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
something to remember — February 19, 2025

something to remember

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Our trio performed a Christmas Concert at a nursing facility.  Afterwards, a lady who was a resident there, came to speak with me.  With tears cascading down her cheeks she said, “You remind me of my father.”  I said, “Well I sure hope he was a better man than I am.” She replied, “He was a drunk.”  A drunk?  Uh, OK – maybe my last song was a little too much. 

Well, she went on to explain.  He was actually a mean drunk – but each Christmas Season he would mellow.  He would break out his guitar and lead the family in the singing of carols.  As I led the singing that day, that memory was revived and it warmed her heart.   That’s what she preferred to remember about her daddy.

We tend to remember the things that deeply, emotionally impact us – that which is exceedingly good or incredibly bad.  Most of us would hope that any memories of us would be bathed in the warmth of good thoughts. 

The apostle Paul reveals how that might be possible.  In Philippians 1:3-5, he wrote, “I thank my God every time I remember you. I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.”

Paul often thought about the Christians in the town of Philippi and the way that they had participated with him in his Gospel ministry.  Those memories fostered joyful thoughts.   

But what did he mean by “participation?”  Well, the book of Philippians was Paul’s version of a thank you note.  He used the letter to express his gratitude for the generous way that they had financially supported his ministry.

He wrote, “For I have received everything, and I have plenty. I have all I need because I received from Epaphroditus what you sent—a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, very pleasing to God” – Philippians 4:18.

They provided the resources that Paul needed in order to do his outreach ministry.  Paul mentioned elsewhere that they gave out of their “deep poverty” (2 Cor 8:1-2).

As Paul carried the Gospel from town-to-town, he often remembered that it was those sweet brothers and sisters at Philippi that made it possible.  They selflessly pared back their own standard of living to support him.

So sometimes I wonder what people might remember about me.  What do they remember of my ministry as a pastor, besides the fact that my shirt tail was always on the loose?   

Maybe it was my pulpit ministry.  After all I spent 10-15 hours each week preparing a sermon – working through the Greek, making sure each message was accurate.  I prepared a video file to go with it.  I even rehearsed the message.  I figure I spent a cumulative total of about 17,940 hours over 23 years of doing sermon prep. 

And yet the only sermon people seem to remember is the one where I almost fell off the platform

People tend to remember other things!   She remembered the time I showed up at the hospital and prayed over their newborn.  That Deacon remembered when I cranked up my lawnmower and mowed his lawn because he wasn’t able. 

My associate remembered how I would always drop what I was doing when he needed to talk with me.  Then there was that man who remembered the grace and forgiveness he received when he came to me for counsel. 

It was those personal, considerate acts of love and service that they remember – things that anyone of us could and probably should do. 

Of course, being remembered, is not what motivated my ministry.  Not at all – but it is heart-warming to know that I have had some positive impact on the lives of others – and it is remembered.

If I had it to do all over again, I think I would spend less time parsing Greek verbs and more time loving people. 

A PRAYER: Thank you, Lord for good memories

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

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

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ®

give yourself — February 12, 2025

give yourself

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I was in the car along with my wife who isn’t always happy with my driving.  But she did a remarkable job of restraining herself.  She didn’t stomp on an imaginary brake or close her eyes when I passed another car.  In fact, when we arrived, she said, “Thank you!”

I said, “Well you’re welcome.”  She said, “I was talking to God!” Just kidding, my wife loves the way I drive.  OK I’m just kidding about that too.

In truth, I greatly treasure my wife, which is why the following story intrigues me. 

A hospice chaplain took on an older man as a patient.  Oddly, the man’s ex-wife volunteered to become his primary caregiver.  Now though they had divorced many years earlier she showed up to assist him in his time of need. 

He was dying, and yet the two of them talked and then decided to remarry.  The chaplain asked his wife why.  There was no insurance policy, nor could he leave her a house or possessions to amount to much.  Their children were not pressuring them.  So why remarry? 

She said, “When we were young, he gave me homes, and cars, and jewelry and much more.  But he never gave me himself.  But now that’s all he has to give.”

That was all he had left to give, and yet it was the best thing he could give.  It was a treasure that should have been shared with her since the day they first said, “I do.”  Some of us may remember these words from our marriage ceremony, “Now that you have been given to each other…”

That’s the simple essence of a marriage – giving ourselves to each other – our heart and soul – manifested by sharing, listening, serving and being with one another; caring for the hurts and pains of each other; sacrificing to benefit one another and being faithful not only in body but soul, to each other.   

