Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Author: pickleheavenpress

I have served as a pastor in East Texas for 32 years and it is my delight to continue my ministry online
does Jesus believe in you? — February 1, 2023

does Jesus believe in you?

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My friend is an airline pilot who works for one of the major carriers.  He told me that he prays before every flight.  I replied, “What a coincidence – so do I!”   Do I trust pilots?  Well, not to the same degree that I trust the Lord. 

But there is a passage of Scripture that causes me to wonder if Jesus trusts me.  John 2:23 says this, “Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing.”

He was in Jerusalem performing the miracles that validated Him as the divine Messiah sent from the Father.  Consequently, the many who witnessed these things came to “believe in His name.“

Fantastic.  That was exactly what Jesus wanted to see happen – people placing their faith in Him.   It was a great success – but there is a “but” that follows. 

“But Jesus would not entrust himself to them – John 2:24a.  

This is disturbing!   The New Testament was recorded in Greek and the Greek word for “believe” in verse 23 is from the word “pisteuo” – “they believed in His name.”   Ironically, the very same word was used in verse 24, “Jesus would not entrust (pisteuo) Himself to them.” 

They came to believe in Jesus, but Jesus did not believe in them.  This means that He did not fully open Himself to them or be vulnerable with them or share confidential things with them.     

Why?  John answered, “…because he knew all people. He did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew what was in man.”  – John 2:24b-25.  Ouch – that hurts!  

You see there was a twofold strategy to the ministry of Jesus.  First: do miracles to validate the message and then deliver the message.   The miracles were easy for people to swallow – the message – not so much. 

Jesus presented Himself as more than a carpenter’s son.  He claimed that He came down from heaven.  (John 6:41).  Once the multitude heard this, “many of his disciples quit following him and did not accompany him any longer.” – John 6:66

He knew what was in all men, and found it hard to trust them.

It’s true, that Jesus entrusted Himself to some more than others.  He did not trust the Pharisees at all (Matthew 16:6); He was wary of the believing multitude (John 6:14-15).

But He did let His disciples into His life; and then there was Peter, James and John who composed His inner circle who exclusively saw Jesus in the glory of His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9) and the grief of Gethsemane.  (Matthew 26:3-7)

So why some and not others? 

Jesus was disappointed with the multitude that had deserted him, so He turned to the few that He had entrusted Himself to – His disciples, and He said, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” (John 6:67)  

Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God!”  – John 6:68-69

We understand what it means to marry someone for their money. That seems to be what many did with Jesus.  But Peter and his comrades, they followed Jesus because they understood and accepted the person that He was.  Jesus was pleased to let in people like that.   

What about you?  Are you latched onto Jesus for the perks – or because you understand that He is the Holy One of God – your Sovereign Lord and author of eternal life? 

Does Jesus believe in you?  

A PRAYER: Lord, remind me when I selfishly begin to use you, and feel free to use me instead.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture references are from the NETBible.com

an amerasian story —

an amerasian story

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“Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their adversity.”  – James 1:27-  NETBible.com

I have sometimes wondered what this would look like today – and then I met Amber.

We were sitting at the bedside of her mother Sarah who was nearing her earthly journey’s end.  Amber was eager to tell me her story. 

Sarah was once a vibrant single woman – a successful advertising sales rep.  She was also devoted to Jesus and loved to sing His praises in the church choir.  But she wanted more – a family. 

Marriage didn’t seem to be a part of God’s plan for Sarah, but a child – well maybe!  So it was, that she was watching a news program on TV one day and learned about what they called Amerasian children. 

These are the children begotten of reckless American service men and young, hopeful, Asian women.  A child is born, the GI ships out, and the unwed mother is left with a child that her culture abhors.  “Most never knew their fathers. Many were abandoned by their mothers at the gates of orphanages. Some were discarded in garbage cans. Schoolmates taunted and pummeled them and mocked them Their destiny was to become waifs and beggars, living in the streets and parks.”  In Vietnam they were called “children of dust.”  (Smithsonian Magazine – https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/children-of-the-vietnam-war-131207347/

Sarah decided that this was exactly the kind of child that needed her love.  But she ran into some ridiculous red tape.  At that time, a single woman in the U.S. was not permitted to adopt an international child. 

