a fun but true story of the spiritual journey of Jim Johnson
a fun but true story of the spiritual journey of Jim Johnson
I have some dear friends who think they were married to each other – but they weren’t totally sure.
They met with their minister well in advance to plan out the wedding service. It was decided that they would compose their own wedding vows. Then with doe-eyed affection, they would recite them by memory to each other during the ceremony.
That was the plan, but wedding prep can be hectic, and the vows didn’t get written. So, they punted and opted for the minister to do the traditional, “Billy Bob, dost thou take Sally Jean as thine wedded wife?…”
Well….they are not sure who dropped the ball. They didn’t realize it until they were cutting the cake, that they had gone through the entire ceremony without exchanging vows of any kind.
Being in a church, at the altar, amid the flowers, amid maidens in pastel, does not make a couple married. It’s the commitment they make to each other that seals it.
The same can be said of being a Christian. I sometimes encounter folks who identify as Christians. Perhaps someone was raised in church. But as an adult, he has no association with a church, he knows little about the Bible, and he prays only when the Cowboys are down in the fourth quarter.
He identifies as a Christian because that’s what he knows best, but having been associated with a church does not necessarily make him a Christian. In fact, his limited association may even work against him.
Researchers are looking for a vaccine at this time that will protect us against Covid-19. This vaccine will be made of a small bit of the virus which they will inoculate us with. The vaccine will essentially trick our immune systems into perceiving that we have had the disease already, so that we will not get the full-blown package.
I meet people all the time who have been inoculated by their past church experiences. They got just enough of Christianity to keep them from getting the whole thing. This was certainly true of me at one time.
What is lacking is the commitment.
Now you may argue that the Bible says salvation is a gift. And it does. 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. NET Bible ®
The Gospel is about receiving God’s gift of salvation. There is nothing we can do to earn or deserve it. But what does the word “receive” imply?
Suppose a guy gets down on one knee before his girl and opens a jewelry box with a beautiful diamond engagement ring. Then he says, “It’s yours for 3 easy payments of $29.99 and if you act now, I’ll double the offer and pitch in a wedding band – just pay for shipping.”
Ridiculous. An engagement ring is a gift – a priceless, pure and simple gift with no obligation -except for one. He expects to hear her say, “I love you and I will change the course of my life to merge with yours. I want to be with you. Yes, I will marry you.”
And in a similar way, when we “receive” the gift that Christ offers, He expects to have our hearts. He expects that we will want to be with Him.
Suppose that girl said to her suitor, “The ring is beautiful. I think I’ll keep it. But no, your nose is crooked, I don’t want be with you.”
The ring box is snapped shut and into his pocket it goes. He dusts himself off and moves on.
Yeah, I don’t imagine a girl would ever do that, but it is a frequent occurrence with Jesus. “Yes Jesus, I’ll take your gift of salvation, but I don’t really want to do life with you.”
When that happens, I am pretty sure that the box goes back in His pocket and He dusts himself off and moves on.
This is your opportunity now to do it right – to say to Jesus, “Yes I will receive the gift you offer. I will change the course of my life to merge with yours because I want to be with you.”
Please don’t wait until you are cutting the cake to realize that this was a commitment that was never made.
We were living the movie “That Thing You Do!” It began with four bored teens in the mid 60’s who decided to start a rock band. It didn’t matter that we couldn’t play an instrument. Common sense had never stopped us before.
Steve located an old Stella box guitar. Billy got hold of a beginner electric guitar that evolved into a bass. I deftly pushed the buttons on a plastic toy chord organ and Terry gathered the trashcans to create a smelly but colorful set of drums.
We taught ourselves and began to make music. My earliest memories of our rehearsals have been repressed. We were pretty bad but determined. It wasn’t long before we were booked to play at parties for $5.00 a gig.
We soon upgraded our instruments and our personnel changed some. We got a new drummer – an excitable guy named Bob, who kicked a hole in his bass drum about once a week.
And then we added a lead singer by the name of Gene who sounded like Mick Jagger but was better looking. As a bonus, he had his own sound system. It was small, however, and Gene’s voice was lost in the din of the guitars and drums.
