Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

christmas contemplations — December 17, 2025

christmas contemplations

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I have a wearable device. The watch monitors my health.   It frequently sends me digital messages about my pulse and sleep and exercise.  The most recent message I received was, “Please report to the coroner.” 

That is what is known as a paradox – a self-contradictory statement or situation.  When it comes to the Christmas story – it is preposterously paradoxical.

Mary was pregnant and yet unwed.  And yet, what was perceived as sin in Mary was actually a mark of virtue.  The angel said to her, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” – Luke 1:42. (KJV)

Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, “in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.” – Luke 2:5. (NASB) Mary was with child, and yet – the child was with her.   His name was Immanuel which means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:22-23).

They were to register for the census (Luke 2:1-3).  The census was designed to count people, but while they were being counted – a child was born who would count more than any other. 

His future was to assume the throne of David and rule the earth.  Ironically the King of Rome (Caesar) called for the census that would validate Jesus as being of the lineage of David, and therefore legitimately in line to become the King of Israel (Matthew 1:1).

The infant was tightly wound in swaddling clothes (Luke 2:7). He was dressed in the same type of materials and in much the same way that He would be dressed for His burial.  

Mary dressed the baby, but in time the baby would dress her in His robes of righteousness (Romans 13:14).

The Psalmist wrote of the Lord, “Look! Israel’s Protector does not sleep or slumber” (Psalm 121:4). That was before God took on human flesh.  At Bethlehem He took His first nap snuggled in a manger (Luke 2:7).  

In the field, the shepherds were told by the angel to go to the child (Luke 2:12). Sheep were easily spooked so the shepherds tended to move in very slow and deliberate ways.   But, when the angel broke the news of the Son of God, Scripture says, “they made haste” (Luke 2:16).   

They tended the flocks that were being groomed to be sacrificial lambs in the temple nearby.  Little did they know they looked upon, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world“ (John 1:29).

The work of a shepherd caused him to be isolated from the rest of his community.   The folks who were typically the least to be considered and the last to know became the very first to know that the Savior of all men had been born. 

The law at that time forbade a shepherd from offering testimony in court of law and yet Luke 2:17-18 tells us they testified of more important things.  Luke wrote, “When they (the shepherds) saw him, they related what they had been told about this child, and all who heard it were astonished” NETBible ®

Christ, as pre-Incarnate God, illuminated the sky with stars (Genesis 1:16), and one of those stars shed its special light to guide the Magi to His side (Matthew 2:2).

The prophet Daniel said, “It is He (God) who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings” – Daniel 2:21. – NASU   Christ, as pre incarnate God, sovereignly arranged to set up Herod as King to rule the nation of Israel. The Lord chose to elevate the man who tried to eliminate the Lord (Matthew 2:16-19). 

The shepherds joyfully shared the news of the birth while Herod repressed it (Matthew 2:7).

Of course, the most significant Christmas paradox is the incarnation itself.  Almighty God took on frail human flesh on Christmas day.  As man He became capable of giving His life for us.  As God His sacrifice would have eternal impact. 

Jesus is the prince of paradox!

A PRAYER: Lord, how marvelous You are.  We bless Your Holy name

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of the Lord be with you, this Christmas and always

Christmas dressing — December 10, 2025

Christmas dressing

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My clothes were in style when I was a teenager – in the style of the previous decade.  When I got married, my wife became my haberdasher.  She buys my apparel at Goodwill Dior.   

But what about the clothes that Jesus wore?  They say, what you wear says something about you.  So, what can we learn about Jesus from His wardrobe? 

Luke 2:7 describes His first ensemble, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes.” – KJV

The shivering baby Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes.  Why would Luke include a detail like this?  Why not tell us if He was a small baby or a big bruiser?  Or what was His Apgar score?   Uh huh – I know what that is.   

What color was his hair?  Tell me it was red – please?  Was he jaundiced?   Did He look like his momma?

Why focus on swaddling clothes?  And what are they anyway?  In those days, when a child was born, the child’s arms were laid at its side, and the child was snugly wrapped in strips of linen or cotton.