Sarah refused to take no for an answer.  That Texas girl dug in her heels, and set up camp in Washington D.C.  She went – office to office, Representative to Representative, Senator to Senator, pleading with someone to take up her case. 

After two intense months of this kind of lobbying, one Senator finally offered to help.  He sponsored a bill that was passed which gave Sarah and other singles like her a greenlight to adopt an international child. 

In the meantime, there was a special little Amerasian girl in South Korea.  She was about five years old, living in an orphanage in the midst of a culture that wished her to disappear.  Her prospects of adoption were growing less by the year. 

But Sarah found her and loved her and brought her home to Texas.   Amber doesn’t remember anything of Korea, but she does recall her first trip on an airplane and arriving at DFW where she was met by a throng of lights and cameras and eager reporters who were there to cover this amazing story. 

Amber was so proud of and grateful to her mother. 

As for Sarah, she wasn’t able to speak to me as we sat in her room in those twilight hours, but her life story said it all.  Here was a woman whose courageous Christian faith motivated her to do what few of the rest of us would attempt.  Thank you, Sarah, for showing us how it’s done.

A PRAYER: God gives us all hearts as tender and tenacious as Sarah’s.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

mama’s with the one who loves her best — January 25, 2023

mama’s with the one who loves her best

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mama’s with the one who loves her best

Forgive me!  I know the title sounds like it was ripped off a worn-out country song. The truth is – it is the title to a song, and it does involve a woman who left her family – but not by her choice. 

She was a happy wife and mother of two small children when the doctor diagnosed her breast cancer.  It was brutal. 

During a Sunday morning service, the congregation was sharing testimonies of God’s goodness and encouraging one another in the faith.   We were stunned when the little boy stood and tearfully interrupted.  “Will you pray that God would heal my mom?”  

Barely able to speak, I told him that we would.  Many took their turn – right then and there – interceding for his mother.

Well, she fought a courageous fight, but the cancer eventually prevailed, and she moved on to higher ground.

Her little ones were broken hearted – sad beyond sad.   They had no way of mentally or emotionally grasping what had taken place.

And we adults fumbled around trying to help them make sense of it all. 

I was asked to sing at her memorial service.  As I prepared, I asked the Lord to help me bring some comfort to her children.  He chose to give me a song.  I wrote it down and sang it for them in the service.  It was all I could offer at that point. 

If you would like to hear it – click the link.  The lyrics are also below. 

If you find value in the song, you are welcome to pass it on and use it when needed – but I sincerely hope you don’t have to!

Mama’s with the One who Loves Her best  

By Jim Johnson

Mama’s with the one who loves her best.  /   We all love her too and she’ll be missed. / But Jesus took her pain away, when she became His guest. / Mama’s with the one who loves her best.

Mama I could see the pain, written on your face. / And Mama how I hurt for you, and Mama how I prayed. / And Mama Jesus heard my prayer, He took your pain away. / And Mama now you live with Him – Oh Mama!

Precious in the sight of God, is the death of His godly ones. / Mama I would read those words, and wonder what would come. / But Mama I can see you now, with Jesus and a smile. / And Mama I’m so glad for you – Oh Mama!

Mama now you’re sitting there, with all the other saints; / Watching as the rest of, us finish out our race. / So Mama I will run it well, so you’ll be proud of me; / And Mama I will win the prize – O Mama!

Mama’s with the one who loves her best. / We all love her too and she’ll be missed. / But Jesus took her pain away, when she became His guest. / Mama’s with the one who loves her best.

A PRAYER: Father it’s true!  Death means being united with the One who loves us best.  May we encourage others with this truth.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

say no to prayer? — January 18, 2023

say no to prayer?

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Andrew was preparing to serve as a missionary to Latin America.  His kids picked up Spanish pretty quickly – but not Andrew.

He was walking through town one day with his family, when a local man recognized him to be a missionary and he approached him with an urgent request.  Andrew heard him out, but he perceived that the guy was looking for a handout.

So, Andrew tried out his Spanish.  He said, “No.” (which in English means “No!”)    The man persisted and Andrew told him no again.  They went back and forth until the guy finally walked away in frustration.

When Andrew returned to his family, his son asked, “Dad why did you do that?”  “What do you mean?” he replied.  “That man was asking you to pray for him, and you told him no!”   Oops!

Hey – it’s tough to learn a new language!

