Witnesses; November 9, 2025

Posted on November 10, 2025 by jgarrott

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

This is a very famous verse, but I have heard it preached on the basis of what I see as a misunderstanding. The “cloud of witnesses” is obviously the great list of people of faith from the previous chapter, but I’ve heard several people describe it like being in a stadium, and the “cloud” is all the people in the stands. Christian living isn’t a spectator sport! No, these “witnesses” aren’t watching us, they’re declaring the faithfulness of God. It’s like Jesus said, when the Holy Spirit comes on us, we will be His witnesses. (Acts 1:8) We aren’t just watching Him (though as the next verse says, we are to keep our eyes fixed on Him) we are proclaiming to all who will hear that He is faithful, the only Savior, who is worthy of all our love and devotion. That’s what all the people in chapter 11 are telling us, and we need to join their chorus, expressing that truth to all who are around us.

God pointed out to me that He had indeed baptized me in His Spirit when I realized I was talking to a total stranger about Jesus. I had joined the cloud of witnesses! Interestingly, even with that experience I didn’t think I had the gift of evangelism, but I certainly enjoyed teaching people about Jesus and the Bible. It’s only been within this year that I have discovered the joy of sharing Christ in an evangelistic setting. I think that joy has been there before, but I just haven’t recognized it. In any case, however long the Lord keeps me here, I intend to be one of His witnesses, actively drawing people into His family in repentance and faith. I can’t argue someone into the kingdom, but I can love them in! The second half of this verse talks about “running with patience/perseverance.” I’ve never been much of a runner, but the Lord has certainly been working on my patience. Recently I have frankly been rather tired of it all, but I am to remember this exhortation, as well as Jesus’ example, and hang in there until I cross the goal line, by His strength and support.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You are doing in and through me. I ask Your anointing for the service today, as I am both worship leader and speaker, that I may operate in Your strength and not my own. I do ask Your clear presence for the brother who enters the hospital today for surgery on his esophagus tomorrow. May he and his wife rest in Your loving arms, in great peace and even joy, as clear witnesses to all the medical staff around them, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Complacency; November 8, 2025

Posted on November 9, 2025 by jgarrott

Hebrews 10:32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.

Many things about this letter indicate that the people to whom this was written were experiencing a lull in the persecution they had encountered when they first proclaimed Jesus as Lord. That is something to be grateful for, but it can also be spiritually dangerous. I am reminded of the remarks to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22, where the believers had become self-satisfied and complacent. That is definitely dangerous territory! Sadly, much the same thing can be said about Christians in many “advanced” countries today. At the same time believers are being mowed down weekly in Nigeria, some Christians are worried about whether they can get a good parking spot so they won’t have to walk too far to enter their beautiful, air-conditioned church building. We are to be grateful for material blessings, but our focus must be on Christ and the eternal truths of the Gospel. Too many Christians have never experienced any hardship for their faith, and so take it lightly. At least the people to whom this was written had experienced persecution initially, so they could be told to remember it! I am reminded of the response of a pastor in South Sudan who, when told by an aid worker that Christians in America were praying for him and his flock, responded that his church was praying for believers in America, who were in the spiritually risky position of having it too easy!

From time to time I worry about whether I am sufficiently true to my Lord, since I don’t feel like I have suffered much for my faith. That too is self-centered! I need to focus on my Lord and seek to share the Gospel with as many as will receive it. I have a history of drawing back from sharing out of a fear of offending, but I need to fear that person’s eternal damnation more than I fear their rejection of me. I’m not to be needlessly offensive, and I frankly don’t have the wisdom to walk that line on my own, but I need to have my goals, my values, firmly fixed in the kingdom of God and His righteousness, rather than in how people make me feel. Some people think I’m holy for being a missionary, but this is where I was born and raised! Living in Japan is no sacrifice for me by any measure. The difficult thing for me is fearing people will consider me a “crazy foreigner,” when this is my home. I need to remember that heaven is my home, not Japan! I don’t know what my remaining years will hold, but I am to yield every detail to my Lord, because He is more than worthy of my total devotion.

Father, keep be from being a complacent Christian! Help me keep pressing in for more of Christ, to be more available and useful to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Angels; November 7, 2025

Posted on November 8, 2025 by jgarrott

Hebrews 1:7-8 In speaking of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels spirits,
    and his servants flames of fire.”
But about the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.”

It’s evident from this first chapter of Hebrews that worship of angels had become a problem. There was a spate of that in the US just a few years back. Satan delights in that sort of thing because he is a fallen angel, and he desires to be worshiped more than anything else. We have a tendency to worship that which seems magnificent and beyond us, so it isn’t surprising that this would happen. For that matter, there are whole religions – Shinto is an example – that worship awesome things in nature, losing light of the One who created it all. Actually, the adulation of public figures, and particularly entertainers, is also an expression of this. It’s no accident that entertainers are often called “idols!” A big part of the problem is perspective. We are so small, in the over-all scheme of things, that it’s easy to be awed by things that are “higher on the ladder,” so to speak, than we are. It is only when we get even a little bit of a grasp of what omnipotence and omniscience really mean, and that our omnipotent and omniscient Creator actually loves us, that things fall into their proper place. As David said, He has made us “a little lower than the angels,” (Psalm 8:5) and He loves us so much that He gave His Son to die to redeem us from our sins. (John 3:16) With that perspective, verse 14 of this chapter makes perfect sense: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” Even though angels are “above” us, we aren’t to worship anything less that the Triune God who created us.

I’ve never seen an angel, but my wife has on multiple occasions, and from her description, it’s no wonder they get worshiped! It defies logic, but it seems like God created the universe with us in mind. I have had so much trouble with pride that it troubles me to say how important we seem to be to God. I am totally insignificant, but at the same time, Christ died for me! As the saying goes, “That does not compute.” I am to keep my focus on Christ (Hebrews 12:2) and commit myself to total obedience to Him, delighting to be used by Him even when my human mind can’t grasp how it’s all happening. Angels are great, but they’re small potatoes compared to my Savior!

Father, I keep being reminded that there are things beyond my understanding. Thank You. I’ve had far too much intellectual pride. Thank You for communicating with me in ways I can understand, particularly through the Bible. I ask You to continue to grow me so that I will be able to grasp more of You, being increasingly available and useful to You in the process, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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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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