If you are married, take a hint. Make sure you are giving yourself to your spouse.  Tune in to him/her.  Listen, empathize, laugh together, cry together, lose yourself to benefit each other and spend lots of time together.  Your marriage will thrive and grow as you do. 

Do you need some help?  Look to the Lord!  Think on the way that He has loved us.  Paul described it in Galatians 2:20 where he wrote that the Son of God, “loved me and gave himself for me.”   Jesus gave Himself.  But how? 

He laid aside His prerogatives as God and clothed Himself in flesh in order to be with us – so that He could walk and talk and do life with us. 

In His quest, He endured misunderstanding and misrepresentation.  He turned the other cheek just as He directed us to do.  With patience and determination, He stuck with us. 

And though we fled from Gethsemane when He was arrested, and hid from the cross when He was crucified, He continued in His commitment to us.

He quietly endured the brutal suffering of crucifixion, the abandonment at His burial and then enjoyed the glory of being raised again.  This is how He gave Himself – all of Himself, leaving nothing left for Himself. 

I am guessing that’s what Paul meant when he wrote, “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her” Ephesians 5:25. 

There is that phrase again. He, “gave himself.”

I have found that the more we give ourselves, the more of us we have to give.  The more of my life that I lay down for others, the more life the Lord gives to me. 

Like the fishes and loaves – as they were given away and distributed, they were replaced by more and more in the hands of the master.

So, give yourself!  To your spouse for sure, and even your children and most certainly to the Lord. 

Give yourself – because it’s the only thing of real value that you have to give?

A PRAYER: Lord, help me understand what I may be holding back from my wife, and You and others.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

Scripture references are from the NETBible ®

what are the odds? — February 5, 2025

what are the odds?

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Sometimes I wonder if I might have IBS – Irritable Brain Syndrome – but then I have found that there are people who may have even less on the ball than I do. 

There exists today a religious sect of zealous subscribers.  They correctly believe that heaven is the last and best stop of our journey.  However, they teach that only 144,000 of their followers will qualify. 

As of 2024 they number about 8.6 million.  Which means that only 1 out of 60 of the faithful will make it through the pearly gates.  Hmm?  The typical local congregation is no more than 200, which means that an average of 2 people from each gathering will make it to glory land.  How disheartening!

To qualify they must adhere to the teaching and be active in their preaching.  The more people they persuade to be baptized and become followers, the better their chances of going to heaven. 

BUT – let’s suppose each follower was able to enlist just one person.  That would double the membership to 17.2 million followers, which lowers the odds of admission. Only 1 out of 120 of the membership would walk the streets of gold. 

The sect is now over 154 years old which means there is a century and a half of competitors who want to be one of the 144,000.  Oh, and their ecclesiastical authorities refuse to disclose the number of baptisms from the inception of their movement to the present.  I wonder why?

Though they say their teaching is Biblically based, I think they missed a verse or two or maybe two hundred.  Let’s look at just one for now. The apostle Paul wrote, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast” – Ephesians 2:8-9.

Paul said it is by grace that we are saved.  Grace is that undeserved intervention of God – who, out of His goodness, does something for us that we cannot do for ourselves.  He takes spiritually bankrupt people and puts a hefty deposit into our accounts. 

To be saved is to have God redirect our paths from the pit of hell to the pinnacle of heaven. 

Grace is His response to our faith in the divine Lord Jesus, who was crucified for our sins, and then rose again to prove that what He did for us was more than enough. 

Very important is the idea that this salvation is not something that we can earn – it is not of ourselves.  It is the gift of God – not a wage for our work.  If I should attempt to work for something that has been given as a gift – I would insult the giver and steal the generous spirit that prompted it.   But God is the giver of grace, and we, therefore, have no reason to boast. 

And yet the folks in that sect work tirelessly to proselytize.  Just the other day I removed one of their sneaky tracts which was slapped on a gas pump.  They labor to earn a spot in heaven. 

Ironically, they have an aggressive disfellowshipping program, which means they regularly kick people out, which helps to increase the possibility of heaven for those who are left.