The strips were 5 inches wide by 6 yards long.   A band was also placed under the chin and across the forehead of the child.   The wrapping completely immobilized the child. 

It was believed that by doing this, it would straighten the posture of the child who had been cramped within his mother’s womb.   There was no miniature Dallas Cowboys jersey for Jesus. 

The swaddling clothes spoke of Christ’s incarnation.  As God, Jesus descended to earth to wrap Himself in the flesh of a man.  And just as the swaddling clothes restricted the movement of the baby, the humanity in which Christ was wrapped, restricted his movement as God. 

He was required to lay down the independent use of His divine attributes.   He was tightly wrapped in human flesh as He lived out His life as a man.

That was His first outfit, but the NT mentions Christ’s clothing about 31 times.  Many of the references tell us something unique about Him.

A woman touched the fringe of his cloak and was healed (Luke 8:44). His cloak spoke of His incredible power. At the transfiguration, His garments radiated a glorious light which attested to His majesty (Matthew 17:2).

He was girded with a towel as He washed the feet of the disciples. It was a symbol of His servanthood (John 13:4). 

Herod dressed Him in a robe to mock His claim as King (Luke 23:11) and the soldiers cast lots over His garments at cross (Matthew 27:35) pointing to His complete humiliation.

After He was crucified, “then they took the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes – John 19:40. – KJV

His lifeless body was tenderly covered – wound tightly with linen wrappings, much like a mummy.  The wrappings were imbedded with a mixture of myrrh and aloes. They were so tight it was impossible to escape them. They affirmed the certainty of His death.

But wait a minute!  The man wrapped in His burial clothes looked much like the infant, tightly wrapped in His swaddling clothes.  One seems to have foreshadowed the other.  It was like a linen thread that ran through Christ’s life.  

So, Luke deliberately focused on the infant’s swaddling clothes to help us understand that the Christ child was born to die. 

And we are so very grateful that Jesus did that for us.  But we’re also thrilled that He wore those grave clothes for only three days. 

John put it this way, “Then Simon Peter, who had been following him, arrived and went right into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, and the face cloth, which had been around Jesus’ head, not lying with the strips of linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself” John 20:6-7.  NETBible®

The empty wrappings spoke of the certainty of His resurrection.   What a truly amazing story His clothing tells!

A PRAYER: Thank You Jesus for telling the Gospel through your wardrobe.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with You

give it a rest — December 3, 2025

give it a rest

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I love nature, unless it is on my porch and armed with stingers.  A family of yellow jackets decided to move into our home.  To exit or enter said home was a big risk.  So, I decided to tackle the problem. 

I sprayed the raiders with Raid.  They fell one at a time.  But with a nest of approximately 5,000, I would poison myself to death before the insects.   The peppermint oil that was recommended refreshed them instead of repelling them.

The fake wasp nest that was guaranteed to scare them to death just made them laugh.  I even caulked the entrance to the nest, but they tunneled around it.

Finally, I decided to go with green energy.  I took an industrial grade fan, set it up right under the entry to their nest.   The ferocious wind blew, and the jackets couldn’t pass through it to land. 

But oh, how they tried!  They would back up, get a flying start and charge toward the nest, only to be blown away.  It was sort of entertaining to watch.  Really soon the wasps began to drop like flies – completely exhausted, and there they died.

I finally had created a problem that they could not overcome.  Maybe they should have ceded the battle and moved in with a cousin in another nest.  Instead, they tried and tried, and the effort killed them.

Like those wispy wasps, most of us know what it is like to face a problem that cannot be overcome.   We are wired to be problem solvers, and we usually succeed.  But every so often we encounter a windstorm that defies our most valiant effort to tame it.

Now I believe that if we can solve the problem, then we certainly need to try, but what if it can’t be solved?  What if the doc says the cancer is terminal?  What if our spouse runs off and marries another?   What if our hair starts falling out and wrinkles line our faces? 

