Physical Worship; June 16, 2025

Posted on June 17, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 63:3-4 Because your love is better than life,
    my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
    and in your name I will lift up my hands.

A musical setting of these two verses was one of the first songs I learned when I was first exposed to the Charismatic Movement. It’s still wonderful, over 50 years later! Different translations render it differently, naturally enough. The version I learned musically says “loving kindness,” the ESV says “steadfast love,” the NIV just says “love,” and the Japanese says “grace.” We run out of words to express God’s goodness! The preface to this Psalm says that David wrote it in the wilderness of Judah, which can be a very dry place. Verse one is actually a description of his physical circumstances. God used that to show him that our relationship with our Creator is more important than our circumstances, whatever those circumstances might be. The song I learned introduced me to physical expressions of worship. I was raised Southern Baptist, and we did not raise our hands during the worship service! Back when David wrote this, raising hands to God was a common posture of prayer, so the important part for David was “in Your name,” that is, not in the name of any other god. Various religions use various postures and movements in their worship, with the Muslims bowing down toward Meccah being something most people are familiar with. It is quite true that using our bodies can deepen and/or intensify our worship. It is also true that rote motions can become as meaningless as rote words, but I still think it is unfortunate that liturgical churches have lost most of the kneeling that used to be required.

At 76, kneeling isn’t nearly as easy for me as it once was, but sometimes worship calls for sacrifice. However, raising my hands to God is something I do frequently, sometimes as a gesture of offering myself to Him, sometimes as reaching out to Him, and sometimes as a gesture of exuberance, as some people do at a rock concert. I’m very thankful to have learned to use my body in worship! I do know that physical posture without corresponding “heart posture” means very little, but I have found that making the choice to move my body often liberates my soul to worship more deeply. Japan is a culture that is generally rather restrained in such things, but my wife has “liberated” many of her lady friends to hug as a gesture of affection, and they will come up to her, even in a store, and hug her. That’s proof that Japanese believers can learn to use their bodies in worship! (Actually, I’ve been to Pentecostal meetings where there was plenty of that, so I have no excuses.) As a pastor, I need to encourage the congregation to have more freedom in expressing their worship physically, so that we may be filled more and more with the joy of the Lord.

Father, thank You for this reminder. This gives me another concrete goal for this congregation. Thank You for speaking through me about prophecy yesterday, and for how that seemed to be received. I pray that we would operate freely in the flow of Your Spirit in all ways, so that Your purposes for us may be accomplished for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Humility; June 15, 2025

Posted on June 16, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 51:17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.

This is one of the most famous of David’s Psalms, and for excellent reason. It was written at probably the most dramatic juncture of his life, right after he was confronted by Nathan for his adultery with Bathsheba, having her husband killed in battle. As an absolute monarch, as kings were in those days, what he had done was “legal,” in a sense, but it was certainly morally reprehensible. Compared to other kings of his day, what was remarkable about David was his humility, that was firmly based on his awareness that all the achievements of his life – and some were remarkable – were by the power of God, and not simply his own. David was genuinely shocked that he had done something so horrible, and he didn’t begin to pretend innocence. He had other failures in life, particularly in parenting, but this was a watershed moment, and he responded well. If we are unwilling to be broken over our failures, we are making ourselves unavailable to God.. He can still use us, but not in ways that will be pleasant to us or that we would desire! We aren’t to copy David’s failures, but we do need to learn from him, because we will certainly have failures of our own.

This is, frankly, the great battle of my life. Pride has been a snare to me all along, blinding me to the devil’s traps and to my own sins. The Lord very graciously gave me a glimpse of the filth in my own soul when I was 24, and I was devastated. You would think that would have cured me of pride forever, but pride has continued to trip me up throughout my life. I know absolutely that every good in my life is by the grace of God, but I still tend to get puffed up! I need to be broken to the place that hot air won’t be able to inflate me at all. I can’t do that to myself, but I can choose to be submitted to God, and to my Lord who was scourged and crucified in my place. Jesus allowed Himself to be totally broken for me. I need to receive that by faith to the point that His brokenness is fully manifested in me, so that nothing will get in the way of Him being manifested through me, for His glory alone.

P: Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for enabling me to finish that Smith Wigglesworth book last night, and for waking me with the hymn, Send a Great Revival to my Soul. You have given me a powerful message for this morning. May I be totally submitted and available to You, so that Your Word through me may accomplish all that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Eternal Sovereignty; June 14, 2025

Posted on June 15, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 48:12-14 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    count her towers,
 consider well her ramparts,
    view her citadels,
that you may tell of them
    to the next generation.
For this God is our God for ever and ever;
    he will be our guide even to the end.

I chose this to write on because of the immediate situation in Israel, with the nation in high alert because of the 200 drones that have been launched against her by Iran in retaliation for Israel having taken out Iran’s nuclear weapons sites. It strikes me that it would be highly ironic if one of those were to land on the Dome of the Rock mosque in Jerusalem, clearing the way for the reconstruction of the Temple! That’s all very true, but the last line in Japanese caught me totally off guard: “God will lead us over/overcoming death.” Reading that blew my mind! God indeed leads us through death, past death into His everlasting kingdom, but I had no idea there was such a statement in the Old Testament. On a different note, the mention here of walking around Jerusalem, counting her towers and considering her ramparts, made me think of the archaeological work that is continuing even today, uncovering all sorts of things that confirm the Biblical narrative. Muslims try to have it both ways, claiming Abraham but denying David. We haven’t found physical evidence of Abraham, and aren’t likely to, but there is plenty of evidence of the Davidic dynasty, and confirmation of the historicity of the Bible in general. So we’re back to the whole matter of Jerusalem confirming God’s faithfulness, as well as giving us the assurance that He will lead us through death to eternity with Himself. That is peace that the world can’t match, much less generate.

So how does this apply to me? I am very aware of what is going on in the world, but rather than allowing it to upset me, I am to take it as reminders of God’s faithfulness. As people all around me encounter death, I am to rest in the assurance of eternal life, not only for me but for all who acknowledge Jesus as Lord. I am to seek to leave a legacy that will testify of God’s faithfulness, drawing future generations to open their hearts to Him. We live in a tiny slice of time, but God is throughout eternity. I have the privilege of telling people about Him, so that they too may trust Him to lead them over death.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The world is indeed stirred up, with the airliner crash in India, war in Ukraine and the Middle East, and genocide in Africa. Help me pray as You direct and otherwise act as Your agent, never losing sight of the reality that You are Lord, and You have the ultimate answer to everything. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Universal Love; June 13, 2025

Posted on June 14, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 47:9 The nobles of the nations assemble
    as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
    he is greatly exalted.

This is a rather astounding statement, when you think about it. The Psalmist is saying that all the rulers of the earth are people of the God of Abraham! So much for Jews and Gentiles! There are actually several passages like this scattered throughout the Old Testament, but they have been largely ignored by Jews and Gentiles alike. At issue, I think, is the size of our concept of God. It is very true, and very important, that He chose Abraham and his descendants as His agents through whom to speak to mankind, but that doesn’t mean that people who aren’t in that category, that is, Gentiles, don’t belong to Him, and/or He doesn’t care about them. This was a major struggle in the early Church, with Peter being the one chosen to open the door of faith to Gentiles, as described in Acts 10, which he had to defend to the Church as a whole in Acts 11. That still didn’t finally settle the issue, and after Paul ministered extensively to Gentiles there was another Church council, recorded in Acts 15, clarifying that Gentiles didn’t have to become Jewish converts before they could be accepted as full members of the Body of Christ. As I said, it comes down to whether you believe God is big enough to love all mankind and establish His laws for all peoples. After all, the 10 Commandments don’t just apply to some people! There are some who would like to think they are excluded from prohibitions of some things, like adultery, but it simply doesn’t work that way. The necessity of honoring your father and mother is becoming painfully evident all over the world! Yes, the Jews are God’s chosen people, but He is big enough to love Gentiles, too – and they are equally accountable to obey Him.

Growing up as a Caucasian in Japan, I have always been aware of ethnic differences, but also aware that they didn’t have anything to do with the value of the individual. I was treated as “other” by the vast majority of the Japanese I was around, but in different ways I was equally “other” on the US Air Force base where I went to school. I do carry some scars from that, but it certainly taught me that God’s love, and my value, don’t depend on anything like that. I have lost count of how many countries have been represented in this church over the past 41 years, and that’s just fine. At first it bothered me that people from other countries seemed to gravitate to this church, because I was called to minister to Japanese! However, I had to learn that I couldn’t exclude people any more than God did, and today we have people with ties to this church literally all over the globe. I am not to let my prejudices try to put God in a box!

Father, thank You for how You have used this church to demonstrate Your universal love. Thank You also for the Internet, that enables us to stay in contact with so many people far away. May we be effective as Your agents to draw whomever You choose to You, not putting up humanistic barriers, so that all who will may repent, believe, and be saved, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Antidote to Depression; June 12, 2025

Posted on June 13, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 43:3 Send me your light and your faithful care,
    let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
    to the place where you dwell.

Most scholars agree that these two Psalms were originally parts of one Psalm, but no one is sure when or why they were separated. At any rate, they are an excellent response to depression, with the Psalmist addressing himself and reminding himself to fix his hope in God. That repeating refrain is interspersed in what is a prayer addressed to God, and I feel like this verse is the heart of that prayer. He is asking God to send out his “light and truth.” (ESV) I don’t know the Hebrew, but the Japanese translates “truth” with a word that means “genuineness, sincerity.” That word is also used in places English translations use “faithfulness,” or “steadfast love.” This version of the NIV says “faithful care.” The Psalmist is recognizing that what he needs is light for his emotional and spiritual darkness, and the awareness that God will never let him down. Having those two things will indeed pull us out of the darkest pit of despair! With that prayer, the Psalmist can indeed hope in God, with the assurance that he will again praise Him, just as the refrain says.

I haven’t fought with clinical depression for a very long time, but I do have “down” moments. That said, I realize that feeling down is completely illogical for me, because I have experienced God’s faithfulness so many times in so many ways. At this point, another encouragement to me is a sister in this church who was in such severe depression that she literally could not leave her house for over two years, but now she is one of the most joyful, solidly based believers you could hope to meet. The transformation in her was so striking that it won both her brother-in-law and her husband to the Lord! I deal with people in difficult circumstances all the time, and my calling is to be a channel of God’s light and truth to them. I’m not to call them down for their depression, but rather gently point them to the God who loved them so much as to send His Son to die for them. I have friends that the wife is actively dying from lung cancer. My heart aches for them, but their faith is strong. The husband is supposed to be in charge of the interdenominational prayer meeting that will meet here in about a week, but at this point it doesn’t look like his wife will make it that long. They really need God’s light and truth! I am to keep praying for them, being grateful that they, and I, have such a faithful God, and that everything will be worked together for great blessing.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your absolute faithfulness! I do pray for the Shigetas, that You would take her home to Yourself at the right time, and that You would support him fully, until such time as You take him home as well, for their eternal blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Doing God’s Will; June 11, 2025

Posted on June 12, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 40:8 “I desire to do your will, my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

Once again we have a Psalm in which every verse cries out for meditation, but then, that is a characteristic of good poetry: compressing deep meaning in a few words. This verse gives the secret to joy for the person whose heart is turned toward God, but it wouldn’t apply to someone who is in rebellion against God. Those who seek God, who desire to be His children, indeed store up His law in their hearts, as it so famously says in Psalm 119:11. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” For such a person, knowing they are doing God’s will is indeed a major source of joy, peace, and satisfaction. We might say, “How do I know God’s will?” That’s actually pretty simple. You start by desiring to do it. Someone who doesn’t want to do God’s will, will only do it by accident, or grudgingly. The second step is by taking in His Word. The Bible is a marvelous collection of historical records of what He has done, prophecies of what He is going to do, and teaching about how to get with His program. That of course doesn’t tell us directly what we are to do in a specific situation, but it lays down some pretty clear guidelines. The last step goes back to the first: opening our heart to listen to what He will say to us, because we want to do what He says. If we live like that, we will indeed have the joy of / take joy in, doing His will.

The inscription on my father’s gravestone, and on the front of his biography, is a line from John 4: “To do the will of Him who sent me.” (John 4:34) My mother was involved in choosing that, but it is equally appropriate for her, and she shares that stone. I grew up with a magnificent example! We don’t often think of the etymology of the words we use, but “apostle” means literally, “one sent.” Since the closest modern equivalent is “missionary,” or even “ambassador,” that verse is totally appropriate for my parents. In my own case, when the Southern Baptist Mission Board personnel department people were making noises about not wanting to appoint us to Japan (they didn’t like our Charismatic leanings) my wife said, “We’d rather be Lord sent than Board sent.” Truer words were never spoken! She had felt the call to be a missionary from age 12, and by the time she was 13, knew it was to be to Japan. I first recognized my own calling at age 10, even though I forgot it for a while. At this point, after almost 44 years in Omura, we can’t imagine being anywhere else or doing anything else! The details of God’s will for us vary from day to day. Today we will be putting on a mini-concert at the group home where our newest – and oldest, at 100 – member lives, but every day is something different. The point is to stay open and obedient. When we do that, the joy does not fade!

Father, thank You for the privilege of doing Your will. Thank You for the Bible, to store Your words up in our hearts. Thank You for speaking to us and walking with us day by day, particularly when our steps are less than firm. May we indeed do Your will at all times, in every detail, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Truth; June 10, 2025

Posted on June 11, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 35:19 Do not let those gloat over me
    who are my enemies without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason
    maliciously wink the eye.

Our theme is The Joy of the Lord, but there are other forms of rejoicing, too. I had trouble choosing a particular verse to quote here, but my reaction to the passage as a whole was, “Donald Trump!” He is no David, but this certainly seems to describe the sort of attitude his opponents display toward him. The thing is, those who rebel against the Lord are quick to take up the tactics of the devil, and chief among those is falsehood. The world would be a very different place if everyone only spoke truth. Recently, the Pulitzer Prize seems to be an award for fiction! Those who genuinely desire the truth need to be patient, trusting in the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6) As He said, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) Courts of law exist to establish what is truth and what is falsehood, but sometimes they seem to seek to do the reverse, being human institutions. That can be very vexing, but we are not to give in to despair. We are to stand in and advocate for the truth at every turn, knowing that God is the ultimate definition of truth, and we want to be on His side in everything.

One of my father’s core principles was Absolute Honesty. I benefited greatly from that, even though I first heard him articulate it when I was an adult, shortly before he went straight to heaven from heart surgery. I think I operate much the same way, and falsehood really gets under my skin. There is a world of difference between ignorance and lying, and fiction for the sake of entertainment is another category altogether. I enjoy good fiction, and I encounter a lot of ignorance and misinformation, but I certainly want to abide in truth. At times I can be blunt, needlessly hurting people, and I need to keep working on that, but I have seen that “white lies” can lead to much worse things than momentary offense. That said, I don’t always have to say everything I know! I am to speak the truth, but always do it in love. (Ephesians 4:15) As Paul said, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:6) I am to seek to be a faithful representative of Jesus, who is the Truth.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There are an awful lot of lies being pumped out all the time, and it grieves me to see those I care about taken in by them. Guide me in praying for such people, and help me always speak Your truth in Your love, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Responding to God; June 9, 2025

Posted on June 10, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 34:1-3 I will extol the Lord at all times;
    his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
    let us exalt his name together.

Every verse in this Psalm is worthy of a song or a sermon or both! The circumstances of it being written are also interesting, when the Lord prompted David to feign insanity so that he would be released from a very dangerous situation. David recognized that God had inspired him, and he gave God the credit. Our natural impulse would be to think, and say, “Wasn’t I clever?” David didn’t do that, but gave God all the credit. That’s one of many reasons this Psalm is such a blessing. God very seldom does things with only a singular purpose. He’s the ultimate multitasker, accomplishing many things at one time with a single action! That’s why there’s no limit to the study of the Bible: everything in it can teach us multiple things. We do well to ask God to open our eyes to grasp more of what He is doing, even in the seemingly simple events of our lives. After all, we have no idea what tragedies He didn’t allow to take place! For that matter, it has been shown mathematically that if any of the multiple laws of physics were to be changed by the smallest fraction, the universe would cease to exist! Scientists who deny the existence of a Creator don’t know their science! An honest, objective examination of all the facts should lead us to an ever-increasing amazement at the wisdom, grace, and love of our Creator, and that should lead us to the sort of exhortation that David gives here. The more we truly know of God, the more we want to encourage others to know Him too. He is more than worthy of all our love, praise and obedience, just as David proclaims through this Psalm.

