Rules; February 21, 2025

Posted on February 22, 2025 by jgarrott

Romans 7:5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.

One of the strange things about human beings is that the minute we are told not to do something, we feel an urge to do it. That’s not the fault of the rules, it’s our own fault. That’s what this verse is talking about. That’s why the moral education of children is at the same time important and dangerous. We need to give our children guidelines, but as any parent can tell you, the minute those guidelines are expressed, the children want to depart from them. Logic doesn’t work with a 2-year-old, so physical punishment is a necessity. That physical punishment is so conflated with abuse is one of the devil’s more effective lies. Even a small child understands “If I do that, it will hurt!” That’s also why fair, effective law enforcement is vital for society. The recent spate of people not being prosecuted for crimes has produced great evil. The thing is, maturity requires recognizing and acknowledging this impulse in ourselves, and standing against it. Everyone knows “the deliciousness of the forbidden,” but as this verse says, the fruit that produces is death. Rather than seeking our own pleasure and “fun,” we need to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. If we will do that, God will add to that joy and fun the world knows nothing about!

My parents must have done fairly well by me, because I never had a very strong desire to run with the “bad boys.” To this day I don’t like the taste of beer, and that’s a liking I don’t intend to acquire! That said, I have certainly experienced the lure of the forbidden, but haven’t indulged nearly as much as I might have. For that I am deeply grateful, because it is certainly God’s grace and not my own righteousness. That said, I must not let that devolve into pride, or I will be no better than a Pharisee. The time of my life in which I was most walking in spiritual pride I was also most actively flouting God’s rules! I need to remember that in dealing with others, particularly as a pastor, and be forgiving but not excusing, always speaking the truth in love.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for this time in the hospital, and that I get out this morning. I do pray that my healing would be completed on Your schedule for Your glory, and that I would be able to do all the things You have laid out for me in the coming days. Thank You. Praise God!

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Christian Living; February 20, 2025

Posted on February 21, 2025 by jgarrott

Romans 6:13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.

I had a real problem typing this verse out in Japanese, because Microsoft never would give me the right character for “offer,” and I had to enter a different reading for the character I needed (the one used for putting money in the plate). The world does not understand offering our bodies to God! Actually, there’s a great deal the world doesn’t understand about the life of faith, of walking in fellowship with our Creator. This 6th chapter of Romans is an important one for new Christians particularly, but also for every Christian to really work into their understanding. Jesus wasn’t kidding when He said we are “in the world but not of it.” (John 17:11, 14) That’s why Paul had to famously say, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” (Romans 12:2) The world can have a very strong “gravitational pull,” and we need to be aware of it so that we can stand against it. The world thinks that Christianity is restrictive, that it “won’t let us do what we want,” when in fact, Christ frees us so that we don’t have to sin any more. Thinking we’ve “arrived” in that area is very dangerous, as John wrote extensively in his first letter. Paul himself testified that he wasn’t there yet, when he wrote to the Philippians. (Philippians 3:12) We need to have the consistent awareness that we are no longer slaves to sin, but are rather resurrected free people, as Paul says here.

I’ve had my own struggles with this, swallowing the devil’s line that “everybody’s doing it.” I don’t have to be everybody, because I’m a redeemed child of God! This is something we all need to remember more consistently. As a pastor, I don’t have to remind people that I’m a sinner too, but I must not come across as “holier than thou.” Rather, I am to come alongside them and encourage them that they too can walk as resurrected children of God. That’s something really worth applying myself to!

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for all You brought me through yesterday. It was my first experience of spinal anesthesia, and I was interested to discover it didn’t work perfectly. At the same time, it wasn’t unbearable, and at this point my right kidney is much happier than it has been for the past several days. Thank You for this hospital, and the friendly, helpful staff. Thank You for the opportunity to minister to some of them. I pray particularly for that one OR nurse, who was on duty for my hernia surgery and remembered me. I pray that my every interaction would indeed draw people to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Faith; February 19, 2025

Posted on February 20, 2025 by jgarrott

Romans 4:19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.

