Seeing God’s Face; May 24, 2025

Posted on May 25, 2025 by jgarrott

Job 33:26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,
    they will see God’s face and shout for joy;
    he will restore them to full well-being.

Oh the joy of seeing God’s face! This isn’t something we see expressed often in so many words, but the feeling is there in several places in the Bible. This is rather in contrast to what God told Moses about seeing Him, (Exodus 33:20) but it agrees with Moses’ regular practice of meeting with God in the tabernacle. (Exodus 33:11) That might seem contradictory, but there all sorts of “seeing.” Because God is Spirit, our physical eyes can’t possibly see Him, but it is entirely possible to be as aware of Him as if He were a person in the room with us. For someone who is turned and yielded to God, that is a joy beyond words to express. For someone who is in rebellion against God, that is conversely an inexpressible terror. The difference is entirely in heart attitude, founded on faith. Countless people have found God, just as He promised Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29:13), and as it says here, that is joy indeed.

I will always be grateful for the privilege of interpreting for Benjamin Berger when he came to Japan. He was born in New York City after his parents refugeed there, all four of his grandparents having been killed in the Holocaust. He had been told from childhood that “Christians caused the Holocaust,” and he believed it. After college he got a job in Europe, and one day after coming home he was reading the newspaper when he felt someone was in the room. The feeling got stronger and stronger, until he heard a voice: “I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, and I’m your God.” A conversation ensued, and after a few minutes the Lord said, “And by the way, my name’s Jesus.” Not many people have encounters that dramatic, but God is that real, if we will open our hearts to Him. In my own experience, in a time of worship in a small group I once felt such intense joy that I literally told the Lord, “If You have anything more for me to do here, You’d better back off, because my flesh can’t take any more.” I felt like one more drop of joy and I would go straight to heaven! Needless to say, I’m not afraid of death! That experience makes me identify fully with this verse, because I know that seeing my Lord will be “joy unspeakable, and full of glory,” as the hymn puts it. (1 Peter 1:8) However, I know He still has work for me to do, because I’m still here!

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s very appropriate for my 56th wedding anniversary! You have given me great joy in my wife and in our relationship, and at the same time I know that is just a pale reflection of the joy of full fellowship with You. I do ask for grace and anointing in how we spend this day, and I pray that we, individually and as a couple, may draw many into right relationship with You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Antisemitism; May 23, 2025

Posted on May 24, 2025 by jgarrott

Esther 8:17 In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.

Esther is the only book in the Bible that doesn’t mention God, but it is still of considerable historical significance. Antisemitism has deep roots! That said, the retribution delineated in verse 11 seems extreme, even horrible to us today. It’s no wonder Gentiles were so scared they proclaimed themselves to be Jews, as it says here! The problem is, many people feel there is no consequence to antisemitism so they indulge in it with impunity. Even apart from the devil’s hatred of the people chosen by God, human beings have a bad tendency to inflate themselves (they think) by putting other people down. The devil has seized on that to generate antisemitism, and it has certainly been manifesting recently. On the occasion mentioned here, God “flipped the script” and gave Jews legal permission to do to those who hated them what was done to them on October 7th of 2023. They didn’t have the weapons in ancient Persia that Hamas used against them in the 21st Century, so the carnage wasn’t as complete, but the threat of it was obviously very effective. At issue is the whole concept of peace through strength. In America today, some people are making a stink about people having their visas revoked because of their overt antisemitism, but that is certainly mild compared to what happened in Persia! It is significant that the land of Persia is today called Iran, and the Islamic government there is actively pursuing nuclear weapons for the express purpose of wiping Israel off the map, literally. I’ve heard well-meaning Christians, even, bemoaning the idea that Israel and/or the US might conduct a preemptive strike to take out Iran’s nuclear capability, but the fact remains that other nuclear-enabled countries have at least a semblance of sanity, which the mullahs of Iran have not demonstrated. If they had nuclear weapons, they would rejoice to use them! I don’t know what God’s solution is at this point, but I do know that His final solution is the return of Christ as King, and I look forward to that.