I have long recognized that I don’t have the specific “gift of evangelism,” but the longer I walk with the Lord, the more I want other people to walk with Him too. There are some specific individuals I’m interacting with at this point, but I would love to have a “Holy Spirit fire hose” to douse everyone I encounter! I can’t tell God how to operate, and it is silly to try. All I can do is seek to hear and obey God each moment, allowing Him to work through me to touch people in His way on His schedule. Yesterday we attended a special service to honor a couple who have been in faithful ministry for over 50 years, and Cathy and I sang God Will Make a Way, by Don Moen, in English and Japanese. Some people were moved to tears, which I had not expected. I just knew that was what we were supposed to sing! I don’t know who all I will encounter today, but I want to be God’s instrument to them, whatever the circumstances. God is good and wonderful beyond any words to express it, and I want to be totally available to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for David’s faithfulness. May I be no less faithful, so that my words too may be a blessing, drawing people to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Praise and Worship; June 8, 2025

Posted on June 9, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 33:1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

This is an anonymous Psalm, which in a way broadens its applicability. It is interesting that the ESV says “shout” here, while the NIV and the Japanese both say “sing.” Some kinds of “singing” don’t sound very musical! However, the important thing is the heart and motivation behind it. However well we might make music, if the words don’t penetrate to our heart, and conversely, come from our heart, it doesn’t mean much. With the recent advances in AI, it is entirely possible to tell a computer to compose words and music and then “perform” the resulting song, but that is not praise to God. I think it was John Piper who told ChatGPT to write a prayer of praise to God. He read the result out, and it sounded magnificent, but as he pointed out, it was meaningless because there wasn’t a human soul behind it. Forms can move us, and that actually is a risk. Worship leaders can fall into the trap of being manipulative with their song sets. That actually is the whole purpose of fog machines and special lighting, and it creates counterfeit religion. The great revivals of Church history had no technology to hype people up, only the Holy Spirit to move their hearts. Today is Pentecost Sunday. We can’t generate anything real on our own, but we can be humble and yielded for whatever God wants to do. He mourns the evil of all sorts in the world more than we do, and we need to focus on Him in praise and worship and obedience, and trust Him to do what is needed and right.

This is spot-on to me this morning. We have our usual worship service this morning, and I will be preaching on Pentecost. I would be thrilled beyond words if the Lord opened the heavens on us, but I can’t make that happen. I desire that He pour His Spirit out, not only on this congregation and this city, but on this nation and on the whole world. However, I can’t begin to dictate when and how that will happen. This afternoon my wife and I will be singing at a special service in the next town over in honor of a pastor and his wife who are retiring. The wife has dementia, and the service was timed in the hope of her really understanding and appreciating what was going on. That again is something I can’t control. I am to focus, as clearly as possible, on my Lord Jesus, and allow Him to do in and through me whatever He knows is right, for His glory alone.

Father, thank You for this timely reminder. I pray that each moment of today I would be yielded to You, allowing Your Spirit to operate in and through me, so that Your purposes may be fulfilled as You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Talking With God; June 7, 2025

Posted on June 8, 2025 by jgarrott

Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

It strikes me that David’s Psalms are often conversational, with general statements, like the first two verses, then words addressed to God, like verses three through this one, then God’s response, in verses eight and nine, and then statements to the reader, like the last three verses. I don’t think many people talk like that! However, it shows an awareness that God is listening to what we say, and He responds to us. Far too often we don’t expect a response at all! God really does talk to us, but most of the time we aren’t listening. David has a lot of things to teach us, and I think this is one of the most important of those. We need to speak freely to God, certainly, but we should expect to hear from Him as well. After all, Paul admonished us to “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” (1 Corinthians 14:1) God doesn’t often speak to us in what seems like an audible voice, but if we will surrender our lips and our fingers to Him, He will speak through and to us to a degree that can be shocking at times.

The first time I heard God speak to me in what seemed like an audible voice, He told me to shut up, because I was so busy talking to Him that I couldn’t hear what He was saying. However, I have heard Him use my mouth, or seen Him use my fingers, to express His heart countless times. It occurs to me that I should more consciously allow Him to do that, particularly in times of group prayer. I have been used in prophecy many times, but very seldom here in this church. I seek to preach prophetically, but we often need to hear more personally, and I should make myself available for that. Frankly, I’ve been afraid of people’s reactions, but that shows my focus has been on me, rather than on the Lord. There are those in this church who are from a distinctly non-Pentecostal background, and I fear offending them. I need to repent of that! I am to continue to speak to God freely, and at the same time not only listen for what He might say to me, but also allow Him to speak through me, to whomever He wants to speak, for their blessing and His glory.

Father, thank You for this clear Word, particularly as tomorrow is Pentecost Sunday. May we become a body of believers who are totally sold out and available to You, for You to speak through and use however You like, for the advancement of Your kingdom and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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