We were getting better and upped our fee to $6.00 a party. And then, an amazing opportunity presented itself. The Franklin County Fair was having a talent contest with cash prizes.
We practiced every Rolling Stone song in Gene’s repertoire and picked the best to present. The day of audition came. My dad drove us to the fairgrounds in the tour bus (a 63 Ford station wagon).
They called out our name, “The Fourth Generation!” We grabbed our instruments with trembling hands and did our thing.
The house sound system was amazing. Gene’s lyrics could finally be heard and we were confident of making the finals.
But, halfway into the song I looked up. The 3 judges looked like they had taken a swig of sour milk. Was it my Beatle boots or maybe my granny glasses?
And then I tuned into the lyrics. He was singing, “Let’s spend the night together. Now I need you more than ever….”
Evidently the judges didn’t appreciate a song about shacking up for the night! Consequently, the closest we got to the County Fair was the livestock exhibit.
It was kind of silly. We were broadcasting a message and didn’t know what we were saying. Then again, it really wasn’t that unusual. We Christians do it all the time.
We may not know it but some of us transmit the idea that Christians are perfect or close to it. And the world looks at us and laughs. They should because we certainly don’t live that way.
Some of us even give the impression that Christians are better those who are not. And the community looks at us as if they took a swig of sour milk.
Perhaps, the most frequent miscommunication is the idea that the Christian life is problem free – that the Christian is entitled to be wealthy and healthy.
It just ain’t true. Covid-19 has seen Christians suffering the same as everyone else. Some were put out of work, others are lost businesses, some were sick and some died.
As I write this there is a tornado bearing down on our community. If it lands, I am not expecting it to skip over my house because I am a Christian. (I know, I know – I should be in the bathtub. Hey at least this blog is being saved to the cloud.)
The Gospel message does not promise a problem free life. The same rain falls on every head. But God does provide the resources the Christian needs in order to cope – an umbrella with which to help us manage.
He extends the lifeline of prayer to us and promises to answer. He lifts our hope from the mire of the present and sets it on the future. He indwells us to give us the power and courage we would not have otherwise. He provides a church family to walk beside us and we have Jesus who is ever present with us – a reminder that we are never alone.
The Lord said, “Don’t be afraid, for I will protect you. I call you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I am with you; when you pass through the streams, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you. For I am the Lord your God.” – Isaiah 43:1-3 NET Bible ®
God doesn’t keep us from trouble; but He will carry us through it.
Maybe the present is a great time to evaluate the words we have been singing and to learn a new song that accurately communicates God’s mercy amid trial.
Cheer up today with a song from the pickleheavensongs youtube channel. Sung by Bethany Bergman, written by Sharie Johnson.
It was solemn moment in the service. Communion was being served. The tradition of the church was for folks to rise, move to the center aisle and go forward, receive communion and then return by the side aisle.
My friend Steve had just returned and had taken his seat when something in his peripheral vision frightened him. There was a big, ugly, hairy animal on his arm. He stifled a scream, jumped up and tried to shake the fearful thing off onto the next guy, but it had a tenacious hold on him.
He paused and realized that the beast was actually a bushy lady’s wig. He snagged it with his coat button when he returned from communion. OK this was absurdly embarrassing.
He discreetly scanned the row in front of him for a seated lady without any hair. And there she was – an older, dignified matron who had no idea that her glory was missing. Her husband noticed, however, and laughed himself under the pew.
I asked Steve what it was like doing church with her after that. He said, “Every time they met, she gave him an icy stare and a grunt.
And who could blame her? He exposed her scruffy scalp to the church! He put her imperfection on display for all to see! Oh my!
We will forgive him for that because it was an accident, but some of us do it quite purposefully.
During the Covid-19 confinement I had an occasion to personally speak with the Sheriff of one of our counties in East Texas. I asked him if he was seeing the same uptick in crime that they were experiencing in New York. He said not in terms of robberies, but the number of domestic 911 calls were spiraling up.
