The Gospel; April 23, 2025

Posted on April 24, 2025 by jgarrott

Luke 24:45-48 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

I started to write on just verse 45, but then I realized that in Japanese the sentence continues through verse 48. Of course, every bit of it is important! Starting from verse 45, some translations say “He opened their minds,” but the Japanese says, “He opened their hearts.” Intellectual understanding is valuable, but it must not be separated from emotional and spiritual understanding. Such separation happens all too often! The second thing that jumps out at me is that Jesus expresses the Gospel in terms of repentance. Frankly, repentance isn’t a very popular word in a lot of churches! “Come as you are” is a valid invitation, but it must not be with any feeling of “Stay as you are.” There is no salvation without repentance, because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Any church that fails to teach repentance is no more than a self-help club, and such things are a total illusion. That’s not to say that we’re always to be picking at ourselves, much less at each other, looking for things of which to repent, but it is to say that salvation depends on the fundamental realization that God’s right and I’m wrong. Without that, there is no grasp of the necessity of God’s grace, and salvation is by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9) The third thing that speaks to me here is that the apostles were witnesses. That is a whole treatise in itself, but suffice it to say that we are all accountable to share what we have experienced of God and His grace toward us. Truth is of vital importance, but it is seldom persuasive unless it is expressed in terms of experience. If God has been merciful toward us – and He has – then we should tell people about it!

It is that last point I feel I need to focus on personally. As a person with Teacher gifting, I tend to feel that just presenting truth should be sufficient, but it very seldom is. You could say that I have been entrusted with the mysteries of God, but if I fail to express them in terms to which my hearers can relate, they remain mysteries and benefit no one. I need to make it very clear that God’s love for me, which many people seem to recognize, has nothing to do with my abilities but everything to do with who He is, and that He loves the person I’m talking to as much as He does me. I’ve got to remember that I’m not a lecturer, I’m a witness! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the best news there could possibly be, and I need to treat it that way.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. I pray that by Your Spirit You would open not only my heart and mind, but the hearts and minds of the people I encounter, so that the lies of the devil may be demolished and people be set free to repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Love; April 22, 2025

Posted on April 23, 2025 by jgarrott

Luke 24:34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”

This whole story of the walk to Emmaus has much to love and meditate on. I find it significant the specific people Jesus appeared to after His resurrection. The first was of course Mary Magdalene, as we read yesterday. She was notable for two things: that she had been delivered from seven demons, (Luke 8:2) and that she was totally devoted to Jesus, following Him in His travels. The second seems to have been Simon Peter, as is mentioned here. He, of course, was the leader of the apostles, but during Jesus’ trial he denied three times that he even knew Jesus. And then we have the two disciples in this story, Cleopas, whose name is mentioned nowhere else in the Bible, and another disciple, whose name isn’t even mentioned here! In other words, these were totally ordinary, run-of-the-mill disciples, unknown to any but those closest to them, but certainly known to God. What comes out to me is another beautiful picture of God’s grace. He didn’t appear first to John, with whom He seemed to have a special relationship, but to those who might have been looked down on or discounted, even by themselves. As I have mentioned, I dearly love Don Francisco’s song, He Is Alive, that dramatizes Jesus’ post-resurrection encounter with Peter, but every one of these encounters was deeply significant. Jesus even made a personal appearance to a totally unnamed disciple! The thing is, He cares about us even when no one else does, and even when we don’t care about ourselves. We have only scratched the surface of God’s love for us! We don’t have words to express it, because we are incapable of such love ourselves. It is only when we open our hearts to receive His love that we discover that love flowing through us, even to a small extent, to those around us. Of course, we don’t have the mental, spiritual, or emotional “horsepower” to love all mankind the way He does, but even on our scale it is a glorious thing for His love to flow through us.

I had the enormous blessing of never having doubted my parents’ love for me, and as a result, I understood from a very young age that God indeed loved me too. I don’t think I’ve ever doubted that, even when circumstances were less than pleasant. I have long appreciated the exposition of God’s loving discipline in Hebrews 12, and as a parent myself, I understand loving my children even when I don’t love their actions or words. Recently I have been very aware of the Japanese distorted understanding of love, and that helps me understand God’s perfect love better. Many people are aware that the Japanese word for “cute” is kawai, but few even Japanese think about the fact that is written with characters that literally mean, “capable of being loved.” God loves us even when we aren’t cute! That’s just one of the challenges to presenting the Gospel in this culture! I am never to give up, but seek to be a consistent, undistorted channel for God’s love to flow through me, so that as many as possible may be drawn to repentance and faith, for their salvation and God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for loving me, even though at times I seem completely unlovable. May I respond to Your love in complete obedience, so that You may be pleased with me. Thank You. Praise God!