And yet Jesus said that once we are in, we can’t be out. He said, “My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand – John 10:27-28.

It’s hard to undeserve something that we never deserved in the first place.  We are saved by God’s grace as a response to our faith in Jesus.

Take a moment today and pray.  Tell Him, “Save me Lord for I am a sinner.  I need and I want Jesus and the gift of forgiveness that He died to provide for me.”

A Prayer: Lord help those who misunderstand your gracious liberating truth

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you always

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ®

consternation about your location — January 29, 2025

consternation about your location

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We played musical churches.  Cornerstone Church was moving out of their leased facility and our church was moving into it.  Koreen didn’t know that her church, Cornerstone Church, was on the move.  So, the first Sunday that we occupied that space, she showed up for the service as usual. 

Same building, same chair – different congregation.  She knew something was sorta different, but she enjoyed herself anyway.  She figured God brought her to us for a reason.  From that day on she became a beloved part of our church family. 

So, that makes me wonder, “Does it matter where a person is at any point in time?  Is it important to God that I am here rather than there?” 

The Scripture says yes!  God’s sovereign working includes the “where” of a nation (Acts 17:26) and even a person. Solomon wrote, “A person plans his course, but the Lord directs his steps” – Proverbs 16:9.

So, I get it!  God is sovereignly at work in our lives – steering us to the right places, in order to shape and conform us to the image of HIs Son.

OK but what if I am not happy with where I am at the moment?  The single girl is frustrated because she can’t meet a guy in her small town.  The engineer knows he could earn more elsewhere, but he can’t get the first interview.  With so many small children she would like to be closer to grandparents, but it would be too difficult to make a move.

Well, the apostle Paul was not exactly thrilled with his location either.  He found himself in the belly of a dark, disgusting Roman prison cell.  He was a preacher who could not get out and preach. 

But He understood the mysterious and wonderful workings of God and therefore looked for the sovereign hand of God in His circumstances.

He wrote, “I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel……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” – Philippians 1:12 & 14.

Paul found that because of his incarceration, many others stepped up and began to preach in his stead.  The Gospel preachers multiplied.  Paul learned that he was doing a greater service to God by being in jail than by being out.

– Do you have consternation about your location?  Ask God what He might be trying to teach you through your circumstances?

As a prisoner Paul was expected to provide food and clothing for himself, but he had no way to earn his keep.  Yet, he could say, “I have learned to be content in any circumstance” – Philippians 4:11.

There in prison God was cultivating in Paul the quality of contentedness.  He may be doing the same for you through your circumstances.

– Consternation about your location? Ask God, what character qualities He is developing in you through your circumstances.

In prison, Paul was chained to a Roman guard.  Guess who began to hear the Gospel?  Paul wrote, “The whole imperial guard and everyone else knows that I am in prison for the sake of Christ” – Philippians 1:13.

He used his difficult circumstances to share his faith with those who shackled him. 

– Consternation about your location? Say to the Lord, “OK God, you plopped me in this job, or this neighborhood.  I assume there is someone here that you want me to reach.  Who is it?” 

God has a purpose in every place we find ourselves.  So, this is what I would suggest.  Instead of fighting your location and your circumstances and complaining about your job, or your home, or the town in which you live or the country of which you are a citizen –  

Instead of all that – Look for His purpose in your place.

A PRAYER: Lord, we need a lot of help with this.  Please have your way!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you

Scripture references are from the NETBible ®

in the fog — January 22, 2025

in the fog

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My little family and I once lived in a trailer house that sat right next to an industrial plant.  Many mornings we would arise and find ourselves enshrouded in a fog.  I’m not talking about being drowsy. it was a soup-thick fog which was generated by the plant. 

It was an, “I can’t find my hand in front of my face” kind of a fog and we lived in it and breathed of it.  I was told that they manufactured formaldehyde there.  So, if there is a plus to this, it’s that I won’t need to be embalmed for my funeral.

To drive in it was impossibly difficult.  But you know what that’s like.  You have had to move through your own fog experiences.  And some of those experiences have had nothing to do with suspended water droplets. 

Ben just lost his job.  He was already behind with his bills.  The rent is due, and his wife has some big medical bills.  He just can’t see the way forward.

Ken just learned that his son is a frequent meth user.  Ken had no idea how it happened, nor what to do to fix him.