Some of us carry on!  We strive with all our might to change what can’t be changed.   And like the wasps, we exhaust ourselves – some even endangering our health in the process.

Is there a better way?  God has some good advice.  He said, “Stop your striving and recognize that I am God” – Psalm 46:10.   God has the power to change our circumstances if He should want to.  He also retains the prerogative of leaving things as they are.   The Psalmist urges us to get smart – to stop trying to force the sovereign will of God and rest in Him instead.

Sometimes we just need to trust God and learn to live with a problem. 

Great King David understood this.  He wrote in Psalm 131, “O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor do I have a haughty look” (131:1a).  There are times we strive not out of need, but out of pride.  “I will not accept defeat.”  David, however, humbled himself before his circumstances and his God. 

And then he wrote, “I do not have great aspirations, or concern myself with things that are beyond me” (131:1b).David recognized that there are problems that he could resolve, but there were also those he could not – things that were beyond him and his ability. So, he chose to cease his vain striving.

He continued, “Indeed, I have calmed and quieted myself like a weaned child with its mother; I am content like a young child” (131:2).  He replaced his striving with resting on the breast of God.  He likened himself to an infant that was no longer frantic to nurse but content to relax in his mother’s embrace.

This was what David did, and he encouraged his countrymen and you and me to do the same by ending the Psalm with “O Israel, hope in the Lord now and forevermore!”  (131:3).

Sometimes we just need to trust God and learn to live with a problem. 

A PRAYER: Lord help me to know when to strive, and when to let go

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you always

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ®

thrift store saints — November 25, 2025

thrift store saints

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Our favorite family entertainment takes place at a thrift store.  A grandson decided he would embarrass me at such a store. He would bring to me various absurd items – like a woman’s bra for instance – and then ask in a loud voice in front of witnesses.  Hey Papaw, do you need another one of these?”  I say, “Nah I’ve got plenty.”      

Later he brought me a pair of kid’s underpants – emblazoned with cartoons. The twelve-year old said, “Hey Papaw, do you want these?”  I shook my head no.  He was halfway back to returning them when I yelled out so that all could hear, “OK son, if you really want those underwear, I’ll buy them for you.”

I believe we could have sat him down on the shelf with the other red items. 

At another time, it was the last day of a rummage sale – whatever you could stuff in a brown paper bag – all for five bucks.  My wife was an eager shopper.  So my older grandson and I would covertly slip bizarre items into her bag.  We laughed and giggled and had the best time. 

When we got home, my wife unpacked the bag and found things like a useless old TV remote, a deluxe Jello cookbook (we don’t eat Jello).  There was even a very large lead weight on a chain.  

She had all that craziness spread out on a bed.  After a good laugh, I went to collect it to ship it off to another thrift store, but she told me “No, no I am keeping all that stuff.”  And she did.  It took her a while, but she ended up finding uses for most of it. (except the Jello cookbook)

This reminds me of Jesus.  He entered this world with the intention of “seeking and saving the lost” (Luke 19:10).  What He found was a musty, thrift-store setting – a random selection of discarded and very used, mostly broken people.

The apostle Paul gave us a sample list of what He found.  He included those who were sexually immoral, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, those who are verbally abusive and even swindlers.  But then he wrote, “Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” – 1 Corinthians 6:11. NETBible ®

One of the first things my wife does with thrift-store purchases is to wash them when we get home.  Exactly what Jesus did. He washed the stink and stigma away.

I know many of these once broken people.  There was the man who faked his way through church every Sunday but was hooked on meth.  He finally met Jesus and said goodbye to his addiction. 

Another man – very successful in business, but a serial offender when it came to infidelity.  He ended up without a family, homeless, addicted and finally incarcerated.  On the way to his cell, he came to Christ.  When he was released, he went back to the streets to reach the hopelessly broken for Jesus.

There was the woman at the well in the Bible.  She went through a parade of men looking for real love.  The parade ended when she met Jesus. 