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Children of God; April 21, 2025

Posted on April 22, 2025 by jgarrott

John 20:17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

I always smile when I read this verse, because I can picture Mary Magdalene with her arms wrapped around Jesus’ legs, unwilling to let Him go. She had been deprived of Him once, and she didn’t want it to happen again! However, Jesus knew that He would be sending His Spirit to be with her forever, just as He had said in the Upper Room Discourse, (John 14:15) and that physical contact, even vision, wasn’t necessary. He also said something rather astounding, speaking of His disciples’ relationship with God on the same terms as His own. Jesus was indeed fully human, as well as fully divine, so we have more things in common with Him than we realize. This is a difficult thing for us to grasp properly. We are not divine, and the Mormon teaching that we become gods after death is simply a repeat of the devil’s lie in the Garden of Eden, “You will be like God.” (Genesis 3:5) However, by faith in the Son of God we are accepted as His children, and we have very little grasp of all that means. A wise parent doesn’t give a toddler everything they ask for, or let them do anything they want. We are certainly no better than toddlers, compared to God, and we need to be at peace with that. However, Father God loves us even more than human parents love their children, and that is something of the utmost importance. There is nothing God won’t do for us that is genuinely for our benefit. After all, He sent Jesus to die for us! The better we grasp that, the more boldly we will pray and the more peace and joy we will have. It is all quite amazing, and defies human logic, but it is absolutely real, and will carry us through anything we could possible experience on this earth.

There are various songs that touch on this, speaking of us as God’s friends, from Jesus’s statement in the Upper Room Discourse, (John 15:15) as well as many that speak of us as God’s children. I have sung such songs all my life, but I’m continuing to grow in my appreciation of the reality behind them. I need to remember that a disobedient child doesn’t cease to be a child by their disobedience, but they might lose the benefits of that position. Jesus was perfectly obedient to the Father, even when His flesh didn’t want to be, as in the Garden of Gethsemane. My obedience is far from perfect, but the better it gets, the deeper my fellowship with “my Father and your Father, my God and your God.” I want to be the sort of child the Father can trust to do exactly what He desires, so that God may be acknowledged as holy as His kingdom is established through His will being done, for His glory alone.

Father, thank You for this encouraging reminder. Thank You for all You did yesterday, from the Sunrise Service on through the day. Thank You for the excellent message through Sister Atsumi, and for the 10 children who came to the Easter Egg Hunt. Thank You that we weren’t overwhelmed with children! I pray that they would indeed come back each Sunday to Children’s Church and receive the pure milk of Your Word, (1 Peter 2:2) for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Resurrection; April 20, 2025

Posted on April 21, 2025 by jgarrott

Luke 24:5-6 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee.”

The events of that Sunday boggle our minds even now. These women had watched Jesus be crucified and die, His side be pierced by a spear, then His body be taken down, manifestly dead, and then be placed in a tomb. To say they were emotionally fragile at this point would be an extreme understatement. Understandably, when two men appeared to them in shining clothes, they were terrified. Then, what the men said made no sense to them at all. What were they talking about, “the living?” They had watched Jesus die and heard His words of surrender from the cross. The magnitude of the resurrection totally defies human intellect, and human words can’t really express it. However, believing that it happened is a condition for salvation, (Romans 10:9) so we had better believe it! From our perspective, almost 2000 years after the event, we tend to think of it in the abstract, but for these ladies, nothing could have been more immediate or real. We would do well to let the Holy Spirit reveal it to our spirits afresh, because it is the greatest event in all history.

Over 40 years ago I baptized someone and, as always, I asked them if they believed that Jesus was truly God, that He died for their sins, and that He rose again. They naturally answered, “Yes,” but a friend of theirs, watching and hearing this, thought, “How can she say that? That’s absurd.” However, a few months later, I asked that friend to translate a paper on prayer by Joy Dawson, and after doing so, she thought, “I wonder what would happen if I prayed like that?” She tried it, and God answered her! Two days after that dramatic encounter, she suddenly realized that she had no trouble believing that Jesus was God, that He had died for her, and that He rose again! In contrast, I was raised in a thoroughly believing home, and believed the facts of the Gospel for as far back as I can remember. However, I didn’t let those facts govern my life nearly as perfectly as I might have. Interestingly, this year I have been much more aware that this is Passion Week than I usually am. Just yesterday I watched a video about the spiritual warfare involved in recording The Chosen tv series, and the reality of it all came pressing in on me. Today we will be having a “sunrise service,” (a bit after actual sunrise) our regular Sunday worship, and then a special children’s program this afternoon. As strongly as I am feeling the reality of the resurrection, I still want all the “events” to be over! I need to focus fully on my risen Lord, and allow Him to use me however He will in everything that goes on today, drawing others closer to Him for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for everything. Thank You for the glorious reality of the cross and the empty tomb, and for bringing me back to a renewed appreciation of it all. May I be Your agent in every detail of this day, and of every day, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Jesus’ Sacrifice; April 19, 2025

Posted on April 20, 2025 by jgarrott

Luke 23:46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

As we read yesterday, John focused on Jesus having made the statement expected of the High Priest after the sacrifice of the Passover lamb, but it seems probably that what Luke recorded happened right after Jesus said that. That He was able to say anything at all in a loud voice at this point is pretty remarkable, because His weight was suspended from the nails driven through His wrists, and most crucified people died from suffocation, with no strength left to draw air into their lungs, much less cry out in a loud voice. This is further evidence that Jesus’ death was volitional. As John noted, Jesus laid down His life, rather than having it taken from Him. (John 10:17) The story of Father Kolbe comes to mind, and there have been others, who for the love of God that was in them chose to die so that others could live. Jesus was of course the ultimate example of that. As He Himself famously said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) There is no eternal life apart from Him, so He chose to give His life in order for us to have life. You can split all sorts of theological hairs as to the mechanics of that, and sadly, some people get into arguments over it, but the fact remains that Jesus gave His life for us, and we receive it by faith. That is the absolute core of the Gospel. We are to rejoice in it, and rejoice to share it with all who will receive it.

Every once in a while it hits me, all that Jesus went through for me, but I don’t spend my days thinking about it. It wouldn’t be bad if I did! The important thing is to live in grateful obedience. If I’m not grateful, then I don’t understand the cross or my sin at all. If that gratitude doesn’t draw me to obedience, then it is empty, just nice words. As Jesus said, after the Last Supper and before His arrest, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” (John 14:23) If my awareness of Jesus’ sacrifice doesn’t draw me into intense love for Him, then I don’t understand that sacrifice. The fact that I haven’t been perfectly obedient to Him shows that my love for Him still has room to grow. I desire to love Him perfectly, because He certainly loved me perfectly, when He laid down His life for me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Lord Jesus, thank You for Your sacrifice. Words are insufficient to express that. May my life be a continuing expression of gratitude and love for You, so that Your will may be done in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Time and Eternity; April 18, 2025

Posted on April 19, 2025 by jgarrott

John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Just this year I learned, for the first time, that after the Passover lamb was sacrificed in the temple, the High Priest would say these exact words. Jesus was indeed “the Lamb slain from the creation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8) The degree to which every detail of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection was explicitly prophesied is astounding, the more you look into it. In today’s reading we have the matter of Jesus’ clothing, as well as the sour wine that was given to Him. We really can’t wrap our minds around the reality that for God, absolutely everything is present, because He is outside of time. We are in the flow of time, so everything has a past, present, and future, but God is aware of all of it, all at once. We couldn’t handle that! That’s why God is never shocked when we mess up, since nothing ever surprises Him. There are various things about this that we can’t express logically in words. Revelation speaks of sequence and time, so I don’t know how we are going to experience things in heaven, but I have the feeling that for us, it won’t be so different, but it won’t be identical, I don’t think. Even Einstein spoke of “time dilation” and such. The point for us now is that God knows us, He loves us anyway, and He has prepared salvation for us through His Son. Our task in this life is to believe that and respond to it in gratitude and obedience, doing His will for His glory.

I’ve always been something of the weird kid who thinks about stuff like this, so I’m very familiar with the concept. However God reminds me of it from time to time, like now, so that I won’t be anxious about what is for me still the future. For Him, it’s already done! However, I am still very much in the flow of time, and I need to seek His schedule and follow it. Physicists are agreed that time is a function of matter, and since I have a spirit and worship God who is Spirit, I shouldn’t let time matter so much! (Sorry about that!) I am to focus on faithfulness, as a good steward, (1 Corinthians 4:2) so that my Lord will be pleased with me, since I am created by, and exist for, Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your incredible faithfulness toward me. I was thinking just this morning about Your provision for all our needs. Your grace is indeed amazing! May I respond each day, each moment, as You desire, so that all of Your plans for me may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Salvation; April 17, 2025

Posted on April 18, 2025 by jgarrott

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

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

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

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

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Sin; April 16, 2025

Posted on April 17, 2025 by jgarrott

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

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

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

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

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Moral Courage; April 15, 2025

Posted on April 16, 2025 by jgarrott

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

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

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

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

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Self Defense; April 14, 2025

Posted on April 15, 2025 by jgarrott

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

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

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

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

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