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
shoeless — May 18, 2022

shoeless

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Talaya Crawford was poised to run a 200-meter sprint. (5/9/2022) The gun sounded, and she exploded down the track – BUT she left her shoe on the starting block.  Race over, right?  No, she doubled back, forced the shoe on and then ran.

She started 6 seconds later than the rest of the field in a race that typically lasts 30 seconds.  But she ran like a tornado and won it by a wide margin.   

In this Cinderella story, the glass slipper was a sweaty sneaker. 

Amazing!  Most would have picked up the shoe and gone home.  But she wanted to win, and knew she had to have her shoes on to do it.

________

Christians need their shoes too!  

Paul once described the spiritual armor of the Christian.  He pictured us in a battle with our adversary the devil.  God supplies the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the Scripture which is the sword of the Spirit – and He didn’t forget our feet.  

Paul wrote, “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” – Eph 6:15 KJV

It tells us that a Christian needs to be prepared to share the Good News with others.

The word preparation means to prepare – duh!  We do that by putting on Gospel shoes.

– What is this Gospel of peace?

Paul wrote in Romans 5:1, “…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”    

Those without Jesus are at odds with God (Romans 5:10) having rejected Him and His righteous ways.  When they receive the gift of God, their sins are buried beneath Jesus’ blood.  And God the frightening foe becomes God the faithful friend.   Peace is brokered between God and man. 

– But what does this have to do with shoes?

The prophet Isaiah predicted the day when Jesus the Messiah would come.  There would be those who would herald His glorious arrival.   Of them the prophet said, “How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains the feet of a messenger who announces peace, a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”  (Isaiah 52:7) 

The Lord brought deliverance.  It is good news which translates as “Gospel.”  It is the message of peace with God and the feet of those who bring it are beautiful. 

Personally, my feet are not so attractive, but to see a pair of feet cresting a hill with the sweet message of peace with God – well that’s a beautiful sight.

– But how does this fit with the Christian’s armor? 

The entire collection of armor was modeled after that of a Roman legionnaire.  He wore “caliga” on his feet.  This was an open-toed half-boot tied to the ankles and shins with straps.  The most interesting feature of the boot was its sole which was studded with nails.  Think of the cleats they wear in sports. 

These boots were made for standing.  The nail-studded soles gave the soldier stability as he braced his shield and wielded his sword in the fray.   

In the same way, the Gospel is foundational – it is the unchanging message on which we stand.  Without the Gospel – the ideologies of this world will overwhelm us and others will never hear the life-giving message.

Unfortunately, some of us are not prepared to speak the Gospel.  We serve others by rebuilding homes after a disaster, and feeding the hungry, and protecting the innocent – all worthy and wonderful things.  But too often the Gospel of peace with God goes unspoken.  Without it there is no eternal hope for those that we have served.

If you are missing that Gospel shoe – run back and get it and get back in the race. 

A PRAYER: Lord, I am prepared to share the Gospel, but I don’t.  Help me change this.    

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 

Scripture passages are from the NET Bible ®

sort of… — May 11, 2022

sort of…

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My wife and I went thrifting while on vacation.  I browsed the books looking for a treasured tome.  

The store had gone to the trouble of sorting the books.  But they were sorted, not by author, nor were they alphabetized.  They were not arranged according to genre nor were the hardbacks separated from the paperbacks.   They were arranged according to color. 

The blues were bunched, and the greens were grouped and so on.  BUT – who buys a book by its color?

Do the envious look for green books?  Do those in debt seek the red ones? Do the cowardly search for the yellow and the loyal look for true blue books?  Do singles seek little black books? 

This was a dilemma for me for multiple reasons.  I am somewhat color blind.

It made me wonder though.  Does God have a sifting method for humanity?  We do.  Too often we rudely catalog people according to race, sex, ethnic origin and so on.

But if God were to ever sort us all out – how might we be classified?

Would He sort us by height?  No!  He gave the key to the Kingdom of Israel to tall Saul and the key to the Kingdom of God to short Zacchaeus.  Height didn’t make a difference to God. 

Would He favor the popular?  No way! Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek…” – Matthew 6:5

Certainly, the strong would stand out in God’s sorting system!  But no.  In fact, Paul argued that God prefers to work through a person’s weakness. – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.

What about our girth.  Is that a weighty matter to God?  It can’t be – He saved me!

