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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Being Witnesses; April 27, 2025

Posted on April 28, 2025 by jgarrott

Acts 1:7-8 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Verse 8 gets quoted a great deal, particularly in Pentecostal and Charismatic circles, but verse 7 seems very appropriate at this time in particular. Many Christians are feeling that Christ’s return is imminent, and the Internet has had a number of very specific predictions. Any time one of those appears, my wife and I say, “Well, we know it won’t be then!” I too feel we are already somewhere in the timeline expressed in Revelation, but getting caught up in the when distracts us from what we are to be doing now, which is expressed in verse 8. Many people get hyped up over the idea of receiving power, but they seem to overlook the purpose of that power: to be witnesses for Christ. If we aren’t living our lives so that those who see and hear us will be drawn to Christ and know Him as their own Lord, then we have missed the boat. God’s gifts, specifically including the Holy Spirit, aren’t just to bless us, though they do, but to demonstrate Him to the world around us. We need to periodically examine ourselves to see how we are demonstrating the character of Christ to those around us. The New Testament is absolutely filled with passages that tell us to do this. Just recently I’ve quoted 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.” That is what it means to be a witness. Direct evangelism is good, but it isn’t always the most appropriate thing at a given moment. Living our lives as representatives of Christ is always appropriate!

And of course, I’m preaching to myself here. When I flash with irritation or anger, I’m not being a witness of Christ. When I indulge my flesh, ignoring God, I’m not being a witness of Christ. When I cut people down, asserting my “superiority,” I’m not being a witness of Christ. Since I’m 76 at this point, whenever Christ returns, I’ll stand before Him in less than 25 years in any case, and however long I have, I’m to spend the time being His witness. I can’t do it accurately on my own, but that’s why He’s given me His Spirit, just as He says here. I’m to trust Him in that and rejoice to live out each day as He directs, so that His will may be done on His schedule for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me follow through today, and every day, so that as many as possible may be drawn to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Individual Accountability; April 26, 2025

Posted on April 27, 2025 by jgarrott

John 21:21-22 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”

We are so prone to compare ourselves to other people, saying, or at least thinking, “What about that person?” Jesus here gives the ultimate statement of personal responsibility. Every one of us is charged with following Him, wherever that leads. That will indeed be different for each individual, and that’s the problem. We tend to focus on the differences, instead of on our one Creator and Lord. When Jesus prayed for our unity in His Pastoral Prayer just before His arrest, (John 17) we are listening to voices other than His when we are divisive. Snowflakes are a good illustration. Despite their uncountable numbers, each one is different. Paul expounded on this at length in 1 Corinthians 12, talking about our different gifting, but we often fail to carry that to its logical conclusion, that people who are so different have different tasks and paths to follow. We are to pray for and support each other in various ways, but ultimately, each person has to stand before God on their own. Jesus is the only one who can stand in our place, and that is in the specific area of taking the penalty for our sins. That doesn’t remove our accountability for our obedience to God’s plan for our lives. We’re back to what Jesus said to Peter about John in this passage. Each person is accountable first of all to repent and believe for their salvation, (Mark 1:15) and then to seek God for what He wants them to do with their life, as measured in years, days, and seconds. Rather than comparing ourselves to others, we need to be asking how closely we are being obedient to our Lord.

I’ve struggled with this as much as anyone, I think. I have been so blessed in my life that I have foolishly thought I deserved it, when Jesus said clearly, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48) In my case, that gets scary! Likewise, James said, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1) I have no leeway to go looking at other people! I have not been in the spotlight as much as some people, and the devil has tried to stir up jealousy about “recognition.” God knows every detail of my life, and He is the One to whom I am accountable. I am to be grateful for His uncountable grace toward me, and strive to express my love for Him in full obedience, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your plans for me, for today and for each day. Help me indeed flow with Your Spirit on Your schedule so that Your will may be done to Your satisfaction, because that is why I am here. Thank You. Praise God!

