, Yourself. That works pretty well, I think, in most situations. Obedience to and fellowship with God has got to be our first priority, and after that come the people with whom we interact. We aren’t to neglect ourselves, because that would be poor stewardship, but society teaches us to put ourselves first, and that is never the way to true happiness, peace, and joy. A major problem with society today is the victim mentality, which is guaranteed to make us unhappy! When we recognize God’s grace toward us we will be filled with gratitude, and psychologists pretty universally agree that’s the key to happiness. Paul’s attitude here is exemplary, because he is rejoicing in the people whom God enabled him to lead to faith. That is real joy!

This is something I’ve learned more and more over the years. I am a happy person, because I recognize how good God has been to me. However, my flashes of pure joy come when my spiritual children demonstrate their commitment and spiritual growth in the Lord. At this point, one of my delights is a man who is drawing ever closer to full repentance and faith, and my anticipation knows no bounds! I don’t have anywhere near the numbers of spiritual children that many others have, but I indeed delight to hear of their faith and growth. One of my many anticipations of heaven is to see not only those to whom I’ve ministered, but also those whom they have led to repentance and faith, to understand the extended fruit of God working through me. That will be glory indeed!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for those to whom You have allowed me to minister. May we all grow in faith and obedience, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Practical Christianity; November 1, 2025

Posted on November 2, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 1:6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

This is the sort of reception every evangelist prays for. We don’t desire suffering or affliction or trouble of any sort for those to whom we minister, but we certainly desire that they receive the Gospel with joy, learning how to live the life of obedient faith both by imitating us and directly from Christ’s example. Of course, for that to happen, we have to be in line with the Holy Spirit ourselves. Every minister of the Gospel should be able to say, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) That was obviously a winning strategy for Paul in Thessalonica. The New Testament is absolutely practical. There are no grand ideas that have no mooring in daily life; rather, everything applies to daily living. The letter of James focuses on that very sharply, because even in the 1st century there were people who talked a good show but didn’t follow through. We are without question saved by grace through faith, and not by “doing the right things.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) As a matter of fact, I’m preaching on that tomorrow! However, genuine faith will always be evident in how we live. Paul would not have been effective as an evangelist if he hadn’t been willing to suffer for his faith. We are so used to luxury that we tend to draw back even from an inconvenience. That’s no way to be a witness for Christ, who went through incredible suffering in order to purchase our redemption! (Acts 1:8) It is when people see our daily faithfulness that they begin to believe that the message we preach is trustworthy and desirable.

Of course, I’m preaching to myself here. It’s interesting that I feel I’m getting more response these days, since we’ve demonstrated our commitment to the Gospel through 44 years of living in Omura “on our own dime,” with no financial support from outside. God has been very gracious, and all our needs have been met, but that’s not to say it’s been easy. Yesterday I was talking to three men, only one of whom I have known for a while, all well past “retirement age,” and I felt they accepted me remarkably. It felt good! The thing is, I don’t want them just to accept me, I want them to know and accept the Savior I’m here to talk about. I want the kind of reception that Paul got in Thessalonica! I can’t make it happen, but I can be faithful, and trust God to work His salvation by His Holy Spirit.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. Help me mirror that indeed, so that those to whom I minister may learn from me and learn from You, to be the children and servants You desire, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Christian Interaction; October 31, 2025

Posted on November 1, 2025 by jgarrott

Colossians 2:6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

This is something that needs to be said to every new Christian! Even when we evangelize, we often drop the ball when it comes to follow-up. Paul wrote this letter to people he hadn’t even met, so we should have no hesitation in exhorting the people we work with directly! We should know what resources are available, either for independent study or for group study, and help build the foundation they will need to live as Christ’s representatives in the world around them. For that matter, we need to confirm our own foundation, as Paul mentions in various other places, because we ourselves may be wobbly at some points. This is one of the major functions of the Church, the ecclesia. We gather because we need each other, to support and build each other up. People who try to be “lone wolf Christians” put themselves in grave danger. We each need to be “gardeners” for each other, so that individually and as a group we may put our roots down firmly and deeply into Christ, as Paul says here, so that we may grow tall and strong. Jesus’ famous parable of people building houses applies here as well. (Matthew 7:24-27) We need to encourage one another to do the things we know are pleasing to God, because in so doing, we strengthen ourselves as well. As has been said, the best way to learn something is to teach it!

I have been a teacher for most of my life, having my first formal teaching gig while still in college. That has given me excellent diction, having taught and coached pronunciation, and has also made me somewhat of a “grammar Nazi,” since I know all too well the rules of the language. Far more important than that, I have taught the Bible, and Christian living, for many, many years as well. You might think I’d have it down perfectly by now, but like Paul, I’m still growing. I have done the majority of all that teaching in fairly formal settings, but a major area of my current growth is in one-to-one settings, as a coach rather than as a lecturer. That’s how Paul was with Timothy, for example. I myself will grow best when I am encouraging another believer in their growth. God is gracious, and He knows what each of us needs. I am currently involved with someone who has been a pastor for many years, as well as with someone who hasn’t yet made a commitment to Christ. I grow in dealing with each of them! It took me many years before I really grasped how much I need other people, and I’m not to run from that now. We glibly say that “Jesus is all I need,” but we need the Body of Christ as well, to be fully secure in Him.