Okay but what about appearance?  Kids often cruelly categorize others based on appearance.  Will God do that as well?

If He did Jesus would be at the end of line because the prophet Isaiah described Him as having “no special appearance” – Isaiah 53:2.   This is good because I grew up thinking my middle name was “homely.”

And you can forget about race, ethnic origin, economic status, and sex.  God won’t be discriminating based on any of those factors.  “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”  – Galatians 3:28

There is only one factor that God will use when He one day is required to sort out humanity.   

Jesus said, “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16   In the end there will be only two bins of people – those who have believed in Jesus and looked to Him to wash them from their sin.  And there will be those who haven’t.

The future for one is eternal life, the other is to perish.

Jesus continued, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. (17)

This tells me that God is not willing that any should perish.  He sent Jesus not to scorch us, but to save us. 

We tend to sort out people according to factors over which they have no control.  God will sort them based on the choice they make. 

It’s either one or the other.  Your religion is immaterial.  Your denomination is irrelevant.  You might even choose to punt and maintain that there is no God – which doesn’t really matter if indeed God truly exists. 

What will matter in the end is what you do with Jesus.

So – what will you do with Jesus? 

A prayer:  Lord I wasted the first 19 years of my life without You.  Please don’t let others wait that long. 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ®

taking a (music) stand — May 6, 2022

taking a (music) stand

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I might buy anything of value that I find in a second-hand store (except maybe a toothbrush) 

I was recently sifting through the discards amidst the musty mess when I found the bottom-half of a music stand.  It was priced at $1.99.  I was interested, but it was only half of the item, so I let it be.  A minute later I found the upper half, but I was surprised to see that it was priced at $3.99.

They obviously belonged with each other, so I took them to the cashier and asked her which price she would ask?  She told me they had to be sold separately.  The total was $5.98.

Surely, she was confused.  I explained that I was a musician and had vast experience with music stands and I have always found that the top without the bottom was useless and vice versa.  They needed to be sold as one. 

Well, I guess she thought it was Custer’s last (music) stand, cause she wouldn’t budge.  So, I passed. 

_____________

One without the other doesn’t work!  This is also true of grace and truth. 

Truth refers to the objective standard of behavior to which God calls all people.   Grace refers to the help that God gives to enable us to meet that standard.

He has always been a God of both.  Think back to the top of mount Sinai where Moses heard these words, “The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.”  – Exodus 34:6- KJV

Here the words “gracious” and “truth” are descriptive of God. 

Of course, it was at Sinai that God gave us the Ten Commandments to guide our hearts and deeds.  But people back then found it difficult to live by the Law.  In their frustration they assumed that God was full of heartless and hopeless demands.

The Pharisees of the first century, exaggerated this misunderstanding.  They presented a God that nobody liked, and everyone feared.   

But then Jesus came along.  John 1:14 says, “Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth…”  NET Bible ®

The Son of God took on flesh to correct those misperceptions.  Grace and truth were packaged in Him and found in perfect balance.

Think back to that day in the temple when Jesus looked upon the woman caught in adultery.  (John 8) He invited her critics to stone her, at least the ones who were without sin.  That was the true consequence of adultery.  But her accusers all walked away leaving the woman unscathed, and to her Jesus said, “Go and sin no more.”  That was His grace.

Only Jesus could condemn sin based on truth, and then pay the penalty of that sin Himself out of His grace.  

Without truth, we have no way of understanding what God expects of us.  Without His grace we have no way of meeting His expectations.    

A world of grace without truth – would be a meaningless mush – permissive chaos and a ticket to hell.  A world of truth without grace would be unforgiving and hostile and repulsive.

Some of us are all about truth at the expense of grace.  We use truth to steamroll those that disagree with us and to control and often exacerbate our kids.  We use it as a tool with which to judge and condemn others. 

Some of us are all about grace at the expense of truth.  We tend to be accommodating people pleasers.  We easily compromise because it doesn’t matter to us.  We might use grace as an excuse to allow our kids to go undisciplined.

Some things like grace and truth have got to be packaged together.  And don’t let the cashier at the thrift store tell you any different. 

A PRAYER: Jesus, help me to mirror the balance of grace and truth that you have

This has been Jim Johnson with pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

two-by-four trouble — May 4, 2022

two-by-four trouble

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Read carefully to avoid a DYI catastrophe!

When I start a building project, I make elaborate plans.  But because of my ineptitude, my plans must be revised each time I fasten one board to another. Two-by-four boards contribute to my frustration.

Suppose I want to build a deck in the backyard.  It needs to be 8 feet wide.  So, I visit the lumber store and buy 24 standard two-by-four pieces of lumber – the exact amount needed to cover the deck. 

However, when I run out of lumber, I still have a gap almost a foot wide in my deck. (hope the grandkids don’t fall in the hole.)

So how did this happen?  It’s because a standard two-by-four IS NOT actually 2 inches by 4 inches.   It is 1 ½ by 3 ½.

So, what gives?  The lumber mill starts with a rough board that is actually two-by-four.  But once it is smoothed down to where it is useful, it has become the reduced version.  AND YET they still list it as a 2 x 4.

________

There can be a difference between what something is called, and what it truly is.

– The sign says “tolerance” but it means “acceptance for the politically correct.”

– The sign says, “more buying power” but it means “more access to credit and to debt.”

– The sign says “pro-choice” but it means “freedom to choose for a mom but helpless doom for a baby.”

So how do we wade through such confusion?

When I shop for lumber, I ignore the signs and put a tape measure to a board before I buy it.   

The Bible is our cultural tape measure.  It was given to us as an objective, truthful means of evaluating the shifting values of the world in which we live. 

Psalm 119:160 put it this way, “The sum of Your word is truth.” (NASU)

I like the word “sum.”  It tells us that every bit of the Bible is true.  “Sum” suggests that we may not pick and choose what we want to believe and practice.  We should know and operate based on the whole thing. 

The Bible, however, is a neglected book.  The American Bible Society issued their annual “State of the Bible” report for 2022.  They found that only 10% of U.S. adults use the Bible daily, while 16% consult it at least once a week and 7% read it once a month.

This is sad knowing that the regular practice of reading Scripture, shapes our worldview, helping us sort truth from error and enabling us to see what things really are, regardless of what they might be called. 

We don’t need the opinion shows on CNN or FOX news to tell us how and what we should think.  We need the truth of the Word of God with which to evaluate the news and put it into perspective.

OK let’s get practical.  Lately there seems to be a throng of ads on TV that want us to improve our credit rating.  Being in debt, therefore must be a good thing – right? 

Start with a question: “What does the Bible say about money and debt?”   Read a chapter a day from the book of Proverbs.  Zero in on and consider the many verses that speak about money.  See if you can’t come up with a biblical answer to that question. 

There can be holes in a backyard deck and holes in our thinking too.  Use a reliable tape measure and you’ll never end up with either. 

A PRAYER: Lord sometimes we are in too much of a hurry to measure. Help us to be more diligent

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

how long can you fake it?  — April 20, 2022

how long can you fake it? 

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He was gifted with a gorgeous voice that could melt a stone.  When coupled with his warm and charismatic personality – he was a highly sought entertainer.  And it didn’t hurt that his mother had named him, “Star.” 

It was in the late 60’s when he was recruited to sing for our troops, touring the USO clubs in Europe.  One small snag, however. There was only enough room for one and Star didn’t play an instrument. 

So, he recruited a friend in Nashville to record some simple guitar tracks on a compact reel-to-reel tape recorder. 

He then bought an acoustic guitar and cut out a panel in its back.  He attached hinges and made it into a trap door.

He then mounted the tape recorder inside the guitar.  He took the microphone and stretched the cord out along the back of guitar neck so that the mic was hidden behind the tuning pegs. 

There was a switch on the mic that enabled him to start and stop the tape player. 

Then Star took his altered guitar and went on tour.  He took his place on the stage each night, pretended to tune up the guitar, when in fact, he flipped on the switch to the recorder. 

The prerecorded music projected from the sound hole, as he used his hands to simulate a guitar player.   

People were so engrossed with him and his singing, they didn’t catch on to his ruse – until that one time in Germany.  He was performing on stage when the batteries in his recorder died.  Oops.

Hey, I am not making this up.  Star was my friend – a friend who faked it until his batteries ran low. 

He found a creative way to meet a practical need, but the rest of us fake it for other reasons.

“Hey how are you doing?”  “Oh, I’m fine.”  Really?  Are you fine, or just too self-conscious to talk about it? 

What about that nagging addiction?  It is eating your lunch, but you carry on at work and church like things are great.  Even your family is in the dark.

Your kids seem to demand more than you can deliver.  But you put on the supermom persona until 9:00 pm each night – when you finally crash. 

