Faithfulness; May 7, 2025

Posted on May 8, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Kings 8:61 “And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

God honored Solomon’s office as king, and He anointed him to speak real truth to the people. Sadly, Solomon himself didn’t continue to follow all that God spoke through him. This connects directly with what Jesus said about the religious leaders of His day. “So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” (Matthew 23:3) Ecclesiastical position is to be respected, but it doesn’t guarantee righteousness. This becomes a major problem when Church leaders believe what is said about them. That is a very timely subject, when the Catholics are in the process of choosing another Pope. Every time we come to Solomon this resonates in me very strongly. He was incredibly blessed and gifted, including with intelligence, but he got so used to it that he got sloppy in his obedience, substituting human logic for obedience to God, to the point that he participated in idolatry – the exact opposite of what he is exhorting the people to do here. As the saying goes, “There’s no fool like an old fool.” In relating to leaders, we are indeed to honor their position, but keep God as the ultimate authority in our minds and hearts.

At 76, I can certainly relate to the possibility of being an old fool! The Lord has been amazingly faithful to speak His Word through me over the years, but if I fail to follow it myself, it does me no good personally. What I have written continues to bless people. I get “likes” on my blog all the time for things I posted years ago. However, if I fail to walk in faithful obedience, I will lose the blessings that should accrue to such things, whatever the people around me might think. I am never to presume or coast, but keep pressing in for more of my Lord. Just yesterday I got news that someone I have known and loved over the years has joined the great throng before the Throne, and I’ll confess to a touch of envy. I do enjoy life on this earth, a great deal, actually, but sometimes the little hassles add up, and I want to be done with it all. However, I could well have another 20 years in my current assignment, and I’m never to jump ship. I am to rejoice to be useful to God, however He wants to use me, and be careful to keep my heart focused on Him in full, loving obedience, so that the distractions of this world won’t pull me away, as they did Solomon.

Father, thank You for this reminder. This year looks to have several “departures” of people who are meaningful to me. May I rest, relax, and rejoice in You for as long as You keep me here, being faithful to do all the things You say to and through me, so that the Body of Christ may be built up for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Integrity; May 6, 2025

Posted on May 7, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Samuel 2:3 “Do not keep talking so proudly
    or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the Lord is a God who knows,
    and by him deeds are weighed.”

The verse ahead of this is dearly loved and set to music, but this verse also has real punch. This is a direct response by Hannah to Penninah, her rival wife who had tormented her for her infertility. That said, it’s still true! Our words should be circumspect before the Lord. The English and Japanese translations differ in the last line, and I chose to write largely because of that very line. The Japanese says, “His actions are beyond measure,” speaking of the Lord, while the NIV and ESV, at any rate, say “by Him actions/deeds are weighed,” speaking of what we do. Both are true, and are expressed in other places in the Bible. Since God is infinite, it goes without saying that we can’t measure His actions. Scientists plunge into the chase of trying to find them out, but new telescopes and the like are continuing to come up with data that completely amazes them. It’s not wrong to investigate, by any means, but we need to have the humility to know that we’ll never know everything. The English translation of the line is in perfect agreement with James, who wrote extensively about the difference between words and deeds. For that matter, Jesus had a lot to say about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. It all comes down to humility and integrity. The Japanese term for integrity is literally, “word-action agreement.” Our words need to be humble, and our actions need to back them up.

As I write frequently, I have really struggled with pride, and that has been expressed in both words and actions. You might say I had integrity in my pride! However, that is certainly cause for repentance. I must live every moment in the awareness that I can do everything the Lord calls on me to do, (Philippians 4:13) but I can do nothing without Him. (John 15:5) When that awareness is complete, it gives full assurance and perfect peace. I certainly want that! As much as I tell other people to get their eyes off of themselves and focus on Jesus, I still don’t do it perfectly myself. Even at 76, I’ve got plenty of room to grow! He has told me to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, and I will be in a practicum in doing that until He takes me home to be with Him forever.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s not like You haven’t said this to me before! Help me indeed take it in and act on it, reflecting the character of my Lord Jesus more and more accurately, drawing people to Him for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Happiness; May 5, 2025

Posted on May 6, 2025 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 26:11 Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.

In Deuteronomy, “rejoice” is essentially the same as “celebrate.” Thus, Moses is saying that when you have a party, be sure to invite the people who don’t have resources to throw parties for themselves. That is certainly worth noting, but the central point is that we are to recognize God’s blessings to us, acknowledge them publicly before Him, and be happy about it. America is an incredibly blessed nation, on the historical scale and also in comparison to other nations in the world. That’s why the current government’s threat to not buy the goods of other nations is having such an impact, because American consumers have more buying power than any other group of people in the world. Even so, some people engage in “victimhood competition,” seeing who can lay claim to being wronged to a greater degree. That is the opposite of what Moses is laying out here. Psychologists disagree on a lot of things, but they show remarkable unanimity in saying that gratitude is probably the most essential element of happiness. Everyone wants to be happy, but if we refuse to recognize and be grateful for what we have already been given, we certainly aren’t going to be happy. God doesn’t tell us to praise and worship Him because He’s narcissistic, it’s so that we will realize how good He’s been to us and be happy about it. When we really grasp the character of God and how He relates to us, gratitude, and thus happiness, becomes automatic. As Jesus said, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) Who wouldn’t be happy about that?

I was raised with essentially this understanding of the world and how it works, and as a result, I think I have had a remarkably happy life. As an introvert, I’m not really big on parties as such, but I recognize that there’s a lot to celebrate. Next Sunday afternoon this church will be having a BBQ party in our parking lot. For myself, I would just as soon not be involved, but I recognize that this is a real opportunity for outreach into our immediate community, and I’m happy about that. I’m not to focus on the work involved, but rather on God’s grace to us that we can do it, and let His grace flow through me to the people around me. From past experience, there is a real danger that I will be a “grumpy old man,” and that would benefit no one. I need to accurately reflect the character of my Lord, and so draw others to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me not focus on “I don’t like parties,” and rather focus on gratitude that You are enabling us to do this, to draw people into Your family for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Stewardship; May 4, 2025

Posted on May 5, 2025 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 16:17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.

The principle of proportional giving is repeated throughout the Bible. Last Sunday the Bible story for Children’s Church was the widow who gave all she had, in contrast to the rich who gave out of their abundance. (Luke 21) We tend to get all tied in knots over monetary amounts, when God is looking at, and looking for, our hearts. The point in this verse is that each person should give in proportion to what they have been given. Every once in a while reports come out of the charitable giving of politicians, for example. The ones who make the most noise about government welfare programs and how the government should be doing more are generally the ones who give the least in personal benevolence. We aren’t called to give what someone else has been given! If believers and their churches were fully faithful in their stewardship, the vast majority of government programs would be unnecessary! That said, we can’t force anyone to be generous. I do get burned out at the constant barrage of pleas for money for various causes. Some of them are extremely worthy, and I do indeed support some of those, but God is calling everyone to individual accountability for what He has provided. Everyone has to answer to God for what they have done with what He has given them, not what anyone else has done with what they have been given.

My wife and I are currently in the very unfamiliar position of having relative financial abundance, so this is very pertinent. Our expenses are low, and God is gracious. The point is to seek God for what He wants us to do, not rushing to give things away but not holding back in anything He directs. We are in the process of giving the church a color copier, which is definitely a big-ticket item. We aren’t to trumpet what we’ve done by any means, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t to do it. We are to hold everything loosely, recognizing where it came from and using it exactly as our Lord directs, so that our hearts and lives may be given to Him, as well as the resources He has given us, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I pray that each person in this church would recognize and rejoice in this principle, so that we will individually and collectively operate in the flow of Your provision, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Fear of the Lord; May 3, 2025

Posted on May 4, 2025 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 14:23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.

Moses couldn’t have been any more explicit than this that the tithe was to be consumed by those offering it. That certainly turns current thinking on its head! He goes on to say that agricultural products could be converted to money for convenience, but then that money could be used however the worshiper liked. (verse 26) He does say that Levites, that is, church workers, are to be provided for, as well as widows and orphans, but this is certainly not the picture most people have of church giving! The interesting thing, however, is in this verse. All this feasting is to be done so that you will learn to fear the Lord your God. (The latest NIV corrects “fear” to “revere,” but most translations have it as fear.) That certainly puts a different twist on the fear of the Lord! Going back to the reading from Revelation a few days ago, the fear of the Lord isn’t terror, but a deep awareness and appreciation for who and what He is, encompassing all His attributes. Some people want to keep God in a box, perhaps as their guide, or their ticket to heaven, but they choose not to relate to Him in His entirety. Actually, since He is infinite, we can’t do that totally, but the fear of the Lord acknowledges His power and mercy, holiness and love. Feasting before the Lord is an exercise in remembering that He is our Provider, the One who created everything and then gave it to us. Seeing Him as a mean old judge just waiting to whack us with a big stick is just as wrong as seeing Him as an indulgent grandfather who will let us do absolutely anything. Properly understood, the fear of the Lord can be expressed as loving the Lord or delighting in the Lord. He is certainly worthy of all those things!

I think my parents had a very balanced view of God, and that is what they passed on to me. I have always maintained that God has a sense of humor, because that is the environment in which I was raised. I know that following God sometimes calls for sacrifice. My parents became missionaries at a time when crossing the Pacific took days, not hours. (And we complain about long plane rides!) That said, my mother said that the only real sacrifice she made to be a missionary was proximity to family. Some are indeed called to give their lives, but in the final analysis, that’s something we can’t hang onto anyway! I am to delight in my Lord, and at the same time be totally committed and obedient to Him. He has shown Himself to be incredibly gracious and generous, loving and holy. I am to fear Him with intense gratitude!

Father, thank You for this reminder. There is always more of You for me to learn! Help me fear You as You desire and intend, so that I may be fully useful for Your purposes, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Giving to God; May 2, 2025

Posted on May 3, 2025 by jgarrott

Deuteronomy 12:7 There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

I noticed quite a few years ago that in the Law of Moses, the tithe was often consumed by the people giving it. The thing is, God doesn’t need our money, or anything else material we could give Him, but we need to acknowledge Him as our Source. Of course, buildings and such need to be maintained, and full-time workers need to be supported, and there is no end to worthy causes, but the most important factor is the awareness that “This is given to God.” And God wants us to have a good time doing it! At the very least, there is to be a sense of satisfaction that we are able to give to God, that He has blessed us with abilities and we have made use of them. In the New Testament, Paul famously stated that “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) In that case, Paul was talking about financial gifts for those in need elsewhere, but the principle is actually the same. We are to give because God has given to us, and we are to have a good time doing it. As Paul quoted Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

I think we do fairly well about this here. Several years ago someone commented, after looking at our church website, “Do you do anything besides eat?” We do like to eat together! That has cut back in recent years because of my wife’s physical issues, since she has been the chief cook around here, but every 5th Sunday we have a potluck dinner that is a real delight. On the 11th we will be having a BBQ in the church parking lot, and I’ve already taken fliers around to the neighbors to invite them to participate. Rejoicing before the Lord is powerful evangelism! Repentance is serious business indeed, but it opens the door to joy and laughter, and that can be a powerful incentive. Dour Christians are anti-evangelistic! I am to express God’s love and grace in fully attractive ways, not hiding the elements of repentance and commitment, but letting people know that following God is ultimately the best course, whatever might happen along the way.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the BBQ we have planned. Help me be obedient and effective in delegation, not feeling like I have to do it all. That gets old very quickly! May we indeed rejoice before You, and in the process draw others into Your family as well, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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True Worship; May 1, 2025

Posted on May 2, 2025 by jgarrott

Leviticus 9:6 Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.”

Reading the step-by-step description of the sacrificial ritual described after this, the thing that came to mind was how Hebrews expresses explicitly that Jesus, offering Himself as our sin offering, totally fulfilled all the sacrificial requirements, so that rather than “the blood of bulls and goats,” (Hebrews 10:4) what we need to see the glory of God is faith in the One who fulfilled it all for us. The destruction of Jerusalem in 60 AD effectively did away with the sacrificial system, since the temple was destroyed, so I wonder how Jews have dealt with that in the 2000 years since then? Jesus addressed this in talking with the Samaritan woman by Jacob’s well, telling her that “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23) We are not called to ceremony and ritual, but to a living relationship with our Creator through His Son by His Spirit. Sacrificial rituals can’t compare with that! Various groups place weight on liturgies and vestments and rituals of various sorts. Those aren’t bad in themselves, and properly considered they can point us to the underlying truths, but they are no substitute for repentance and faith. God doesn’t want little robots, He wants children, and that is how we are to worship Him.

I didn’t grow up in a liturgical setting, but I can understand how the familiar can be very comforting, allowing people to open up to God. In my own experience, I have had times of intense worship when I was alone, and likewise times of intense worship in groups of various sizes. What has been consistent has been my personal surrender and commitment to God. As Paul said, I have learned that I am to present my own body as a living sacrifice, not bleeding out on an altar, but doing the hard thing of living each moment for and with my Lord. (Romans 12:1) That’s the “in truth” part of worshiping “in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) If I’m not doing that, then my ministry as a pastor is no more than an act.

Father, thank You for this strong Word. Help me indeed worship You truly, not just in form but in substance, so that I may be and do exactly what You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Risen Christ; April 30, 2025

Posted on May 1, 2025 by jgarrott

Revelation 1:17-18 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

Talk about a scary vision! Of all the apostles, John perhaps knew Jesus best, having laid back against Him at the Last Supper. (John 13:23) Even so, John was scared to the point of passing out. Jesus can currently appear to us however He chooses, but He let John see Him in His full glory. We think of resurrection just in terms of coming back to life, but Jesus’ resurrection was a matter of total victory over death, just as He says here. In the many reports of what are called “near-death experiences,” where people are briefly physically dead but are revived, quite a few people have seen Jesus, but I haven’t seen any reports of Him looking like He is described here. I don’t think He wants to scare such people away! We have no words, no concepts, for what Jesus is like right now, as the total Victor over death and hell. Quantum Mechanics perhaps gives us a little hint as to how it is possible, but in the final analysis we currently just can’t grasp it. That’s one of the many ways faith comes in. Any time someone or something seems scary, we need to remember what John saw here, and know that whatever we are seeing, it isn’t nearly as scary as Jesus in all His glory – and He’s on our side! That should give us total peace and assurance, because our Lord is more powerful than anything that could possibly come against us. We just need to choose to submit to Him and follow Him in loving obedience.

There’s not much I’m scared of at this point, though as I age I am increasingly afraid of heights. However, the time will come when I will be able to float at will, as my wife experienced when she visited heaven. However, I must never lose the fear of the Lord! That isn’t a terror, but rather a level of respect and honor, blending into love. As John said in his first letter, perfect love drives out fear. (1 John 4:18) Once John got over the initial shock, I don’t think he was afraid at all, and I doubt anything ever scared him again! I’ve never had such a vision of Jesus, and frankly, I’m willing to wait until I see Him in heaven, but I still need to remember that is how He currently is, so I can have total assurance as I walk in obedience to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me communicate effectively the truth that You speak to me, so that others too may rest in the full assurance of Your power and love, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Baptism; April 29, 2025

Posted on April 30, 2025 by jgarrott

Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

I’ve heard this verse used numbers of times in baptismal ceremonies, and I think I’ve used it myself a few times. However, I don’t think we meditate enough on what it means for each individual believer. There are various places that speak to this idea, perhaps most notably 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” The problem is, we often don’t feel very new. Old habits, thought patterns, ways of speaking and the like can be remarkably persistent. This is part of the whole already/not yet of the Kingdom of God. From God’s perspective, everything is already accomplished and made new, but from our perspective in time, sometimes it seems like nothing at all has changed. This is where faith comes in. The devil wants us to focus on our flesh, both what feels good and what doesn’t, but God is Spirit, and though He is certainly present in the material world, since He created it, He is above it all, and He wants to lift us up to His level. That is humanly impossible, but in Christ it is glorious reality. That is why the imagery Paul uses in this chapter is so important. We need to embrace the death of our old self so that we can walk in the glorious reality of the new life that Christ purchased for us with His own body. Baptism without repentance doesn’t save us, but properly done, it is a graphic picture of being buried in order to rise again.

I have actually been water-baptized twice, once when I was seven and made a clear-cut decision to follow Christ, and once again when I was 24, after God showed me how black with pride my soul was, and the impact of my repentance was so great I thought I had not been saved before that. I’m not sure the second baptism was necessary, but it didn’t hurt! Recently there has been a move of God going on in North Georgia, (the state, not the country) and baptisms are a regular part of it, with some pretty spectacular miracles happening in the process. My thinking about baptism is certainly expanding! The thing is, we all get mired in how things have been, physically or emotionally or spiritually, and God has to remind us that the past is past for us, and He is always new. At 76 I’ve got a lot of past, but God still has new for me, and I’m to welcome all that He has planned so that I may walk in it for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all that You have been doing in and around me. Thank You for even using me in some of it! May I indeed take my eyes off of myself, as I keep telling other people to do, and indeed fix them on You, to recognize the new that You bring into my life and walk in it with joy, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Faith; April 28, 2025

Posted on April 29, 2025 by jgarrott

Matthew 28:17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

The following three verses are some of the most famous in the whole Bible, but this verse strikes me as rather remarkable. That there were some who were close enough to Jesus to be invited to this climactic scene but still couldn’t get past their materialistic reasoning and accept that He had really resurrected says a lot about the human condition. Their minds told them that Jesus couldn’t have risen from the dead, so they couldn’t accept the evidence that was right there in front of them. Thomas repented of his unbelief, (John 20:24-28) so we can hope that these people eventually did as well. However, as the saying goes, “My mind is made up. Don’t confuse me with the facts.” We laugh at that, but we see it in action all around us, and are doubtless guilty of it as well. I think this is a factor in why Jesus said that “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3) Children may rebel, but they generally accept what a trusted adult tells them as fact. That’s why the current issue of indoctrination by school teachers is such a big deal. God is a totally reliable source, so we need to receive what He tells us like little children, trusting Him completely regardless of our circumstances. We can miss out on a lot by too much “adulting!” That’s a different matter from maturity, because genuine spiritual maturity knows fully that God is God and we’re not, and that there is far more that we don’t know than we do know. When we encounter people like the doubters in this passage, all we can do is pray for them and speak the truth in love. Good intentions don’t transform people automatically.

I’ve had my moments of doubting, wanting to trust the machinations of my mind more than the Bible, but thankfully God has carried me through them. There is no substitute for the assurance I currently have. Faith is a gift, (Ephesians 2:8-9) and I am eternally grateful for what God has given me. At the same time, I have experienced countless times that faith is almost like a muscle, in that it needs to be exercised in order to grow. As a rather mundane example, I try to let the Lord tell me when to change lanes when driving. When I am listening, things always go smoothly, but when I try to figure it out myself, I often get caught in traffic jams! The Lord gave me a high IQ in human terms, but compared to God, my IQ is zero! Trusting God is not the same thing as being gullible. The Holy Spirit is faithful to put me on the alert in times of various dangers. When He is talking I need to believe and act, without hesitation.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed exercise the faith You have given me, letting it extend into faithfulness, so that I may be a son and servant pleasing to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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