It reminds me of an episode from the book of Job about prayer. Job had three friends who came to sit with him and then counsel him when the bottom had fallen out of his life.  Their names: Eliphaz the Temanite, Zophar the Naamathite and Bildad the Shuhite – pronounced “shoe height.”  (He must have been short.)

These guys had gravely misrepresented God by arguing that Job’s troubles came because he had sinned, and God was therefore punishing him.  But this was not true so at the end of the story God confronted them with the consequences for their lies.

The Lord told them to offer an atoning sacrifice for themselves and then ask Job to pray for them.  The Lord said, “and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly.” Job 42:8. – KJV   

This is some amazing stuff.  God intended to punish them for their sin, but the prayers of Job for them were necessary for them to escape the wrath of God.    

My, My! I think of the many people in my realm who have yet to trust Christ as their Savior.  They too will someday face the wrath of God.  The Scripture tells us that the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)

So, to what degree might their fate rest on my prayers for them?   Does God expect me to intercede and pray that they might come to Christ and be forgiven?

I’m reminded that Jesus prayed in that way, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do?” –  Luke 23:34.

I don’t really know what to think about such things – except that God sure put stock in the prayers of Job for his flaky friends.  I guess I should pray too, and I do. 

My wife and I keep and pray from our prayer journal 4-5 times a week.   And the names of many who are yet without Christ are recorded there and are lifted in prayer.  We have been interceding for some for over 50 years.

The Lord forgave Job’s friends, and then He did something special for Job.  Job 42:10 says, “So the Lord restored what Job had lost after he prayed for his friends, and the Lord doubled all that had belonged to Job.” – NETBible.com

Once Job had prayed, the Lord decided to restore what he had lost before and then double it.  Wow!   Now I would not suggest that the Lord will do exactly that for us when we pray – but I am certain that He does shed his manifold blessings on the one who prays. 

The world of the lost is seeking our prayers- they just may not know it.  Let’s pray anyway. 

A PRAYER: Lord I am fairly certain that many prayed for me to come to know you, may I do the same for others.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. 

Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture passages are from the NETBible.com

beware of the dog — January 11, 2023

beware of the dog

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I was just trying to be a good pastor – that’s all.  So, I stopped by the home of one of our congregants.  I looked for the huge steel building in his back yard, which housed his vintage auto parts business. 

I stood at the gate, saw that the door of his business open.  The lights were on and the radio was playing. So, I lifted the latch and walked over to the building and began to look around. 

I saw no one.  So, I called out for him.  No response.  I then turned to leave, and I wet my pants – because two angry German Shepherds were racing toward me.  My life passed before my eyes and I was also wishing that I would have worn the shirt my wife told me to wear, because she would have to identify my body.

They stopped and salivated and barked to high heaven.  One lunged at me and locked onto my right arm.  I violently shook him off and then I barked at them as I backed out of the yard.

I reached the fence, passed through, and then slammed the gate shut.  It was only then that I spied the big sign on the outside of the fence, “Beware of Dog.”   

I learned a valuable lesson that day, “Always read the signs!”

A good lesson because God sometimes uses signs to get our attention. 

The people of God had been resettled in Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity in Babylon.  God saw to it that they were liberated and then commissioned to return to their land to rebuild the temple. 

They started well – even laid the foundation, but they were stymied by antagonism and apathy.  So, they turned their energies into building dream homes for themselves instead. 

In the meantime, this is what was happening.   The prophet said, “You expected a large harvest, but instead there was little. And when you would bring it home, I would blow it right away.  – Haggai 1:9a. 

Haggai also said, “You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat but are never filled. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but are not warm. Those who earn wages end up with holes in their money bags.” – 1:6

This mess was a sign from God, much bigger than the one posted on that gate.  Why did this happen?  The Lord said, “Because my temple remains in ruins, thanks to each of you favoring his own house! – 1:9b

Twice in this prophecy He said to them, “Consider your ways.” – 1:5 & 7. In other words, “Read the signs that I have posted.”   

So why was God so intent on having the temple rebuilt?  The temple was the heart of the spiritual life for the Jewish people.  Without this central place of worship and sacrifice, the people would wander off into paganism and immorality.  They would self-destruct.  God posted His sign out of concern for their welfare.

Today, the best way of knowing what God wants of us is to read His Word.  But when we don’t read and heed His Word, He sometimes also sends signs.