So how long can you fake it? 

The apostle Paul was in a tough spot, beset by what he called a “thorn in the flesh.”  This metaphorical thorn caused him pain and hindered him from doing the things he needed to do. 

So, he prayed and prayed that the Lord would remove the problem. 

The Lord answered in this way, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me. 10 Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”   – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10   NETBible ®

There are two things that we fakers need to glean from this: 

1) Paul was transparent about his problems.  He revealed to the Corinthians then, and to us for the last 2,000 years – that he was a weakened man.  The powerful apostle was in fact pitifully weak. 

2) He chose, therefore, to rely on the Lord and His power reserves in order to carry on.  And the Lord stepped in.  Paul lived 11 more years after writing 2 Corinthians, and they were active, productive and fruitful years in spite of the thorn.

But here’s the thing – you can’t have one without the other.  When we pretend to have it all together, the Lord stands by with his arms crossed and says, “Oh really – show me.” 

But, when we are honest with ourselves and God about our insufficiency – then He says, “OK let me help.”

It’s time to get real.  Do it before your batteries run out!

A PRAYER: Lord, we need you – every hour we need you!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

whistler’s clutter — April 13, 2022

whistler’s clutter

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How do marching bands stay in step with each other?   Most are synchronized to the music.  They pivot and turn based on specific notes in the song.  

There are some bands, however, that are directed solely by the whistle of the drum major.   They scoot when they hear the toot.  Texas A&M University has such a band. 

They met on the gridiron to play Rice University that day.  Rice is a school long on scholars and short on skills.  They were accustomed to losing and compensated by messing with their opponents. 

The Rice band stood on the sideline at halftime to watch the Aggie band do their drill.  They soon pulled out their own whistles and with devious glee they randomly blew them hoping to confuse the Aggie marchers. 

It worked!   The band was twisting and turning and going every which way.  Tubas and trumpets clashed, and flutes were flattened. 

An airplane took pictures from above.  The band looked like someone had stepped on their anthill.

How funny!  But did you know that a similar scenario is at work in the church today?

2 Peter 1:20-21 says, “No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet’s own imagination, for no prophecy was ever borne of human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

Peter tells us that Scripture originated with God.  It isn’t the result of some imaginative con man, or an impulsive attention getter.   It came from God and was entrusted to men who recorded it under the sovereign direction of the Holy Spirit. 

Scripture is the drum major’s whistle – the one that the Christian must heed.  It is true and trustworthy.  It is the means by which we experience freedom.  The truth sets us free from spiritual bondage for sure.  But it also creates freedom in our finances and our interpersonal relationships and brings blessing to most every area of life to which it is applied.

But there are rascals out there who stand on the sidelines with competing whistles..  Peter described them saying,  “…false teachers will infiltrate your midst with destructive heresies, even to the point of denying the Master who bought them. As a result, they will bring swift destruction on themselves.  And many will follow their debauched lifestyles. Because of these false teachers, the way of truth will be slandered.  And in their greed, they will exploit you with deceptive words.”    (2 Peter 2:2-3)

Peter wrote his letter in 67 A.D. but it seems like he had today in mind.  He predicted that the future would bring false teachers who will be motivated to confuse and deceive us.  They will infiltrate our circles and we will become comfortable with them.  They will be known by their weaknesses for sex and money.

But the most significant telltale trait has to do with Jesus.  They will “deny the Master that bought them” says Peter.  They will minimize the significance of Jesus and the value of His work on the cross.

Probe Ministries conducted a survey of 3,000 people in 2020.  They discovered that more than 60% of those between 18 and 39, who identify as born-again Christians believe that Jesus, Buddha, and Muhammad are all equal as Saviors.  (https://probe.org/probe-religious-views-study-2020-do-christians-believe-in-christ-as-the-only-savior-of-the-world/)

They see Jesus as no different than any other religious figure.  And yet Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  – John 14:6

How could this misunderstanding happen?  Because only 5% of that same born-again group has a biblical worldview according to the survey.

The Scripture holds little authority for them.  They are not tuned in to the whistle of the drum major and are therefore easily misled by the random whistles of others.

Peter used the word “destructive” twice, emphasizing what will become of the church, or the family or the person that moves to those kinds of whistles. 

What about you?  Are you in formation or wandering about on the ant hill?

A PRAYER: Lord help me to know Your Word well enough to instantly apply it to every life situation.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com. 

