Music; July 6, 2025

Posted on July 7, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 104:33-34 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    as I rejoice in the Lord.

I can’t read this passage without singing it, at least in my heart, so I guess it’s pretty accurate for me! I have long been convinced that music was a special gift from God, for His pleasure and ours. I even read a science fiction story many years ago that portrayed scientists discerning the vibration rhythms of the universe, and when they sped it up, it was Bach! Conversely, atonal “music,” which frankly hurts my ears, became relatively popular in “serious” music circles around the time when atheism was the “in” thing. Today, much rap “music” has absolutely despicable lyrics, glorifying things I don’t even want to talk about. The devil loves to defile the beautiful things of God, and music is certainly no exception. Quite a few years ago, when a young man learned that my younger daughter was a music major in college he wanted to know what styles she liked. When I started talking about melody and harmony, he immediately put it down as “ear candy,” not really “serious music.” That is really pathetic to me. Real music connects on a deep level, as demonstrated by the many videos available of animals being entranced by humans making music. Some of them are quite amusing! God created us to make music, and to worship Him. Combining those two things is the most natural thing in the world.

Obviously, I grew up in a musical family. All six of us both sang and played instruments, and that was true for many in my extended family as well. I chose to play the clarinet largely because of the influence of a cousin who played with the Chicago Symphony while he was a college student. I certainly learned that proficiency requires practice! I also learned that there is wide variety in native ability. I have met several people who claimed to be “tone deaf,” but it has been medically demonstrated that genuine inability to distinguish tones is exceedingly rare. Environment, even in the womb, has a huge influence, and I was certainly blessed there. My family loved to gather around the piano and sing through the hymnal. I honestly think I could read music before I could read the words, because the notation seemed so simple and logical. Today, it has been literally years since I have played one of my clarinets, but I sing daily. At 76, my vocal control isn’t what it once was, but I certainly have quite a store of tunes and lyrics in my heart and mind. I look forward to singing to my heart’s content – and to the pleasure of my God – in heaven!

Father, thank You indeed for music, and most especially for the privilege and joy of making it to You. As that chorus says, “You are the Words and the Music, You are the Song that I Sing.” As the Psalmist says here, may the thoughts of my heart, musical or otherwise, be pleasing to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Accountability; July 5, 2025

Posted on July 6, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 100:3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

This is absolutely essential to every human being, yet we all too often ignore part or even all of it. It starts with absolute, creationist monotheism. Just how God created us is open to interpretation, but the understanding that we are created beings is essential to avoid unbridled hubris on one side and nihilistic meaninglessness on the other. That understanding immediately leads to accountability, and that is addressed here as well: we belong to our Creator. The shepherd doesn’t create his sheep, but other than that, he has absolute authority over the sheep. We tend not to like that! We tend to be like little children whose favorite word is NO! The minute we are directed in something, we want to do something else! However, rebellion is not the path of joy, peace, and fulfillment. God has a plan for each one of us, and it is a far better plan than we could dream up for ourselves. (Jeremiah 29:11) It is when we acknowledge our Creator, and that we belong to Him, that we move more and more fully into the perfect plan that He has created for us. This is where faith comes in, because some of the steps along the way are NOT things we would choose for ourselves. We have to trust God that He knows what He’s doing, and believe that the ultimate outcome will be glorious beyond our imagination.

I have certainly had my rebellious moments, but I’m very grateful my parents instilled the principle of accountability into me. I have known that my actions had consequences, for myself and for those around me, and that has given me a desire for those consequences to be good. At this point I am convinced that God has been incredibly gracious to me, far more than I could ever have deserved. I have no idea how much longer the Lord will keep me in this body, but for however long that is, I want to be following His plan so that He may be pleased with me. Just yesterday I was invited to teach on Spiritual Gifts, and the prospect is exciting. I want everything God has placed in me to fulfill every purpose God had in giving it to me, so that many may be drawn to repentance and faith, for their salvation and God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your perfect plan for me, Help me fulfill it more and more accurately and fully, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Salvation; July 4, 2025

Posted on July 5, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 98:1-2 Sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made his salvation known
    and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

We tend to have many different definitions of salvation. In Japanese, the end of verse 1 says “victory,” rather than “salvation,” and that seems reasonable in context. However, in verse 2 it does say “salvation,” just like most English translations. When we think about it, “salvation” is simply the noun of the verb, “save,” and we apply that in many different ways. Often, I think we ourselves don’t know exactly what we mean when we say, salvation. Even for the firm believer, who has strong assurance that they will spend eternity in heaven with Christ, salvation can be a hard thing to explain. Victory is a much simpler concept, but even there we sometimes have trouble. It has famously been said that in Christ we have been saved from the penalty for sin, we are being saved from the power of sin, and we will be saved from the presence of sin. That is helpful, but we have to understand in the first place that sin is bad! That is where the devil does all he can to cloud our understanding. An extreme example is “pride month,” which we have just come out of. The devil is telling us to be proud of sexual perversion! And of course, that covers over the problem of pride itself. As Proverbs 16:18 famously says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” It is only when we realize what a trap we are in that we begin to understand salvation. Salvation is being rescued from the trap!

This is an issue I have wrestled with much of my life. As a child, I genuinely loved Jesus, but as I grew into my teenage years I discarded the idea that I needed help, thinking I could get by on my own. That was the whole trap of pride. At 24, already a married father, God got through to me and showed me how utterly in need of salvation I was. It was devastating, but I couldn’t be more grateful. As a missionary pastor now, one of my biggest issues is in helping people realize they need salvation. One of the fundamental characteristics of Japanese culture is the idea of ganbaru. The closest English translation I can come up with is “do your best,” or at times, “hang in there.” but that doesn’t get the full flavor. That makes Japanese reluctant to ask for help, and of course, the foundation of the Gospel is that we need help but can’t provide it for ourselves. I quickly run out of ways to explain it, because it is far more emotional than intellectual. Frankly, many Japanese have the feeling that “religion is for weak people who can’t ganbaru sufficiently.” That, of course, is a lie of the devil, and I can only counter it with the truth of God, asking and trusting the Holy Spirit to make it real in people’s hearts.

Father, thank You for Your salvation, which You so graciously make freely available to all who will receive it. I do ask You to use me to break through the lies of the enemy with Your truth, so that many will be set free to recognize their need and Your supply, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Light; July 3, 2025

Posted on July 4, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 97:11-12 Light shines (is sown) on the righteous
    and joy on the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
    and praise his holy name.

The first part of this Psalm has been set to music that is even now echoing in my mind, and the point in verse 8 about God’s people rejoicing at things that terrify others is impressive, but it’s these last two verses that resonate most with me right now. The expression of light being sown seems unusual, to say the least. We speak often of shedding light, but not of sowing light. That’s a synonym for plant, as in seeds, implying that there will be growth, and eventually fruition. That brings to mind Proverbs 4:18, that says, “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” When God “plants” light in our hearts and lives we often don’t see it fully until later. What the Psalmist is saying is that if we live right, light is planted in our hearts and lives that will be manifested later, when it is needed. Going back to verse 8, circumstances might seem completely dark for those who don’t know God, but there is clear light for those who do know Him. We shouldn’t focus on “I’ve got to have light,” but rather focus on God who gives light, rejoicing in Him even when things aren’t as bright as we might like them to be.

I have had some pretty dark moments in my life, but in retrospect they don’t seem very long, or even that dark – even though I once attempted suicide. The problem was generally my perception, because God’s light never changes. When I am walking toward the light, everything is illuminated, but when I turn my back, my own shadow dominates. This is something I’ve expressed to others many times, but I need to keep remembering it myself! Circumstances change over time, so I need to stay focused on the One who is light, as John said in 1 John 1:5.

Father, thank You for this simple Word. Help me indeed be a sower of light, and not of darkness or confusion. May I allow Your light to grow in me and shine out from me, so that others may be drawn to You through me and allow Your light to grow in them as well, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Absolute Truth; July 2, 2025

Posted on July 3, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.