Couples were getting into fistfights over the TV remote or a thoughtless remark – trivial offenses that didn’t really matter before.
I get it. The quarantine is taxing. People are sitting around, with little to do, and their frustration is translated into impatience with their 24-hour-a-day companions. Its crazy! People are facing essentially a life and death situation and yet they are squabbling over who gets to wear the prettiest facemask.
It’s at times like these we need the counsel of the Word of God.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.” Col 3:12-13 NET Bible ®
I love every word of this prescription. Our homes would be astounding if we filled them with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. But sometimes the only thing we are capable of doing is, “bearing with one another.”
The word “bearing” in the Greek more specifically means, “to endure” one another. To endure is to put up with someone. Yes, your wife may talk incessantly when she is frightened, but who isn’t frightened at the moment? Instead of attacking her, maybe you just need to bear it.
He thinks he owns the TV remote. Why go to war over it? He will be back to work soon, then you can wipe it down with a sanitizer cloth and have it all yourself. In the meantime, maybe you just need to bear it.
Along with the “bearing” Paul adds “forgiving.” – always appropriate especially because we have been forgiven. Maybe Steve should have been forgiven for heisting her hairpiece?
Solomon the wise adds this to the mix. “He who conceals a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.” – Prov 17:9 NASU Rather than camping on offense we should conceal it to minimize the embarrassment.
Maybe the husband of the hairless wife should have quit laughing and discreetly helped to her to get rewigged? As it was, she was on her own. She turned, stared at Steve and said, “Hey you, boy, give me that hair!”
Now of course, I am not suggesting that we should forever ignore personal differences. A healthy relationship will withstand and prosper when effort is made to resolve these things. But there are times, however, that its best just to bear them. This may be the time!
A special Post-Easter message in song from Jim Johnson and PickleHeavenSongs
I too went to a school that had its school bully. He was 6” taller and 6” wider than the rest of us and wore a crew cut and a scowl. I will seal his juvenile record by calling him Biff.
Biff was always on the prowl, ever with a growl. He pushed his way around and intimidated we wee ones. He certainly liked to pick on me.
One day we were sitting at the lunch table. To my right was my bosom buddy. We were pals because I was funny, and he liked to laugh. Across from us sat Biff.
I sensed an opportunity. I waited until my friend grabbed his carton of milk and put it to his lips (the cool boys didn’t use a straw). Then with the comic timing of Jim Gaffigan, I said something funny.
His mouth instantly exploded with laughter, thus showering Biff with milk. His face and shirt were covered. It was so perfect. The whole table of kids howled. Biff reacted, jumping up and lurching across the table to grab me.
I got up and ran. My friend watched and laughed. Biff chased me around the cafeteria. (Where was Sister Mary Cletus when I needed her?)
I exited the school with him right on my tail. I ran down Loretta Ave – one block, two blocks and three. His face was a pace behind. My lungs were starved for air, but I ran.
I circled back, thinking I could find help at school. The cafeteria was empty – all had gone back to class. I was alone and Biff did not relent.
I ran into the girl’s bathroom thinking Biff wouldn’t dare, but he did. (Hey, did you know that the girl’s bathroom smells better than the boy’s)
I was trapped in a stall, on a pot, cowering in fear, while he blocked me in with his massive frame. I trembled as I waited to get another beating.
I still remember that fearful sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.
In fact, I am feeling it again – but this time the bully is a lethal virus that seems every bit as relentless.
I watch the news and get a daily dose of despair. The economy is unraveling, the death toll is rising, and the hope of full recovery is pushed back every day.
And the aloneness is profound. Social distancing is one thing, but the people and things that I look to for help aren’t there for me. Government seems to dither, I can’t gather with the saints at church, and out of caution I am not able to be with my kids and grandkids.
But I do find comfort in the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 4:16-18. “At my first defense no one appeared in my support; instead they all deserted me—may they not be held accountable for it.”