Annie’s husband was in his recliner watching TV.  She returned from the store, and he was still there – but a heart attack had stolen his life.  After she buried him, she spoke of a numbness that gripped her heart and soul. 

The trauma of the moment numbs us and fogs our senses, and we run the risk of having it become an enduring way of life. 

When trauma comes, we can find our way forward in much the same way we drive through the morning fog.  

I pump the brakes and slow the car down.  I turn on the headlights so that they illuminate the road ahead of me.  I become more alert and depend on my ears more than usual.  I might not be able to see a vehicle passing me, but I may be able to hear it. 

And though I usually don’t appreciate my wife’s directions when I drive, I lean on her to help me be aware.  She watches for wandering deer and looks for turns that need to be made.

So how does that work with traumatic loss? 

– Slow down.  Crisis tends to make us want to go faster as if by doing so we can get through it all more quickly.  It doesn’t work that way.  Slow down.  Be deliberate.   The prophet said, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” – Isaiah 40:31 – KJV

– Use your headlights.  Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to walk by and a light to illumine my path.”  The Psalmist spoke of the Bible of course.  He tells us that it has the incredible ability to illuminate the obscure path before us, to give us insight and wisdom so that we don’t hit a tree or run off into ditch. 

– Listen more intently.  I tend to keep myself so busy that it’s hard to hear the voice of God.   The fog of trauma can be a blessing in that it forces me to slow down and tune my ears to what God is doing or may be saying to me.  James wrote in his epistle, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” – James 4:8.  He is always available to us, but we need to move toward Him especially in times of trauma. 

– Lean on others for help.  It’s easier to drive through the morning fog when you have someone with you to help.  Unfortunately, trauma tends to cause us to withdraw, but what we need to do is engage, to draw from and lean on one another.  This is something we are expected to do.  Paul wrote, “Carry one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2)

Do these things and it won’t be long before the sun breaks through and burns off the fog. 

A PRAYER: Lord, please prepare me for the fog to come.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you.

Scripture references are from the NETBible ® unless otherwise noted.

how do we know there is a heaven? — January 15, 2025

how do we know there is a heaven?

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I am sometimes asked about the crazy name of my blog, pickleheavenpress!   So what is pickle heaven!  

It is a figment of my imagination!  I was once a poor college student with a lovely wife and 2 darling preschoolers.  Money was tight, but we made it a once-a-week treat to go for some fast food.

The kids would ask, “Daddy, can we go to McDonald’s?”  I would tease them and say, “Well I was thinking I might like to go to that new place called Pickle Heaven.”  Of course it didn’t exist, but they didn’t know that. 

They whined.  They didn’t want a pickle!  “OK McDonald’s it is then.”  Each week for nearly a year, I would suggest Pickle Heaven, but I was always out voted. Then one day I asked, “Where do you all want to eat tonight?”  My 4-year replied, “Daddy, maybe we should try Pickle Heaven.”  Oops. 

My sweet, naïve, children trusted me and assumed that a restaurant called Pickle Heaven actually existed. But what about the heaven we cherish? 

Could it also be a figment of our collective imagination? 

Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first man to fly in outer space in 1961.  When he arrived, he looked around the heavens for God.  He didn’t see Him, so he declared, ‘Boga Nyet!’, which translates, ‘There is no God!’

And yet, I certainly believe heaven exists and here’s why. 

The Scripture speaks of it

Scripture is our primary and utterly reliable source of truthful information.  It clearly affirms the existence of heaven.  There is the OT assertion in Psalm 23

 “And I will dwell I the house of the Lord forever.”  And there is the NT corroboration where heaven in mentioned 228 times.  Jesus promised the thief on the cross that the two of them would be together in Paradise that very day they died (Luke 23:43).  If heaven is a piece of fiction, then Jesus misled us.

Belief in heaven is a universal phenomenon

The university of Oxford sanctioned a study involving 57 researchers who conducted over 40 separate studies in 20 countries that represented a diverse range of cultures. Their goal was to find if concepts such as God and an afterlife are taught generation to generation or are they imprinted at birth.  The studies found that belief in an afterlife is a universal and innate part of being a human being.  Throughout time, in every culture and place, people have possessed a belief in the afterlife.   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110714103828.htm

This is no surprise!  Solomon described this phenomenon in Ecclesiastes 3:11 saying, “He (God) has set eternity in the hearts of men.”