It should go without saying, but we are very involved with our bodies. We have many challenges to our faith, but I don’t think any top our interaction with our bodies. God’s promise to Abraham seemed to be directly contradicted by Abraham’s own body, as well as that of his wife. Abraham, however, chose to believe God, even though he did try to figure out his own solution to the problem – which has generated untold problems for his descendants ever since. We indeed need to learn from him, both what to do and what not to do. We are to rest secure in what He has told us through His Word, and not to try to figure out any shortcuts. He is far greater than anything else, including our own bodies!

This is extremely timely for me, since I am currently dealing with a swollen, inflamed kidney and a stone, currently on its way to my bladder. If I weren’t speaking at the prayer meeting this morning, I would have been hospitalized yesterday. However, God is faithful, and He will get me through this morning and the next few days. I do have something of a deadline, since I have two weddings to perform on Saturday! With my body yelling at me like this, it’s hard to focus on anything else. However, God has demonstrated His faithfulness to me countless times before, so I just need to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, just as He told me to do years ago.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for this further training in faith. I pray that I would indeed learn all that You want to teach me, to become more and more of a useful vessel in Your hands, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Miracles; February 18, 2025

Posted on February 19, 2025 by jgarrott

Acts 9:35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

There’s something pretty persuasive about healing miracles! This one, and certainly the raising of Dorcas that followed, brought many into the kingdom of God. Of course, healing was a big motivation for the crowds that followed Jesus, and that exploded when He fed large groups, essentially from nothing. However, Jesus Himself fled from those crowds, knowing that they were after a free meal ticket. As we touched on recently, Jesus knew human hearts, and shallow motivation was obvious to Him. It is very good to recognize God’s grace toward us and respond in gratitude, but we need to be committed to Him regardless of the “perks” we get or don’t get from that relationship. There have been people with a massive healing ministry in recent memory – Reinhard Bonnke comes to mind – but they are few and far between. As with any group evangelism, follow-up and mentoring are vital. We might think we would like to do that kind of evangelism, but the demands and stresses are huge. That doesn’t mean we aren’t to pray for healing, and to believe for results, but it does mean that we are to remember that the healing comes always and only from God, and avoid the temptation to take credit.

I’ll confess to having desired “signs following” (Mark 16:20) in my own ministry, but my major gifting is Teacher, and I’m rather an introvert. If people had been raised from the dead through my ministry, I would probably have been destroyed by what would have followed. As it is, my wife has a laundry list of physical issues, and I spent over 5 hours last night in the ER with a kidney stone. That doesn’t mean that I don’t believe God heals today, nor that I am ungrateful for the abundant blessings God has poured out on us. It does mean that my faith is to be based on Who and what God is, and not just on what He does for me. I do not want the believers in this church to turn away when things don’t go as they would like, and I must certainly not do so myself. As Job said, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” (Job 13:15)

Father, thank You for all You are doing, in, around, and through me. Thank You for getting me through yesterday, and that You will get me through today. I do pray that I would be in condition to deliver the message at tomorrow morning’s prayer meeting, but that is in Your hands. Help me not take Cathy’s leg pain lightly, because of my own pain. May we grow as Your children, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Repentance (2); February 17, 2025

Posted on February 18, 2025 by jgarrott

Acts 2:38-39 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

What an absolutely magnificent statement of the Gospel! Peter himself didn’t understand all the ramifications of the words he spoke, and God later had to give him a vision to make him willing to share the Gospel with Cornelius and his household. (Acts 10) This sort of thing is one of the proofs that prophecy is real, that God puts words in our mouth that we ourselves don’t understand at the time. In that way, it’s a lot like the gift of tongues. However, with prophecy we think we understand what we’re saying, but God may well show us later that there was much deeper meaning to it. I don’t know who Peter thought he was talking about when he said, “all who are far off,” but he certainly didn’t realize he was talking about Gentiles! We do need to pay close attention to what Peter says here. The first thing he says is that people are to repent. His immediate hearers probably had a pretty good understanding of the term, but that’s not always the case. The Japanese term is literally, “regret and start over,” which is pretty clear, but the English word isn’t so easy to get a handle on. We may say, and honestly think, that we have repented, but if our behavior doesn’t change, we haven’t. We do need God’s help to accomplish repentance, but if we honestly want to, He will certainly help us.