Paul, was in Rome at the time, on trial for preaching the faith. The apostle was typically surrounded by a host of others, but at the time he went to trial, they bailed. Should Paul be found guilty, he would face the lions in the Roman Coliseum while a bloodthirsty crowd cheered. He was facing a frightening scenario.
It was a vulnerable moment for Paul when he said, “no one appeared in my support” – “they all deserted me.”
He went on to say, “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed for all the Gentiles to hear.” (17) He spoke of a unique experience with the Lord – as if the Lord was at his side, serving as his defense attorney.
Of course, the Lord has promised to always be with us (Matthew 28:20) but Paul seemed to be speaking of a unique experience – a special grace that he could sense.
The Lord calmed the tremble in his hands, straightened his weak knees and gave him convincing and powerful words. He strengthened Him.
That’s what I need right now. I want to sense the Lord standing with me. I need to experience His strengthening. Perhaps I would have it if I were to consult with my heavenly attorney more often through prayer.
Paul concluded, “And so I was delivered from the lion’s mouth!” He was acquitted and set free.
Back in that bathroom stall, I was stunned. Biff was ready to pounce, when suddenly he turned and just walked away. Maybe he was a nicer guy than I had previously thought. Either way, I too was delivered from the lion’s mouth. And so, shall we!
Scripture translation is from the NET Bible ®
It was Vacation Bible School. Our theme for the week was Bible Barnyard. We took animals that were referenced in the Bible, brought them to the church and then used them as object lessons.
We cast our pearls before a guest swine who had the manners of a pig. There was a sheep that strayed by to teach us how to follow our shepherd. Then there was the snow-white dove that dropped in to remind us to be gentle as we make our way through this world.
The wolves were already booked elsewhere – a wedding I think – but we did have a serpent make a guest appearance. It belonged to a member of the church. He did a great job of teaching us to be shrewd as we interact with our world.
The kids loved the him. They reached their hands into his glass enclosure and let him thread himself through their fingers. We became a snake handling church for the day! He seemed safe enough.
As the session came to an end, the snake’s owner told me that the serpent was due to be fed. She asked if the kids might like to see it. I said “Sure.”
So, she dropped a little grey mouse into the cage. The kids crowded around. They connected with the cute little fuzz ball that was skittering about. They oohed and giggled until – with lightning speed – the snake inhaled the mouse.
Half the kids were awed by it. The other half – not so much. There was a scream explosion. Not just one kid – at least a half a dozen – and it was catching. They whimpered and blubbered and sobbed and they were loud. I was ready to line up some grief counselors.
The cute, fuzzy, innocent, little mouse was swallowed whole by the cold-blooded, villainous reptile. I wanted to cry too.
The drama prompts me to think back to Calvary. Jesus was not as cute, but many were deeply attached to Him. He had healed the broken and ambulated the lame. He brought the sparkle back into blinded eyes and the sound of laughter to empty ears.
He touched the diseased, welcomed the outcast and courageously defended the downtrodden. He was admired, esteemed and cherished.
And then He was abruptly inhaled by death – and all creation screamed.
The sun was obscured by a sheer veil of darkness. The earth trembled and shook with sorrow as her rocks shattered. The cavernous temple was filled with the harsh sound of tearing as the massive partition curtain was rent. A river of tears flowed down the hill of Calvary from the faithful that were huddled there.
The cross was not the way His story should have ended. But that’s the way it was – and all creation screamed in protest.
Unlike our little mouse, however, it was His choice! -a decision that was all about us.
“Christ also loved us and gave himself for us.” – Ephesians 5:2
“Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.” – Ephesians 5:25
“the Son of God…loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20
Oh, how amazing it would have been, if that little fuzz ball of a mouse could have backed out of the jaws of the serpent. The bitter would have become better for our distraught kids.
Jesus, on the other hand, backed out of His tomb – having been truly and fully dead for 3 days. His glorious resurrection was also all about us. Paul wrote, “Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.” – Romans 6:4
Do you believe it? It is important that you do says Paul, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
What does that mean “You will be saved?” It means, little mouse, that the python of death will never be able to swallow the one who belongs to Jesus.