The negative balance in your bank account may be saying, “Beware of neglecting to give back to God.”  Your teen daughter who holes herself up in her bedroom may be saying, “I need help!”

The neighbor who refuses to speak to you may be saying, “You have offended me.”   The sadness that fills your wife’s face may be saying, “You could do a better job of loving me.”  

Your kids who seem to be bored with the faith may be saying to you, “You should provide some spiritual leadership for your family.” 

My dog-loving friend posted his sign to protect his business.  God posts His to protect us and our interests.  So, I am thinking that we should consider our ways, and read the signs. 

A PRAYER: Father, thank you for being so amazingly persistent in your love for us. 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. 

Scripture passages are from the NETBible.com

bible boredom — January 4, 2023

bible boredom

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Conflicted!  My heart compels me to read my Bible, but my brain yawns. 

I had a similar problem back in High School.  The prom was on the horizon, but I didn’t have a date. 

I was interested in one girl.  She had flowing hair down to her knees.  But because she may deny that she ever went out with me – I’ll just call her Rapunzel.

Just one problem, she was painfully shy.  I had never heard her put more than 2 words together in a sentence.  As for me, I was her socially awkward equal.  Together we made a bizarrely dull duo.  So, I took her out on a pre-prom date, to hopefully jumpstart the relationship. 

I picked her up and we drove to the restaurant in utter silence.  I was ready to drive off a cliff, but I didn’t want to muss up her hair.

She finally broke the silence when she ordered, but then retreated again.   I had no idea what to say and obviously neither did she.   It was boundlessly boring.

“How do I rescue this?” I wondered.  Maybe I could ask her a question.  She had to answer.  So, I asked, “So how long is your hair?”   “45 inches!” she said.”  And that was the end of the conversation.

So, I regrouped and asked a question that required a fuller answer. She gave me more than 2 words this time.  I was encouraged.   So, I asked another question and she answered.  And then she asked me questions and the ice melted, and we began to enjoy our time together.

OK, so I was a dating dufus, but I learned something valuable.  I learned that asking questions turns the dull into delightful.

Now did you know that The Holy Spirit is also a person, and that part of His job is to speak to us through the Word of God?  

Before He left this earth Jesus said, “When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears and will tell you what is to come.  He will glorify me because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you.”   – John 16:13-15. NETBible.com

His job is to take the words of Jesus, and all of Scripture and speak through them to us to help us understand them. 

When we pick up our Bibles, the Holy Spirit is ready to have a conversation with us.  But here’s the problem.   We treat the time like we are on a date with Rapunzel.

We read the Bible passively, expecting the words to jump off the page.  We don’t interact with it.  It leaves us bored with the Bible and the Holy Spirit.

So, we need to ask questions.  When I read John 3:16 I want to ask: “For God so loved the world?”  Why did God love the world? And how? When did He love the world?   Did He used to hate the world?   What is the world anyway?  Is God a tree hugger?  Is that what that means?   

Why does the verse begin with, “for?”  What is the for there for?  John is the only Gospel writer who recorded this verse.  Why was this important to him and not to the others?

When we ask questions, the Holy Spirit whispers the answers.  And guess what?  He begins to question us.  “So, Jim, God loved the world. Do you also love the world?”  “How much Jim?   God gave up his Son for the world – what are you willing to give up?”

A rich conversation happens when we ask questions as we read the Scripture.  Try it – you’ll love it.

A PRAYER: Lord how cool to be able to actually converse with you.  Thank you.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you!

neither rain nor snow — December 23, 2022

neither rain nor snow

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Time to pay the bills.  I do it the old school way, by writing checks.  I tucked a $5,000 check into one envelope.  Then pasted a stamp on it and a return address sticker with Christmas graphics on it (even though it was June).   Will the folks at Chase Bank notice?  

I had several urgent errands to run and stopping by the mailbox was last on my list.  That was a mistake because I worried about that envelope all morning long. 

What if it should slip down between the car seats and get lost?  What if I go in for an Egg McMuffin, and someone should see it in the car, break in and take it?   What if I just forget about it?  The late fee and the interest would be painful.

I got to thinking, “Hey this is pretty much par for me.  When I have something on my mind, I get chained to a mental cycle of distraction and burden.  This is especially true when the issue is troublesome.