I’ve never had a trace of antisemitism, but I am certainly all too familiar with racial prejudice, from a number of angles. Growing up as a Caucasian in postwar Japan, it was inescapable! I saw Americans looking down on Japanese and Japanese despising Americans, and at times it got pretty ugly. Mankind is a mess, and we need the redemption of Jesus Christ! I don’t have the political influence of Mordechai, certainly, nor do I want it, but I can express the love and character of Jesus Christ on a personal level, and that is the best answer to prejudice of all sorts.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that You are greater than all our human flaws and sins, and that You have made repentance available to everyone. Help me be, say, and do what You desire, so that those who see me may be drawn to You for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Shared Joy; May 22. 2025

Posted on May 23, 2025 by jgarrott

Nehemiah 12:43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

Reading this chapter up to this point, there are so many unfamiliar names that it’s enough to make most people stop reading! However, Nehemiah was a good leader, and he cared about the individuals working with him, giving them credit. We shouldn’t let the lists of names numb us to verses like this, that talk about the level of joy the Lord poured out on the people of the city. Some translations say “Jerusalem’s joy,” but we need to remember that cities, like churches, aren’t fundamentally buildings, but people. Buildings can’t rejoice! It speaks to me that the women and children are specifically mentioned here, and the Japanese indicates that it was because they also rejoiced that the joy carried far away. We don’t have to make a big scene with our joy, but we shouldn’t hold back. It is easily demonstrable that if one person starts laughing, the people around them will fairly quickly start laughing too, improving the mood for everyone. I’ve seen video of specific experiments with a hidden camera of someone watching a video on a tablet computer on a subway. When they start laughing, the people around them start laughing too, even though they aren’t seeing the video, and eventually most of the car full of people are laughing openly. Our joy in the Lord should be like that! The better we recognize God’s love, grace, and mercy toward us and respond to it, the more the people around us are likely to recognize God as well. I think the only people who were unhappy on this day that Nehemiah is writing about were the enemies who didn’t want them to succeed!

I have had non-Christians introduce their friends to me because they wanted their friends to “know someone who enjoys living.” I take that as a high compliment. God has indeed made me glad! I do have various things I don’t enjoy, but God has been more than gracious toward me. One thing that gets numbers of comments is the relationship that my wife and I have. Just yesterday a friend said yet again, “It makes me happy just to see you two together.” We will be celebrating our 56th wedding anniversary this Saturday, and our gratitude level is very high! I have certainly learned that sharing joy doesn’t diminish it, it multiplies it. I am not to hide what the Lord has done for me, but rather share it with as many people as possible, as David proclaims in many of his Psalms. Doing that gives God glory, which is a joy in itself!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You indeed for Your overwhelming grace and mercy toward me. May I be an open channel for that grace and mercy to flow to those around me, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Bible; May 21, 2025

Posted on May 22, 2025 by jgarrott

Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

The last line of this verse has been made into a very well-known chorus, but for most people today, the question remains of why the people were weeping in the first place. I think that for the majority of the people gathered that day, this was the first time they had ever heard the Torah read to them. We forget that this was thousands of years before the printing press, and books were hand-copied, rare, and valuable. To this point they had been told things, but this was the first time they had heard the actual words recorded by Moses. To top it off, the Torah is in Hebrew, and most of the people only spoke Aramaic. That’s why the Levites had to “give the sense.” (verse 8) They were interpreting into Aramaic. All in all, the experience was overwhelming. Most of the people had been born in exile, but God had brought them back to the land of their forefathers, so they knew He was real, but they had very little knowledge of Him personally. In some ways I think they were like many Americans today: cultural Christians who probably have a Bible or two in their home but who have never really read it, particularly as applying to them. What a huge, and dangerous, waste! Getting God’s Word into us, to put it into practice, is the greatest privilege and the greatest protection we could ask for. James famously said, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) But how do you submit to God if you don’t know what He said? And if we aren’t submitted to Him, trying to resist the devil in our own strength is laughable. Today we have almost countless translations of the Bible, available not only in print form but also electronically, and even in audio form for those with vision problems. The devil likes nothing better than to blind us to such riches so that he can deceive us and tear us down. If we would really take the Word in to make it part of us, then God’s joy would fill and strengthen us more than we can now imagine.

