The Flow of Time; August 9, 2025

Posted on August 10, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 42:9 “See, the former things have taken place,
    and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
    I announce them to you.”

Everywhere I read in Isaiah resonates in me, often leaving me at a loss as to what I am to write on. Being from Japan, I have always loved the way he spoke so frequently about islands (even though some translations say “coastlands” instead). Of all the people in the Old Testament, he is the one I most admire, or would like to be, even though tradition tells us he left this earth by being sawed in two. He wrote extensively of the Messiah who was to come, and is quoted in the New Testament, even by Jesus. When God tells him here that He would tell Isaiah what was going to happen before it occurred, it was no exaggeration. God is outside of time, but he has set things up in sequence so that they will come to His desired end. When we look at the span of history, nothing in it was a surprise to God, and one thing led to another. When we get to heaven we will encounter saints from every point in that timeline, and we will be overwhelmed by how it all fit together. There are always new things, but they are never new to God. Our point is to seek God for what He wants of us in this moment, not being anxious about tomorrow or next week or next year. He will be faithful to tell us what we need to know, when we need to know it. He’s not likely to tell us much ahead of time, because we’d get too involved in thinking about it! Our goal should be faithful obedience.

This morning, just before I woke up, I dreamed about my father. I spoke to him, but I don’t remember that he said anything. We shared a bit of fruit, and then I remembered that if he were physically alive today, he’d be 115 years old, when the Lord took him home a few days after his 64th birthday. I have no idea what significance, if any, that dream has, but he was a magnificent example of someone who gave the Lord his all, whatever he was going through. I have never felt I could approach his accomplishments, but that isn’t the point. I need to be faithful as he was with the opportunities and circumstances the Lord gives me. I’ve outlived him physically by over 12 years, but that’s not the point. I need to seek the Lord for what He wants of me right now, so that I may fulfill my place in the flow of time for God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the wedding I’ll be performing today, the service that will be tomorrow, and setting up on Monday for the photo show. Each thing needs to happen in sequence. Help me be fully faithful in each detail, so that Your purposes may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Fear; August 8, 2025

Posted on August 9, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I have lost track of how many times the Bible tells us not to fear. At the same time, one of the most consistent messages of the Bible is to fear God. It’s obvious there are various shades of meaning! If we properly respect God, knowing that He is omnipotent and we are accountable to Him, then there is absolutely nothing else we should be afraid of. Terror is a favorite tactic of the devil and those who serve him. The first part of this chapter speaks of a conquering general who can’t seem to lose, and verses 6-7 talk about people creating an idol to help them against that general, but from verse 8 God is specifying who He is, and that He will help His people. We aren’t to get puffed up over this; verse 14 calls us worms! Our security depends on our submission to God, our relationship with Him. It is of the utmost importance that the verse in which James tells us the devil will flee from us if we resist him starts with, “Submit yourselves, then, to God.” (James 4:7) The reason we are so vulnerable to fear of all sorts is that we aren’t properly submitted to God. There is no substitute for knowing that God is omnipotent, and that He has every right and authority over us. What is wonderful is that He is also incredibly gracious and loving, and delights to do good for His obedient children. The better we have that in our heart and mind, the better insulated we are against fear of all sorts.

I get the impression I have been given the spiritual gift of faith (1 Corinthians 12:9), because people have actually commented on it. I am completely calm about medical procedures (well, I get a little uptight), to the amazement of both friends and medical staff. I don’t get worked up over potential natural or political disasters. That is a huge blessing, which I recognize when I see those around me who aren’t so blessed. I am to exercise that faith at all times, drawing others into it by word and by example. I’m not to put anyone down! I have seen people do incredibly stupid things, driven by their fear. I am not to be careless, but I am to be a demonstration that God indeed cares for those who put Him first.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and thank You again for Your overwhelming grace toward me. I certainly don’t deserve it! May I be an open channel of that grace to all who will receive it, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Reproduction; August 7, 2025

Posted on August 8, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 35:10 And those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
    everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

A musical setting for this is echoing in my mind and heart as I read this chapter. Despite the many wars they have endured, this has been fulfilled in Israel over the past 77 years. It is striking to me that, alone among the developed nations of the world, the birth rate in Israel is well over the “replacement rate,” with families of 3 or 4 children being the norm rather than the exception. That shows that the people have hope, in the middle of danger. Actually, the danger is part of it, because the people are aware that they or their neighbors might be cut down by their enemies, and they want their heritage to remain. In other countries, people have become complacent, feeling little to no responsibility to preserve anything, because life is so easy. The same thing might be said of churches. When there is no opposition, simply keeping the organization running seems to be enough. In times of persecution, there is pressure to communicate the Gospel before those who know it are eliminated. As Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, complacency can be fatal! (Revelation 3:14-22) When life is easy, either individually or as a church, we need to be grateful for the blessings, but at the same time be very aware of our responsibility to propagate, so that God’s family may grow.

