Children of the Light; January 25, 2025

Posted on January 26, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 5:5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

This chapter is well loved for a number of sections, particularly verses 16-21, but there are several others as well. This particular verse was set to music rather memorably around 50 years ago, though sadly, the group that recorded it later got tripped up by the devil’s schemes. They weren’t living out what they were singing! That is a risk for everyone, but particularly those with a public ministry. The better known someone is, the more they become a target, because of how many people they might bring down with them. Paul was thankfully aware of this, and was particularly careful. (1 Corinthians 9:27) In recent memory, Billy Graham famously would not be alone with a woman other than his wife. That was consciously walking in the light! We do have good examples like that of people who walk wisely, and we need to follow them! The light is available to us as the natural domain of all who believe in Jesus, but we need to choose to walk in it. Jesus made several remarks to that effect. It is when we walk in the light that people see the light reflected off of us and are drawn to Jesus, who is the source of all true light.

This is something I can preach on easily, and I have done so many times, but I’ve got to walk it out and not just preach it to others! It is interesting how much allure dark things can have at times. It is sad but not surprising how popular Halloween has become in recent years. That whole trick is nothing new, but I’ve got to be aware of it and resist it firmly. It is very encouraging to me that, at least in the US, light seems to be shining into many of the dark places of the government – and some of them are very dark! The exciting thing is, similar things seem to be happening in many other countries as well. I am to rejoice in that, but not let such things distract me from walking in the light myself. As John said, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) That is to be my desire and my daily practice, so that nothing will pull me away from fellowship with my Lord and Savior.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You indeed for the light that seems to be shining in Washington D. C. and elsewhere. May I not be distracted by that, but be faithful to walk in Your light myself, so that more and more people may be drawn to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Kingdom Truth; January 24, 2025

Posted on January 25, 2025 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

This is a vitally important truth that the devil does all he can to keep us from realizing. Once we acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, we no longer belong to the darkness that is all around us, but we are in the kingdom of God, which is light and life and holiness and all the rest. The problem is, we don’t always feel like it, and we don’t always act like it either. It is a completed transaction for eternity, but we don’t always enjoy the benefits because of ignorance and unbelief. I’m reminded of Paul’s Roman citizenship. It was a valuable, powerful thing, but when it wasn’t recognized by those around him, he didn’t get the benefit. In our case, it isn’t those around us who matter, it is we ourselves who need to realize that we no longer belong to the world, but we belong to Christ. The usual expression is, “there is a world of difference,” but in this case the difference is more than a world, it’s an eternity and an infinity of difference! The more and better we grasp this, the more we will act like it in our daily lives. Paul didn’t know this particular group of believers personally, but he knew Epaphras, who had won them to the Lord, (verse 7) and so he had assurance that they had been taught the truth of the Gospel, and he just wanted to cement that in their awareness. We too, as we grow deeper into Christ, should be praying for others that they would likewise grow in Him, so that together we may walk in all that God provided for us in Him, for His glory.

As a missionary pastor I am charged with helping others know and understand the things of the Kingdom, but I don’t always care so much about groups other than my own. Paul wrote this letter to people he had never met, and he talks about praying for them. I have minister friends literally all over the globe, and I need to be praying for their congregations to grow in knowledge and faith just as I pray for my own. I am certainly subject to human limitations, so I should not accuse myself over this, but I know I will be blessed if I do it. I have a friend in Nepal whom I have known for many years, though we have only met online. He is faithful in much more difficult circumstances than I endure, and I recently contributed to his building fund, but I realize that though I pray for him and his family, I haven’t been praying for his congregation! I also have minister friends in other countries around the world, not to mention here in Japan, so I should be praying for God’s revelation and the power of His Spirit to be poured out on every group. The battle will not be won by the ministers alone, but by the Body of Christ as a whole, and that means the believers. Since I desire that God’s name be recognized as holy and His rule and reign be established as His will is done, then I need to be praying for those who are to be instruments of that happening. If I will do that, then the consummation of God’s plans will come all the more quickly, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this Word. I don’t know that I’ve ever thought of how praying for other congregations would prepare the way for Christ’s return. Help me be faithful in all You show me, so that indeed, Your will may be done fully in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Shame; January 23, 2025