May the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Scripture references are from the NETBible ®

calamity or opportunity — April 6, 2022

calamity or opportunity

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She entered the house and heard the water running but couldn’t figure out from where – until she stepped into a lake in our kitchen.  It was growing and moving into the living room.

What a calamity!  She left our five-year-old in the house and hysterically ran to the neighbor.  With a panic pitch she begged him to help.  He found our water meter and shut off the flow.

My flustered wife, returned to the kitchen and was tickled to find our little guy there.   He had grabbed a boat and some people from the toy box and was having a super time floating that boat past the stove.

Some people look for opportunity in a calamity! 

The dynamic apostle Paul was one of those.  He was about 30 years old when he was commissioned to be the apostle to the Gentiles.

He then carried the Gospel to over 50 named cities in the New Testament.  Those cities were in the ancient nations that we now know as Italy, Israel, Saudi Arabi, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Sicily, Malta, Crete, and Greece. 

He established at least 14 vibrant churches.  To do all of this, he traveled on foot over 10,000 miles.  That compares to walking from New York City to LA times four.

He operated in high gear, driven by a mission to see people come to Jesus BUT he eventually ran into a brick wall.  He was arrested and taken to Rome for trial.  Like Jesus, he was unjustly painted as being a seditious threat to the Empire. 

His freedom to work was stolen.  The folks in those churches that he had planted, must have considered his jail time to be a calamity of catastrophic proportion.

But wait!   Because he was a Roman citizen, he was placed under house arrest for 2 years. He had to rent a home and provide for himself while he awaited trial.  And always he was chained to a soldier of the famed Praetorian Guard. 

There was 9,000 of them and all were stationed in Rome.  This Imperial force was the elite and most highly trusted unit in the Roman army.   There was always a Praetorian guard at the side of the Emperor.

Paul looked for the opportunity in his calamity and found it.  This is what happened according to Philippians 1:12-14. 

“I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel: The whole imperial guard and everyone else knows that I am in prison for the sake of Christ, and most of the brothers and sisters, having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment, now more than ever dare to speak the word fearlessly.”  NETBible ®

The captive had a captive audience chained to him, so he continued to preach.   Some of those soldiers were sorry they were chained to him.  Others came to faith.  This would have been significant because they were the most respected and influential military men in the empire. 

The scandal must have been whispered throughout the entire guard of 9,000.   The Gospel was strategically advancing as it saturated the leadership of the Roman Empire.

Bonus: Because Paul was sidelined, other Christians stepped up and began to fearlessly share the faith.  The number of evangelists at work was exponentially multiplied.

Double Bonus.  In the 2 years Paul was under house arrest, he also penned the letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon.  Priceless truth was recorded over those 2 years.

In every calamity there is an opportunity.  This is true because our God is in sovereign control of all, and He promised to work all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to His purpose – even the things we consider calamities.

Take another look at that issue that’s eating your lunch.  You may find a place to float your boat too. 

A PRAYER: Help me to reframe the calamities in my life so that I see the opportunity in them.

This has been Jim Johnson with pickleheavenpress.com

May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

bema seat – part 2 — March 30, 2022

bema seat – part 2

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Cycling is a sport with some crazy prizes.  There’s a race in France where the winner gets a piglet.  Wow – what do the losers get? 

In the Paris-Roubaix race they give the winner a cobblestone which was part of the pavement from the race.  Gee that’s nice. 

However, in the classic Hairibo race in France, the winner gets their body weight in gummy bears.  OK I’m in!

In Bema seat – part 1, we found that Christians will one day stand before Christ and be rewarded for the manner in which we have lived our lives.  (2 Corinthians 5:10-11; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

So, what is this reward and is it worth it?

The victor will be given crowns

James 1:12 speaks of those who “will receive the crown of life…”   The Greek word for crown is “stephanos” better known as the Victor’s Crown.  This was a wreath made of olive or ivy branches which was given to honor a military or sports victory.  It was worn on the head.  

There are 5 different situations where a victor’s wreath could be won 1) There is the Crown of rejoicing (1 Th. 2:19; Phil 4:1) which consists of the people we have led to Christ. 2) and the crown of glory (1 Peter 5:1-4) given to those who have labored to care for and disciple other Christians.  

