Practical Christianity; November 1, 2025

Posted on November 2, 2025 by jgarrott

1 Thessalonians 1:6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

This is the sort of reception every evangelist prays for. We don’t desire suffering or affliction or trouble of any sort for those to whom we minister, but we certainly desire that they receive the Gospel with joy, learning how to live the life of obedient faith both by imitating us and directly from Christ’s example. Of course, for that to happen, we have to be in line with the Holy Spirit ourselves. Every minister of the Gospel should be able to say, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) That was obviously a winning strategy for Paul in Thessalonica. The New Testament is absolutely practical. There are no grand ideas that have no mooring in daily life; rather, everything applies to daily living. The letter of James focuses on that very sharply, because even in the 1st century there were people who talked a good show but didn’t follow through. We are without question saved by grace through faith, and not by “doing the right things.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) As a matter of fact, I’m preaching on that tomorrow! However, genuine faith will always be evident in how we live. Paul would not have been effective as an evangelist if he hadn’t been willing to suffer for his faith. We are so used to luxury that we tend to draw back even from an inconvenience. That’s no way to be a witness for Christ, who went through incredible suffering in order to purchase our redemption! (Acts 1:8) It is when people see our daily faithfulness that they begin to believe that the message we preach is trustworthy and desirable.

Of course, I’m preaching to myself here. It’s interesting that I feel I’m getting more response these days, since we’ve demonstrated our commitment to the Gospel through 44 years of living in Omura “on our own dime,” with no financial support from outside. God has been very gracious, and all our needs have been met, but that’s not to say it’s been easy. Yesterday I was talking to three men, only one of whom I have known for a while, all well past “retirement age,” and I felt they accepted me remarkably. It felt good! The thing is, I don’t want them just to accept me, I want them to know and accept the Savior I’m here to talk about. I want the kind of reception that Paul got in Thessalonica! I can’t make it happen, but I can be faithful, and trust God to work His salvation by His Holy Spirit.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. Help me mirror that indeed, so that those to whom I minister may learn from me and learn from You, to be the children and servants You desire, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Christian Interaction; October 31, 2025

Posted on November 1, 2025 by jgarrott

Colossians 2:6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

This is something that needs to be said to every new Christian! Even when we evangelize, we often drop the ball when it comes to follow-up. Paul wrote this letter to people he hadn’t even met, so we should have no hesitation in exhorting the people we work with directly! We should know what resources are available, either for independent study or for group study, and help build the foundation they will need to live as Christ’s representatives in the world around them. For that matter, we need to confirm our own foundation, as Paul mentions in various other places, because we ourselves may be wobbly at some points. This is one of the major functions of the Church, the ecclesia. We gather because we need each other, to support and build each other up. People who try to be “lone wolf Christians” put themselves in grave danger. We each need to be “gardeners” for each other, so that individually and as a group we may put our roots down firmly and deeply into Christ, as Paul says here, so that we may grow tall and strong. Jesus’ famous parable of people building houses applies here as well. (Matthew 7:24-27) We need to encourage one another to do the things we know are pleasing to God, because in so doing, we strengthen ourselves as well. As has been said, the best way to learn something is to teach it!

I have been a teacher for most of my life, having my first formal teaching gig while still in college. That has given me excellent diction, having taught and coached pronunciation, and has also made me somewhat of a “grammar Nazi,” since I know all too well the rules of the language. Far more important than that, I have taught the Bible, and Christian living, for many, many years as well. You might think I’d have it down perfectly by now, but like Paul, I’m still growing. I have done the majority of all that teaching in fairly formal settings, but a major area of my current growth is in one-to-one settings, as a coach rather than as a lecturer. That’s how Paul was with Timothy, for example. I myself will grow best when I am encouraging another believer in their growth. God is gracious, and He knows what each of us needs. I am currently involved with someone who has been a pastor for many years, as well as with someone who hasn’t yet made a commitment to Christ. I grow in dealing with each of them! It took me many years before I really grasped how much I need other people, and I’m not to run from that now. We glibly say that “Jesus is all I need,” but we need the Body of Christ as well, to be fully secure in Him.