Posted on January 24, 2025 by jgarrott

Ephesians 5:11-12 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

As I was reading this it struck me that today, many of the things to which Paul was presumably referring are no longer done in secret, but are rather trumpeted, as points of pride. The whole concept of shame is attacked, as though shame itself were shameful. The devil has indeed blinded a vast number of people to what is going on, and even to what they themselves are doing. (2 Corinthians 4:4) Shame is hardly a comfortable emotion, but it can be a very valuable one. It is an important function of our conscience, and helps keep us from destructive behavior. The problem is, there is a spectrum of emotion from simple embarrassment to shame, and we often don’t hit the right spot on it. Passing gas in public can be embarrassing, but it is a natural biological function that shouldn’t be shameful. However, there is historical record of a Spanish woman a couple of centuries ago who passed gas in church very loudly, and it smelled so bad that, out of the sheer overload of embarrassment, she died on the spot of a heart attack. We have the expression, “I could have died.” Well, she did! That is a perversion of what God intended as something to help keep us in line. The devil tries to get us to feel ashamed of the things of God. That’s why Paul boldly proclaimed, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16) Society today totally perverts that There are those who utterly debase themselves for financial gain, or even for “likes” or “clicks” on social media. They are to be deeply pitied, and those who profit off of them opposed at every turn. That is shameful indeed, and I take no joy in reporting it. Shame is in itself a valuable thing, and we must be on our guard against the devil’s perversions of it. When it is properly applied, it leads to repentance and forgiveness, and that is a valuable thing indeed.

I find it interesting that some of my most persistent memories are of embarrassment. Sometimes they flash into my mind at odd moments, and I have to choose to place them under the blood of Jesus, who took the penalty for all my sins. The odd thing is, most of those do not fall into what I would call sin! I need to let the Holy Spirit be in command of all my emotions and judgments, not forcing shame on anyone but not accepting things that God says are shameful. The world today is far from what the Bible depicts as God’s plan, particularly in regard to sex. However, people are waking up. It was interesting that the biggest crowd response during Donald Trump’s inauguration speech was when he said that for at least the next four years, the official position of the US government is that there are only two genders, male and female. People are tired of the nonsense! I am not to depend on “official positions,” but simply apply God’s standards in every area. There is no shame in that!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that people all over the world do seem to be waking up in a number of ways. I pray that they would not just correct their politics and economics, but genuinely turn to You in repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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The Devil’s Deceptions; January 22, 2025

Posted on January 23, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 11:13-14 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

The world can be a dangerous place! In this present time, the devil and those who serve him run rampant, doing all they can to deceive, just as Jesus warned us. (Matthew 24:24) Sadly, many are indeed taken in by their lies, and can be deeply hurt in consequence. However, that’s not to say we are to live in fear. Rather, we are to keep our hearts fixed on Jesus, (Hebrews 12:2) knowing that in Him we have the victory, whatever is going on around us in the flesh. (Romans 8:37) That said, for our own sake and for the sake of those around us, we are to be careful not to be deceived. That means becoming so familiar with the Bible that anything that contradicts it is immediately obvious, and seeking and allowing the Holy Spirit to be our teacher and the interpreter of what we read and hear. In this Information Age we are bombarded with messages of all sorts. Some are uplifting and point us to Christ, but many are calculated to generate fear, grabbing our attention and seeking to control us. Those things might be religious or they might not. The devil doesn’t much care what he distracts us with, just so long as he distracts us from Christ. This might be as religious as deceptive visions or as secular as cries of climate change; the devil doesn’t care, so long as he grabs our attention and keeps us from fellowship with Christ by His Spirit.

I have seen quite a gamut of deceptions, and some of them were very persuasive. However, God is faithful, and He has protected me. That’s not to say I have everything right; I still agree with C. S. Lewis that when we get to heaven, we will all discover we were wrong somewhere. It is to say that I am deeply grateful for the firm foundation I was given by my parents’ faith and devotion to God and His Word. I once had a minister tell me my problem was I was “too balanced.” In his view, you needed to be a little unbalanced in order to keep moving! It is true that I haven’t been one to jump on the latest enthusiasm in Christian circles, but that is in keeping with my Teacher gifting. I don’t want to hold back from anything in which the Lord is directing me, but I know that my success is entirely because of Him, and not from any program or technique of man. I think my father’s adherence to Absolute Honesty helped me greatly, because it has made deceptions of all sorts much more obvious to me. I want to be absolutely faithful to my Lord, who is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed be a true apostle, sent and controlled by You and Your Spirit and no other, so that others may be delivered from the deceptions of the enemy to walk in Your light and life, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Being Yoked; January 21, 2025