There have been eyewitnesses to heaven

As a hospice chaplain I have been privileged to hear stories and sometimes even witness the transition of people into the afterlife.  Just recently one of my patients, an elderly Christian woman, was unconscious for a couple of days.  Then she unexpectedly sat up and fixed her gaze on something beyond the walls.  She reached out her hand and said, “Jesus” and then soon passed.  

Just recently my friend lost his daughter to a terminal disease.   According to him, her very last thrill-filled words were, Wow! Wow! Wow! 

Most hospice workers have witnessed similar stories.  

But where is heaven?  We don’t know.  Author Randy Alcorn says, “It’s referred to as “up” in location in the Bible (Luke 9:51) It could be a place in the universe beyond the earth or it may exist entirely outside of our space-time continuum.  (In Light of Eternity, pg. 28)

God hasn’t revealed the exact address of heaven, maybe to avoid the scads of folks who would try to locate it and barge their way in.  Yet, we have proof that there is a heaven, and that Jesus is the way to get there. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:6.

I sure hope to see you there!

A PRAYER: Lord, thank You for making room for me and all those I love.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture passages are from the NIV

hair apparent — January 8, 2025

hair apparent

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My son-in-law went to get his hair cut from his regular stylist.  She is a sassy girl – not shy about what she thinks.  He had sprouted somewhat of a beard since his last visit.  She saw it and said, “I don’t like it!” 

She muttered her dislike for the first half of the haircut, and then impulsively

took her razor and drew it down the side of his head, past his ear and onto his face, plowing a clean swath all the way down to the bottom of his chin.  

It was a novel look!  One he didn’t like, so he bowed to her will and she shaved the whole thing away.  

Isn’t it amazing how other people find it so easy to impose their wills upon us?  We live in a world where we are told what pronouns we are allowed to use, what kind of energy will power our cars, and what we must believe about issues of sexuality.  For that matter, my wife frequently tells me to tuck in my shirt.

As far as I know there is only one person who gives us complete freedom of choice. And that would be the Lord.

This was apparent to Adam in the garden.  “The Lord God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for it and to maintain it. Then the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die” – Genesis 2:15-17. 

Adam was forewarned, but certainly not forced.  The Lord allowed him to choose. He could ignore the forbidden fruit and live, or eat of it and die.  I wish elections in this country offered such clear choices. 

Adam and Eve chose poorly, leaving themselves and every child of Eden ever since, to bear the burden of sin and its consequences. 

But in the fullness of time Jesus came to earth, to bear that burden for us.   Peter wrote, “…Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring you to God…”  – 1 Peter 3:18.

Despite the enormous cost to Jesus, we are given complete freedom to receive or reject His gift.

Jesus put it this way in Revelation 3:20, “Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home.”

This was an invitation to those who had believed, and yet it captures the heartfelt invitation that He extends to all of us.  Jesus freely offers everything we need and could ever want, but He politely refuses to barge into our lives and force it upon us.

He stands outside, patiently hoping and waiting that we will turn the deadbolt and push open the door.   He wants an invitation to be an intimate part of our lives, and for us to be a part of His.  He wants to enter our world that we might enjoy an abundant life now and eternal life forever.  

However, as with Adam, there are consequences that come with our choices.  John 3:16 is a sober reminder, “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.”

If you have not done so already, I wonder if you might take some time today to think on this, and if you wish, you too can choose to open the door of your life to Jesus. 

Whisper to Him words like these, “Lord be merciful to me, for I too am a sinner. I am trusting Jesus, the Son of God, to wash me of my sin and give me the gift of eternal life. From this point forward – I am yours.”   

It’s your choice!

A PRAYER: I pray Lord, that each of us would have the wisdom to choose Jesus.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you always.

Passages are from the NETBible®

smackdown — January 1, 2025

smackdown

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I entered the room of a friend in nursing care.  Blaring on the TV was the program Smackdown from World Wrestling Entertainment.  The wrestlers were doing all their legendary moves: the tombstone; the piledriver; the powerbomb and the stone-cold stunner.

But what was truly stunning was that the person watching the program was an elderly, Great-grandmother who was missing most of her teeth.