3) And the crown of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:6-8) given to those who live their lives in the light of Christ’s return, 4) the crown of Life is given to those who lose their life for the cause of Christ (James 1:12; Rev. 2:10)  5) and the crown of mastery (1 Cor. 9:24-27) for the one who faithfully completes the race of faith       

Now before you cast your ivy hat in the trash, let’s consider this.  In the first century a crown represented ruling authority

The victor will rule with Christ

When Christ returns, He will rule this earth for a thousand years. He will invite believers to participate with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?”  2 Tim 2:12 says, “If we endure, we will also reign with him.”  The believer who squanders their heritage today will be privileged to live and dwell in the Kingdom, but the believer who lives for Christ shall rule alongside Him.

The victor will receive commendation

To the victor, Jesus, Himself will one day say “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21) We all have our various love languages.  Mine is words of praise. Anticipating Jesus’ commendation motivates me way more than winning my weight in gummy bears. 

So what do we do about the Bema seat?

At graduation all of us got a prized piece of parchment. Among us were some who received special honors for stellar grades and college scholarships.  The Bema seat will be a graduation day of great rejoicing for all of us but it may be tinged with some regret for those who didn’t make a greater effort.

I have a container of foreign coins I have accumulated through my travels.  The money has value in the country where it was issued, but no practical value to me in the US.  Heaven is kind of like that.  We can accumulate lots of stuff down here.   But when we get there it will no longer have value.  We need to work to obtain an inheritance today, that will mean something when we get to heaven

Bruce Wilkinson, the founder of Walk Through the Bible told this story.  He spoke at a conference where he met a 9-year-old boy named Will.  Will asked Bruce to donate to his mission project? 

Bruce asked, “What’s the money for?”  He said, “It’s for people who live in the jungles so they can hear about Jesus.”  

Bruce said “OK but I have one rule: You have to give first.  I will match and multiply whatever you first give.”

Will’s eyes were as big as saucers then his face fell.  Bruce asked, “Don’t you like my idea?”  “Yes!”  “So, what are you going to do?” 

Will said “Nothing! I already gave everything I had.”  “You mean you put all your money in your own fund drive.    Will nodded yes.

Bruce said, “Will, I have another rule.  If you give everything, I will give everything too.  As it happened, he had just been to the bank and had withdrawn a considerable amount of money with which to finance his trip.  He opened his briefcase and gave a huge stack of cash to Will. 

I think the Bema seat will be a lot like that.  We sacrificially give and serve today, what little we have, only to receive a ridiculously lavish reward from Jesus in the future.  Serve Him.  You will never be sorry.

A PRAYER: Oh, Jesus give me the heart of Will    

This has been Jim Johnson will pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you   

Scripture references are from the NETBible ®

bema seat – part 1 — March 23, 2022

bema seat – part 1

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I like to work, but I don’t really get to enjoy my paycheck.  Payday at my house is like the Academy Awards.  I walk in the door and my wife says, “May I have the envelope please?”  (just kidding!)

Speaking of which, did you know that there is an award ceremony in your future?  The apostle Paul described it in 2 Corinthians 5:10.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.

The place of judgment.

In the Greek, the phrase judgment seat is rendered by one word, “Bema.”  Back then, the Bema was a raised platform at the city gate, where justice was handed down and war heroes and star athletes were honored. 

The bema is a place of judgment, but fortunately Christ who gave His life for us on the cross is the judge.  When we stand before Him, we can expect him to be gracious and yet, fair.

The subjects of judgment

Paul says we must “all” make an appearance to undergo a thorough examination of the way we lived our Christian lives.   There is another judgment reserved for unbelievers (Revelation 20:11-15.) but the Bema is for those who believe. 

The basis of judgment

Paul said, “according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.”   We will be judged based on how we have lived our lives.  Jesus will be concerned with specific thoughts, words, deeds and attitudes – good and bad.

Wait! Doesn’t God forget our sins? (Ps103:12).  Yes, He does, He will never condemn a believer to hell because of their sins.   The Bema seat is NOT concerned about condemnation but rather commendation.  Jesus will be looking for ways to affirm us.

Another critical passage on the judgment seat of Christ is 1 Cor 3:11-15 where Paul tells us that Jesus will examine the quality of our work.  He pictures us as builders who use various materials: wood, hay, stubble, gold, silver and precious stones.  These materials symbolize the things we do as being either worthless or worthwhile   

For example, there is a specific reward promised for those who fast (Matthew 6:16-18) and those who give (Matthew 6:19-21) and for godly motivation (1 Corinthians 4:5) and worthy words (Luke 12:1-3) and for investing in others (1 Corinthians 3:6-8) and for extending hospitality (Luke 14:12-14) and for loving the hard to love (Luke 6:35) etc.