Posted on January 22, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

This is an important teaching, but a difficult one. As Jesus said, we are in the world but not of it. (John 17:11, 14, 16) We interact daily with those who are not in Christ, and the question of how to do so is often a very pressing one. Some people choose the monastic route, withdrawing from the world as much as possible, but that is simply impractical, if not impossible, for most people. On top of that, if we cut off our interactions, how does evangelism happen? The key comes in “yoked.” This is most often applied to marriage, but it can equally apply to business partnerships and the like. Either way, it can make for some very hard choices. In Japan, the number of Christian young people is so low that insisting on a Christian spouse is limiting to say the very least. As a result, a large percentage of Christian young people marry non-Christians. Sometimes the result is that the spouse comes to genuine faith, and that is blessed indeed. However, that is far from being guaranteed. Then there is the matter of people coming to faith when they are already married. Both Paul (1 Corinthians 7:14-16) and Peter (1 Peter 3:1) deal with that situation. That said, I have seen some real tragedies of believers married to unbelievers. However, I have also seen some miracles in this area, of gangsters marrying Christian girls and, after years of living hell for the women, being transformed into ministers of the Gospel. This calls for submission to God first of all, listening carefully to Him rather than to our emotions or our flesh. We need to remember that His way is always best, whether it is the difficult path of waiting or the difficult path of living with an unbeliever. However, His grace is sufficient for us, (2 Corinthians 12:9) so we are able to do anything He directs us to do. (Philippians 4:13)

I was incredibly blessed to be given a spouse who is my partner in faith, as well as in every other way. At the time we got married, neither of us was very close to the Lord, but within a few years He brought first Cathy and then me into close fellowship with Him, and our relationship with each other continued to grow, as it does today. However, my children, both physical and spiritual, have not been as blessed in that area. One spiritual son has a very fine wife, but she is not yet a believer, though she isn’t actively against it. Like so many Japanese, she doesn’t understand the whole business of salvation and eternal life, and her need for it all. A spiritual daughter has already gone through one divorce, and her current “serious boyfriend” came to church for the first time ever just recently. Particularly given my own experience, my heart aches for them. I don’t know really how to pray for them, so I do most of it in tongues, letting the Holy Spirit give me the words that I don’t know. As I have said, I have seen miracles in this area, so I am not to be legalistic, but I am certainly to speak the truth in love, and trust God to sort it all out.

Father, thank You for this Word. I do pray for my children of all sorts, that Your very best for them would be manifested, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Mortality; January 20, 2025

Posted on January 21, 2025 by jgarrott

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

I have quoted verse 17 more times than I could count, but not this one so much. However, at 76 I have a great appreciation for it! I think it should be posted on the wall of every Christian nursing home and retirement home. It is a fact of life that these “tents” we inhabit wear out, to use Paul’s analogy from chapter 5 of this same letter. (2 Corinthians 5:1, 4) However, as he says here, we shouldn’t let that drag us down. Those who have no hope of eternity with Christ get very involved with keeping up the externals, often spending lots of money, if they have it, on plastic surgery and the like. How foolish, and sad, really. I frankly wouldn’t want to be in this body for eternity! However, like Paul says here, I am grateful and at times excited for the various ways God continues to grow my “inner man.” I’m certainly not perfect, but it’s encouraging to recognize growing patience, discernment, and gratitude. Interestingly, people often comment on “how young I seem.” Part of that is flattery, I’m sure, but what truth there is comes from the fact that I haven’t given up on anything. I am indeed remarkably healthy for my age, but that’s with the awareness that God could call me home at any moment. However, that awareness excites me rather than scares me. As the next verse says, I know that the glory that awaits me will make every trial I experience in this life be totally trivial by comparison. I have been present for the death of people from a toddler to advanced age, and I am very aware that these bodies are temporary. And that’s fine! I think that if our bodies were immortal we would have a whole raft of other problems and temptations that I don’t care to think about. I have read science fiction novels that posited lifespans in the hundreds of years, potentially indefinitely renewable, but they don’t seem to express the wisdom that should come with age! We’re back to the whole question of priorities and values. When we’re in love with this world, this life, we totally miss eternity. (1 John 2:15) We are to be grateful for, and make full use of, our time in this world, but we must remember that it is no more than a prelude for the full symphony that God has planned for us.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You again for the joy of leading a 99-year-old woman to welcome Jesus into her heart just before Christmas. I look forward to conducting her funeral! Thank You for the privilege of sharing Your Gospel with all who will receive it, for their eternal salvation and Your glory. May that happen more and more! Hallelujah!

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Faithful Stewardship; January 19, 2025

Posted on January 20, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 4:1-2 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

I have quoted verse 2 of this chapter many times, but haven’t always connected it with verse 1. Because the Bible is widely available, ministers aren’t seen so much as “stewards of the mysteries of God” the way they were before the printing press and vernacular translations. However, God does honor the office, and those in positions of leadership are often shown things that people not so designated might not see. That’s why verse 2 is so weighty. As James put it, “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) The sad truth is that many ministers preach what they think their congregations want to hear, instead of what God wants them to hear. That is not being a faithful steward! This isn’t to stress the “clergy/laity divide,” as is done in some groups. Every believer is capable of being filled with the Holy Spirit, seeing things that can only be perceived in the spirit realm. However, it is to say that if you are appointed as a shepherd, you’d better apply yourself to the task!

Of course, this applies to me. I wish I could say I’ve always been faithful, but as Paul says right after this, God is my judge, even more than I am capable of judging myself. I realized years ago that things that seemed completely obvious to me were pretty opaque to many of those around me. It’s a major problem when that makes me feel proud or puffed up. When I am shown things, I’m to be faithful to share them with others, in ways that they can receive them. That said, I’m not personally responsible for how they respond to what I share; my job is to speak the truth in love. It is sometimes heartbreaking when people decline to receive the Word I share with them, but I am to keep praying for them, keep loving them, and keep expressing God’s truth to them. Sometimes the “loving” part can get difficult! However, I need to remember God’s patience with me, and so be patient with those to whom He has me minister. I will not be judged on their response, but on my faithfulness.

Father, this is a strong and timely Word. Help me apply it fully, as a faithful servant indeed, so that Your purposes for me may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Foundation; January 18, 2025

Posted on January 19, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 3:11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

This passage by Paul immediately brings to mind Jesus’ famous parable of whose who build on rock and those who build on sand. (Matthew 7:24-27) Foundations are important! That’s why early childhood education, particularly by the parents, is so important. If a child is not given a firm foundation of faith and morality, the rest of their life is likely to be shaky at best. God does work miracles, and there are exceptions, people who somehow absorb God’s principles later in life, but repairing foundations is far harder than laying them right in the first place! When the current Nagasaki Medical Center building was being built, it seemed like they never would stop digging, working on the foundation. It took months! However, the finished product has been standing firm for many years now, looking like a beautiful hotel up on the hill. God sometimes has to do that sort of work in us, because we likely have some pretty swampy and/or sandy areas in our heart. No parent is perfect, and there is always personal responsibility. Sadly, some churches put out teaching that is analogous to Styrofoam, or even jelly. Such a “foundation” will never stand up, however good it might look for a moment or two. We need to be careful that we are firmly grounded on Christ Jesus our Lord, and then, as Paul says, be careful how we build our lives on that foundation.

I had the huge blessing of being raised by parents who did all they could to lay a solid foundation in my life. Not all that I have built on that has been good, but God has been faithful to tear out sloppy workmanship as called for. At this point in my life I feel like I could handle a tsunami, if necessary – not that I want to, you understand! That is all well and good as far as I am concerned, but I am called to minister to others, to help them get their foundation firmly in Christ. That is a joy, but at the same time it is sometimes a major headache! I need to remember that, as I have said, there is always personal responsibility. I am to be faithful to say and do what the Lord directs; what people do with that is between them and God. I have not been a perfect model, but I think I can say with Paul, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) My task, as Paul wrote Timothy, is to “entrust [God’s truth] to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2) I am blessed that several ministers have already gone out from this church, and we are raising up more. God is faithful, and He will build His Church. (Matthew 16:18)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the foundation You have laid in me, first by my parents and then in various other ways as well. May I lay only Your foundation in those under my ministry, so that they may stand firm against everything the devil and this world throw at them, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Putting On Christ; January 17, 2025