I had a good friend who had been a raging alcoholic, who was daily destroying his family of three until He met Jesus.  He then began to literally carry a wooden cross around the world to bring attention to the message of Christ.   

I broke so many laws in my teenage years, that they should have sent me to jail for a long time.  But Jesus ended up doing for me what the legal system could have never done. 

Jesus strolled through the aisles of this world finding the used, broken and discarded, redeeming us, and giving us a fresh purpose in his house.  And like my wife, there’s no way He would ever part with His crazy collection of thrift store saints. 

A PRAYER: Lord, thank you for removing the stink and the stigma from us.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

something to pond-er — November 19, 2025

something to pond-er

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At one time, my daughter taught at a Christian school in South Korea.  My wife went to visit her for a week, and the itinerary included a trip to her local church.   My wife brought me a church bulletin as a souvenir.  Whoopee!

I actually read the bulletin which was written in both Korean and English.  Advertised in it was an upcoming retreat.  Included were three pictures with a compelling caption beneath each one.  Keep in mind, however, that the captions were Korean ideas, translated into English.

There was a picture of a mountain and beneath, it said, “Breathtaking Mountain Scenery.”  There was a second picture of some asphalt.  The caption said, “Basketball Courts NOT made of dirt.”  Hey, that’s exciting. 

The third picture was of a pond.  The caption said, “Pond with real water!”  Hmm, it makes you curious about the ponds filled with fake water.

Pond or not, real water is essential to our lives!

Water lubricates our joints, cushions tissues, and protects organs.   It transports nutrition and flushes out toxins.  It keeps our brains humming and our skin plump and healthy.  It supports our immune system, improves our mood, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.

I must confess, however, that I prefer soda over water. Soda is mostly water anyway, so why not?

Yes, soda is mostly water, but the additives compromise and even reverse the benefits that pure water brings. 

Soda does not provide the essential minerals and vitamins. Sugar makes us fat and gives us cancer, diabetes and inflammation.  The sweeteners are linked to negative health effects.  Caffeine causes the body to drain off the water already stored in our bodies and so on. 

But here’s the crazy thing.  The experts say that a glass of soda is 90-99% water.  But that remaining 1% turns a soda into a health hazard.

This causes me to wonder about the water Jesus’ offers.

He challenged throngs of worshippers at the temple saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink” – John 7:37-38.  

This is to say that there is water for us to drink that the Lord provides.  He used that figure of speech to let us know that His water does for our spiritual existence what H2O does for our material state. 

Because God is holy, His water is also holy and 100% pure.  And it really and truly does for us what the Lord promised.  It gives and sustains an effervescent spiritual vitality within us. 

But silly me – sometimes I substitute his water for soda. 

I tell myself, “I need Jesus plus “blank” to be happy.”   I need the 99% that Jesus gives but I also need my IRA to grow, or I need to be in charge at work, or I need my kids to adore me, or I need a new bass boat.  

And it’s that added 1% that we strive to have, that steals the joy of knowing and serving Jesus.  It ends up stripping us of any satisfaction.  A little bit of compromise makes a catastrophic difference.

We need to drink deeply and exclusively of the water Jesus gives.

They say we can live only 3-4 days without water intake.  Which is why my daughter carries around a Stanley cup that is big enough to hydrate a camel.  Jesus, however, supplies us with an inexhaustible supply (John 4:13-14). 

Bottled water can be pricey, but Jesus said, “To the one who is thirsty I will give water free of charge” – Revelation 21:6.

When I was a kid, we would run around on a hot summer day.  If we got thirsty, we would pick out a house nearby, grab their garden hose and drink.   It satisfied us even though it had kind of rubbery taste.

There’s no after taste with Jesus.  So, drink deeply!

A PRAYER: Lord, please help me identify that 1% 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture passages are from the NETBible®

what will we look like in heaven? — November 12, 2025

what will we look like in heaven?

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My 7-year old granddaughter looked at me and asked with concern, “Papaw – why do you have so many holes in your face?”   I didn’t want to scare her with tales of teenage acne so I may have told her I like Swiss cheese.