I was raised in a home that was steeped in the Bible to a remarkable degree. My father had gotten his Master’s degree in Hebrew and his PhD in Biblical Greek, and he taught those languages in a Japanese seminary. He was well aware of translation difficulties, and we always had multiple translations available. After I was baptized at 7 I was given my first full Bible, and my father chose the RSV translation as the most accurate and understandable at that point – and I read it through by the time I was 10. Since then I have lost count of how many times I have read through the Bible in various translations, so you could say I’m marinated in it. However, the question always remains of whether I’m acting on it, putting it into practice. I think I’ve grown in that over the years, but I’m certainly no more perfect than Paul was. (Philippians 3:12-14) That said, I do have the joy of knowing my Lord and hearing Him daily, and that makes me strong indeed.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for Your Word. Thank You for Your incredible grace toward me, to have blessed me like this. Help me not take it lightly, but apply Your Word consistently, in every area of my life, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Leaders; May 20, 2025

Posted on May 21, 2025 by jgarrott

Ezra 6:14 So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

This verse explicitly includes both spiritual leaders and government leaders. Some people tend to rebel against all leadership, but they are seldom successful in their lives. Some people think or feel that everything depends on government, and they either despair at what they have or want more of it. And some people so focus on what they see as spiritual that they despise government, and/or see it as beneath their notice. All of those are wrong! We are too weak and foolish to make it entirely on our own, and all human organizations are fallible, but we need personal accountability and civil government in order to live lives rightly related to God, who is Spirit. As Paul famously said, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4) If we don’t have good civil government, it will be very difficult to “live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” However, God is ultimately in charge, and He uses secular leaders to do His will. If we focus too much on politicians and government, we will leave God more and more out of the picture, and we can certainly see the results of that. However, we aren’t to be “so heavenly minded we’re no earthly good.” Particularly in representative democracies, we are to be actively involved in society in all the ways available to us, all the while realizing that all of this is temporary, and God is the only eternal good. That’s why we need both spiritual leaders and political leaders – and we’re to pray for both.

I was not at all political for the first 2/3 of my life, but once I passed 50 I started paying more and more attention. At this point I am generally very aware, and certainly interested, but I’ve got to keep it all in proper perspective. I am sharply aware both of human fallibility and the ability of God to use anyone, even a donkey! (Numbers 22) (That’s not a reference to a political party, by the way.) I have seen spiritual leaders who genuinely drew people to God, to listen to Him, and I have also seen spiritual leaders who were all about themselves, and effectively blocked people from following God. I’m to follow Paul’s advice and pray for both, particularly since I’m in a position of spiritual leadership myself. I am never to take that position lightly, but also remember that I am no more than an under-shepherd, fully accountable to the Great Shepherd of the sheep – to use the expression in Hebrews 13:20. I am to despise no one, but let God be the Judge, and pray for all.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The world is certainly getting some lessons in leadership, for good or bad. I pray that those You have set in leadership would be increasingly faithful to You, 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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Emotions; May 19, 2025

Posted on May 20, 2025 by jgarrott

Ezra 3:13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

Strong emotions can indeed blend together. In some situations that can become pathological, as in masochism. Some people become fear junkies, actively seeking out dangerous situations for the adrenaline hit. Such things are indications of human weakness and stupidity. In this particular situation the strong emotions weren’t being held by the same people simultaneously, but the effect was much the same. I’m sure everyone was exhausted when the day was over! It strikes me that those who were weeping probably had mixed emotions in the process, because there should have been gratitude at the new beginning, as well as mourning for what had been. It was probably a sort of flashback, as they remembered not just how the temple had been in its former glory, but what went on when it was destroyed by the Babylonian army. That was a horrible scene indeed! Those who had been born during the captivity probably had little to no empathy with such flashbacks. The thing is, God knew and cared about it all, and cared for each individual whatever their emotions. I really think that’s one reason Jesus came as a human being, so that He could actually feel the emotions we do on our scale. However, He did that, so we can rest assured that He understands us even when we don’t understand ourselves.

Today is to me a day of mixed, and potentially strong, emotions. Some good friends have asked to use our building for a celebration of life. That’s a currently popular term in the US for a funeral, but in this case the person in question is still alive, though they won’t be for much longer. The couple is 84, and the wife is in the terminal phase of lung cancer, with one lung full of tumors and the other filling with fluid, though she currently has no real pain and is able to be at home. She is already over a year past the first “expiration date” her doctors gave her! They are very active in evangelism, being members of the Salvation Army, and they planned today’s program as an evangelistic outreach. About a third of those expected will step into a church building for the first time today. A few days ago I spoke to their son who is currently living with them as support in this time, noting the conflicting emotions he was doubtless feeling, and he was very appreciative of my understanding. I will be in charge of videoing the whole thing, since the couple’s daughter lives in the US, and my wife and I will be singing a bilingual song about the love of God for us. My biggest personal concern is that I will be able to do the video editing afterward correctly, since there will be two cameras, and I’m not experienced in editing. I am filled with empathy for the couple, since my own wife has a list of medical issues, and I have thought many times about what it would be like if my wife precedes me, which she is likely to do. Today I am to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15) My prayer is that I will do it well.