I have had times of genuine repentance, and times when I thought I had repented but obviously hadn’t. I know this issue from all sides! As a missionary pastor I certainly desire to lead others into repentance, but dumping a guilt trip on them is seldom the best way to do it, though that’s essentially what Peter did here. I am always to speak the truth in love, even if the truth makes people uncomfortable, but the love must be real or the truth will be rejected. Yesterday one relationship issue was cleared up beautifully, but another came crashing down on me, and I’m seeking the Lord’s resolution to it. I am certainly not perfect, but in this situation, I honestly don’t know that what I did was wrong. It was evident to many people that I was deeply hurt, and I received words of comfort and encouragement, but I still need to deal directly with the other party. I must not be defensive, but let Christ be my defense. We are all very complex beings, and God is the only One who can straighten us out.

Father, thank You for all You allow us to experience, including the abdominal pain that kept me from getting much sleep last night. I pray that Your purposes in allowing it would be fulfilled, and promptly, so that I may be freed from the pain, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Repentance; February 16, 2025

Posted on February 17, 2025 by jgarrott

John 13:8, 17 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

I have long loved verse 17 here, but as I was reading, verse eight jumped out at me. As the old hymn asks, “Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?” Many people admire Jesus, but they don’t really want Him to clean them up, because they enjoy their sins. In other words, there is no repentance. Jesus is saying flat out, if we don’t repent, we can’t be part of Him. Many people have what the Japanese call a goriyaku religion, meaning they’re in it for what they can get out of it. There are incredible blessings to following Christ, but if the blessings are our only motivation, that doesn’t cut it. That explains what some people consider Jesus’ harshest teaching: “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:22-23) We can do all sorts of good things, but without a humble, repentant heart, we have no part in Jesus. When we think we’ve got it all together, that we’ve earned a place in God’s kingdom, that’s precisely the point at which we are most in danger, because we’re trusting ourselves instead of God’s grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 is absolutely no fluke: “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.” Without repentance, there is no salvation. That said, we still have verse 17. Too often we know the right stuff but fail to follow through. We may say yes, yes to the need for repentance, all the while hanging onto a pet sin. We’ve got to ask for, and welcome, Christ’s cleansing, whatever that may mean in our lives. If we will do that, we will be blessed indeed.

This has been the story of my life. I’ve known the right things since I was a child, but countless times I have chosen other things. I am totally dependent on the grace of God, because there is no way I could qualify on my own. Japanese spirituality admires such things as standing under a waterfall for cleansing. You could say the idea is right but the execution is wrong. What we do to ourselves doesn’t really cleanse us; we’ve got to come humbly to Jesus. That’s what He was saying to Peter, and I’ve got to remember it. Standing under a waterfall won’t cleanse me, but one drop of Jesus’ blood will do the trick. I need to walk in the assurance that comes only from humble repentance. If I will do that, I will be blessed beyond words.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all the blessings You have poured out on me all my life. I haven’t earned a one of them, but that’s how You are. May I respond in ever more consistent obedience, saying and doing what You desire at all times, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Human Weakness; February 15, 2025

Posted on February 16, 2025 by jgarrott

John 2:24-25 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

Jesus was in an interesting place. He loved people totally, but knew them too well to trust them. After all, He had to tell Peter, one of His closest disciples, that he would say he didn’t even know Him! This is why He wasn’t swayed by crowd size, but focused on the few who had been entrusted to Him. On one level this might be described as paranoia, and indeed He was accused of that when He talked about how the Jewish leaders were out to kill Him. However, He was the most self-aware person who has ever walked the earth. Being fully human, He was totally aware of all human weaknesses, but being fully divine, He didn’t yield to them. That had to be lonely! I think He did enjoy His time with His disciples, but the level of fellowship certainly wasn’t what He was used to with the Father and the Spirit. Had He not had the Spirit, as His direct line to the Father, He might have flipped out! It’s hardly surprising that He would sometimes get up very early to have time alone with the Father and the Spirit. We don’t have the same depth of fellowship with them that He did, but it is still available to us, and it can certainly be a lifesaver when we encounter all sorts of trials – particularly related to our fellow human beings. It can be a painful lesson at times, but God is the only one who is totally reliable. We entrust ourselves to others on a regular basis, whether it’s doctors or bus drivers or whomever, but we need to take a page from Jesus’ book and not let their failures tear us down. After all, we have failed others many times! When Jesus has extended His grace to us, we need to extend it to others as well.