Posted on January 18, 2025 by jgarrott

Romans 13:14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

This is the exact opposite of what the world tells us. In my youth, the motto was, “If it feels good, do it.” I knew a lot of people who had personal tragedy because of that attitude. The Japanese turn of phrase here is interesting: “Don’t use your soul to satisfy your flesh.” That said, there are other religions, notably Buddhism, that teach this sort of thing. What is unique in Christianity is the alternative Paul gives us here: putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. That sounds awkward at best, if not downright impossible, not to mention weird, to our human intellect, but it is glorious reality in God’s economy. It takes us back to the Upper Room Discourse in John 13-17 (including Jesus’ Pastoral Prayer). Paul was not present, and indeed was far from faith, at that time, but he had experienced the reality of it by this point. Jesus repeatedly used words like “in,” and “remain” in what He said. Paul’s metaphor is a bit different, but the result is the same. The point is that our identity as children of God by faith (John 1:12) is more important than anything physical. This is not to say that we are to ignore our bodies, much less mistreat them. We are stewards, and accountable to our Creator for how we use what He has given us. However, at this point over half the people in the US have done harm to their bodies by over-indulging them. In the recent pandemic, the most common, and most dangerous, “existing condition contributing to a poor outcome,” was obesity. Like good mechanics, we are to be careful of fuel and maintenance, but we aren’t to be obsessed with our bodies in any way. Rather, we are to be focused on our Lord Jesus Christ, and what He wants us to do with these bodies He’s given us.

I have perhaps been more aware of this issue than most people, because my father’s doctoral dissertation was on the use of In Christ, and congruent Greek phrases, in the New Testament. However, he told me that, even having written that dissertation, he had no idea what it meant until he had a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit as a new, single missionary in Japan. I had his example growing up, though it wasn’t the subject of conversation, so when I encountered the Charismatic Movement in 1973, it seemed very familiar and desirable. I can’t say that I have operated perfectly in this by any means, but I do know what it is, and I hope by God’s grace to live it out more and more fully for as long as He keeps me here.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for making it possible to “put on Christ,” to abide in Him and have You and Him in me by Your Spirit. May I walk in that glorious reality more and more each day, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Hypocrisy; January 16, 2025

Posted on January 17, 2025 by jgarrott

Romans 2:19-21 If you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?

This is a perennial problem, probably from the dawn of history. The self-righteous rarely if ever live up to what they proclaim. Jesus dealt with it with the Pharisees, and told His disciples, “Do as they say, not as they do.” (Matthew 23:3) Very recently, in the Senate confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, some senators were accusing him of being drunk on the job in previous work. Not only are such accusations from anonymous sources, they have been vigorously denied by people who actually have worked with him. That said, the perfect rebuttal was given by another senator who said to the accusers, “How many times have you seen fellow senators come in to vote in the evening after having been drinking? I know it’s been many times, but you never accuse them.” This is sadly human nature. Politicians may be in a special category, but this problem certainly infects the Church as well. None of us live up totally to the standards we hold. The only person to ever do that was Jesus of Nazareth. That’s why we are all so urgently in need of the grace of God. Spiritual conceit is the most dangerous kind! We all need to seek to be honest with ourselves and with God, because if we are that, we will certainly be humble! The flip side of that is parents who fail to discipline their children because they remember that they themselves did the same or worse. That too is a big mistake. We are to be honest about our imperfections, but still not deny the perfection that God calls us to. (Matthew 5:48)

This is something I have tangled with thoroughly. Being familiar with the Bible from my childhood, I thought that familiarity was all I needed, making me better than those around me. God finally dealt with me strongly on that issue when I was 24, and I have been painfully aware of it ever since. From that point, I have felt that James 1:22 was written expressly for me: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” The people Paul was writing to here deceived themselves into thinking that their head knowledge was equal to obedience, but that is a trap of the devil. I have been a pastor for many years now, but I am always aware that I am preaching first to myself, and that I can’t expect others to do better than I do. The good news is that God’s grace is sufficient for us all, so we can encourage and support one another, even in our weaknesses.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me never forget it! May I indeed proclaim Your righteousness, holiness, and truth, but do it in the awareness of Your grace and mercy, and that I am as in need of that grace and mercy as those to whom I minister, for Your glory alone. Thank You. Praise God!

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