Father, I do pray for the couple and their family, and for all of today’s activities. The couple is well loved, for excellent reason, and they are loved most by You. May today be an effective demonstration of Your love to both those present and those who observe from a distance, so that You may be glorified and people be brought into Your family. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Heart Attitude; May 18, 2025

Posted on May 19, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 30:18-20 But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

This is one of many places that indicate that God is far more interested in our hearts than in our ceremonies. Some places say it a little more directly, but this is certainly clear enough. This was a massive, national return to Yahweh, and He received it as such. We get all caught up in rules and regulations to the point that sometimes we forget what they are all about. This is something that Paul wrote about extensively. The letter to the Galatians is all about taking them to task for forgetting what faith is all about. Ephesians 2:8-9 famously encapsulates it: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” The people in Hezekiah’s day didn’t have the prescribed “works,” but they dedicated their hearts to return to the God of their fathers, and God was pleased with that. In Jesus’ day, many of the Pharisees were ritually perfect, but Jesus said they were no better than “whitewashed tombs.” (Matthew 23:27) Ceremonies have meaning, and we aren’t to take them lightly, but above all God wants our hearts, and we must never forget it.

I was thankfully not raised in a ritualistic environment, but I still have the tendency to just go through the motions at times. I must not do that! Occasionally I am tempted to skip morning devotions, but I know well that impulse is from the devil! That said, this morning I overslept just a bit, so my devotional time has been interrupted, but I’m back at it. Maintaining right priorities is always a choice, but it is one that is amply rewarded. I am to be careful that right actions are motivated by a heart that is right with my Lord. When that is the case, the result will be His will being done, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Today’s schedule is certainly packed. Thank You for the man who called yesterday confirming our service schedule. I pray that he would indeed show up, and would encounter You here. Thank You for the Shigeta family members who will be here. I pray that they too would be aware of Your presence, and that everything would go smoothly in the cleaning and then the preparations for tomorrow’s special service. I pray that it would be done quickly enough that there will be no conflict with the marriage counseling I’ll be doing from four. In all of this, may I indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me, so that Your will may be done perfectly, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Suddenly; May 17, 2025

Posted on May 18, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 29:36 Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.

Jewish history has some incredible swings in relation to their devotion to God. Looking at the first part of this chapter, it’s almost hard to imagine the complete reversal brought about by King Hezekiah. The thing is, if they had been more aware of their own history in the first place, it seems unlikely that they would have gotten so far off track. However, as Einstein is credited with having said, “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity. And I’m not so sure about the universe.” When society trends toward stupidity, a hunger for common sense builds up, and if there is a trigger event, things can indeed happen with great speed, just as this verse says. I personally look forward to what will happen with regime changes in Iran, China, and North Korea. Iran in particular has a fairly recent history of modernity and rationality, and there have been various signs of a strong, pent-up demand to return to such a lifestyle. We can’t exactly make it happen, but we can certainly pray! America, even, is in an almost whiplash situation, going from left to right, and the changes within this year are at times astounding. The thing to remember in all of this is that nothing is impossible for God, and His schedule can seem completely unrelated to ours. As Peter pointed out, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8) We can’t necessarily predict when God is going to act, but we had better be ready! At this point, many things seem to indicate that Christ’s return is imminent, but again, specific schedules are guaranteed to be wrong. We need to be living so that if the Day is today, it will be all rejoicing for us, and not regret at what we have failed to do.

Looking back over my own life, I have had some pretty sudden transitions. I’ve handled some of them better than others! Most recently it was retirement from school teaching, but that seems to have stabilized. Things are changing in this church, and I don’t know when decisive moments will arrive. I am to focus on faithfulness, but not demand what feels like stability. My stability needs to be in Christ Jesus my Lord, not depending on anything else. Frankly, that’s easier to say than to do. I have the tendency to depend on my intellect, when that is totally insignificant in the eternal scheme of things. At this point I am looking forward to the “suddenly” of transition from this life to the next, but in the mean time I am to make full use of every opportunity the Lord gives me to serve Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. The pace of life, of change, has certainly picked up over the centuries. My ancestors would have been amazed! Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, however fast or slowly things seem to be going, so that I will be fully available and useful to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Revival and Politics; May 16, 2025

Posted on May 17, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 23:16 Jehoiada then made a covenant that he, the people and the king would be the Lord’s people.

This is one of the more dramatically violent revivals recorded in the Bible, but it was indeed a revival. (Elijah on Mt. Carmel also comes to mind.) Joash, the king mentioned here, was just seven years old at the time, so he actually had very little to do with it. Jehoiada, the high priest in this verse, was the “mover and shaker” in this drama, and the necessity of reform is very clear from what is recorded, with a “house of Baal” right there in Jerusalem. Athaliah, the “villain” in this story, was Joash’s grandmother. It is very tempting to draw all sorts of parallels between this account and the current US political situation, but that would quickly become overblown. What we can do is recognize that government is not totally separated from religion, despite all the protestations of “separation of Church and State,” which take a statement by Thomas Jefferson completely out of context. If those in charge of civil government don’t recognize that God is real and in charge of everything, all sorts of aberrations appear. Going back to the Old Testament record, it is clear that for revival to be lasting, it has to extend throughout society. As it turned out, Joash was very weak, and once Jehoiada died he was quickly turned away from the Lord. As Paul told us, we are certainly to pray for those in government leadership, (1 Timothy 2:1-2) but we should pray for those around us, including our families and even ourselves, to have hearts open and committed to the Lord. America isn’t a monarchy but rather a democratic republic, a form of governance that didn’t exist in Biblical times. If the people are dedicated to God, they will elect representatives who are likewise faithful, and everything will be in right order. There are countless ways that can break down, so prayer and personal faithfulness are essential.

I hadn’t expected to write on this, and many people wouldn’t consider it “spiritual” at all. However, our relationship with God colors every aspect of our life, whether we recognize it or not. Human beings are fallible by definition, and opinions are all over the place. I am not to cut anyone off because of their opinions, but I am to speak the truth in love and pray that I and those I relate to may be increasingly open to God’s truth, not in pride but in humility.

Father, thank You for this reminder. These are tumultuous times, but then, much of history has been this way. Help me keep my eyes on You, and on Christ Jesus my Lord, so that I may be useful to You in Your rule and reign being established as Your will is done, even as it is in heaven, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Response to God; May 15, 2025

Posted on May 16, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Chronicles 20:18-19 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

I have loved this story for many years, to the point that I got happy just seeing that today’s reading was from this chapter. It is a beautiful story of God’s protection and provision, but what strikes me here is the people’s response to prophecy. We don’t have any other record of Jehaziel serving as a prophet of God, but when he spoke on this occasion, the king and all the people recognized it for what it was, and responded from their hearts. This must have been quite a sight, with the king and all his officials bowing to the ground in recognition of having heard the Word of the Lord. I get tickled at the description of the Levite choir, because I’ve always had a pretty loud voice! The point is, they heard the Word and responded in transparent sincerity. That they were sincere is proved by what they did after this, acting in obedience. It is very significant that they sent the choir at the head of their army, and verse 22 records that when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against their enemies and totally wiped them out. Absolutely nothing is impossible for God, but He often seems to wait for our response to Him before He acts. That’s because He is most interested in our hearts, and the growth of our faith and commitment. If we are unmoved by what He says to us, how can we expect Him to move on our behalf?

I have long recognized that James 1:22 was written expressly for me: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” As someone with Teacher gifting, I tend to feel that truth is truth, period. The problem is, truth must be received and acted on for it to be operative. Just as Jehoshaphat and his people received the prophecy and acted on it, I’ve got to act on what the Lord says to me, through the Bible and in other ways. Otherwise, I’m just deceiving myself, just as James said. I have countless examples to inspire and encourage me, of people who acted in obedience to what they felt God was saying to them. Closest to home for me would be my parents, who left their homes to come to Japan as missionaries, not knowing that God would bring them together in marriage and draw many to Himself through them. My own wife knew from the time she was 12 that God wanted her to be a missionary, and from 13 He made it clear to her that it would be to Japan. Just yesterday I had the privilege of baptizing a 100-year-old woman who came to faith because of the love expressed through my wife. I am never to hesitate to do what the Lord tells me, because He is God.

Father, thank You for this reminder and affirmation. Thank You indeed for the privilege of baptizing that woman. Thank You for all the things You’ve done through me over the years, and for all that You will continue to do through me. May I always respond to You in loving obedience and praise, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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