Father, thank You for this Word. Thank You for how You are indeed growing me in this area. May I continue to grow as I help others grow, so that together we may be all that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Citizenship; October 30, 2025

Posted on October 31, 2025 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

With these Pauline sentences, it’s hard to pull out just one thought from a passage! This letter seems to have been written to a group Paul didn’t know personally, in sharp contrast to Philippians, but he had enough confidence in Epaphras to feel sure that they had a firm foundation in their faith. This letter isn’t just “spiritual pablum,” but rather clear teaching in theology and Christian living. The section just ahead of this verse deals with the Christian living side of that, and is both deep and firm, and the section right after this deals with Christology, the part of theology that deals with just who and what Jesus is. That’s deep enough that it makes up a good chunk of any Systematic Theology class in seminary! Then we have these verses, that connect those two areas. They express what God has done for us in Jesus, enabling us to live the way Paul had been talking about just before this. If God hadn’t taken us out of the power of darkness, we would be totally helpless against all the devil’s schemes. However, in Christ we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, and we are no longer in the devil’s domain, but in Christ’s. That’s something to get really happy about!

As an American citizen, born, raised, and living in Japan, I have always had more understanding of citizenship than the average person, I think. Even so, God has had to point out to me that since I no longer belong to “the dark side,” I don’t have to act like I do. I in turn have shared that insight with many people, and they too have been liberated from the lies of the enemy. It’s not that Christians don’t need to obey the laws of civil society, but rather that we are freed from the spiritual chains the devil would put on us. Many years ago I worked with hypnotism, and I know from experience that if you make a person believe  they are bound up, they are as immobilized as if they were in a strait jacket. That’s what the devil does to people, and I am to proclaim to them in love the truth that can set them free, if they will receive it. (John 8:32) It isn’t automatic that they will, but I am to support and encourage them in prayer, remembering that nothing is impossible for God.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I pray for spiritual hunger in those I interact with, that they may devour the truth I share with them and so repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Wants vs. Needs; October 29, 2025

Posted on October 30, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

This verse gets quoted a great deal, both appropriately and inappropriately. The big sticking point is the simple word, need. We have a lot of trouble distinguishing between our needs and our wants. However, God has no such difficulty! That can apply to minor things as well as major. We may want a snack, but God knows we need nutrition. We have a responsibility to recognize His provision in that area, and not let our wants ultimately do us harm. Likewise, we may want the “latest and greatest” in cars, but God knows we need reliable transportation. Sometimes our wants and needs coincide perfectly, and God delights us with blessing, and sometimes He pours far more out on us than we had even dreamed of. The problem comes when we demand, even emotionally, that last scenario, instead of trusting our heavenly Father to know what we actually need. God has different paths for each of His children, and some of those require more material resources than others. The thing is, everything we have is ultimately from Him, and we are accountable as stewards for the use we make of it, from the small to the great. The minute our focus goes to the resource itself, rather than to the One who provides it, we lay ourselves open for all sorts of deception, error, and heartache. God is indeed Yahweh Yireh (Jehovah Jireh), the Lord our Provider, and we need to trust and obey Him.

As I was writing the above, a particular memory kept coming to mind. Back in 1969 I wanted a girlfriend, but God knew I needed a life partner, and He provided magnificently. That was certainly a case of His doing “more than I could ask or imagine!” (Ephesians 3:20) In the years since then we have had financially tight times, and financially abundant times. Both have been blessings. God has known, and continues to know, what we need, and we have learned to submit our wants to Him. We don’t know what our remaining earthly years will hold, but we can have complete peace and assurance that our needs will be met, and we need to be good stewards of all of His blessings, both tangible and intangible.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace. I was talking to a friend last night who said that the abundance of Your grace scares him, because he knows he doesn’t deserve it. I reminded him that’s the definition of grace! May I be a good steward of Your grace on all levels, for Your will to be done for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Being an Example; October 28, 2025

Posted on October 29, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 4:9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