But, here’s the question – will my complexion be pockmarked for eternity?  How will we appear when we get to heaven?  Will my appearance be locked in at the time of death?  Will the elderly be eternally wrinkled?  Will the newborn be infants indefinitely?   

An understanding of God’s grand plan may give us some insight. In the beginning, God crafted 2 ideal human beings.  Adam and Eve were the pinnacle of perfection.  Aging, disease and death did not affect them.   

How old did they appear to be when God created them?  We assume they were of the age where they could obey the Lord who told them to, “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:22).  

And they were strong enough to carry out His command to “cultivate” the garden (Genesis 2:15).  So, I would guess that the couple appeared to be in their late teens to early twenties when they were created.  

Had the couple obeyed the Lord, they would have forever existed in that idyllic state, but they rejected the Sovereign one to heed the serpent (Genesis 3:1-7) and all creation suffered the consequences. 

The self-perpetuating lush garden was turned into a foreboding untamed jungle (Genesis 3:18) and the guilty couple was introduced to aging, disease and death.  We, their children, have inherited the mess they created. 

But God promised them a Savior who would one day strike the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15).  Jesus died, was buried, and on the third day He rose again to redeem fallen man and restore what had been lost in Eden. 

He promised to one day regenerate all creation (Matthew 19:28).  “A new heaven and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” – 2 Peter 3:13.

It will be a stunningly beautiful place, with precious stones and glittering gold.  The tree that brought death to Adam will be replaced by the tree of life and perpetual health. (Revelation 22:2).  There will be no mourning, crying or pain (21:4).  The curse placed on Adam’s race will be lifted (22:3)    Peace will prevail and strife will cease (Isaiah 11:6-9). 

It will be a wonderful new earth, but what about the people who inhabit it? 

The apostle John wrote this, “And the one seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new!”  Revelation 21:5. Jesus plans to make “all things new!”  Why wouldn’t people be included?  Why would He create a spectacular new earth and populate it with old geezers like me?   

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul wrote of the resurrection saying “What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power” (42-43) There are clearly fantastic changes ahead for the believer.

So, my best guess is that we will be restored in heaven to appear as did Adam and Eve before the fall – in their late teens to early twenties.  We will look as if disease and the curse of the fall had never existed.  Goodbye pockmarks!

It is interesting that Mary didn’t immediately recognize the risen Savior.  Perhaps because He had a become the younger version of Himself (John 20:15).

What about those who die in the womb?  I would guess they too would appear as they would have been in their prime.  And because we will know all things fully (1 Corinthians 13:12) a momma should be able to recognize her grown-up child. 

What will we look like in heaven?  Who knows for sure?  The truth is I could appear as Frankenstein and yet I’ll be deliriously happy just to be in the presence of my Savior.

A PRAYER: Lord, it doesn’t matter what we will look like as long as we are with you.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture passages are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.

You Are with Me — November 5, 2025

You Are with Me

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An encouraging message in song from pickleheavenpress.com and Family N Friends.

What did Jesus mean when He said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” – Hebrews 13:5.  The song attempts to answer the question.  Enjoy!

toilet troubles — October 29, 2025

toilet troubles

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I had toilet troubles.  No – not that kind!  The water valve that fed my toilet was leaking. 

I have made this kind of repair before, BUT I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it again.   So, I began to debate with myself? 

These were the Cons: I would need to use a propane torch in a confined area.  Not sure I wanted to burn the house down.  Sweat joints make me sweat.  I am less patient and careful than when I was younger and most of all – working with a toilet is icky!!!!

As to the Pros: I would save some money!  But the Cons prevailed so I called a plumber.  Then I told my wife about it, and she replied in the most peculiar way.  She said, “I am proud of you!” 

OK wait – so you’re proud of me because I didn’t fix something and expected somebody else to do it?   Hmm – I used to leave my dirty socks lay on the floor and expected her to pick them up.  She didn’t seem very proud of me then.