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Daily Living; April 25, 2025

Posted on April 26, 2025 by jgarrott

John 21:3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

I can imagine the mental/emotional state of the disciples at this point. They had been through the incredible storm of emotions around Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, but now what? They didn’t know what to do with themselves, and they couldn’t force Jesus to appear to them. Up until about three years previous, most of them had been professional fishermen, so when Peter suggested doing that again, he got a good bit of agreement. What they did certainly wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t what some people would call a “spiritual” answer to their situation. The thing is, God knows our daily lives, our routines, and He meets us where we are. Some people might insist that they should have had a Bible study of all the passages Jesus had referenced to Cleopas and his friend on the way to Emmaus. That wouldn’t have been bad, but they weren’t ready for it. The thing is, all of our lives are to be submitted to God, not matter how ordinary or “unspiritual” they might seem to us. As Paul said, “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.” (Colossians 3:17) That includes fishing, which in this case was the disciples “secular” occupation. An excellent rule of thumb in judging whether you should do something is to think honestly about whether you can do it in the name of Jesus, that is, in line with Him and His character. That includes some perhaps surprising things, such as bodily functions and the like, but God knows how He created us, and Jesus was as human as we are, in addition to being fully divine. As this chapter tells us, God used, indeed planned, Peter’s impulse to teach these disciples some very important things, so we should be expecting God to meet us in our daily lives.

I have encountered God in worship settings, certainly, but I have also encountered Him in totally mundane settings, when I wasn’t expecting it at all. However, even in those settings my heart was open and sensitive to Him. He has taught me things in some decidedly un-religious settings! He wants to use us as His witnesses, (Acts 1:8) and we don’t know who is watching or listening to us when. I am to strive to keep my focus on Him at all times, whatever my body or mind is doing otherwise. I can’t do that consistently on my own, but when that is my desire, He will enable me to follow through.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how You spoke to and through me yesterday, and for how You are going to use me today. May I not put limits of any kind on how You would use me, but rather walk in grateful obedience whatever the circumstances, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Communicating Christ; April 24, 2025

Posted on April 25, 2025 by jgarrott

John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

This 20th chapter of John has some truly earthshaking verses in it, but this is the one that resonates with me most at the moment. The whole focus of the Bible is actually on this very point. Moses wrote the Pentateuch so that people would know and believe that there is a Creator who loves them and cares how they live. The various historians who wrote several of the books of the Old Testament were trying to leave a record of what God had done, and what mankind had done, so that people would believe that their Creator has a plan for them, but if they rebel against Him they will face the consequences. The books of the prophets are naturally efforts to communicate what God has said to us, not simply as information but so that we would believe and obey. The Psalms are people’s responses to their circumstances and their faith, encouraging others to believe as well. The books that are called “wisdom literature” are again efforts to communicate God’s truth, to steer people clear of the traps of human pride and stupidity. Then we get to the New Testament, and in line with what John says here, it was recorded to show that Jesus is indeed the fulfillment of all that the Old Testament talks about. Faith is a combination of a grasp of the facts and an emotional and practical response to those facts. Either half of that is insufficient in itself. There are Bible scholars who don’t really believe the Bible! Conversely, there are people who are all emotion, but have no grounding in God’s truth. Live-giving faith involves knowing that there is a Creator who loves us, that we have violated His plans for us and so are separated from Him, and that He has provided a path through His Son for us to be forgiven of our rebellion against Him and receive eternal life as His children. Such faith will certainly impact the way that we live, but none of us get it perfectly. Accurate response to God always involves humility, and gratitude that God loves us so much.

As I was sharing yet again just yesterday, I have loved God since I was a small child. However, my response and obedience to Him has certainly not been perfect. When He gave me a glimpse of my own soul when I was 24, it almost shattered me. I wish I could say I really learned my lesson at that point, but I have been stupid countless times since then. That has taught me that indeed, God’s grace is truly amazing! At this point I have deep assurance of my life in Christ, but I have learned not to trust myself. I know that God has given me a good intellect, and I know that He speaks to me and guides me, but I also know that any time I trust my intellect over listening to Him, I get into trouble. I desire that every part of my life share the motivation that John expressed in this verse, and I know that God is able to make it happen, but I certainly can’t do it on my own.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the opportunities You give me to share Your truth, Your love and grace, with those around me. May I do so in the anointing and power of Your Spirit, so that people may indeed be brought from death to life, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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