This is something in which I keep getting painful lessons. Just yesterday there was an incident, and every time I think of it I have to choose forgiveness. The thing is, there was a third party involved, and the actions of one person but a barrier between that third party and me, and that’s not something I can control. That said, the offending party is still a child of God, and valuable in the Body of Christ. I talk about forgiveness a great deal, and now I’m being given an intense practicum in it! I must not back away, but operate in Christ’s love and grace, since He has extended it to me. There are many, many good things going on all around me, and I am not to let the negative things that will continue to go on distract me from and rob me of the good. As Jesus said, in this world I will have trouble, but I am to fix my heart on Him and rejoice! (John 16:33)

Father, thank You for this lesson, in all its facets. I ask for wisdom and strength as I get things set up in the sanctuary today, with its beautiful new floor! Help me know what I am to do today and what I should wait for people to show up tomorrow to help do. Delegation has never been my strong suit! Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You throughout today, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Whole Bible; February 14, 2025

Posted on February 15, 2025 by jgarrott

Luke 24;26-27 “Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

This was the ultimate class in Christology! Actually, Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola have attempted to recreate this talk, in a sense, writing a book they called Jesus a Theography, in which they indeed start with Genesis 1 and go all the way through the Bible, showing how it points to Jesus every step of the way. It’s over 400 pages long (at least in the electronic version I’m reading)! Jesus Himself probably gave a more compact presentation, but the material is certainly there. The thing is, Jesus was literally in God’s plan from before Creation, and the better we understand that, the more committed to Him we will be. Cleopas and his friend had the incredible privilege of hearing it directly from Jesus, but we can investigate it ourselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and we have Bible scholars like Sweet and Viola who have done the heavy lifting for us. The important thing to remember is that God didn’t go, “Oh dear, now what will I do?” after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. No, God, being omniscient and outside of time, planned salvation for mankind before He ever created the universe. (Actually, that’s very difficult to express in human words, because time is a function of matter, so we speak of a “space-time continuum,” but God existed when there was no matter, so there was no “before” or “after.”) All such mental gymnastics aside, it is important to realize that the whole Bible is Jesus’ book, since none of the New Testament had been written at the point this story happened. Christians and churches that ignore the Old Testament miss out on a great deal, and have a very limited understanding of Christ and salvation at best.

I am grateful to have been raised in a family that loved the whole Bible. My father got his doctorate in Greek, but he got his masters in Hebrew, and he didn’t slight the Old Testament. I use the New Testament more in my preaching, but I often include Old Testament passages, and occasionally preach entirely from the Old Testament. The young man who puts bookmarks in Bibles for visitors, to indicate the passages I will be using, likes to hand out just New Testaments if that covers all the ones I’ve listed, but that isn’t too common. I dearly love Isaiah, and of course Psalms, and Deuteronomy has a special place in my heart as well. For that matter, a passage from Habakkuk has been given to this church on three  separate occasions, so I don’t slight the “minor prophets” either! The point is not just to love God’s Word but to do it, just as James pointed out. (James 1:22) My desire is to engender an obedient love for the Word in others, and it is a great joy that I seem to be succeeding in that with some.

Father, thank You for the whole Bible, and how You speak to us so clearly and faithfully. May I indeed be someone who does Your Word and doesn’t just talk about it, so that Your rule and reign may be established as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Angels; February 13, 2025

Posted on February 14, 2025 by jgarrott

Luke 24:5 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?