Well, I finally pulled up to the big blue box and dropped it in the slot.  And poof, my angst went down the chute along with the envelope.  

Mail is occasionally misplaced by the USPS.  But did you know that the exact figure is about a half a percent which is incredible when you consider the volume of mail that goes out each day, and you consider that there are people like me whose scribble on the envelope can’t be read.

Regardless, once I dropped that letter in the box, I was relieved, and I carried on the rest of the day without a fret.  

I wonder if that’s what the Spirit of God had in mind when He inspired Paul to write, “Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7 NETBible.com

“Do not be anxious,” he said.  I kinda wish He hadn’t said that because I am the type of person that gets anxious knowing that I should not be anxious.   Nevertheless, He said, “Do not be anxious for anything.”  

Anything that causes a person anxiety is now off the table.  Health hindrances, financial foul-ups, relational rollercoasters or even unmailed bills.  All anxiety is to be shunned.

In its place should be prayer, specific petitions concerning whatever issues we face. Requests should be posted to an all knowing, all powerful, completely motivated by love – God.   It should be partnered with thanksgiving. 

Why thanksgiving?  Because He has allowed us an opportunity to be challenged and to grow and He has given us the means by which to handle our anxieties and because our prayers are welcomed and encouraged, and because our God has pledged to answer and because we know that whatever answer He gives will be good for us because He loves us.    

And once those prayers have been dropped in the heavenly blue box, the peace of God will flood our hearts.   We will rest in confidence knowing that “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stay our divine courier from the swift completion of His appointed rounds.”  (My apologies to the USPS for modifying their motto)

And the delivery stats for an earnest prayer are the best.  They arrive at their destination nothing less than 100% of the time.

I don’t know about doing a New Year’s Resolution.  Mine usually end up as New Year’s Frustrations.  But maybe you and I can begin praying that God will remind us to pray. 

We can let the emotional strangulation we sometimes feel, become the trigger to post a prayer to heaven.

So maybe I should conclude with a prayer:  Lord I am certain – absolutely certain that I would be more able to handle the challenges of life, if my first response were to pray.  Would you help me, and us to develop that habit this year? 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you!

Oliver Oglethorpe and the Christmas List — December 20, 2022

Oliver Oglethorpe and the Christmas List

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One of my most favorite things was to work with my son Jordan to produce annual Christmas puppet skits for our church family.  Gather your family before your flat screen, stream it and enjoy. Merry Christmas!

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Nb3d8k0D1Q

the cat lady — December 14, 2022

the cat lady

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When the Christmas season rolls around, I often think of Edna who some called “The Cat Lady.” 

Edna needed a change, but she refused it – much like that difficult person in your life. 

I was teaching my youth group when Edna appeared.  She wore dirty clothes and matted hair.  There was a fungal growth the size of a softball on her forehead, and she smelled of cat urine.

She interrupted the meeting, pushed two empty milk jugs in my face and demanded that I fill them with water.  I tried to talk with her, but she wanted water not conversation.  I filled them and she left.

This became a Wednesday night ritual for Edna and me.  I learned that she had once been very wealthy but had spent it all.  She lived in a condemned apartment complex – the last of her holdings.

I learned that her brother was aware of her condition.  He loved her and was ready to financially support her – to get her a safe home and some professional help.  She refused. 

Social services regularly contacted me and quizzed me about her.  They were looking for grounds to commit her to institutional care but they were never able to make the case. 

I tried to help her as best I could, but she refused offers of transportation, hotel accommodations, food and so on.  Unfortunately, she was comfortable with her chaos.

One December night she came to the church flustered and frightened.  Someone had shattered her window and broken into her apartment.  She was afraid to go home, so I brought her to our house.

Her feline fragrance filled the car.  My three kids were speechless.  She slept in the living room next to our Christmas tree.  The kids feared she might steal the gifts. 

That morning she ordered me to board up the window that had been broken.  Only then would she feel safe.  I pulled up to her apartment complex.  It was surrounded by a chain link fence 8 feet high.  Inside the grounds were cats, hundreds, maybe a thousand cats roaming about.

There was also an acre of brown paper grocery bags overflowing with empty cat food cans.  I was thankful for the cats cause it meant no rats.  It was like a script from a sci-fi movie. 

I boarded up her window and made her very happy.  And that was the last time I saw the Cat Lady. 