I have some real identification with this. My wife and I might not have started our family when we did, but I passed my physical for the military draft, and Cathy said, “You aren’t going to Viet Nam without my having your child.” I have always recognized the evangelistic imperative, but at this point in the life of this church, I want to have it on good footing before I am taken away, and I am more personally active in evangelism. God knows full well that we need some pressure and encouragement to keep growing, so He supplies it! My challenge as a pastor is to help the believers grasp that the time isn’t unlimited. Neither they nor their neighbors are guaranteed tomorrow, so today is the day of salvation! We can’t save anyone on our own, but God wants to save as many as possible before the time runs out, so we need to be cooperative.

Father, thank You for making it clear what You want me to say on Sunday. I ask for Your anointing as I prepare the notes and as I deliver the message, so that Your Word may have its full work through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Creator God; August 6, 2025

Posted on August 7, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 29:15 Woe to those who go to great depths
    to hide their plans from the Lord,
who do their work in darkness and think,
    “Who sees us? Who will know?”

People have acted like this from creation. Even Adam and Eve thought they could hide from God! Just yesterday I was reading an article about how the universe would be impossible if a wide variety of things were just the slightest bit different, yet some “scientists” posit absolutely bizarre theories to try to explain away the necessity of a Creator. We like the idea of God to rescue us out of tight spots, but we hate the idea of accountability! We can’t have it both ways. Science has progressed to the point that a Creator is inescapable, but the very people who make those discoveries act like the people described in this verse. I’m reminded of the people so famously caught on the “kiss cam” not long ago. Both of them lost their jobs and their families, when they thought they were operating in secret. Human stupidity and hubris know no bounds! It is when we let go of our pride, our desire to be in control, and turn to the One who made us that we discover the overwhelming love and grace that caused Him to do so. The first words of the Bible, in Genesis 1:1, are absolutely essential for our understanding of everything else: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” As I said, it is stupid hubris that tries to deny that.

I don’t think I ever doubted that God existed, because I was born and raised in a household of faith, but I have certainly acted at times like I didn’t believe it. I have come to be convinced that pride is at the foundation of every other sin, and I’ve had plenty of it. At this point in my life, pride is largely replaced with gratitude, and life is much better as a result. I still get defensive at times, which shows I still have plenty of room to grow, but I recognize the foolishness of that, and rejoice in the peace and joy of trusting in my Lord. After all, when He not only created everything, but then sent His Son to die for my sins, why would I not trust Him with absolutely everything? I don’t know how long He will keep me on this earth, or what He has for me to do in that interval, but I know without any doubt that His plans are far better than anything I could come up with, even if they are emotionally or physically painful to me in the moment. At this point I don’t have the “mental horsepower” to grasp it all, but as Paul realized, “Now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) I need to be at peace with that.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that I can address You, my Creator, as Father! The depth and breadth and height of Your grace and love are truly beyond human comprehension. (Ephesians 3:14-19) May I indeed walk in consistent response to all of that, doing Your will for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Resurrection; August 5, 2025

Posted on August 6, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 26:19 But your dead will live, Lord;
    their bodies will rise—
let those who dwell in the dust
    wake up and shout for joy—
your dew is like the dew of the morning;
    the earth will give birth to her dead.

We aren’t used to explicit statements of resurrection in the Old Testament! Isaiah says so many things that relate directly to the Messiah and His kingdom that the book by his name is not unreasonably called, “The Gospel According to Isaiah.” You basically have to go to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4 to find anything quite this explicit about resurrection. The subject of resurrection has been a sticking point for many. Somehow the idea of Christ’s atoning death is easier to accept than the idea that after that He rose, having conquered death. Just recently, further analysis of the Shroud of Turin has come out, claiming that the Carbon 14 analysis that was done a few years ago was on fibers from an area where it was repaired after it was damaged in a fire. That analysis said it was from no earlier than the 12th Century, which would eliminate any possibility of it being from Jesus. However, the more recent analysis (though not using carbon 14) says that everything about it is congruent with it being genuine, and not a forgery. Everything considered, it would be almost impossible to forge, since the image on it is not from pigment of any sort, and the pollen traces that have been found are specific to the area around Jerusalem. Everything about it agrees with what is known of Roman crucifixion, including the wounds being in the wrists, rather than the palms, as most artists have portrayed Jesus on the cross. Whether the Shroud of Turin is actually the one that covered Jesus’ body or not, it all comes back to whether we believe God is powerful enough to raise people from the dead, not as “zombies,” but as people who are more alive than they ever were before. The Bible says He is, and such faith is energizing to say the least!