But she understands me.  I was raised with a do-it-yourself mindset.  If anyone else can do it, I can do it too.  It may take 4 times as long to get it done and I may get bloody knuckles along the way, but I get it done.  Plus, I hate hiring someone to do something I can do. 

That mindset has generally served me well, but I will admit that it has been an unlikable liability at times.  With every problem that comes along, I find myself saying, “I must do this” as if it’s all up to me.   

But that’s not really true, is it?

– I can call upon the Lord

The Psalmist wrote, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” – Psalm 46:1. – KJV  Our God is not far removed.  He is present with us.  The Psalmist even emphasized the fact that He is, “very present.”  He is with us – to help us.

Jesus also said, “Apart from me you can accomplish nothing” – John 15:5a. This was spoken concerning our ability to bear spiritual fruit, and yet it was phrased as a blanket statement that seems to cover virtually every facet of our existence. 

Without Him we can’t do marriage, or parenting, or succeed at work.  We can’t feed our families or fend off temptation.  Without His enablement I can’t even tweak my toilet.   Without Him, we can do nothing! 

         There is a second resource I have when I face a problem

– I can call a friend.

The apostle Paul strikes me as a fellow “do-it-yourselfer” and yet he wrote, “Carry one another’s burdens” – Galatians 6:2.  The apostle understood that life can overwhelm us, and we therefore may need the help of trustworthy Christian friends to assist.

He practiced what he preached. His burden was to spread the Gospel, but he couldn’t do it alone.  So, he invited others to assist like Timothy, Titus, Silas and many others.

Check out his memo to the Philippian church, “But for now I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother, coworker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to me in my need” – Philippians 2:25.

Are there struggles in your marriage?  Pray, and talk to your pastor or a reliable counselor.  Did your furnace quit?  Pray, read the manual, call an AC person.  Does your toilet leak?  I’m sorry but don’t call me!

We do not have to do life alone!   When faced with a prickly problem, always call upon the Lord and feel free to call upon one of the handy human beings God has given to help us.

I called a plumber, and my wife was proud of me.  I suspect the Lord was too.

A PRAYER: Lord, we need you to crucify our do-it-alone mindset.  Would You?

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavrenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture citations are from the NETBible® unless otherwise noted.    

chew it and do it — October 22, 2025

chew it and do it

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Most liturgical church services begin by the minister saying, “The Lord be with you.” The congregation responds by saying, “And also with you.”  One Sunday the minister began the service, but the microphone didn’t work.  He tapped on it and finally said, “There’s something wrong with this!”  And the congregation answered, “And also with you.”

When you take something like that, out of context, it becomes a joke.  The same is true of Scripture and I should know. 

As I think back, I found that I have approached Scripture in a variety of ways. 

When I was young, I used the Ignore It method.  Scripture was contained in a big book that sat on a podium at church.  I didn’t have access to it, so it was easy to ignore.  Most of us have Bibles today, but they also sit untouched on a nightstand or a bookshelf.

I graduated to the Twist it approach.  Some of my teenage peers would share Biblical truth with me.  But when the truth did not mesh with my beliefs or my life preferences, I found ways to twist it – to take it out of context or make words mean other than what they were intended to mean.  This is a very popular way today for both non-Christians and even many Christians to approach Scripture. 

At age 19 I was born again, and I adopted a new way to handle Scripture.  It was the Feel It approach.  I got a Bible and read it voraciously, but I was concerned not with what I needed to believe or how I should live but rather on how it made me feel. I wanted to feel good, so I skipped over the parts that challenged or corrected me and gobbled up the truth that warmed my soul. 

Not one of those three previous approaches was very helpful to me. They were actually impediments to knowing and growing in the Lord.  

By God’s grace I eventually learned the best way to handle Scripture.  I call it the Chew it and Do it approach.   I have learned to chew on the things I read in Scripture, marinating my mind with the truth.  I try to understand the context of a passage and consider cultural issues of the biblical settings.  I let the words speak for themselves and I explore even that which makes me feel uncomfortable.