There are many musical settings to various parts of this Psalm, which is very appropriate when it talks so much about singing! This anonymous Psalmist had a good handle on the polytheistic culture that surrounded Israel. Today, many people would say this is politically incorrect, that we must respect other people’s religions. We are to respect other people, but we must call out lies for what they are. These days, the whole idea of absolute truth is seen as offensive by many people, simply because they want to be able to dictate “truth” in their own lives. That is actually very pathetic! We don’t create our own “facts” just by stating them! Some facts are indeed uncomfortable, but that doesn’t make them false. We all need to start the same way the Bible does: “In the beginning, God.” If we don’t have the foundation of a Creator to whom we are all accountable, everything falls apart. I don’t think God has left any culture without a testimony of who He is. Even in Japan, that calls itself “the land of 8 million gods,” there is a very old tradition of “Ame no Minakanushi,” the Lord in the Center of the Heavens. (I learned that from a DVD produced by Christian researchers in Hawaii, called God’s Fingerprints in Japan.) In most countries today we don’t have physical idols, but we refer to human entertainers as idols, and that’s not far off the mark! Whatever we place on the throne of our heart, apart from the One who created us and loved us enough to die for us, is an idol and a lie. God created the universe, and us in it, for His pleasure, because He is by nature Father, and He wanted children. All awareness of truth needs to start there.

Though I was born and raised in Japan, I was in a very Christian “bubble,” so to speak, and though I was aware of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples all around me, I was never tempted to worship at them. However, the devil got through to me on a more subtle level, and I was deceived by pride. Why couldn’t I dictate what was true? Why wasn’t I the arbiter of morality? That experience gives me a very strong reaction against the whole “my truth, your truth” movement today. No human being is the arbiter of truth; all we can do is agree with the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6) At this point in my life I have finally come around to the sanity of fully agreeing with that statement, at least, and I spend my days seeking to know Him and His truth better and better.

Father, thank You for Your amazing patience with me. Thank You for the incredible gift of Your Son, to take the penalty for my sins, my stupid pride and rebellion against You. Help me be an effective conduit of Your grace and mercy to all who will receive it, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Belonging; July 1, 2025

Posted on July 2, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 95:6-7 Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.

This Psalm is certainly proof that verse divisions were added long after the Bible was written and compiled, because it makes no sense for the next line to be included in verse 7, instead of being attached to the following verse. That said, this is a dearly loved Psalm, set to music and often sung. I for one certainly can’t read it without the melody running through my mind! However, that’s not a bad thing, because it’s a very blessed exhortation. Being reminded that we belong to God should give us peace and joy, because we have a very fundamental need to belong. Loneliness is a very difficult thing to deal with. It has always seemed a little odd that the Psalmist chose to say, “people of His pasture and sheep of His hand,” rather than the other way around. However, the metaphor of God being our Shepherd already had deep roots at the time this was written, so maybe it’s not so strange. We today have little exposure to the interaction between sheep and shepherds, but there are a lot of interesting examples on YouTube, and they can give us insight. I find it very moving that though sheep are often disobedient, as Isaiah 53:6 points out, they will congregate to their shepherd in times of need or danger, and they indeed know his voice. We need to focus on getting to know our Shepherd better, recognizing His voice and repenting of our disobedience.

I have certainly felt the need to belong, growing up as a Caucasian in Japan, a Missionary Kid attending a US military dependents school. I’m thankful that I had a strong, healthy family to belong to, in contrast to so many people today. The need to belong is a major driver behind the existence of gangs. Most of the people in those gangs don’t have the kind of family I did. That said, my most important belonging is to the family of God. That, after all, is eternal. I am blessed indeed that I expect to join, or be joined by, my immediate family in heaven, and I grieve for those who don’t have that assurance. My task and my privilege while I am in this life is to invite all who will come to join me in God’s family, to experience the belonging that transcends every other kind.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the privilege of welcoming our newest member. At 100, she feels like she has no family, and her joy at belonging to You, and us, is beautiful to see. I continue to pray for my friend who doesn’t feel he’s worthy to belong. I ask You to reveal Your love to him so that he may repent of running from You and believe, for his salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Omniscience; June 30, 2025

Posted on July 1, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 94:9-11 Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
    Does he who formed the eye not see?
Does he who disciplines nations not punish?
    Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?
The Lord knows all human plans;
    he knows that they are futile.

This is one of the anonymous Psalms, but that in no way detracts from its truth, its anointing. It starts on a very fierce note, desiring vengeance on enemies, but it does acknowledge that is God’s business, not something we are to work out on our own. (Romans 12:19) What it says here is both logical and important, but is denied by those who deny the existence of a Creator, precisely because they don’t want to face up to this truth. Thinking we can get away with stuff is willful stupidity, wishful thinking on the part of those who don’t want to obey God. Technology is rapidly enabling true surveillance states, as posited by George Orwell in 1984, but technology can’t begin to approach God’s awareness of everything in His creation. That’s a very scary thought for the rebellious, but it is a very comforting thought for those who are committed to the obedience that comes from love. (John 14:15) Precisely because God knows everything, we can pray to Him anywhere and everywhere, at any time at all. He doesn’t have office hours! As this passage says, He delights to teach us stuff. One of the great scientists (I forget which one) said, “We are just following the footsteps of God.” He allows us to accumulate knowledge, but we need to keep that in context and perspective. The most important thing is knowing Him! (Jeremiah 9:24)

I have always been one who likes to know stuff, and I’m still quite an information junkie, but thankfully, my focus is now much more on knowing my Lord. Everything I learn about the physical universe needs to be in the context of the One who created it all. I enjoy the Internet, but sometimes I have to think, “They just don’t know.” Historical information should be reliable, but it’s almost always presented with some sort of bias, and sometimes it’s simply inaccurate. I’m registered with My Heritage.com, and sometimes they come up with “ancestors” who were “born” before their parents! Such inaccuracies are laughable, but they illustrate the reality that only God is totally accurate. As I acquire information, I need to keep the salt shaker handy! At the same time I need to remember that I am accountable for my stewardship of all this information, just as I am of everything else the Lord places in my hands. I am never to be proud, but always seek the Lord for what He wants me to do with what He gives me.

Father, thank You for Your omniscience, and that I have absolutely no need to be omniscient. Help me stay yielded to You at all times, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Aging; June 29, 2025

Posted on June 30, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 92:14-15 They will still bear fruit in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
    he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

For some reason, passages that refer to aging catch my attention! However, this passage points out that the point isn’t just to be vigorous in old age, but rather to testify to the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. A sour old person isn’t much good to themselves or to anyone else, however healthy they might be physically. However, an old person who is focused on telling people how good God is, is a blessing to everyone around them, as well as being filled with joy regardless of their physical condition. I watched a video just yesterday about the history of revival in China, and they had an interview with one of the original Back to Jerusalem group of evangelists. She was wheelchair bound, probably a centenarian, but she positively glowed! There are various ways to age, some of them inevitable and some of them premature, but if our focus is truly on the One who is our Source of all good, grace and blessings overflow.

The fact that the newest member of our church turned 100 in February reminds me that 76 isn’t as old as I sometimes feel it is! I have friends of the whole gamut of calendar ages, but their level of vitality doesn’t necessarily correspond to the number of years they’ve been alive. I’ve known people who were old in their 30s! People often comment on how young I am for my age, but that comes entirely from being aware of God’s grace to me. I did have the example of various relatives who aged well, but I’ve already outlived both my parents by a good margin, so it’s not all genetics. I do have the advantage of living in Japan, so my diet isn’t that of the average American! Also, I try to keep up my walking, because I need to be available for my wife, who has various limitations because of Parkinson’s and the like. However, it mostly comes back to what the Psalmist says here. The better I am focused on God, and sharing Him with those around me, the more His strength, peace, and joy will flow through me, for my blessing as well as the blessing of others.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I have long had the feeling that I would see Christ’s return with my physical eyes, but then I have had various friends with the same conviction who are now with You and not with us. I don’t know Your timing, either of Christ’s return or my own departure, but that doesn’t matter, because I know You, and You are totally faithful. May I in turn be faithful at all the tasks You set for me, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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What Really Matters; June 28, 2025

Posted on June 29, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 90:17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
    establish the work of our hands for us—
    yes, establish the work of our hands.

There are several strange, even ironic, things about this Psalm. It is the only one attributed to Moses, and that’s what makes some of its contents seem strange. In the first place, Moses is recorded as having lived to 120, not even starting his major ministry of leading the Israelites out of Egypt until he was 80, but verse 10 famously says that human lifespan is at most 80 years. Then there is this verse, asking God to “establish the work of our hands.” Moses is right up there with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as a founder of the Jewish race and nation, so his work is indeed established, as the great Lawgiver of history. If this Psalm is truly something he wrote, then it shows that even the greatest people are unsure of their place in history. We are totally dependent on our Creator, and that’s not a bad thing. The various things we achieve, the various honors we accrue, are all pretty meaningless on the scale of eternity, but at the same time they are important as indicators of our faithful stewardship of the abilities and opportunities we have been given. We are accountable to God for all that we do and say, but no other metric has any lasting meaning. We have meaning and value only in our Creator, and we need to be at peace with that.

My Grandmother Garrott, on the basis of this Psalm, decided that 80 years was enough, and she died before her 81st birthday. There was no hint of suicide and it was all entirely natural, but it was like her body responded to her will and closed up shop. At 76, I have no idea how much longer the Lord will keep me here, but I don’t think I want to imitate my grandmother! Whether He says today is the day, or He has work for me past 100, even, my lifespan is my Lord’s business. I don’t feel like I have any major “work of my hands” to be established, but I would be very pleased if this church were still an active, healthy part of the Body of Christ at His return. My concern is not to be my “legacy” so much as it should be whether my Lord is pleased with me. A hymn from my childhood comes to mind: I am Satisfied with Jesus. My goals aren’t to be self-centered, but entirely focused on Him, because I will spend eternity with Him, and that’s what really matters.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the incredible heritage You have given me, through my physical family and especially through being part of Your family. Help me be a good steward indeed, not for my glory but for Yours. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Transcendence of God; June 27, 2025

Posted on June 28, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 89:8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

David is the most famous Psalmist, several are credited to a particular branch of the Levites, and some are simply anonymous. However, this one is specifically ascribed to “Ethan the Ezrahite.” That seems like a high honor to me! This Psalm is one of many places in the Old Testament where we are reminded that society in general was polytheistic back then. The Jews had Yahweh, but every other nation had their own gods, and who was to say they weren’t real? Ethan allows that point, but he insists repeatedly that Yahweh is by far the greatest and strongest of them all. From the standpoint of genuine monotheism, that goes without saying. We need to remember that the Creator is totally transcendent. The spiritual world is real, with angels and demons and whatever else Paul might have been referencing in Ephesians 6:12. The point is, nothing compares to the omnipotence of the Creator, and we should never forget it. That’s why it’s sad when Christians pray to Mary or various saints. Jesus Himself said, “I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” (John 16:26-27) There is no reason to pray to anything or anyone other than the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That covers all the bases, and the Father’s love is great enough to listen to us.

This is one of my major sticking points with Catholics. I do believe that anyone who believes that Jesus is fully divine as well as fully human, and that He died for their sins and rose again for their justification, (Romans 4:25) is saved, a child of God, and my brother or sister in Christ. That doesn’t mean I agree with them in everything, or with any other denomination, for that matter. I have always liked C. S. Lewis’ statement that we can be sure that when we get to heaven, we will discover we were all wrong somewhere. We aren’t saved by the purity of our theology, but by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9) My concern is that people know that the God who loved them enough to send His Son to die for them is indeed omnipotent and omniscient, and we can trust Him with absolutely everything.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me be an effective conduit of Your grace and truth, so that many will be liberated by that truth to receive that grace, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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