Our works will be tested, and Christ’s searing judgment will sift them as a fire that refines gold and silver, but consumes wood, hay and stubble.  Paul promised (vrs 14) that the one whose work survives the testing shall be rewarded.

But the one whose works burn, will be saved, yet so as through fire.   In other words, there is no possibility to be cast into hell, but his life’s work made of flammable, inferior materials will be lost, and he will go unrewarded. 

Think of it this way.  On the day we were saved we had nothing to lose, and yet everything to gain.  From that day forward, many of us engaged as Christians and we have been creating reward for ourselves. Others haven’t.  Some are still at net zero because they have treated their walk with God with apathy and indifference.  

You may ask, is this grace?  It is!  For we were once deserving of condemnation and hell, now having been saved, we have the unmerited opportunity to accrue treasure for ourselves in heaven.

The impact of judgment

So how should the prospect of this judgment affect us today.  In the next verse (5:11) Paul said, “Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people.” 

Paul spoke of his reverence for Christ as His future judge.  He feared being caught short of what the Lord would expect. So, he gave 100% to the work that God gave him to do.

Should a Christian be motivated by rewards?  Paul was motivated by many things especially his love for Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:14) But it is clear here that the Bema seat was a considerable goad to him as well.  He wanted to win the prize.  How about you? 

A PRAYER: Lord help me to keep my eye on the prize. 

This has been Jim Johnson with pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Scripture references are from the NETBible ®

does it hurt? — March 22, 2022

does it hurt?

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“He saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.”  – Titus 3:5

According to Paul, a person is put through the wash when they are saved.  It reminds me of my Haiti experience.

Our mission team was in Haiti to put a roof on a church building.  I stayed with a family in a house that made my walk-in closet look big.  But the hostess was most gracious. 

It was at the end of day two for me.  I was desperate to bathe, but the new towel and washcloth, that I had used the day before, were missing.  Someone snatched them from the line.  Great!  It was going to be a stinky, sweaty week for me. 

Another day passed and the purloined linens reappeared.  Evidently my hostess took them down to the river, with her laundry, to wash them for me. 

However, she used the old beat-them-with-a-rock method.  They came back to me frayed and tattered with holes in several places and the fabric had a nice sandpaper feel.

She was all smiles – delighted to have been so hospitable.   I thanked her for her kindness and then took the washcloth and sanded off a layer of dirt from my arms.

_________

The washing took something new and made it useless.  When Jesus washes us, however, he takes the useless and makes them new. 

Theologians call this phenomenon, “sanctification” and it affects the Christian in three ways.

– Sanctification takes place the moment that we come to faith. 

It is then that God declares us as belonging to the clean ones.  In laundry terms, we have been placed in the special laundry basket of the redeemed.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers, who were at time, grossly immoral, and yet he said, “to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 1:2)   Paul addressed their sad lifestyle later in his letter, and yet nevertheless he recognized that they were saved and set apart for God. 

Because we enjoy the new birth, we also are given a new capacity to live righteously.  Doesn’t mean we will, but we have it within us because we have been sanctified.  All this is painless by the way, but not so with the second installment of sanctification.

– Sanctification takes place progressively throughout our lives.

This kind of cleansing is experienced.  This is where God trains us, corrects, teaches, refines, and transforms us, progressively, each day, so that we increasingly resemble the precious Son of God.   

Think of this as loading the laundry into God’s washing machine.  The churning and spinning and hot water can be uncomfortable for us, but necessary to work the dirt free.

But beware!  The darkness within us can be as stubborn to remove as that stain on your shirt.  This is because we have a part to play in this kind of sanctification.  Paul wrote, “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.” – Romans 6:12

– Sanctification is eventually completed.

This happens when we meet Jesus, face-to-face.  Paul wrote, “But our citizenship is in heaven—and we also eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform these humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.” – Philippians 3:21

It will be then and only then that we will become perfect.  Think of this as pulling your wardrobe for the day from the dryer – the colors are sparkling bright, and the smell is meadow fresh. 

That will be you and me some day, thanks to God who sanctifies us!

A PRAYER: Thank you Lord for cleaning me up and getting me ready for heaven.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture references are from the NETBible ®