I was raised in a household of faith, and I have never hesitated to believe that the God who spoke the universe into being could “reconstitute” people from whatever state they might be in. After all, people have been martyred for their faith in countless ways, and some of those ways don’t leave much behind. For that matter, the hypocenter of the Nagasaki atomic bomb was very close to Junshin Catholic Girls School, and some of those girls were literally vaporized. That’s why cremation has never bothered me. Resurrection is not a problem for God! To be quite honest, my biggest question about resurrection is simply, why? I look forward to eternity with my Lord, but why do I need a body for that? However, I don’t object to the idea, so I leave it in His hands. After all, He’s infinitely smarter and stronger than I am, and I want Him to do what He knows is best.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the conversation I had on Sunday about death. When I think about resurrection and Your grace and power, it’s a pretty minor issue! Help me live all the time as someone who is going to live eternally, both before and after resurrection, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Death; August 4, 2025

Posted on August 5, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
    from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
    from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.

Both the English and the Japanese say “swallowed up,” but the Japanese at least uses a different character from the one you would use for taking a drink. This is like in an earthquake, when a fissure opens and things disappear into it. This theme is taken up by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, and by John in Revelation 21. Of course, the proof of this is the resurrection of Jesus, but it is very impressive to me that God spoke it to Isaiah hundreds of years before the manger in Bethlehem. At this point, death is the universal enemy, feared by all. I spoke yesterday on Eternal Life, and how for Christian believers, physical death is no big deal (as Jake Hess memorably sang). In our present context that requires a lot of faith, but that faith is available to all who are open to receive it. Isaiah had absolutely nothing to go on other than hearing God speak it into his heart, but we have the record of Jesus, as well as the triumphant deaths of countless saints. The advice is certainly valid: “When a baby is born, they are crying and everyone around them is smiling. Live so that when you die, you are smiling and everyone around you is crying.” We do shed tears when a loved one dies, but as God promised to Isaiah, to Paul, and to John, He will wipe away every tear. That is a wonderful prospect indeed!

After yesterday’s service I was talking with someone who was visiting from America, and he said his mother had died just a week and a half ago. I think he was one of the reasons God had me speak on Eternal Life yesterday! As I told him, I think my attitude toward death is pretty unusual in the world today. I have seen a lot of people off, and the difference between a believer and a non-believer is striking. I have no fear of death whatsoever for myself, but the idea of my wife going ahead of me isn’t something I look forward to! At the same time, even then I know that the separation will be strictly temporary, so I know it’s not something to be anxious about. When I talk about such things my hearers are generally incredulous, but I think I’m being completely honest. Faith is a wonderful gift! Having tasted it myself, I want to share it with as many people as possible. That’s the marvelous thing about God’s gifts: sharing them means they are increased for us, and not diminished in any way. The more I impart faith to someone else, the more faith I have!

Father, thank You for all of this. Thank You for the marvelous “economics” of Your Kingdom, where giving away means you have more. Help me be the steward You want me to be of Your Gospel, of saving faith, so that as many as possible may be brought from death to life, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Trusting God; August 3, 2025

Posted on August 4, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 24:14-16a They raise their voices, they shout for joy;
    from the west they acclaim the Lord’s majesty.
Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord;
    exalt the name of the Lord, the God of Israel,
    in the islands of the sea.
From the ends of the earth we hear singing:
    “Glory to the Righteous One.”

Read in context, this is a rather jarring juxtaposition. Isaiah was devastated at the destruction he was seeing around him, and then we have this passage of praise to God. It would seem that the conquering army was acting as God’s agents! We actually are in this sort of situation not infrequently. We might be personally righteous, but society around us is in need of a drastic course correction. We might feel as much distress as Isaiah did! However, what we need is perspective. God knows who is right and who is wrong, and we need to trust Him with that. We are to stand up for what He shows us is right, but at the same time allow Him to bring that to pass in His way on His schedule. The scene in this short section is actually quite glorious, with praise rising to God from the ends of the earth. We need to desire that enough, and trust God enough, that we ourselves praise Him even when things are totally falling apart around us.