It is the Easter season – a perfect time to confess Jesus with your mouth and believe in Jesus in your heart.
All biblical references from the NET Bible ®
Was there anything to laugh about in 2001? Sure was! Let me tell you about Miss Alice.
Just three weeks after 9-11 there was a second scare that gripped the nation. A demented person had mailed envelopes with anthrax spores to several politicians and media types.
It was about that time that I visited my sweet elderly friend Alice. When I arrived, I found her nervously pacing in front of her home while holding her hands in the air.
I asked, “What’s wrong, Miss Alice?” She ignored my question and asked me to turn on the garden hose so she could rinse her hands.
I offered to open her home so she could wash with soap, but she gave me a terse, “No.”
Evidently, she had a small exercise ball in her mini-van which she had used over the past five years to help her arthritic fingers. But on that day, the seam broke and the filling got all over her hands
Unfortunately, the filling was a white powdery substance. Well Miss Alice just knew that some diabolical terrorist had sneaked into her mini-van and filled her little exercise ball with anthrax in order to kill her.
So, I explained that it would take a brilliant terrorist to be able to hide the anthrax in that ball, so that five years later it would break open at the exact time that the other attacks were happening. No response.
I tactfully tried to help her see that elderly ladies were not a high priority on the terrorist hit list. She didn’t believe me. Her fears were blocking her ears.
That week, she called numerous state and federal agencies and eventually wore down a bureaucrat in Austin who agreed to test her exercise ball for anthrax. I wish I could have listened in on that conversation!
Once again, our nation is gripped with national anxieties. Some of it is appropriate. We should be concerned about viral social interactions and about the financial chaos.
But our responses are sometimes silly.
An Irish man recently had a painful accident. His wife vainly scoured the town looking for pain meds. She stood in a line at one pharmacy and saw that the woman in front of her had the last 5 boxes of what she sought. She asked if she might have some for her distressed husband. The woman obliged, “and admitted she didn’t actually need the medicine, but they were the only ones left in the store so she thought she should buy them all in case she couldn’t get them again.”
Craziness!
Jesus’ sensible words help in times like these. He told us in Matthew 6:34, “So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.” NET Bible®
He prioritized concern for us. He told us not to worry about what might happen tomorrow – with the stock market, or your job, or how you are going to cope with your bored-to-tears kids.
Jesus wants us to plan for tomorrow (Luke 14:28-33) but He does not want us to worry about it.
Then He gives us two reasons why. First: “for tomorrow will worry about itself.”
We know from our own experience that most of our tomorrow worries never materialize. Issues tend to be resolved before tomorrow comes because we have a God who lovingly and sovereignly works things out for us. Besides, we have no control over tomorrow no matter how carefully we plan.
His second reason to forgo worry: “Today has enough trouble of its own.” Sounds to me like Jesus was speaking from experience. It is true, we need to spend our energies on managing the challenges that come to us each day. We can control our response to these.
But even with our daily concerns we can go overboard. Which is why He also said “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…” He spoke of the Father’s excellent care for the flowers of the field and the birds of the air and then asked. “Aren’t you more valuable (to Him) than they are?” (Matthew 6:25-26) Of course we are!
So how do we manage the anxieties of today? The prophet Isaiah suggested, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” – Isaiah 26:3 – KJV
That’s the Lord’s counsel on this matter. Don’t let your fears were block your ears.
I asked my wife to proofread this piece for me. She was prompted to ask, “Do you actually think of these verses at a time like this?” Hmm! I had to mull that question overnight.
In the morning I said, “No I do not think of these specific verses, mostly because I have assimilated their truth over the years – but yes, these are the specific kinds of thoughts that filter through my mind. If this were not the case, I would find myself depressed if not despairing.
I would be dishonest if I didn’t admit to being anxious these days. But when those toxic thoughts come, I try to redirect my mind to Him. I count the ways He has loved me and mine in the past and trust Him to do so in the present. It helps!
So, these are my thoughts for this week. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to run over to Miss Alice’ house to see if I can borrow a roll of toilet paper.
Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson 