The Fear of the Lord; March 29, 2025

Posted on March 31, 2025 by jgarrott

Hebrews 10:31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

This is a famous Scripture, largely because it was the foundation for a famous sermon by Jonathan Edwards which triggered the revival in North America called The Great Awakening. From our perspective we can see that God used it to prepare the people for the Revolutionary War, but at the time it was simply a mass repentance and turning to God. Contemporary records indicate that Edwards read his sermon from the elevated pulpit of his Congregational church very unemotionally, but the Holy Spirit took his words and pierced the hearts of his hearers, generating such fear that some literally clung to the posts that held up the balcony, fearful to fall into hell. That shows a number of things. The first is that God doesn’t need “special effects” to get His message into people’s hearts. All the lights and smoke machines and such that are found in some churches are humanistic manipulation. The second is that the people had no real Scriptural foundation for their faith, whatever that faith might have been. Clinging to something physically won’t keep you from hell! Sadly, a huge percentage of church members today are in the same situation, without a genuinely Biblical world view and therefore with unbiblical beliefs and practices in their lives. Third is that God’s grace and mercy don’t always seem gentle! Failing to speak truth because we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings is not accurately representing Christ. We are indeed to speak the truth in love, but doing so faithfully will doubtless get us accused of being unloving! For example, “affirming” someone’s gender confusion is horribly unloving, but is called the opposite by people who don’t have a Biblical world view. American society, and modern society in general, has largely lost the fear of God, and that is a dangerous thing indeed. It is clearly the source of the idiocy that is so publicly proclaimed by many. As it says so clearly in Proverbs, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)

For many years I thought I was in some way related to Jonathan Edwards, but My Heritage hasn’t come up with any connection that I’ve seen. I seem to be related to at least one president, not to mention the Plantagenet kings of England, but not Edwards. I would consider that the higher honor! All that aside, my own relationship to the fear of the Lord has certainly had its ups and downs. I was raised to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, (Mark 12:30) but I didn’t really understand what fear had to do with it. In the years since I have come to know that fear is an essential part of discipline, so if I don’t fear God I won’t respond rightly to the discipline He applies in love. I was too focused on 1 John 4:18, ignoring Hebrews 12:7-11. I’m reminded of something Dennis Prager reports. In his decades of doing talk radio, he asked many people who had never done drugs why they hadn’t, and the reply was always the same: “My mother would have killed me.” If we fail to fear God’s wrath, we will be open to countless deceptions of the devil. I am to proclaim God’s grace and love, certainly, but always in the framework of His holiness and omnipotence. This verse, so effectively used by Jonathan Edwards, should never be forgotten.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me follow through in all my interactions so that people will be given the opportunity to repent and believe for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Sacrifice for Sin; March 28, 2025

Posted on March 29, 2025 by jgarrott

Hebrews 10:18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

Hebrews is an extremely logical book/letter. This chapter clearly explains why the temple sacrificial system is no longer needed, but there are still people who try to atone for their own sins before God, when those sins are actually already dealt with by Christ on the cross. This is why salvation is by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9 and several other passages) We have to believe that Jesus died for our own sins for His sacrifice to be effective for us, but if we do believe that in repentance, then those sins are wiped away as if they never happened. Where it gets tricky is that we sin again, so we need to keep our repentance up to date. That said, we aren’t to be neurotically picking at ourselves for things of which to repent. We need to learn from Paul: “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” (1 Corinthians 4:4-5) We are to be open to the Holy Spirit for whatever He tells us we need to get rid of, and be quickly obedient when He does, but that doesn’t mean always being introspective. It’s no accident that “satan” means “accuser.” He will accuse us of stuff whether or not it is sin, and particularly whether or not we’ve already repented of it. That’s one of the ways we must resist him. (James 4:7) As Peter pointed out, forgetting that we have been forgiven is a horrible trap. (2 Peter 1:9) We’ve got to remember that Christ’s atonement for sin is total, eternal, and final, and walk in obedient gratitude.

Of course, this applies to me as much as it does to anyone. The Lord used 2 Peter 1:9 to liberate me from a besetting sin, because the more I dwelt on what I had done, the more likely I was to do it again. Realizing I was cleansed helped me realize I was under absolutely no obligation to do that sin again. That’s not to say that my weakness in that area was eliminated with a stroke, but it broke the bondage, and in the years since I have been greatly strengthened in that very area. In ministering to Japanese I have a double-edged problem. In the first place, because linguistically they conflate “sin” with “crime,” it is hard for them to realize they are sinners. In the second place, they have a very weak understanding of forgiveness, because again linguistically they conflate forgiveness with permission. God doesn’t give us permission to commit sins, but He does forgive them! I have to show people first of all that they are sinners, and then that Jesus died to remove their sins. I can’t do that on my own! However, the Holy Spirit is more than able to do it, so I am to stay open and obedient to Him at all times, so that He may work through me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s such a huge, vitally important subject. May I walk fully in the atonement of Christ and extend it to all to whom I minister, so that many may repent and believe for their salvation, and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Assurance; March 27, 2025

Posted on March 28, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

This chapter has many justly famous verses, perhaps most notably 16-18, but I really like these two as well, probably because of a musical setting for them in Japanese that I learned several years ago. The translation used for that was slightly different, and when I translated it into English I had to pad it out to match the music, but it is certainly a helpful, encouraging passage, and music is a wonderful memory aid. Sometimes we get really discouraged at our own lack of spiritual maturity and/or progress, and this speaks directly to that. We aren’t particularly faithful, but Jesus is! We would have run away long before Gethsemane, but Jesus didn’t, and so we can anchor our faith in Him. It’s not at all that we aren’t to try to be faithful in all things, but it is a reminder that though we can’t get it all right, Jesus can and He has already accomplished it in eternity.

I’m reminded of what the Lord told me personally several years ago: rest, relax, rejoice. The world is full of conflict of various kinds, much of it internal. As the hymn, Just As I Am says, “fightings within and fears without.” We won’t be completely free of it all until we stand before the Throne, but even right now we can be assured of victory, because our Lord conquered all on the cross. (Romans 8:37) I’m not to be careless or presumptuous, but neither am I to be afraid, even of my own weakness. After all, I’m not to depend on myself, but on my Lord. Looking back over my life, it is very interesting to see that when I was most weak, the temptations that came were mild, but when the temptations were extreme, I was strong. God is incredibly gracious! As a little chorus puts it, “God’s got it all in control. Way down in my spirit, way down in my soul, God’s got it all in control.” The better I remember that, the better I can obey the instructions He gave me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Right now my body is what’s giving me the most issues, but I can release that to You as well. May I walk in the peace and gratitude You desire and have prepared for me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Sexual Purity; March 26, 2025

Posted on March 27, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Talk about a currently unpopular teaching! The entire platform of the Democratic Party in the US is based on sexual immorality, from abortion to LGBTQ+ to you name it. And it’s not just the “progressives.” The whole reason for the declining birth rate around the world is that procreation has become an afterthought, with pleasure in the forefront. God gave us such a strong sex drive to help cement couples together, just as Christ and the Church, as Paul explained in Ephesians 5. A male high school student in England a few years ago made a statement that blew me out of the water, precisely because of who it came from. He said he wanted to save sex for marriage, because in his observation of his friends, sex was like super glue: once the bond was made, tearing it apart caused major damage. That was a level of wisdom seldom seen in people of any age, much less a teenager! God knows how He made us, so He gave us rules that would give the best results for us, not to hem us in but to bless us maximally. As John noted, His commands are not burdensome, if we look at them rightly. (1 John 5:3) The current state of affairs (pun not necessarily intended, but appropriate) is because the devil hates us and wants to tear us down any way he can. James’ instructions to submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:7) apply to every area of life, but certainly to this area. We are bombarded with the message of “If it feels good, do it,” and we must stand firm in Christ.

I’m certainly not immune or armor-clad in this area by nature, so I have to put on God’s armor by choice. (Ephesians 6) I have been very happily and actively married for almost 56 years now, and my wife and I are certainly bonded together! Even so, temptations arise, particularly with the proliferation of pornography on the Internet. Unwelcome but tempting images come up with distressing frequency. I too need to remember Paul’s admonition here and allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen me. As a pastor I deal with people who are not so strong spiritually. One man I know despises himself for the way he lives, even though he believes the facts about Jesus. He has already suffered assorted consequences, including medically, but he doesn’t believe he can break free and be cleansed. However, the Gospel is precisely what he needs. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, after listing various categories of people who, by their activities, had excluded themselves from God’s kingdom, “That is what some of you were.” (1 Corinthians 6:11) No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace, but we have to repent and believe to receive it. That must be my message, on every level. I had an OB/Gyn friend who was convinced he was headed for hell because he had performed abortions, even though he was never a Christian. I only pray that he cried out to the Jesus he had heard about from me, before he died in his 90s.

Father, there are many things about Your grace that I don’t understand. Help me indeed follow those wonderful words in Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:6-7) May I be a pure vessel of Your grace, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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In Word or Deed; March 25, 2025

Posted on March 26, 2025 by jgarrott

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This chapter has many dearly-loved verses, but I think I’m to focus on this one this morning. This is about as all-inclusive a statement as you could make: “Whatever you do.” That doesn’t leave any wiggle room! On top of that, it specifies, “in word or deed.” Words are powerful, and are not to be taken lightly, but words by themselves are at times meaningless. The Japanese term for integrity is literally, “word-action agreement.” James wrote a great deal about that in his letter. In reading this verse we also need to be aware of what it meant to do something in someone’s name. We pray, “In Jesus’ name, amen,” not thinking about how that means “in harmony with, as that person would desire.” Here Paul expands that beyond prayer to everything we say and do, and then he tacks on that we are to thank God, echoing the verse just ahead of this. Gratitude is absolutely essential, but it’s also virtually inescapable if we have any kind of a grasp of all that God has done for us in Christ. That’s actually very convenient, because psychologists tell us, very reasonably, that gratitude is the key to happiness. You could condense this chapter by saying, “You want to be happy? Get your eyes off of the junk around you (verses 1-2) and focus fully on Jesus!” Some people think the Bible is theoretical and impractical, but actually it’s the most practical book in the world!

I have particularly loved verses 16-17 since learning a musical setting for them in Japanese. Translating that song into English, I included part of verse 15, because I had “notes left over,” but in either language it is a joyful and practical exhortation. I try to follow it, but I’m not the best judge of how well I do. God of course knows that perfectly, but the people around me are also likely better judges than I am. This particular verse is pointed for me because I have a gift for words, and I must be very careful in my stewardship of that gift. I am to speak and write in line with my Lord Jesus, not saying or doing anything that is out of synch with Him. However, as I told some people just recently, God has been so good to me that I would be a total fool not to believe in Him and be grateful. I do have things I don’t enjoy, but in comparison to the world at large, God has been more than gracious. I need to seek and receive His help to live out this verse, and indeed this chapter, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that the ESWL to break up my kidney stone yesterday went smoothly, though it was surprisingly painful. I didn’t know to expect that, but it was hardly unbearable. Thank You that my vital signs just now were fine, so I’ll be able to get out of the hospital this morning. I do pray that everything will be clear in the check next Monday so that they will be able to remove the stent and I’ll be able to get back to my usual active lifestyle. In any case, may I indeed say and do everything in perfect harmony with You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Health; March 24, 2025

Posted on March 25, 2025 by jgarrott

Colossians 2:6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

This chapter goes on to deal with such things as circumcision and asceticism that most of us don’t deal with much, but right here it speaks very simply in terms that relate to us all. The dictionary meaning is the same, but to me “rooted” doesn’t have the same flavor as the Japanese term, which speaks of “sticking down your roots,” which seems much more active. Being rooted in Christ is indeed a choice, and it is one the world tries hard to keep us from making. It is very obvious that all the “pro-choice” people are very particular about which choices they approve! The idea of being strengthened / firm / established in the faith seems quite straightforward, but the last instruction might surprise some people. The ESV says “abounding in thanksgiving,” and the NIV and Japanese say “overflowing with thankfulness/thanksgiving.” Too many people don’t understand how vital gratitude is to living a good life. For one thing, without gratitude, no one is truly happy. That’s the biggest problem with spoiling children: if they always get everything they ask for, they aren’t really grateful for any of it, and become terribly unhappy. We didn’t ask for salvation before we knew it was available, so we should be blown out of the water by its being given to us! One of the many reasons the Gospel of Jesus Christ is good news is that it’s so much better than anything we could ever generate on our own. The better we grasp that, the firmer our faith will be and the deeper we will want to push our roots into Christ and His Word.

We had a wonderful example of someone practicing this just yesterday. A sister brought the message, and I interpreted. She’s never been to college, much less seminary, but she is deeply rooted in the Word and absolutely delights in it. I’ve asked her to preach once a month, and it is a delight every time for me to interpret into English. It gives me great assurance that I’ve accomplished something in my time here! At one point this sister was clinically depressed, to the point that she literally couldn’t bring herself to leave her house, but now she is as radiant a disciple of Jesus Christ as you could hope to find. She is doing everything in this passage! She is a real encouragement to me, to not be discouraged by all the negative junk in life but rather rejoice in the goodness of God to me. “Overflowing with thankfulness” is definitely the way to go!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that I’ll be able to have the lithotripsy (ESWL) today to deal with my ureteral calculus (kidney stone). I do pray that it would be fully effective so that they will be able to take out the stent in my ureter SOON! This has been quite an exercise in focusing on things other than my body, so I thank You for it all. May I quickly return to being able to be fully active physically, and especially, may I grow spiritually as You intend because of this whole experience, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Mystery of the Gospel; March 23, 2025

Posted on March 24, 2025 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The phrase, “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” is so familiar to most Christians that we forget what an incredible thing it is. Thinking about it, I realize that quantum physics is expressed in the Bible! Few academic pursuits are as mysterious as quantum physics, with multiple dimensions and all sorts of things our minds have trouble wrapping themselves around. It’s no wonder that Paul would call it a mystery! This is expressed throughout the Upper Room Discourse, recorded in John 13-17, where Jesus talks about our being in Him and His Word being in us and all sorts of things we ultimately have to accept by faith. Three dimensions plus time doesn’t begin to explain it all! The thing is, when we experience it, it becomes a solid assurance that is as real as anything we can see and feel physically. That is a miracle indeed, and one for which we should be supremely grateful. The idea that the infinite Creator of the universe, in the Person of His Son who became a human being, by the agency of His Holy Spirit, could be in us, as small and insignificant and weak as we are, is on the face of it incredible, so Paul called it a mystery. When we forget how miraculous it actually is, we lose a great deal, I think. We need to realize that what God has done for us is logically impossible, and so trust that indeed, nothing is impossible for God. (Mark 10:27) The better we realize that, the more peace and joy we will have.

As I have written before, my father wrote his doctoral dissertation on the Greek uses of “in Christ” and cognate expressions in the New Testament. However, as he told me many years later, he had no idea what it was all about until he had a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit, after he was a single missionary in Japan. He couldn’t understand it until he experienced it! I’ve got to remember that our being in Christ and Christ being in us, though totally and joyfully familiar to me, is totally mysterious and strange to the vast majority of the people I encounter every day. I must not let that puff me up, but rather ask and allow the Holy Spirit to use me to communicate the grace and love of the Father to those people, so that they too may repent and receive the gift of faith for their salvation. It’s not at all that we are to abandon logic and reason, but rather that God’s reality is greater that logic and reason can explain. It’s only in Christ that we can have it all! I need to operate in all that God has made possible, to a greater and greater degree, so that His will may be done in and through me for His glory.

Father, thank You for this clear Word. May I indeed understand that it is a mystery I proclaim to people, and not presume understanding when there is no basis for it. May I speak Your truth in gentleness and love, under the guidance and anointing of Your Spirit, so that all of Your purposes may be accomplished by Your Word through me, for Your glory. (Isaiah 55:11) Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Values and Goals; March 22, 2025

Posted on March 23, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 3:7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

From here through the end of the chapter is a magnificent exposition of Christian values and priorities. All the things the world values – power, prestige, money, physical pleasures – totally pale in comparison to knowing Christ, through whom all things were created and who yet gave Himself to die for us. This is what Jesus was talking about in His brief parables of the Pearl of Great Price and the Treasure in the Field. (Matthew 13:44-46) He called it the Kingdom of Heaven, but Christ is the kingdom, since He is the King. Until we understand the value of Christ and His kingdom, things will be out of balance in our lives. It was this awareness that enabled Peter, when his wife was being crucified in front of him, to cry out, “Remember Jesus!” He then went on to tell his executioners that he was unworthy to die in the same way as Jesus, so they crucified him upside down. I don’t think he remembered that suffering when he shortly afterward stood before his Lord in glory! The better we understand what and Who awaits us, the way Paul and Peter did, the less things on this earth will be able to shake us. Jesus was very clear that in this world we would have trouble, (John 16:33) but what comes after is so magnificent as to make it all insignificant. That’s why Paul could write to the Corinthians, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) Neither the positives nor the negatives of this life have much weight compared to the next life in Christ!

This is an awareness and conviction that thankfully has grown in me over the years. As Bill Gaither wrote, “The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.” It has been and continues to be a magnificent privilege to walk closer and closer with my Lord even in this life, and I can hardly wait to experience what it will be like with none of the things of this world in the way. In this life we have physical and emotional pain, but He will wipe away every tear. (Revelation 7:17, 21:4) I have absolutely nothing to fear, because I know the love of God in Christ Jesus. (1 John 4:18) The thing is, I’m not yet perfect in that, and besides, few of the people around me know it at all. I have plenty to do, including growing spiritually, for as long as the Lord keeps me here, so I need to do it with joy, as unto Him. (Colossians 3:23)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for yesterday and all it held. Thank You that I now have a schedule for when this mess with my urinary system will be dealt with, and that it’s not next month! Thank You for getting us to Costco and back safely (an hour each way) and for guiding our purchases. Thank You for all that You have planned for today, and for the assurance that You will enable me to do everything You ask of me. Help me keep the goal in mind at all times, so that indeed, nothing will shake me. Thank You. Praise God!

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Living and Dying; March 21, 2025

Posted on March 22, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 1:20-21 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Verse 21 is rightly famous, because it proclaims an attitude that few indeed genuinely have, but which is a source of unshakable joy, peace, and strength. However, verse 20 is generally overlooked, and it gives the framework in which verse 21 is possible. Paul’s desire, which should be the desire of every believer, was that he would proclaim the Gospel boldly and Christ would be glorified, whether he himself lived or dies. By being self-centered and materialistic, we turn our backs on blessings the world knows nothing about. If we will truly seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, which is another way of saying what Paul says here, then we will discover that God’s resources are indeed infinite, just as Jesus told us. (Matthew 6:33) God desires that we enjoy our time in this life, but if we focus on that to the exclusion of God, we lose everything. As Jesus said, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36) There is an expression in Japanese, applied to beginning sumo wrestlers, that means “the entry to the castle.” We need to realize that our life here, whether it seems glorious or pathetic, is no more than the prelude to eternity. We are to be faithful stewards of the resources and opportunities we are given, but know that what is to come is infinitely greater. When we have that awareness, then we can repeat this passage after Paul with great assurance and joy.

This is something I’ve been aware of to some degree ever since childhood, since I was raised by strong believers. However, it has become stronger and more central in my life as I’ve gotten older. I was sharing some of the things God has done for me with some people on Wednesday, and said that if I didn’t believe in God after that, I was totally stupid! At the moment I have a health issue that is inconvenient, but I know that ultimately it is no big deal. Like it was for Paul, God’s grace is sufficient for me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) My focus is to be on my Lord, to be and do what He desires of me in this moment, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your incredible faithfulness. Help me be a good steward of this body I inhabit, doing with it what You desire and intend so that it will be useful for as long as You have planned, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Marriage and the Church; March 20, 2025

Posted on March 21, 2025 by jgarrott

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

In Japanese, this is one of the most familiar passages in the whole Bible for me, because I use it every time I do counseling before the weddings I perform. I have it memorized! That said, as I tell such couples, we often fail to have a grasp of just how Christ loved the Church. Since the vast majority of the couples I marry aren’t yet Christians, I generally skip over verses 26 and 27, because they would make no sense to such people, but I do quote verse 28 to them, saying that husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. Paul says in verse 29 that no one ever hated their own flesh, but recently the devil has been having shocking success at getting people to do exactly that, convincing them they were “born in the wrong body.” All that aside, the subject of the love between a husband and wife is a deep one that is related to the Church to a degree that few people really grasp. Many of the problems in Church history have stemmed from breakdowns in marriage in different cultures and periods, and vice versa. Today, I think many of the apostate churches have come out of the “Women’s Liberation Movement.” When women refuse to respect their husbands (verse 33), churches fail to respect and obey Christ. Our lives are intertwined to a degree we generally fail to recognize. However, looking over the past 100 years of American history should make it very clear that the breakdown in the family has been paralleled by a breakdown in faith and the Church.

Cathy and I were both raised by parents whose relationship was exemplary, and who also loved the Lord and served Him wholeheartedly. It was watching my parents that made me want to get married at 20! As I tell couples, I consider marriage to be the biggest job of my life, but the one that carries the greatest rewards. I know that I don’t love my wife perfectly, but I try! There were many miracles involved in the creation of the Bible as we know it, but I think one of the bigger ones what that this passage was written by Paul, who never married! He could only know these truths by divine revelation, and perhaps observation of some couples, such as Priscilla and Aquilla. Cathy’s and my relationship is admirable to the point of being shocking to many of our friends, and I am grateful. I hurt for other couples at times as I see some of their difficulties, but then, they probably see the imperfections in our relationship as well. I seek to keep improving our relationship for as long as we are in this life, knowing that it will be perfected in the next.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for the wonderful marriage You have given me. May we continue to be an example and inspiration to all who know us, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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