I was amazed and amused.  It caused me, however, to consider my viewing habits.  My wife and I were recently watching a military drama on TV.  We finished the last season but found that we could purchase two more seasons from another provider. 

So, I spent $19.99 and began to stream it but we were quickly disgusted.  There was a barrage of vulgar profanity.  I had forgotten that the nasty stuff had been bleeped out of the seasons that we had previously watched.

This got me to thinking.  About that same time, I was reading through the Gospel of Mark, and I found some applicable words from Jesus. He addressed His disciples saying, “Take care what you listen to” – Mark 4:24.

His concern was the teaching of the Pharisees.  He wanted His disciples to be aware of the sinister way that evil teaching can penetrate and destroy.  

But I am thinking Jesus might look at my TV screen and also say to me “Take care what you listen to.” 

You see, as a teenager I cussed like a sailor.  But at age 19 I was crucified with Christ and raised again in the newness of life.  My life changed in every way, including my vocabulary.  I learned a new way to think, and to express myself when I hit my thumb with a hammer. 

But I find that when I watch a program with profanity or I’m around people who use it, it tends to energize and resurrect my old vocabulary.   Then when my thumb gets mashed, I may not spout profanity, but I think it.  And I don’t even want to think it!

The patriarch Job was concerned about the things that he saw.  He said, “I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze at a virgin?”  Job 31:1.

Evidently, Job had decided to never lustfully gaze upon a woman who was not his wife.  That was how he protected the sanctity of his mind and his marriage.  This would be hard to do, however, if his flat screen were streaming smut.

Did you know that you are 6 times more likely to yawn after seeing someone else yawn?  Our course you know that.  You may be yawning now just because it was mentioned. What we see and hear influences the way we think and act.

I learned that the first recorded use of a firearm was in 1364 A.D. So, we have a history of almost a thousand years of guns.  But what we do not find in history are people going into schools and malls and randomly shooting the innocent. 

Yet it happens today with a sickening frequency.   Could it be because we are not so careful about what we see and hear?  Could this be what happens when a kid fills his hours with violent movies and video games?

All I know is that what I hear and see affects what I think and do.  I have always treasured the words of David who wrote in the Psalms.  “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” – Psalm 19:14.  I have even put the verse to music. 

But how can the meditations of my heart be acceptable to the Lord, when I am hearing and seeing things that poison my soul? 

I flipped the TV off and decided to count the $19.99 spent as lost.  But what I’ve kept is of far greater value. 

A PRAYER: Lord this is a constant battle for me and many others.  Help us please!

This has been Jim Johnson with pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you

Scripture passages are from the New American Standard Updated edition

pass the potato — December 25, 2024

pass the potato

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My dad was a simple hardworking truck driver.  He could whip that bobtail through rush hour traffic, but he found it a little harder to navigate social circles.

He was once elected as the president of a local chapter of a fraternal organization and was honored at their annual banquet.  There were several 8 ft. tables, set end-to-end, on an elevated platform at the front, where all the big wigs were seated.  My dad and mom were proudly placed at the center.

Dinner was served which included a big baked potato.  Dad went to forcefully stab it with his fork – but launched the potato instead.   It rolled down the length of the table, end-over-end, past the other surprised diners and then off the edge.

The shepherds of ancient Israel were a lot like my dad except without the potato. 

They were simple unpretentious folk. While the folks in the city wore their stylish clothes, the shepherd was dressed in a drab tunic, topped off with an outer garment which was his coat during the day, his raincoat during a storm, and his blanket during the night.   He was on call 24 hours a day, committed to leading, feeding, protecting and healing his sheep.

He didn’t have much of a life.  He could seldom worship at the temple because his profession put him in a state of perpetual uncleanness.  He was excluded from family life, missing birthday parties and such because he had to be in the field.  His job stunk and often so did he.  It was a very monotonous way of life

Which is why the shepherds of Bethlehem were astounded when an angel sought them out and made them the first to hear of the Savior’s birth.

Luke wrote, “Now there were shepherds nearby living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger” – Luke 2:8-12.  NETBible ®

The monotony of the meadow was shattered with the appearance of this angel.   He told them that the Savior which all Israel had for so long awaited– that very Savior had just been born in nearby Bethlehem, and they were to go and greet Him.  Then to make his point a multitude of angels appeared and swirled above the bewildered shepherds singing the praises of God (2:13-14).

