God’s Plans; December 11, 2025

Posted on December 12, 2025 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 31:6 “There will be a day when watchmen cry out
    on the hills of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
    to the Lord our God.’”

This was a pretty shocking prophecy at the time, for two reasons. The first was that Jeremiah was in the Jerusalem area, and the nation had been split for many years. People couldn’t imagine that those from the Northern Kingdom would be enthused about going to Zion, which is in Jerusalem, to worship. The second is that at this point, the Northern Kingdom had been conquered by Assyria and taken away in exile! Just who is the Lord talking about here, anyway? That would have been the reaction of Jeremiah’s hearers. Sometimes God’s plans are so far out of our imaginations, much less expectations, that we can’t grasp that they are real. We all have our frame of reference, and things that don’t fit into that don’t really register. If we think about it, many things about daily life today were science fiction not so many years ago, even within our lifetimes, yet we accept them unquestioningly. When human effort and ingenuity can make such changes in such a short time, why do we have such trouble accepting that God can do even greater things? We need to read the Bible with open hearts and minds, believing that everything in it will come to pass in God’s timing.

It was over 30 years ago that I was in a prayer time with one of the believers in this church, and the Lord said, very clearly, “Don’t be surprised at what surprises others. Expect great things of me.” I honestly don’t remember which of us spoke that out, but that doesn’t matter, because it was clearly the Lord. I feel like I’m ready for that on the macro scale, but when it comes to the details, I still get hung up. I’ve got to keep remembering that I can’t make anything happen on my own, but God can do anything at all, even using me. I think the cold from which I’m currently recovering was a reminder of my personal weakness, after the glorious anointing at the seminar on the 1st and 2nd. Thorns in the flesh have their uses! I’m not to plot out what I am going to do, but I am to be fully open and receptive to whatever God is doing, whatever my part in that might be. I’m at the point in life when quiet is nice, but I’m not to turn away from anything the Lord asks of me. His plans are perfect, and I’m to rest in peace at that assurance.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how You have set the stage for what You are going to do next. I don’t know what it all is, but help me be fully committed and available to You, so that Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Righteousness; December 10, 2025

Posted on December 11, 2025 by jgarrott

Jeremiah 23:6 In his days Judah will be saved
    and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
    The Lord Our Righteous Savior.

I have to start by saying that the latest NIV translation is unfortunate here. I’m sure they expressed it this way out of a desire to “make it easier to understand,” but that is glossing over one of the main points: we have no righteousness apart from Christ! We have such trouble getting this through our minds and hearts! We have such a desire to take credit for our own salvation, to take pride in our own righteousness, ignoring the reality that we can never save ourselves, we can never be righteous enough in ourselves. Our salvation is by faith in the only truly righteous One. (Ephesians 2:8-9) It is only in Christ that we become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) This whole concept of salvation through the righteousness of another is so revolutionary that the Jodo denomination of Japanese Buddhism borrowed it whole, calling it “The Principle of the Strength of Another.” That makes me wonder if we won’t see a few Buddhists in heaven! However, that is skating on thin ice indeed. As Jesus said, no one comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6) The glory of the Gospel is that all who do enter by repentance and faith in Christ are saved, for all eternity. What we do after that commitment does make a difference, as Paul explained to the Corinthians. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15) Some people will barely make it in, but if their trust is in Jesus, they will make it. A far wiser course is to operate in the righteousness God has provided in Christ, experiencing fellowship with Him even here and now, anticipating the glory of full union with Him in heaven.

I see people who claim to be Christians, yet their priorities are all firmly in this world. What a waste! Christ is indeed our righteousness, and I want to appropriate as much of that as possible even in this life. My righteousness certainly isn’t perfect. I identify with Romans 7 all too well! However, God is growing me and purifying me in all sorts of ways, and I am deeply grateful. This physical mess that started last Saturday isn’t fun, but I know that God has His purposes in allowing it, so I thank Him. I need to cooperate with the healing and health He has for me, and not be complaining about how rotten I feel! He has things for me to do today, and I need to let His strength carry me through. He can use me however I’m feeling, because as He told Paul, His strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I will need to be free of symptoms if I am to participate in our concerts at the nursing home this coming Sunday, but that’s His business. I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him!

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for this infection that drives it home. Help me be ever more effective in sharing the good news of Your grace, Your righteousness, with all, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Salvation; December 9, 2025

Posted on December 10, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 62:11 The Lord has made proclamation
    to the ends of the earth:
“Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your Savior comes!
See, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense accompanies him.’”

What jumps out at me about this verse is that salvation is a person. (The NIV dilutes that, by saying “Savior” instead of “salvation.”) That was gloriously fulfilled in Yeshua, which name we render as Jesus, because as Matthew says, it means “Yahweh is salvation.” (Matthew 1:21) He doesn’t just bring or give salvation, He is salvation. When you receive Him into your heart as Lord, you receive the salvation of God, and nothing beats that! That’s why the whole Gospel is wrapped up in the person of Jesus. As Paul said, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2) We tend to confuse the Gospel with all sorts of stuff. Some of it is real, and even very good, but the primary thing is Jesus, our Savior, and anything less is badly diluting the message. When John encountered Christ in His glory, he had no words at all, and indeed, passed out. (Revelation 1:17) We need to get back to the basics; God who loves us so much He became a human being and died to take the penalty for our sins, being raised on the third day to prove that it was real. His salvation includes an infinite catalog of other good things, but if we place those first, we lose the whole point. We can rejoice in all sorts of things, but we need to remember to rejoice in the Lord. He Himself is our salvation, and not any of the good things He gives us on top of that.

I don’t know when the awareness of this truth really penetrated my mind and heart, but it’s been quite a while. Even so, I am often less than effective as an evangelist because I say too much. There is so much good stuff in Christ, but those things quickly become distractions if we don’t lay down the foundation of repentance and faith. That’s why the “Prosperity Gospel” is such a problem. It’s not that the things they say aren’t true, it’s that they are secondary at best. We want a “gospel” that doesn’t require repentance and holiness, and it doesn’t exist. I need to get back to saying, “God loves you enough to die for you, but you’ve got to let go of everything else to receive Him.” If I will do that, He will work through me to bring people to repentance and faith, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this clear reminder. Thank You for the people to whom You have me ministering right now. I pray that You would give them an awareness of their need of salvation, so that the Gospel will be good news to them indeed, and they receive the salvation You so graciously offer them. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Light; December 8, 2025

Posted on December 9, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 60:2 See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.

This world can be a pretty dark place, but that doesn’t apply for God’s people. As Jesus said, we are in the world but not of the world. (John 17:15-16) The problem is, we can be distressed and depressed by all the darkness around us, and so fail to recognize and appreciate the light we have been given. Mature faith recognizes the reality of the world around us, but at the same time knows that God’s reality is above and beyond everything in the world. That can be hard to remember when we’ve just had an accident, or are sick, or even have experienced a tragedy, but it’s still true. Circumstances and events in this world are never the final answer! Actually, the better we recognize this, the more we will enjoy our time here. When that’s the case, Peter’s words about people asking us to explain the hope that we have are very appropriate indeed. (1 Peter 3:15) This also applies to Jesus’ instructions to let our light shine. (Matthew 5:16) It actually isn’t our light, but the light of God that is in us, and the darker things get around us, the brighter it will seem. The devil hates and fears this reality, so he tries to convince us we have no light, but he’s a liar as always. There is so much about light throughout the Bible that I could go on for hours, but the major thing to remember is that we have light, but it’s not ours, but God’s. We are to welcome and be grateful for the light He gives us, and know that there’s always more.

This is a very timely Word, because at the moment I have a cold, and physically speaking I’m relatively miserable. However, though the symptoms started on Saturday, the Lord gave me a bit of a reprieve yesterday and enabled me to do everything I needed to, so I’m grateful. My point today is to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, just as He has told me to do, and allow Him to work through my circumstances to grow me and bless those around me. After all, Romans 8:28 doesn’t have any exceptions! This is a reminder that I’m not to try to make it through the season in my own strength, but He will enable me to do everything He has for me to do. His light hasn’t dimmed because I feel bad physically!

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for this cold with which You’re driving the point home. I ask for clear guidance as to how I’m to cooperate with Your healing and health for me, so that none of the devil’s plans may succeed, and so that the Body of Christ may be built up. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Atonement; December 7, 2025

Posted on December 8, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.

The last line of this verse is often quoted, particularly since Peter did so in his first letter, (1 Peter 2:24) but we need to pay attention to the first part of the verse, too. As the next verse says, we have all sinned and wandered away from God. In His perfect holiness, God could not just excuse that; it had to be paid for. That is the meaning and miracle of the cross. That God would lay the punishment for our sins on His only Son is the most mind-blowing reality of all time and eternity. It is no surprise that Revelation tells us that in heaven we will be singing, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain!” (Revelation 5:12) All the goodness and grace of God is poured out through that incredible gift of atonement, that we couldn’t begin to deserve. The better we grasp this, the more we will rejoice, whatever our circumstances or our physical condition.

This is very timely, because at the moment I feel pretty miserable, physically speaking. I was worried about getting through the day yesterday, with a wedding and a group of visitors (whom I had forgotten were coming), but my symptoms were sufficiently under control for all of that, and I’m grateful. I was awakened in the night by the pain in my throat, but we have some phenol spray that toned that down sufficiently for me to go back to sleep, all the way to my usual time of getting up. I won’t be making the rounds of the churches physically this morning, but I’ve already done it in prayer, lying in bed before my wife woke up. This morning I am both worship leader and speaker, but the Lord will carry me through that as well. This will be an opportunity to let the believers take more responsibility, adding the shepherds and sheep to our outdoor manger scene after the service. It will also be further training in rejoicing in my own weakness, so that God’s strength may be manifested. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) The fact that I tend to get so worn out at Christmas is proof that I have plenty of room to grow in that area! I’m grateful that this hasn’t come next week, when we’ll be singing concerts at a nursing home, or the following week, when we’ll be Christmas caroling in this area. The Lord has told me to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, and I’m still learning how to do that.

Father, words aren’t sufficient to thank You for the atonement You provided through Your Son. May every facet of my life be an expression of gratitude and loving obedience, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Omnipotence; December 6, 2025

Posted on December 7, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 49:6 He says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
    to restore the tribes of Jacob
    and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
    that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

This is in many ways an astounding statement. The fact that it is astounding shows that our perception of God is far too small. We use the word, omnipotent, but we have no emotional grasp of what it means. Jeremiah said to God that nothing was too hard for Him, but he was doubting even as he said it. (Jeremiah 32:17) God had to come back with affirming that his words were true, even if he didn’t really believe them. (Jeremiah 32:27) Here, the idea of reclaiming all of Israel seems extremely difficult, but in keeping with how God had dealt with them in the past. However, God goes on to say that the Savior He would provide would be for all nations, to the end of the earth. That’s where we lose the train of thought. How could that be? God had chosen Abraham and his descendants and had worked with them for hundreds of years, but now He says that His salvation isn’t limited to them, but is for all mankind. That blows our minds! I really like Bill Whittle’s expression of “mental horsepower,” and how we don’t have enough of it. We cannot really grasp the greatness of God, how His love and grace could be so magnificent, yet without violating His holiness and justice. That’s why it’s by faith. When we insist on understanding it all, we are insisting on control, and that excludes us from the start. That’s why Jesus repeatedly said that we must become like little children, accepting what Daddy tells them, all the while knowing they can’t understand it. We have to accept what Paul said: “For 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) That’s why, whatever happens in our life or in the world, we need to say, and believe, “God’s got this.” The God who created the universe actually cares about each one of us, and that’s perhaps the greatest miracle of all.

I think I’ve always had a better handle on the omnipotence of God than most people, but that certainly doesn’t mean that my understanding is complete. That would be a logical impossibility. I too have to operate in faith, and, like the father of the epileptic boy, cry out, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) He has been growing my faith over the years, and I’m grateful. However, I do pray, as the hymn, It is Well with my Soul says, “O Lord, haste the day when my faith becomes sight.” In the meantime, I have to keep trusting, and walking in grateful obedience.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that You are indeed omnipotent, and omniscient and all the rest, not just some human imaginary construct, like the gods of other religions. Help me receive all that You want to show me and tell me and act accordingly, so that I may be a useful servant in Your hands, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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New Things; December 5, 2025

Posted on December 6, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 43:19 See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.

This is a famous verse, included in numbers of songs, but how much do we believe it? We tend to be like Solomon, thinking that everything will keep on going on like it always has. It is true that God Himself doesn’t change, (Malachi 3:6 and several more) but the things He does are often new to us. Just within the last year or two Saudi Arabia had so much rain in a short time that they not only had literal rivers in the desert, they had flash floods! As Don Moen memorably wrote, “God Will Make a Way.” That’s one of the songs that reference this verse. We are never to think that things can’t change in our circumstances, in what we experience. We are to be listening to Him with obedient hearts, not hanging onto how things have always been, but understanding that when He spoke the universe into being, creating something new is no problem for Him. Humility and gratitude are key to recognizing what He is doing and getting with His program. That’s not to say we are to always jump on “the latest thing,” particularly theologically. The devil is very adept at tempting us with “shiny objects.” However, firmly grounded in Christ and His Word, we are to be ready for whatever He brings our way, for His glory.

I have certainly had my times of being distracted by new things, but at my current age I tend to be happier with the old and familiar – since I myself fit into that category! This is a Word that I specifically have to pay attention to, because the Lord has indicated in various ways that He has planned changes in my life. Interpreting for the conference this week was a huge blessing, and was definitely not something I’ve been asked to do very much. I can’t say what all else He has planned, but I’m to be flexible and obedient, open to the unfamiliar, trusting My Lord to have an excellent plan. If I will do that, He will work His will through me and it will build up the Body of Christ, I will be blessed, and He will be glorified.

Father, thank You for this Word. Thank You for the various hints You’ve been giving us that You have new things in the offing. Help me be fully and properly prepared, and fully obedient to You, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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Witnesses; December 4, 2025

Posted on December 5, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 43:10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.”

Some people insist that you show them “proof of God.” I recently saw a video of someone stating two over-arching proofs, one external and the other internal. The external proof is the complexity of the universe. The probability that all of this could have come about by chance is essentially infinitely small. Even Darwin said that if biological cells would be found to be complex, his theory of evolution would fall apart. We now know that cells are incredibly complex, to the point that the study of cellular biology is a major scientific field. The internal proof is the human moral sense, our conscience, if you will. There is no “evolutionary advantage” to kindness, for example. We have an intrinsic awareness of right and wrong, and the only logical explanation for it is that that’s how we were created. If we were created, there must be a Creator. Those who rebel against that idea don’t want to be accountable to anyone or anything, but their own heart tells them that’s wrong. The question then becomes, what kind of Creator is He? That’s where this verse comes in. We know the character of God from various empirical things, but other than direct revelation through fellowship with Him, we know Him by His servants, those who are in relationship with Him. That’s called being witnesses. Jesus famously told us that as His disciples we are His witnesses, (Acts 1:8) but in a sense, He was just restating what is said here. An important question for every Christian is, what kind of God do people postulate from watching you, who claim to know Him? If that doesn’t give you pause, you aren’t being honest with yourself!

This is a question I have been faced with all my life, growing up in a missionary family in Japan, which is certainly not culturally Christian. I’ve come to realize that spiritual growth is a matter of coming to represent Christ more and more accurately. We are His witnesses whether we like it or not, and we certainly don’t want to hear Him say, “Depart from me. I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:23) I have noticed that people seem to enjoy Cathy and me, and that’s a really good sign. Clerks in stores we frequent seem to brighten up when we walk in, and that makes me very happy. My personal struggle is that I don’t want people just to like me, I want them to love my Lord, who is the Source of everything good in me. I’ve got plenty of not-so-good things in me that are my own responsibility, so if they see good stuff, it’s Him. I’m reminded of Francis of Assisi’s famous directive: “Preach constantly. When necessary, use words.” I want my life to be an accurate representation of my Lord, who loved me enough to die for me.

Father, thank You for this powerful Word. Guide me in laying out a logical outline so that I will be able to share it effectively on Sunday, drawing all the believers to be better witnesses for You, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Blindness; December 3, 2025

Posted on December 4, 2025 by jgarrott

Isaiah 42:16 “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
    along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
    and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
    I will not forsake them.”

What a beautiful promise! The thing is, it’s not just talking about the physically blind but about the spiritually blind, and that includes most of mankind. The problem is that the blind in particular like familiar paths, ones they can navigate from muscle memory, and God is talking about unfamiliar paths. He does promise light in the darkness, but that is later on. The first steps in particular call for faith, and that is where too many falter. We have to know we are being led, and trust the One leading us. The thing is, once we start following Him, we start seeing the light, on various levels. That’s when it gets exciting, and our steps become firmer. It is a glorious thing for someone who has been physically blind to have medical treatment that restores their sight, and it is even more glorious for the spiritually blind to be given spiritual sight. This is where the story of Jesus healing the man born blind, in John 9, is so telling. The climax of that comes at the end of the chapter, where the Pharisees confront Jesus about this miracle. “Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.’” The claim to see when we actually can’t is dangerous indeed! None of us sees perfectly in this world, but the more we look to Jesus, the better we can see everything else.

This hits very close to home, because there was a time in my life when I thought I could see, and everyone else was blind. How incredibly stupid of me! Even now I have to remind myself of that very true statement by C. S. Lewis, that when we get to heaven, everyone will discover they were wrong somewhere. I am to rejoice in the light, the spiritual vision I have been given, but never think I have all the answers. I am to walk in humility and obedience, encouraging others to follow me as I follow Christ, (1 Corinthians 11:1) all the while praying that they will follow Him better than I do. I am to receive light from those who have it, and particularly those portions of the light that I haven’t yet recognized. I’m still partially color blind! However, I’m to take comfort in the fact that “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

Father, thank You for this Word. Thank You for the conference over the past two days, and for the privilege of interpreting for it. Thank You for Your anointing as I did that. Thank You also for the fresh light You gave me even as I was interpreting it! May I indeed walk in all the light You give me, doing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Foreknowledge; December 2, 2025

Posted on December 3, 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.”

God does let us know some things ahead of time, and the fact that He can do that is one of the many proofs that He is indeed God. However, there are many risks to that. One is that some of the things He tells us are conditional, such as what He told Jonah about Ninevah. They repented, so He didn’t do what He had said. In that way, some of the things He tells us are warnings: if you don’t straighten up, this will happen. And of course, the devil is always a liar, and he talks to us too. “Fortune tellers” exist in almost every culture, because we have quite a thirst to know the future, but seeking such always opens us up to deception and worse. This isn’t the same as seeing trends and making forecasts; that is applicable for a wide variety of things, from the weather to the stock market, but there is a high variability in accuracy there. God alone absolutely knows the future, and we need to be comfortable with that. We are to pay attention when He shows us things, either through the Bible or otherwise, but we aren’t to be demanding advance knowledge of things, but rather trust Him to have good plans and bring them about.

This is an area where I don’t think I’ve been terribly tempted, and I’m grateful. I find Revelation to be more reassuring than scary, in contrast to a number of people I’ve run into. I know I’m on the winning side, whatever happens in the meantime! There are a number of things in my life I might have done differently had I known more, or paid attention more, in advance, but God has used even my mistakes to grow me and bless me in various ways. Right now, I’m inconvenienced by the fact that I left my Bible at the church yesterday, so I had to get my wife to tell me what today’s reading was, but this is a strong reminder that I need to install the cloud service I use on this computer, since I have the relevant file there. It is also a reminder that in this day and age I don’t necessarily need to carry my printed Bible around. If I’m preaching, it is a major convenience, since it is bilingual, but otherwise, electronic forms are convenient. At the same time, I don’t want to be totally dependent on technology. The point, always, is to be humbly submitted to my Lord, listen carefully to what He tells me, and act in full gratitude and obedience.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for what You’re teaching me day by day. Thank You for my misstep in driving yesterday, that led me to an inexpensive place to buy gasoline before the trip home today. Thank You for Your beautiful anointing in the interpreting yesterday, just as we had prayed. I ask for your anointing again today. May I not be presumptive or puffed up, but humbly allow You to use me to build up the Body of Christ, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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