Father, thank You for this Word. Thank You for how You are indeed growing me in this area. May I continue to grow as I help others grow, so that together we may be all that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Citizenship; October 30, 2025

Posted on October 31, 2025 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

With these Pauline sentences, it’s hard to pull out just one thought from a passage! This letter seems to have been written to a group Paul didn’t know personally, in sharp contrast to Philippians, but he had enough confidence in Epaphras to feel sure that they had a firm foundation in their faith. This letter isn’t just “spiritual pablum,” but rather clear teaching in theology and Christian living. The section just ahead of this verse deals with the Christian living side of that, and is both deep and firm, and the section right after this deals with Christology, the part of theology that deals with just who and what Jesus is. That’s deep enough that it makes up a good chunk of any Systematic Theology class in seminary! Then we have these verses, that connect those two areas. They express what God has done for us in Jesus, enabling us to live the way Paul had been talking about just before this. If God hadn’t taken us out of the power of darkness, we would be totally helpless against all the devil’s schemes. However, in Christ we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, and we are no longer in the devil’s domain, but in Christ’s. That’s something to get really happy about!

As an American citizen, born, raised, and living in Japan, I have always had more understanding of citizenship than the average person, I think. Even so, God has had to point out to me that since I no longer belong to “the dark side,” I don’t have to act like I do. I in turn have shared that insight with many people, and they too have been liberated from the lies of the enemy. It’s not that Christians don’t need to obey the laws of civil society, but rather that we are freed from the spiritual chains the devil would put on us. Many years ago I worked with hypnotism, and I know from experience that if you make a person believe  they are bound up, they are as immobilized as if they were in a strait jacket. That’s what the devil does to people, and I am to proclaim to them in love the truth that can set them free, if they will receive it. (John 8:32) It isn’t automatic that they will, but I am to support and encourage them in prayer, remembering that nothing is impossible for God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I pray for spiritual hunger in those I interact with, that they may devour the truth I share with them and so repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Wants vs. Needs; October 29, 2025

Posted on October 30, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

This verse gets quoted a great deal, both appropriately and inappropriately. The big sticking point is the simple word, need. We have a lot of trouble distinguishing between our needs and our wants. However, God has no such difficulty! That can apply to minor things as well as major. We may want a snack, but God knows we need nutrition. We have a responsibility to recognize His provision in that area, and not let our wants ultimately do us harm. Likewise, we may want the “latest and greatest” in cars, but God knows we need reliable transportation. Sometimes our wants and needs coincide perfectly, and God delights us with blessing, and sometimes He pours far more out on us than we had even dreamed of. The problem comes when we demand, even emotionally, that last scenario, instead of trusting our heavenly Father to know what we actually need. God has different paths for each of His children, and some of those require more material resources than others. The thing is, everything we have is ultimately from Him, and we are accountable as stewards for the use we make of it, from the small to the great. The minute our focus goes to the resource itself, rather than to the One who provides it, we lay ourselves open for all sorts of deception, error, and heartache. God is indeed Yahweh Yireh (Jehovah Jireh), the Lord our Provider, and we need to trust and obey Him.

As I was writing the above, a particular memory kept coming to mind. Back in 1969 I wanted a girlfriend, but God knew I needed a life partner, and He provided magnificently. That was certainly a case of His doing “more than I could ask or imagine!” (Ephesians 3:20) In the years since then we have had financially tight times, and financially abundant times. Both have been blessings. God has known, and continues to know, what we need, and we have learned to submit our wants to Him. We don’t know what our remaining earthly years will hold, but we can have complete peace and assurance that our needs will be met, and we need to be good stewards of all of His blessings, both tangible and intangible.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace. I was talking to a friend last night who said that the abundance of Your grace scares him, because he knows he doesn’t deserve it. I reminded him that’s the definition of grace! May I be a good steward of Your grace on all levels, for Your will to be done for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Being an Example; October 28, 2025

Posted on October 29, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 4:9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

This is certainly a statement of a man with a clear conscience. Many would hesitate to say such a thing, being aware of their own weaknesses. However, this wasn’t conceit on Paul’s part. He wasn’t perfect, as he so strongly stated in the previous chapter, (Philippians 3:12-14) but he was totally committed and submitted to God. He said something similar to this to other groups of believers as well, saying to the Corinthians, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) We are blessed to have the Bible readily available to most people, but many things are best learned through following someone’s example, and we are called on to be that example to others. Of course, when Paul was writing his letters, not only did the New Testament not exist, books in general were rare and valuable, since hand copying was their only means of reproduction. That’s the basis for everything in this verse, since Paul was essentially their only source of information about Jesus and life in Him, apart from direct revelation by the Holy Spirit. Today, we can easily have the full Bible on our cell phones, but that doesn’t eliminate the need for practical examples. I’m reminded of the hymn. Let Others See Jesus in You. I find that an extremely practical, valuable song, right in line with this verse.

I have been blessed to have numerous excellent examples/role models in my life, starting with my parents. Whether I have been the same for others is for them, and God, to decide. As Paul said, God is my judge! (1 Corinthians 2:3-4) However, I am to live boldly as Christ’s witness by the power of His Spirit, just as He said, (Acts 1:8) and so draw people to Him. In Japan, a major issue is that people tend to admire me, but since I am Caucasian, they consider me to be other, and so don’t think they can, or even should, imitate me. I frankly don’t know what to do about that. All I can do is speak the truth in love, asking God to take that truth past the barriers the devil has set up and impart it into people’s hearts. When that happens, and sometimes it really does, they are set free indeed, (John 8:32) and that is absolutely glorious!

Father, thank You for the privilege of being a witness for Christ and an example for believers. May I continue to grow as Your child so that Your Word through me will be more and more clear and effective, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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