And then of course I do it.  I do my best to apply the truth.  I don’t understand all of it, but what I get, I do my best to obey.

This is what Paul intended when he wrote, “Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17. NETBible®

I have a self-propelled lawnmower.  I steer it while the power of the engine turns the wheels.  Recently, however, I was mowing a wet lawn and headed up a hill.  The mower quit moving forward.  The wheels were spinning.

What a realistic picture of so many people today – trying to move forward but pointlessly spinning their wheels instead.  That was me for sure until I learned the Chew It and Do It way to approach Scripture. 

I rely on Scripture to do marriage.  My wife and I have just entered our 50th year.  I relied on Scripture to do parenting.  Our adult kids love Jesus, married Christian spouses, they are serving at church and raising their children in the faith.   

I have relied on Scripture to teach me how to work.  When I was about to leave one job for another, my former bosses always wanted me to stay. 

Please understand – I am not boasting here–just simply saying that a life lived in obedience to the Word of God, is a life that works.  Unlike that microphone at church!

And “May the Lord be with you!”

A PRAYER: Lord, help me make time to thoroughly chew and to do Your truth.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

the big win — October 15, 2025

the big win

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Our little Bethany was only 13 months old and was surprisingly verbal for her age.  My wife laid her out to change her diaper one day.  In the middle of the mess, my baby began to happily sing, “vicry Jesus.”  Being translated, it’s “Victory in Jesus.” 

She had heard the song reverberate at church which was reinforced by her mother who joyfully sang it as she worked around the house.  

I’m not sure if the baby knew what the song was about – or maybe she did.  In her world, a diaper change would be a great victory.

And who doesn’t appreciate a great victory?   An election won, a championship trophy awarded; a checkmate to end the game.  There is an indescribable joyful emotion that fills us when we win.

Our younger selves passionately pursued victory, but age has taught and tempered us.

While only a few enjoy the thrill of victory, the rest suffer the agony of defeat.  Competition usually yields one winner and a slew of losers.  As in politics, there is no glory in, “also ran.”

And most victories are short lived.  Win the Stanley Cup this year and surrender it the next season.  Win an election, make your changes, and then watch them unravel in the next administration. 

The trophy from high school eventually ends up in a box in the attic.  Very few remember the name of the former Senator from Vermont.  The once wealthy MVP from the Super Bowl is now selling used cars in Modesto. 

Victory is temporary at best but there is one win that still wows us.  Its benefits and blessings never cease. 

The apostle John spoke of it in 1 John 5:4-5.  He wrote, “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

So, what is this about?   John uses the word “world” to represent the earthly system that operates under the subtle influence of the evil one.  He uses this word many times in his short epistle. 

John described this world as being driven by sinful passions.  We have a competitor whose play book includes “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” – 1 John 2:16. KJV

And that competitor has controlling interests in the media today.  It’s on my TV, and my I-pad and my podcasts.  It’s a tidal wave of trash that relentlessly pushes its way into my world and sometimes into my mind. 

But John tells us that we who believe that Jesus is truly the Son of God – have victory.  Our faith in Jesus is the victory.   Elsewhere John reminds us that we can overcome the world because Christ dwells in us – and He who dwells in us, is far greater than he who is in the world, says John (1 John 4:4).

Because Christ lives in us, we can carve out victories on a consistent basis.  We can resist and defeat the lusts, and temptations rife in this world. 

Our victory will not be forgotten or stuffed away in some dusty attic because we experience it every day.  It happens when temptation comes, and we say, ”No. I am not going there.”  

We see it when we patiently relate to an irate driver.  We experience it when we courageously stand up for our faith when it is being ridiculed. 

We find it when we cry out to the Christ in us for His help in a stressful situation.  He who is in me really is greater than he who is in the world.

But maybe the best thing about this victory is that we can all be winners. There does not need to be a single loser among us. 

How about you?  Do you need a win in your column?  Find your victory in Jesus! 

A PRAYER: Lord, I enjoy being a winner.  Thank you for making it possible. 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture passages are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.