I noticed many years ago that almost any time angels show up, people are scared witless. The only exception I can think of is when angels led Lot and family out of Sodom, in Genesis 19, but they might have done well to be a bit more scary, so that Lot’s wife would take them more seriously! Nowhere in the Bible do we see anything like the little Cupids that are popular imagery. That’s hardly surprising, because Cupid is from Greek and Roman mythology. On this occasion, the women were so scared they put their faces to the ground, which was a sign of total submission in those days. However, in the New Testament, and often in the Old, angels a bearers of good news from God. Revelation indicates that in the Last Days angels will again manifest some of their more fearsome characteristics and abilities, and that’s a far cry from Cupids! Here, their purpose is to deliver some astoundingly wonderful news: Jesus had risen. These women were among the few believers who stayed by Jesus through the whole crucifixion, so they had the most reason to believe He was positively dead. A spear through the heart will generally do the trick! It’s hard to even imagine their emotional and mental response to this news. They were doubtless so flustered that it’s not so surprising the apostles had trouble believing them. All that aside, the question the angels asked the women is valid even today. Many people do seek God through the writings of people long dead – and I’m not talking about the Biblical writers. The writings of philosophers can be interesting and helpful at times, but without the breath of the Holy Spirit behind them, they won’t lead you to life. Like the angels, we need to challenge people to seek the living God for who He is, and expect Him to answer. Only then will they find the eternal life for which they were created.

I’ve never seen an angel but my wife has, on multiple occasions. I suppose that on some level I envy her, but not really, because my focus isn’t on angels but on my Lord – and He meets with me daily through His Word. The writer of Hebrews was careful to stress that we aren’t to fixate on angels, but rather on the King of kings and Lord of lords. I think I have had some direct interactions with angels, like one time when a trick worthy of a professional stunt driver kept me out of a potentially fatal accident. I don’t think I was controlling that car! I’m deeply grateful, but like I said, I don’t fixate on such things – and I have had some traffic accidents since then. My point is to be obedient to my Lord, and trust Him to send angels if He thinks I need them. One thing I do know is that angels aren’t going to evangelize in my place. Even when an angel spoke to Cornelius, he told him to send for Peter, who had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with him and his household. (Acts 10) I am to be bold in asking people why they seek life among the dead, and proclaim life in Christ to them.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You’re doing in me as well as around me. Thank You that the sanctuary flooring went in so beautifully yesterday. I ask for wisdom, strength, and skill as I replace the baseboards and edging, so that this floor may indeed be inviting to people for many years to come. May the renewal of the building connect to a renewal of the people, the actual church, so that we may be active as Your agents in this area, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Kingdom; February 12, 2025

Posted on February 13, 2025 by jgarrott

Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”

Matthew’s record of this teaching on not being anxious, in Matthew 6, is more famous, but it doesn’t have this line. We get tied in knots over all sorts of things, but this particular issue is specific to those who genuinely want to see God’s kingdom manifested on this earth. That requires a certain level of faith and commitment before we would even care about it, so that’s why Jesus addressed this to His flock. Those who care about it already belong to Him! It’s very true that circumstances can look very different from how we imagine God’s kingdom to be, but things can turn around with remarkable speed. The current US government is a case in point. Changes are happening so fast that it’s difficult to keep up, and the direction of change is better than most conscientious analysts believed possible. Few if any pundits believed America could ever get out of debt, but even that looks to be within the realm of possibility at this point. The operations of a particular nation are a far cry from the kingdom of God, but current events are showing that things can turn around far faster than we imagine. Even in the various places where severe persecution is currently the norm, God is still God, and we need to fix our eyes expectantly on Him, trusting that in His time the rule and reign of Jesus Christ the Lord will be manifested, even as He told us to pray.

I frankly am not used to thinking in terms of kingdoms, but it is certainly Biblical terminology. I need to remember that in Biblical times, the king had absolute authority. That means that to operate in God’s kingdom, I’ve got to be committed to total obedience. I’m on my way, but I’m not completely there yet! I’ve got to remember that James’ famous promise that the devil would flee is predicated on submitting to God. (James 4:7) If I want to operate in God’s kingdom, I’ve got to live with Christ as my King. It has rightly been said that evangelism is persuading people to change citizenship, from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Put that way it sounds like an easy choice, but the devil’s deceptions can be remarkably persuasive. I’m never to give up, but keep speaking the truth in love to all, so that God’s truth may indeed set people free (John 8:32) to change their citizenship to God’s kingdom, for their eternal salvation.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the operation of Your kingdom that we’ve seen over the past two days, with all the people gathered here to help us physically in various ways. I pray that the sanctuary flooring would be completed today without incident. Thank You for the people who worked on the yard. It was really somewhat overwhelming! I pray that each person who participated, and will participate today, would receive the blessings You intend for them, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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