I am by nature a compulsive fixer.  I really wanted to do more than board up that window.  I wanted to fix Edna, but she refused.

What do you do with someone like that – someone like your brother who is a lifelong alcoholic; or your dad who pummels you with his politics?  What do you do with your niece who greedily grabs onto every guy she meets or your daughter who has cut off all contact with you? 

You can’t fix em, but you can do a few things that may help.  First…

Love Em: Romans 2:4 tells us that it is God’s kindness that leads to repentance.  Kindness affects and draws others to us.  So fill the milk jugs with water for the Edna in your life.  Even if they don’t come around, it is still the right thing to do. 

Let up: It could be that they are reacting to us.  Our subtle efforts to try to change them could be galvanizing them and cementing them in their choices.  We think we are nudging them to the truth, but in reality, we may be pushing them away. 

Let God: Paul instructed Timothy, “I urge that requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanks be offered on behalf of all people.” – 1 Timothy 2:1.  We need to pray for those people.  It was the Lord who personally confronted Saul on the Damascus Road and transformed him into the apostle Paul.  God still pursues stubborn people.

A PRAYER: God please give us hope for those who seem to be hopeless.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of Our Lord Jesus be with you. 

Scripture references are from the NETBible.com

earth in pieces — December 7, 2022

earth in pieces

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One of the most puzzling promises ever made was uttered on that first Christmas morn.  A multitude of heavenly hosts hovered over the shepherds of Bethlehem celebrating the birth of the Christ child.  They sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”  Luke 2:14 – KJV  

Peace on earth?  Today it’s more like earth in pieces!   Sabers are rattling all over the globe and our political leaders are devouring one another.  Pushing people off subway platforms has become a sport.

I work with people for a living.  I would estimate that probably half of those with whom I work have one or more family members that are alienated from them.  Where is the peace on earth of which the angels sang?

It may be in Kermit West Virginia! 

Back in my days at Bible College my wife and I represented the school by singing at various constituent churches.  On this particular Sunday morning we were headed to a Church in Kermit. 

Kermit is buried in the hills of Mingo County on the banks of the Tug Fork River – the border between West Virginia and Kentucky. 

It is the part of the country where some churches invite snakes into their worship services.  Oh joy!

It is also the region known as the battlefield of an infamous family feud.  This is where the Hatfields of West Virginia, waged a prolonged war with the McCoys of Kentucky. 

The first bushwhacking took place in 1865 at the hands of a Hatfield.  Retaliation took place in 1878 when a Hatfield was murdered for his testimony in court.  In 1882 there was dispute over a fiddle.  One McCoy died and 3 Hatfields were tied to a tree and executed.  The feud continued for 25 years, leaving behind 12 graves.

So, I wondered, “What kind of church would I find in Kermit?”  Would we be met at the door by Jed Clampett and his shotgun?  Do they use moonshine for Communion?  Will a McCoy be invited to handle a snake?

We arrived and entered the building and were warmly greeted by everyone that saw us.  In talking with the various church members, it was clear that this was a high-quality church.  They majored on the majors and reflected biblical truth in every way.

I was not surprised to meet several Hatfields there, but I was stunned to meet some McCoys.  The church sat on real estate that once separated the two warring families – but in this church the families were now joined in sweet fellowship.

I was genuinely amazed at the way the Gospel had erased the inbred bitterness.  This was a congregation that genuinely loved one another and their loved spilled over the banks of the Tug Fork. 

On the walls in the foyer were pictures of missionary families.  These families were fanned out across the globe to reach tribes and nations for Jesus.  The church financially and prayerfully supported those missionaries.  Formally feuding families were reaching the families of the world. 

Peace all over the place – the kind that the angels had in mind.  It’s a wonderful thing and we need more of it. 

The Scripture says, “we love because He first loved us.”  I wonder if we could also say, “we make peace because He first made peace with us.”  Peace begins with Jesus but needs to be distributed to those around us.

It’s an obligation in fact.  Hebrews 12:14 says, “Pursue peace with everyone.”  We may not always catch peace, but we can sure pursue it.   Because we have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), it is easier to do.  Dead folks don’t have ego issues. 

So, think on that person with whom you need to make peace and be the first one to say, “Hey I am sorry.” 

A PRAYER: Lord this Christmas Season may we lay aside the pride and help others experience peace on earth!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.