Salvation; April 17, 2025

Posted on April 18, 2025 by jgarrott

Luke 23:42-43 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom]”
 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Everything about Jesus’ life was intentional and important, and this little exchange carries deep meaning. It completely blows away all sorts of legalism about salvation. I have quoted it many times, to point out that the first person in heaven with Jesus had never been to church and was never baptized, never took communion or did any of the other things we expect of a Christian. That’s not to say that those things are bad by any means, but it is to say that we aren’t to put barriers in the way of people’s salvation. We are so quick to forget that what God desires of us is relationship, based on repentance and faith. This criminal had just publicly acknowledged that Jesus was sinless and he was not, and he asked to be remembered when Jesus came into His kingdom, thereby showing that he believed, appearances not withstanding, that Jesus was indeed the Messiah of God. That’s precisely what it takes to be saved, just as Paul later stated to the Romans. (Romans 10:9) Jesus hadn’t been raised yet, because He hadn’t died yet, but this man spoke in expectation of Jesus’ resurrection, and that is faith indeed. We are so easily distracted by so many things, when what God desires of us is a relationship based on obedient faith. We don’t have to have this man’s history to enjoy the same eternity he is enjoying even now!

Like Christmas, Easter coming every year can dull our appreciation of it. However, that doesn’t change its magnificence, its absolute importance. As a pastor, I can get caught up in all the functions of the season and simply wish it to be passed, when I should be renewing my gratitude for all that God has done for me in Christ. This is a magnificent opportunity to proclaim the reality of the salvation that is available for all mankind in Christ, and I am to make full use of it, focusing on my Lord who went through so much to provide it for us.

Father, at times I just shake my head at my own weak foolishness. Help me indeed rejoice in Christ Jesus my Lord, to the point that my joy draws others into repentance and faith for their own salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Sin; April 16, 2025

Posted on April 17, 2025 by jgarrott

John 19:11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

The discussion of “levels of sin” can be a slippery slope, because no sin is acceptable before God, but there are obviously differences. The problem comes in the fact that we tend to condemn others’ sins and make light of our own. In this particular case, the very men whom Jesus said were guilty of a greater sin than Pilate, who condemned Jesus to death, thought of themselves as approved by God because they were careful of the legalistic requirements of the Levitical Law. That shows how blind we can be! Likewise Paul, when he was busy persecuting the believers, thought he was being zealous for God. In his case God very mercifully brought him up short with a personal encounter, as recorded in Acts 9, but there have been similar situations throughout the 2000 years since then. Jesus Himself said, “The time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.” (John 16:2) We are not to excuse sin, but neither are we to run around pointing fingers. Rather, in all humility we are to repent of our own sins and be available to Christ in His work of destroying the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

I will never forget the moment when the Lord showed me the depth of my own sin of spiritual pride. At least I had better never forget it! Ever since that moment I have been “unshockable” in relation to other people’s sins. When I could be that way given all the advantages I had been given, I know that human beings are capable of unspeakable depravity. That said, Jesus’ cross was sufficient for it all. Anyone who turns from their sin in repentance and faith discovers forgiveness that shatters all our preconceptions. I was talking with a minister friend last night who recently baptized someone in their hospital bed two days before their physical death, and a few years ago I did the same. It is far better to turn to God in repentance when you are far younger, but it’s never too late! Cathy and I have a friend who has passed her 100th birthday, and just before Christmas she said “Yes” to Jesus being born in her heart. At this point she still has some confusion about it, but God is faithful, and we entrust her to Him. I am to seek to be God’s agent of grace to all I am with, no matter how they, or others, might judge their sins.

Father, thank You for reminding me of this. Thank You for the experience, many years ago, of being part of a congregation that voted to accept someone as a member, when that person had been won to faith while on death row, and was not able to be physically baptized before his execution. Thank You that Your grace is indeed sufficient for anything and everything we submit to You. Praise God!

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Moral Courage; April 15, 2025

Posted on April 16, 2025 by jgarrott

Luke 23:24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand.

Pilate is in a number of ways a pathetic figure. He was caught in circumstances beyond his control, and was too weak to stand for what he himself proclaimed was right. Luke, a Gentile, is very clear that though the Romans were the ones who actually nailed Jesus to the cross, it was the Jewish leaders who insisted on it. However, that’s no excuse for antisemitism. This is similar to the current situation in China. The current Chinese government is despicable, with a horrible track record, but that doesn’t mean that the average Chinese person is bad; they’ve just had horrible leaders for a couple of generations. It all comes back to the reality that mankind is created in the image of God, (Genesis 1:27) but is infected with the fatal disease of sin. We all have our good and admirable moments, but we also have twisted impulses to which we yield all too often. Physical courage is admirable, but moral courage is far more important. Moral courage was where Pilate was lacking, caught in a political vise between the Jewish leaders who hated Jesus, and the Roman empire, which demanded civil order so that taxes could be collected simply, and it looked like he was facing a riot. Our leaders today are often caught in similar dilemmas. They see what they feel would be best for the country, but their constituencies are sensitive to the short-term pain necessary for long-term gain, and in a democratic republic, they are always faced with compromise, the idea of what is possible. We need to pray for politicians! We need to pray for clarity as to what is right, and then above all, for moral courage to bring that about. Some politicians seem to be seeking and finding that, but many more are still in a moral fog. Only God’s truth can set them free, (John 8:32) so that’s what we need to pray for.

It’s easy to see how politicians are lacking in moral courage, but I’ve got to look at myself in the same light. As a pastor, at times I have failed to press ahead in how I felt God was leading, out of a fear of the reactions of the church members. And sometimes I’ve failed to be obedient simply because it seemed to be too much trouble! Last Sunday I preached on King Jesus, but I haven’t always kept Him as the absolute Monarch that He truly is. In my case, moral courage means total obedience to my Lord, and my record there is spotty. I need to keep my repentance up to date and make obedience to Him my absolute top priority, exercising the faith and moral courage that He provides so that I will do His will, and His alone.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how You are guiding and growing this part of the Body of Christ. May we all have the faith and courage to follow You joyfully, whatever the immediate consequences might seem to be, so that Your name may be acknowledged as holy and Your rule and reign be established as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Self Defense; April 14, 2025

Posted on April 15, 2025 by jgarrott

Matthew 27:14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

What is recorded in this verse is both remarkable and important. Self-defense is a very fundamental human characteristic and right, but Jesus deliberately did not use it, to Pilate’s amazement. Jesus didn’t commit suicide, but he was there to die, and He knew it better than anyone around Him. On another level, the charges against Him were so spurious and/or distorted as to not be fit to respond to. Every one of them was no more than a thinly disguised denial of God and His authority. We see and hear the same sort of thing around us all the time. The thing is, there is no real logic in such claims and denials, just feelings and emotions. William Faulkner very accurately called it “the sound and the fury.” When we encounter such opposition, to ourselves, to the Gospel, or to any element of God’s truth, we are to remember James’s words of wisdom: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) Resistance will most often be by speaking the truth in love, but sometimes it will be simply being silent, as Jesus was here. Like Jesus, we need to be totally assured of God’s power and eventual victory, whatever happens along the way. Often He will use us, so we need to keep His armor on, (Ephesians 6:13-17) but we must remember that the power, and the victory, are His, and not think it depends on us.

This is an area in which I am still growing. I still get defensive, and all too often I lash out. Yesterday was good training in that, as we had our annual church business meeting. The temptation to speak strongly was there, but the Lord enabled me to hold my tongue, and He did good things. Some of the meaningless chatter was irritating, but it passed, and will be forgotten. All of this shows me that I still have plenty of room to grow, but by God’s grace I am making progress, and I am grateful.

Father, thank You for yesterday and all it held. Thank You for Your plans for this church, and that You are leading us into them. Thank You likewise for Your plans for me, and that they too are good. This week is full of things I want to do or need to do or must do, and the weather forecast doesn’t look promising for some of it. Help me not be anxious about any of it, but flow with Your Spirit on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Repentance; April 13, 2025

Posted on April 14, 2025 by jgarrott

Luke 22:62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

The contrast between Peter and Judas is sharp. Judas, recognizing what he had done, tried to take responsibility, fix the situation, if you will, by killing himself. (Matthew 27:5) Peter knew he couldn’t fix anything, so he went out and wept bitterly. (The Japanese says, violently.) I would not want to be in the place of either one, but I know I am capable of it, and I want to stay on the side of Peter. Don Francisco has given us what I feel is probably a very accurate, and certainly anointed, word picture of how it was for Peter in his song, He Is Alive. It helps us identify with Peter’s utter emotional devastation. We have no recorded details of it, but Paul says that Jesus appeared personally to Peter after the resurrection, before He showed Himself to the other apostles. (1 Corinthians 15:5) What Don Francisco did was to take that tidbit of information and flesh it out, and it gives us a glorious picture of repentance and forgiveness. In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul contrasts, in a sense, Judas and Peter: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10) If we have no sorrow for what we have done, it’s hard to say we have repented. Just saying, “Oops there,” doesn’t cut it. We need to accept that we have violated God’s rules that are for our good, and genuinely be sorry for having done so. On the shore of Lake Galilee, after His resurrection, Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to declare his love for Him three times, directly corresponding to the three times Peter had denied knowing Him. (John 21:15-17) Jesus then let him know some of what he would suffer for being a disciple, and it was a full restoration of Peter to his position of leadership among the 12. Forgiveness is real and absolute, but it requires repentance.

This is an area I need to focus and meditate on more. There have been times when I have repented with genuine sorrow, but there have also been times when it was much more of an “Oops there,” and that has not been good. I’m not the best judge of my own repentance! And I am certainly not appointed as a “repentance inspector” for anyone else. I am to walk in humility, knowing that in myself I am totally unreliable, but that Christ is able to keep me firm. I have a sad track record of temper outbursts, and today being our annual church business meeting, I’ve got to be humble. I believe that God is wanting to take us into a much higher level as a church, and I certainly don’t want to get in the way. I can’t do it, but He can!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You also for my wise daughter, who is certainly looking out for my best interests. Help me indeed track down the suspicious charges on my debit card, and do what is appropriate. Repentance takes many forms! Thank You. Praise God!

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Submission to God; April 12, 2025

Posted on April 13, 2025 by jgarrott

Matthew 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

This is one of the most famous recorded prayers in history, but we don’t let its implications seep into us deeply enough. Jesus was not a passive victim in His suffering; He went through it in very active submission to His Father. Part of His suffering was that He knew what was coming. I’m reminded of a video I’ve seen of the last person executed by guillotine in France, and how he looked being brought out of the building to where the guillotine was set up. In his case, death was quick and relatively painless, but what Jesus faced was the opposite. Man’s inhumanity to man indeed knows no bounds! The point is, Jesus chose to go through with it in order to fulfill the Father’s plan of salvation for mankind. We balk at much less suffering! However, this is what Jesus was talking about not long before He prayed this prayer: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) At this point, He needed a taste of His own medicine! We go through all sorts of things, but Jesus has gone through worse, and He is able to carry us through whatever we encounter.

This is very timely, not only because of the season of the year but because of the stress I’ve been going through in relation to tomorrow’s church business meeting. It is a gentle reminder that a business meeting is no comparison to a crucifixion! The stresses on me at this point are all minor, from an objective standpoint, but they add up, and my flesh wants to escape! It’s been many years now since the Lord told me to rest, relax, and rejoice, but I keep demonstrating that I don’t do that very well. It’s amusing to remember all the things I’ve told others, and need to apply them to myself. Just as Jesus needed to remember what He had told the disciples in the Upper Room, I need to remember to take my eyes off of myself and fix them on Jesus, just as it says in Hebrews 12. When He went through all that for me, I’m a total wimp if I run from anything He leads me to. Yes, in myself I am quite powerless, but as Paul discovered, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) God has good plans for me and for this church. I am to rest, relax, and rejoice to participate in those plans and see them come to pass, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. That I was dreaming about it shows the level of stress I’ve accepted. Help me be active in my submission to You, just as Jesus was, so that I may be fully useful to You in what You want to do in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Love of God; April 11, 2025

Posted on April 12, 2025 by jgarrott

John 17:26 “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

This High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, just before His horrible time of suffering, should absolutely blow us out of the water. It calls for meditation, humility, gratitude, and commitment. That the Son of God, the One through whom we were created, would care this much and in this way about us is absolutely incredible. I believe the Holy Spirit gave John perfect recall in recording this, and indeed, the whole Upper Room Discourse, because it needed to be preserved for believers down through the centuries, and human imagination would never have come up with it. There is a song that some would consider “cheesy,” but it touches on a profound truth: “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen of men can tell.” We are not currently capable of grasping that love in totality, but that doesn’t mean we can’t experience it, enjoy it, and share it. After all, Jesus prayed that love would be in us, and He Himself in us! The question becomes the degree to which we open ourselves to that love, to allow that love to cleanse and shape and empower us. That love isn’t weak or in any way impure, so it is never an excuse for unrighteousness. It is, oddly enough, the basis for God’s judgment of the world, which doesn’t fit in with our usual understanding of love at all. It is perfectly holy and perfectly self-sacrificial, as Jesus demonstrated in the hours after He prayed this prayer. We need to ask and allow the Holy Spirit to work it into and through us, not just for our benefit but so that it will accomplish all that God intends, for His glory.

I knew when I was drawing up this Scripture reading list that I was operating under the anointing of the Spirit, and using it day by day has certainly confirmed that. I couldn’t say how many times I’ve read these words, but they are burning in me with a fresh intensity, and I am deeply grateful. I seek to be a channel of God’s love, and my failures in this area bother me deeply. I am very aware that our definitions and categories of love are inadequate, even using New Testament Greek. There is currently friction between me and a brother whom I care about deeply, and I don’t know how to heal the current wound. The Lord just gave me a surprising illustration on this very point. I was distracted from my thought patterns by how dirty my keyboard was, so I unplugged it from the computer and whacked it, upside down, against my hand. I got an amazing amount of junk out of it! Sometimes God’s love involves unplugging us, turning us upside down, and whacking us! That doesn’t fit any of our conventional ideas of love, but it is “maintenance” and correction we certainly need. I fear being “unplugged” from God, and I certainly don’t relish being “turned upside down and whacked,” but I know I can trust God to do to me, and for me, what I need, so I’m not to be anxious about anything. His love is big enough to handle anything!

Father, thank You for yesterday and all it held. Thank You for Your protection during that incredible cloudburst while I was driving home. Thank You for Your anointing in the fellowship we had. Thank You for Your plans for today. I pray that we would flow with Your Spirit on Your schedule each moment, so that Your purposes may be accomplished for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Giving God Glory; April 10, 2025

Posted on April 11, 2025 by jgarrott

John 17:4 “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.”

This answers the very fundamental question of how do we give glory to God? Yes, singing His praises is good and important, but even more fundamental is simply doing the work He gives us to do. If we claim to belong to Him, but fail to do what He says to do, we are cheapening His name to those around us. Jesus perfectly glorified the Father because He perfectly fulfilled all that the Father gave Him to do. We certainly don’t have the same commission as Jesus, but we too can give glory to God by our obedience. That will look different for each believer, because we each have a different job description, just as Paul expounded on in 1 Corinthians 12, but if the faithfulness is there, God will be glorified. It doesn’t matter at all if our job is or is not something the world might recognize as “great.” Some of Jesus’ highest words of praise were for a woman who simply gave Him her all, in the form of a jar of perfume. (Matthew 26:6-13) Frankly, we aren’t good judges of our own deeds. That’s why Paul said, “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” (1 Corinthians 4:3-4) However, we are to be seeking the Lord for what He wants us to do each moment, and apply ourselves fully to it as an offering to Him.

This is something that I frankly haven’t thought about very deeply. I do desire to do God’s will on His schedule, but I haven’t thought about it very much in terms of glory. Maybe I need to! I do know that I have the greatest joy and satisfaction when I am aware that I am in the flow of His Spirit. That’s one of the things that gives me anticipation for heaven, because I know that there I will constantly be in that flow, and I can hardly imagine it! The glory of this world is fleeting and unimportant, but it can still be distracting. I am to indeed seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, doing all He tells me to do in the way He tells me to do it, knowing that as I give Him glory in that way, His glory will be reflected back on me, and that is a higher honor than anything this world can bestow.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for causing me to pause my devotions at the beginning and write an apology to a brother I offended, That too is doing Your will! Thank You that I just passed my kidney stone! It’s exciting, not only that I passed it but also that I was able to collect it so simply, to be able to take it to the doctor for analysis. I feel somewhat giddy on that issue! Help me be a good steward on every level of this body You have given me, so that it will be fully available for whatever You want me to do, for Your glory indeed. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Loving Care; April 9, 2025

Posted on April 10, 2025 by jgarrott

John 16:26-27 In that day you will ask in my name. 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.

This directly counters the sadly widespread practice of praying to Mary or various saints, for whatever reason. That practice actually betrays a small concept of God, that He can’t be bothered with all our little prayers. That’s a lie of the devil! Interestingly, it is as we have developed more and more powerful computers that this becomes easier to understand. Current supercomputers can handle an incredible number of diverse inputs, and with parallel processing can deal with each one with speed. Quantum computers, long posited but now coming into reality, can do that with exponentially greater speed. The God who created the universe is greater than all of that put together, so He has no problem hearing each individual prayer, caring about it, and responding with perfect wisdom, love, and holiness. It’s the ultimate in “parallel processing!” He cares about all of mankind, but that doesn’t preclude Him caring about each individual. We can’t do that to anything like that degree, so we have trouble believing that He can. We need to stop casting God in our image, and understand that in His incredible grace and mercy He made us just a little bit like Him. (Genesis 1:27. Incidentally, that verse is the biggest reason the devil is trying to convince people there are more than two genders, because he wants to deny this fundamental fact of creation.) One of the multiple, incredible miracles of Jesus’ ministry was that He opened the way for our direct communion with the Father. It’s all because of Jesus, and it is indeed through Him, but the Father loves us and hears us directly, as Jesus proclaims here.

I have never been one for very formal prayers. I actually think those who switch into “King James English” when they pray don’t have a very close relationship with the One to whom they are praying! I have long been convinced that God hears everything I think, not to mention speak, even if it’s not directly aimed at Him. One of the few times I have heard Him speak in what seemed like an audible voice illustrates that. I was lying in bed, not praying but just thinking, “There are so many things I wish were different.” As clear as it could possibly have been, I “heard” Him say to me, “How do you think I feel?” That not only blew me out of the water, it convinced me of two very important truths. The first is that God’s gift of free will to mankind has produced a lot of “collateral damage” that isn’t pleasing to Him, but that He has a final solution to it all, as expressed in Revelation. The second is that God is indeed aware of us at every moment, and He cares. I was a small child when I was first introduced to 1 Peter 5:7, that I learned (in a mix-mash of translations) as “Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.” The sad thing was that adults seemed to think that was a verse just for children, that they had to work things out for themselves. I have learned that nothing could be further from the truth, and I am eternally grateful.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the blessed time we had yesterday with our close friend who has returned to Japan after 30 years away. I do pray Your abundant blessings and anointing on him and his ministry, and on our relationship, so that the Body of Christ may be built up in this nation indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Ears to Hear; April 8, 2025

Posted on April 9, 2025 by jgarrott

John 16:12-13 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

Jesus’ disciples had been with Him for over three years, but they still hadn’t seen Him resurrected, so their faith wasn’t at the point where He could tell them everything. Genuine faith grows, particularly when it is exercised. We should always seek to be growing, but we shouldn’t put ourselves or others down for spiritual immaturity. At this point the disciples didn’t have what today we would define as “saving faith.” Paul defines that as “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Anyone who meets that simplest of criteria is a Christian, however ignorant, immature, or misguided they might be otherwise. Since in their experience Jesus hadn’t been crucified, buried, and resurrected yet, the disciples didn’t yet have saving faith. However, Jesus knew that day would come, so He promised the Holy Spirit to fill them in on all the things they weren’t yet ready to hear. We too need to be eager to hear whatever the Spirit says to us, listening with all humility and the faith that God gives us. Frankly, there are things that if we are told too much too soon, we might balk and even run away. We need to operate in the revelation we have been given, exercising the faith we have been given, and ask the Lord to show us what we need to know when we need to know it, not insisting on knowing it ahead of time.

There have been various things in my life that, had I known about them ahead of time, I would have balked. However, God in His mercy brought me to them and through them, growing me in the process. I have had to learn that I have no monopoly on maturity or insight, and listen carefully to what the Lord says to me through my brothers and sisters in faith. As a pastor/teacher I am tasked with sharing the insight I have been given. I am to pray for my hearers, but not put them down if they can’t seem to grasp what is being said. After all, there was a time when I couldn’t have grasped what I tell people sometimes! I am never to get puffed up over “superior revelation,” but rather recognize the Lord’s grace in revealing things to me and ask Him to pour that grace out on my hearers. The Holy Spirit is more than able to handle the job!

Father, thank You for this reminder. You bring me in contact with a wide variety of people. Today I will be with someone of great spiritual maturity, and tomorrow with someone who doesn’t yet have even saving faith. Help me be a channel of Your love and grace to both, receiving through them what You want to say to me as well, so that Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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