This is certainly a statement of a man with a clear conscience. Many would hesitate to say such a thing, being aware of their own weaknesses. However, this wasn’t conceit on Paul’s part. He wasn’t perfect, as he so strongly stated in the previous chapter, (Philippians 3:12-14) but he was totally committed and submitted to God. He said something similar to this to other groups of believers as well, saying to the Corinthians, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) We are blessed to have the Bible readily available to most people, but many things are best learned through following someone’s example, and we are called on to be that example to others. Of course, when Paul was writing his letters, not only did the New Testament not exist, books in general were rare and valuable, since hand copying was their only means of reproduction. That’s the basis for everything in this verse, since Paul was essentially their only source of information about Jesus and life in Him, apart from direct revelation by the Holy Spirit. Today, we can easily have the full Bible on our cell phones, but that doesn’t eliminate the need for practical examples. I’m reminded of the hymn. Let Others See Jesus in You. I find that an extremely practical, valuable song, right in line with this verse.

I have been blessed to have numerous excellent examples/role models in my life, starting with my parents. Whether I have been the same for others is for them, and God, to decide. As Paul said, God is my judge! (1 Corinthians 2:3-4) However, I am to live boldly as Christ’s witness by the power of His Spirit, just as He said, (Acts 1:8) and so draw people to Him. In Japan, a major issue is that people tend to admire me, but since I am Caucasian, they consider me to be other, and so don’t think they can, or even should, imitate me. I frankly don’t know what to do about that. All I can do is speak the truth in love, asking God to take that truth past the barriers the devil has set up and impart it into people’s hearts. When that happens, and sometimes it really does, they are set free indeed, (John 8:32) and that is absolutely glorious!

Father, thank You for the privilege of being a witness for Christ and an example for believers. May I continue to grow as Your child so that Your Word through me will be more and more clear and effective, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Worldview; October 27, 2025

Posted on October 28, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 3:8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.

I am fascinated, even amused, that this is the reading for today, when this echoes the main Scripture in yesterday’s message, Psalm 119:14, and in that message I also quoted verses 12-14, which are at the end of today’s passage! The Lord gave me yesterday’s message when I was having a time of Bible study online with a pastor friend in northern Japan, and we are working through Psalms. God knows everything, and His Word is remarkably unified. Knowing such a God, who is not only omniscient and omnipotent, but also loves us enough to die for us, is indeed worth more than everything else put together! That awareness is a major part of the Biblical worldview that is so sadly lacking, even among Christians. When we fail to see the universe as God’s creation, and us as accountable to Him, then all sorts of things get out of balance. That’s why the willfully disobedient will cry out in sheer terror for the mountains to fall on them when Christ returns in glory. (Revelation 6:16) There is no avoiding our accountability to our Creator! When we have a genuinely Biblical world-view, we can have peace no matter what is going on around us. That doesn’t mean at all that we are to be passive, not participating in society, but it does mean that we have the assurance that regardless of our observed circumstances, that isn’t the final answer. When we really know Christ and are planted in Him, then everything else fades into insignificance.

I was very encouraged the other day when my own daughter quoted the little song, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, not to sing it but to stress that everything temporal fades in comparison to Him. Paul only had spiritual children, but I certainly understand his words in various of his letters expressing his joy when his children were walking with God. I only have two genetic daughters, but I do have quite a few spiritual children – my daughters included – and nothing gives me more joy and satisfaction than when they live out a Biblical worldview. Yesterday’s message was about the value of God’s Word in everything. We can’t have a Biblical worldview if we don’t know the Bible! I was very pleased when several people after the service looked for, and took home, the little explanations of the SOAP devotional system that I had mentioned were in the foyer. I want all of my spiritual children to have an intimate, active relationship with Father God, hearing and listening to Him daily, so that together we may be and do all that He desires, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your presence in the service, and in the fellowship afterward. I do pray that we may be fully responsive and obedient to You, so that Your rule and reign may be established in this place as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Prayer; October 26, 2025

Posted on October 27, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 2:27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

This one verse completely refutes all the “name it and claim it” people. God does heal people, but He doesn’t do it every time. Paul was certainly not deficient in faith! In fact, it’s recorded that “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,” (Acts 19:11) healing people when they were touched by things that had touched him. However, here he says that he feared he would have the sorrow of losing a fellow-worker to disease. It’s not all cut and dried, and we can’t dictate to God. Joni Tada is an excellent example here, having a magnificent ministry even while being a paraplegic from having broken her neck as a teenager. Could God have healed her, completely and instantly? Of course, but He had a greater and higher plan. The same might be said of Charlie Kirk. God could easily have prevented the gunman from killing him, but God has done and is continuing to do absolutely magnificent things through his death. Just yesterday I saw a video from New England that showed an absolute traffic jam of people going to church, and as the person taking the video stressed, that is NOT an area of the country known for faith! We aren’t to hesitate to ask God for anything, but our prayers should never be demands. God’s plans are always best, whatever it might look like to us in the moment. Paul here was rightly grateful that God had mercy on Epaphroditis, and on him, and we should likewise be grateful for all the miracles, large and small, that God pours out on us.

This is an issue that is very close to home. My wife, Cathy, has quite a list of medical issues, having had three back surgeries and living daily with Parkinson’s Disease. She has had people refuse to pray for her because “She doesn’t have faith for healing.” Joni Tada has prayed for people and they have been healed! We don’t know all the ins and outs of God’s plan for Cathy, but we know that it is and will be glorious. Since she has already had a near-death experience and seen heaven, I know that when the time comes, I’m not to pray to try to bring her back. That would be totally unfair to her! At the same time, I remember what Yongi Cho said one time, about how only about a third of the people his church prayed for were healed. He said that he had no idea why the proportion was so low, but he did know that if they hadn’t prayed, no one would have been healed. I’m not to hesitate to pray, for healing or anything else, but I am to remember that, as God told Paul, His grace is all I really need. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I cannot know the details of God’s plan, but I do know His character, and that knowledge should make me free and bold to pray.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for raising me in a family where prayer was as natural as breathing. Thank You for the countless times You have answered my prayers, as I requested or even better, and thank You for all the times when You knew better than to give me whatever it was I was asking for. May I indeed pray, and teach others to pray, on the basis of who You are, and not as if You were some indulgent Santa. May indeed Your rule and reign be established as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Christian Living; October 25, 2025

Posted on October 26, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Once again I’m back to the truths being so densely packed that I could unpack each verse at length! On top of that, it’s hard to decide where to draw lines, because the English and Japanese divide sen­tences differently. Since the original Greek had no punctuation at all, that’s hardly surprising, and it points up the importance of reading everything in context. In English sermons I have generally heard these two verses treated individually, which is ironic, since in print they only separate with a comma, not a period. I’ve heard many heated opinions on “work out your salvation,” from both sides of the Calvinist/Arminian divide. However, that’s resolved when we add in God working in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. We are individually responsible to respond to God and apply the things He says to us, but we are never on our own in that, since He is working in us. That is one of the major tensions of the life of faith. We can’t be passive, just drifting along, but at the same time we can do nothing right on our own. (John 15:5) That pretty well eliminates pride, but that should be a foregone conclusion, since faith itself is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:9) The whole point is that we aren’t to be spiritually lazy, but keep pressing in for more of Christ, allowing Him to be formed in us more and more. That won’t be completed until we are before the Throne, but that is to be our goal, and we are to keep at it.

This has been a growing conviction in me for a long time. I have had the facts in my head for as long as I can remember, but working it out in practice, just as Paul said, is a continuing effort. Yesterday was a day of a lot of physical effort, but in the middle of it I had the opportunity to express God’s love clearly to someone, and that made all the physical effort worthwhile. Today I have a lot of things I need to do indoors, and God will carry me through all of that as well. I am not to be anxious about scheduling, but allow each thing to happen as God directs it, not being passive but applying the resources God has given me, for His glory. Every day is different, and I couldn’t do any of it strictly on my own. As Jesus said, apart from Him I can do nothing! (John 15:5) However, in Him I can do everything He asks of me, (Philippians 4:13) so I am to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, just as He has told me to do, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I needed it, with all there is to be done today! Help me do it all without complaining or arguing, just as Paul said in verse 14, so that I will receive all the blessings You intend, again, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Mind of Christ; October 24, 2025

Posted on October 25, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 2:5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.

The Bible tells us of many people who are examples to us, some to be emulated and some to be avoided, but the ultimate example to be emulated is that of Jesus Christ. Because of a book that promoted the idea as a major plot feature, we sometimes go through fads of What Would Jesus Do, WWJD, on bracelets and coffee mugs and t-shirts and the like, but this verse brings it down to the bare bones of thinking, of attitude. Jesus was obedient to His Father all the way to His thought patterns! None of us can claim to have never had sinful thoughts, but we aren’t to dump on ourselves because of them – and we certainly aren’t to dwell on them, either. As D. L. Moody once said to a seminary student who complained of the impossibility of purity of thought, “You can’t keep birds from flying over your head, but you can certainly keep them from building a nest in your hair.” What we dwell on influences our future thoughts, and eventually our actions. That’s a major factor in pornography being so destructive. We tend to excuse it, thinking it’s strictly personal, but it quickly poisons not only our thoughts but also our attitudes and actions toward others. It certainly isn’t compatible with the mind of Christ, as Paul talks about here! Jesus was definitely a realist, because He knew how weak and depraved we are, but He was also an optimist, because He knew the power of His Spirit to inhabit and transform even such as we are. Part of having the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) is seeing people with His eyes, not overlooking their faults and weaknesses but also seeing their potential in Christ. By ourselves we can indeed do nothing, (John 15:5) but in Him we can do anything He calls on us to do. (Philippians 4:13)

This is something I am reminded of frequently, and which I reference frequently to others. Jesus is my example, but I have no hope of being like Him except for His grace, and His Spirit within me. By that grace and Spirit, I have every hope in the world! Many who look at me now think of me as a “holy man,” but they don’t know all that Christ has redeemed me from. I need to be conscious and intentional in embracing, as the Japanese puts it, the mind of Christ. I don’t need a WWJD bracelet to do that, but rather, a consistent awareness of my weakness and His strength. If I will do that, He will accomplish His will in and through me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I need never to forget it! Thank You for all You enabled me to do yesterday, and for Cathy’s help in remembering some of it. I ask for Your guidance and anointing today in my every action and interaction, that I may be Your agent in all that You desire of me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Purpose; October 23, 2025

Posted on October 24, 2025 by jgarrott

Philippians 1:24-25 But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith.

This is an attitude that unbelievers flat do not understand. They live for themselves, their own enjoyment and advancement and whatever, but a Christian believer knows that what is ahead is far better than anything they could have or experience here, so their time on earth isn’t for themselves, but for the benefit of those around them. That’s not at all to say that life here doesn’t have it’s good moments, because it certainly does. However, even at its best it is no more than a prelude for what is to come. Actually, that applies to unbelievers as well, even though they don’t know it. For them, even at its worst it is just a prelude to what is to come. If they really grasped that, it would certainly scare them into repentance! Not wanting to go to hell is a very low-level motivation, but if it gets the job done, it certainly isn’t to be sneered at. All that said, it comes back to the question of why are we here? The first purpose is to find and get to know our Creator, so that we will indeed be able to spend eternity with Him, but the second is to do the good works that He has prepared for us to do, (Ephesians 2:10) specifically so that the people around us will be blessed and drawn to God themselves, hopefully to repent and believe for their salvation. Victor Frankl wrote that mankind’s greatest need is for purpose, and there you have it. Our purpose is to know and love God and serve as His agents in blessing the people around us. Various studies have been done as to what produces the greatest happiness, and the very highest correlation was with being kind to those around us. The attitude most related is gratitude. If you are grateful for the opportunity to be kind to others, then you are blessed indeed!

All of this is being taught to me more and more as the days and years go by. As I have commented recently, my anticipation of heaven is growing all the time, but like Paul, I am convinced that I have more work to do here, so I don’t expect to go momentarily, or anything like that. I work to stay healthy, not so much for my own sake as to stay fully available for my wife, because she would be most inconvenienced if I were to be incapacitated or depart ahead of schedule. I do enjoy life, and particularly moments like on Monday, when I was able to explain God’s salvation to two ladies who likely had never heard it before. However, I do get tired and have various aches, pains, and frustrations. I need to keep remembering what is laid up for me in heaven, and treat all that stuff as the very small potatoes it really is. Here or in heaven, my purpose is in Christ Jesus my Lord, and I must never forget it!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me keep this in focus, so that I will indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You just as You have told me to do, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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