This is something I have known as objective fact for a long time, but walking it out isn’t always easy! I can talk a good talk, but living it out is always the challenge. As James emphasizes throughout his letter, words without actions can be empty indeed. As Paul said, I need to “Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20) Anything less than that means I’m not believing and trusting Him fully.

Father, thank You for this reminder. You are always more than gracious to me, yet I complain about the silliest things, like the lady on the motorbike just a few minutes ago who failed to use her turn signal. You told me personally years ago that You aren’t happy with everything that goes on, leaving me with the strong impression that I’m to trust Your “endgame” for it all. Many are speaking these days about Christ’s imminent return. Help me leave it all in Your hands and be faithful to fulfill each task You have for me, giving You praise and thanks in the process. Thank You. Praise God!

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Salvation; August 2, 2025

Posted on August 3, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 12:3 With joy you will draw water
    from the wells of salvation.

This very brief chapter has had multiple songs made from it, and they are all fighting for a place in my active memory even as I write! I don’t recall this verse being set to music, but I first became actively aware of it when Andrae Crouch quoted it in passing, during a concert that was recorded for an album. I had of course read it before that, since I read through the Bible for the first time by the time I was 10. However, when Andrae mentioned it in the flow of worship, not giving any reference for it, I immediately recognized that it had to be Biblical, but I had no idea what book of the Bible, even. That was before personal computers, so I located a printed concordance and tracked it down. The image is very telling. Salvation is available, but we are actively involved in receiving it. You can’t get water from a well without action on your part. (They certainly didn’t have pressure-controlled pumps back then.) Connecting water with salvation is a very apt metaphor in an arid land, because you can certainly die of dehydration. And when we discover and receive God’s salvation, it is joyous indeed!

We used well water in the house where I grew up, but even then the technology was such that I never thought about where the water came from when I turned the handle on the tap. It wasn’t a very deep well, and my father took a sample once a year to the city health office to be tested. As more and more houses were built around us, one year the health office told my father we would have to start putting chemicals in the well, or we would risk serious disease. Fortunately it wasn’t many years after that that the city water and sewer system made it out to where we lived, but during that interval the water certainly didn’t taste very wonderful! On the point of salvation, my family was committed to telling people about it and persuading them to let down their buckets and drink, but success in that mission was never guaranteed, nor is it today. I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve told about God’s salvation, only to have them turn away, not recognizing that it was essential to them personally. Some people seem to have hydrophobia until they die of dehydration! That is heartbreaking indeed, but I have learned the hard way that I can’t save anyone in my own strength, I can only tell them about what is available. They have to make the choice, the commitment, themselves. Repentance is a hard sticking point for many, because it means change; we have to admit we were wrong. Hell is full of people who were too proud to do that. I’ve got to keep speaking the truth in love, and ask the Holy Spirit to use my words to open people’s eyes to see both their own need and God’s supply, so that they too may receive His salvation.

Father, You know how close this is to my heart, and who I am working with particularly right now. I ask You to send Your Spirit indeed, so that they may see and believe that You love them enough to send Your Son to die for them, and so respond to that love in repentance and faith. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Light of Hope; August 1, 2025

Posted on August 2, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 9:2 The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.

The Bible can be described many ways, but one of those is that it is a book of hope. Many people have caught onto that, and there are lots of churches and other ministries with “hope” in their names. This passage is of course familiar from Christmas, since it is one of the most famous prophecies of the Messiah. The later verses are most famous, but this one hit me just now. The image of people walking in darkness seeing a great light really hit me. Today we are so used to all sorts of artificial light that we forget what it’s like to walk in darkness. One time in my childhood my parents had gone to a meeting at a location about a 15 minute walk away, leaving us children at home. (Today they might be accused of “child endangerment,” but it was no issue back then.) We had recently adopted a sickly puppy, and while our parents were gone, we discovered that it had died. Not really knowing what to do, my brother carried the puppy and we traipsed off to where our parents had gone. This was out in the countryside, and there were no streetlights, not to mention that the route was a path, not a street. We got to the meeting place only to discover that the meeting was over and our parents had headed home, on the same route we had taken. We had passed each other in the dark, not recognizing each other! That’s what it’s like to walk in the dark. We were focused on our footing, and didn’t pay attention to anything else. The second half of the verse says “deep darkness” in modern English translations, but the Japanese sticks with “the shadow of death,” as in the very famous 23rd Psalm. Families who have experienced a member being in an active war front can understand this, perhaps, but back when Isaiah wrote this, life expectancy was much shorter than it is today, and there were countless ways people could die. Practically everyone lived in “the shadow of death.” The point is, God has a plan, and in the Messiah there is hope. Hope is a fundamental human need, and when hope is evident, people want to know about it. As Peter said, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1Peter 5:15) Those who know Christ have hope, and we can share it!