Those smelly servants of sheep were no longer standing outside the ballpark peeking through a knot hole.  They were on the main stage.

The shepherds followed directions.  “So they hurried off and located Mary and Joseph, and found the baby lying in a manger (2:16).

Unlike the magi, they had no expensive gifts to present.  It was only the gift of their attention that they offered to Jesus.

So why would God choose to invite only the dregs of society to the celebration of His Son’s birth? 

It could be any number of reasons.  David was a shepherd, and Jesus was the Son of David.  Or maybe it was because Jesus would one day identify Himself as the Good Shepherd.  Or perhaps it was because the shepherds of Bethlehem tended the sheep destined for sacrifice in the temple nearby and Jesus of course would become the sacrificial Lamb of God. 

Or maybe it was just because God wanted everyone to know that the simple, marginalized, disdained people of this world are most welcome to be with Jesus –  which includes people like you and me – and my dad. 

A PRAYER: Lord, may I be a faithful herald of the Gospel to the marginalized people in my community

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you always. 

O little town of Nazareth — December 18, 2024

O little town of Nazareth

/pickleheavenpress

John Glenn, the first man to orbit the earth was from Ohio.  Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon is also from Ohio.   Someone asked, “If Ohio is such a great place, why does everyone try to get as far away from it as possible?”

God took me from Ohio to Texas where He opened the doors to 32 years of pastoral ministry.   Did God intend for me to become a Texan?

Yes! Paul taught that God sovereignly determines such matters (Acts 17:26).  So, let’s consider Nazareth.  Jesus spent about 30 years of His incarnate existence in that town.  Why did God place Him there?

– It was the fulfillment of prophecy.

Matthew wrote of Joseph, “He came to a town called Nazareth and lived there. Then what had been spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, that Jesus would be called a Nazarene” – Matthew 2:23.   It was obviously important to God’s plan that Jesus be raised there.

– Jesus and Nazareth shared a similar character

Nazareth was an insignificant place.  To get there you would leave the bustling Jezreel Valley, climb a precipitous path to get to an overlook about 350 feet above the valley floor.  This was Nazareth, except you wouldn’t see it because it lay in a basin.

Scholars believe that Nazareth numbered only 100-150. If Jesus’ family was an average size (Mark 6:3) Then the village would have had somewhere between 11-15 families. 

Other towns in the region were known for their industry, academia, or their historical significance, but Nazareth had little to distinguish it – much like Jesus of whom Isaiah said, “He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him – Isaiah 53:2.

– Jesus shared a similar reputation as Nazareth

In John 1:46 Nathanel asked, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”  He gave voice to the opinion of many in those days.  People of Galilee were considered to be the equivalent of hillbillies. 

But nearby was a city with a worse reputation. Sepphoris was a wealthy secularized trade center. It was a town full of sinners  

Now here’s the thing, Joseph and Jesus were carpenters who lived in a tiny town.  To make a living it is almost certain that they used their skills to furnish the homes of Sepphoris. 

Some historians believe that this was the very reason that Nazareth existed – as a service town to Sepphoris.  So, it could be said that Nazareth was a town friendly to sinners as was Jesus.  Ironically, His critics called Him, “a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”  – Matthew 11:19.

– Nazareth provided a review of the past

From the overlook in Nazareth, you can see for 30 miles in 3 different directions.   The boy Jesus likely spent a lot of time there taking in the scenery. 

He would have been able to see places associated with Moses, Deborah, Barak, Joshua, David, Elijah and Elisha, Saul, Gideon, Josiah, and the Maccabees.  The view is said to be the most extensive available in Palestine.

God placed Jesus in a village with a panoramic view of the past to remind Him that He had been sent to complete God’s plan of redemption.

– Nazareth provided a preview of the future

At the end of the valley is the place known as Armageddon where the forces of evil will gather in the last days.  God will overthrow them, and Jesus will then return to the earth and bring history to its conclusion.   In Nazareth God planted in Jesus the vision of what lay ahead.

We are deeply imprinted by the culture in which we were raised. So how providential that Jesus was raised in a humble, common-sense place like Nazareth – a place where He would develop a profound appreciation for redemption history and anticipate its future culmination.

So why does God have you where you presently are?

A PRAYER: Why Lord do you have me where I am?

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you

Scripture references from the NETBible®