As a missionary, my life is dedicated to sharing the hope we have in Christ. I was born and raised in Japan, but after I had brought my wife and children here for the first time I remember a moment during the Festival of the Dead, held in the middle of August every year, when I was hearing people carrying the “spirit boats” they had made for family members who had died in the previous year, banging gongs, chanting, and setting off firecrackers, to send their loved ones off to the “spirit world,” and I was overwhelmed with how hopeless it was. We’re approaching the same festival this year, and nothing has changed. The difference for those who know Christ is so striking that funerals are actually a very effective tool of evangelism, because they express hope. I am surrounded by people who are walking in darkness, and my prayer is that I would be a carrier of light to them indeed, for their salvation and God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I hadn’t thought of that time as a child of not even recognizing my parents in quite a few years. Thank You for sometimes using me to help people recognize their heavenly Father, so that they may repent and believe for their salvation. May it happen more and more. Praise God!

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The Hope of Eternal Life; July 31, 2025

Posted on August 1, 2025 by jgarrott

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Solomon is one of the most pathetic figures in the whole Bible. He was given great intelligence, but he used it on a strictly human, material plane. With no proof of life after death, he discarded the possibility, and so had no defense when the devil’s twisted logic told him to commit idolatry to placate his foreign wives. I am reminded of Shusaku Endo, the Japanese Christian author who believed in Jesus but couldn’t bring himself to believe in resurrection, of Jesus or anyone else. As a result, life on this earth became the highest good to him. He wrote of Japanese martyrs, but the “heros” of his books were those who denied Christ in order to spare other people suffering. There is no hope, no true joy, in that! Those who are truly blessed are they who fix the eyes of their hearts on eternity, on the God who loved them before creation, brought them into being, and will continue to love them after everything material is gone. Yesterday I listened to the testimony of a Canadian man who had been very successful, both in business and in the LGBTQ community. He thought he had it all together, until he had a near-death experience. (NDE) In it, he encountered Jesus, who didn’t accuse him, but just showed him the truth of the life he had been living, and he also was aware of people he had known and admired in the LGBTQ community who had already died. It wasn’t a vision of flames and such, but of the utter devastation of eternal separation from God. He was also aware of the inexpressible sorrow of Jesus, that these people would have made the choices they did. After seven and a half minutes of clinical death, he revived, and began the at times very painful process of renouncing the LGBTQ lifestyle, including his “spouse.” He lost a great deal, both in finances (since he quit his company) and in friends, but he gained genuine friends, as well as peace and joy that he hadn’t imagined before. If only Solomon had experienced such a transformation! When we let the things of this world blind us to the reality that this world is strictly temporary, we lose the infinitely greater riches and blessings God has prepared for us in eternity.

I have long been aware that the LGBTQ lie is just one of many the devil uses to snare people. We have a family friend I care about a great deal who has recently lost his “husband.” He believes in Jesus and is active in church, but I pray God’s mercy on him. In contrast, I have other friends, that the wife is dying of lung cancer, but they have peace and anticipation of the future God has prepared for them. For myself, I enjoy life and rejoice in many aspects of it, but I have no fear of the transition to the next life, because I know that it is infinitely better! There are many, many people I want to take with me into that life, when the time comes, so I seek to express God’s truth to them, for them to repent and believe for their salvation. I can’t force anyone to do that, but I can make the truth available to them, and that is a joy and satisfaction I could have no other way.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for bringing that testimony up on my computer yesterday. I’ve heard many NDE testimonies, including that of my own wife, but not many that resulted in such a dramatic lifestyle change. Thank You for Your mercy on us all. May I fulfill all of Your purposes for me, for as long as You keep me here, for the blessing and salvation of many, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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