Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

bluebell and the blues — May 7, 2025

bluebell and the blues

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Solomon once wrote, “There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink…” – Ecclesiastes 2:24.  So what did he think was so great to eat?  Dates and figs?  I don’t know, but, if he were alive today, he might revise his words to say, “There is nothing better for people than to eat ice cream, especially Bluebell.”  Amen!

OK – maybe we need to back up and understand the context of Solomon’s words.  The brutally honest book of Ecclesiastes was written to help us live meaningful lives.

He argued that many of us strive our way through life, and this striving is folly.  Some labor to be rich, but are never able to enjoy their money (5:10-12); Some wrangle their way to fame, and yet the humble still seem to outshine them (10:6-7).

Others strive to have power and yet the very powerful king of Israel went on record saying, “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.”  (1:2) Some strive for security, but Solomon reminds us that naked we came, and naked we will go. (5:15)

And then there are some that are obsessed with our health and long life, but Solomon said, “youth and the prime of life are fleeting.” (11:10)  He often emphasized the fact that we are all gonna die (5:16). 

He sums up all our striving with the word, “vanity,” which he repeated 38 times in the book.  All is vanity

When we strive for things that we never really obtain, it is a pointless, painful experience.  Even when we do obtain them, we are stunned by the pointlessness of it all.

I was voted senior class president in high school.  I was jubilant for a day or two until I found out that honor was outweighed by the onerous responsibility.

Now before you look for Xanax, you need to know that Solomon was not depressed.  He was quite upbeat and hopeful.  The one word Solomon used in his book more than the word vanity, is God (40 times).

He tells us to consider God’s works (7:13)  to listen to His words (5:1) to fear Him (5:7) to please Him (7:26) and to remember him (12:1)   He described life “under the sun” as vanity (4:7), but He knew that we are headed to that place above the sun, in the presence of God where hope abounds (12:6-8).

Which means that the person who is rightly related to the Lord can cease to strive and enjoy being alive.  In fact, we should strive less and savor more the blessings He gives.

He encourages us to enjoy our mate (9:9), food and drink (5:18) and every fruit of our labor (5:19) When God has the proper place in our lives, we are free to do that.  

He put it this way in his book, “What does a man acquire from all his labor and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth?   For all day long his work produces pain and frustration, and even at night his mind cannot relax.  This also is futile!  “There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work.  I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God. For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him.”  (2:22-25)

I am embarrassed by the phrase, “and even at night his mind cannot relax.”   It has been my experience much too often. 

What took Solomon a whole book to say, the apostle Paul said in one sentence “Command those who are rich in this world’s goods not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment.” –  1 Timothy  6:17

So, strive less, serve the Lord more and savor the blessings He gives.  Seriously, it is impossible to wear a frown while enjoying a bowl of Bluebell.  

A PRAYER: Lord, I need your help in this area!  Help me to rest in You!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ® 

all authority — April 30, 2025

all authority

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We finally reached the age where we needed a large-print edition alarm clock.  The numbers on it were 2” tall and it was loud too.  I awakened to the sound of garbage-truck backing into my bedroom.  It was an annoying authority.  It told me when to go to bed, and get up, and leave the house for an appointment.

There are annoying authorities but then there are beneficial ones as well like the policeman who protects us and the doctor who helps to heal us.

Jesus, however, is the ultimate authority – of the best variety.  He demonstrated it over three very different but important realms in Mark 1.

“Then they went to Capernaum. When the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people there were amazed by his teaching because He taught them like one who had authority, not like the experts in the law” (vrs. 21-22).

There in Capernaum, He spoke with authority.  His words were powerful, accurate and penetrating, issued from the author of all truth.   He often said, “You have heard it said….but I say to you.”   His words corrected falsehood and could be fully trusted.

There was a sign on the hand dryer in the restroom at work.  It read, “Push here for a word from the boss.”  Maybe, but when Jesus spoke, He wasn’t blowing hot air.  The people understood the difference.

We find another demonstration of His authority in verses 23-28.  There was a man in the synagogue who was indwelt and controlled by a demonic power.  When Jesus arrived, the demon spoke through the man – opposing Jesus and everything He stood for. 

Then this happened, “But Jesus rebuked him: “Silence! Come out of him!” After throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. They were all amazed so that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority!” (vrs. 25-27).

There was a time when ignorant people would drill a hole in the skull of a living person who was suspected of being possessed – an escape hatch through which to expel a demon.  Foolishness for sure.  Jesus on the other hand, by His authority alone, as the Son of God, could speak a word and the forces of evil were vanquished.

There is yet another evidence of Christ’s authority in Mark 1. 

The Sabbath service was completed, and instead of heading to the Olive Garden for lunch, Jesus and crew went to Peter’s home.  There they found his mother-in-law suffering with a fever.  Jesus responded, “He came and raised her up by gently taking her hand. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. (vs. 31)

When Jesus acted, the feverish sickness instantly subsided. He demonstrated His authority over sickness and disease.

The people of Capernaum recognized and were amazed by Jesus’ authority when He spoke and when He cast out demons.  But when He defeated illness,

They were prompted to submit themselves to His authority.  Mark wrote, “When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered by the door” (vrs 32-33).

Jesus’ authority is not limited by place, or time, or by the size of the problem.   He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” – Matt. 28:18.  When I need to get up in the morning, I heed the authority of my alarm clock.  With every other problem, I need Jesus.

Does Jesus have the authority to help me with my problems? Can His servants give me counsel that will make a difference?  Can His Word give me some clear instruction?  Is He able to supernaturally intervene to help? The answer is yes to all the above. 

Make an appointment with Him today.  Bring your issues to Him in prayer.   He has the authority to make a difference and He will do it for you.

A PRAYER: Lord, You are a great God, greater than all our problems.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scriptures passages are from the NETBible.com ®

teenaged mutants — April 23, 2025

teenaged mutants

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It was as black as night in there as we sloshed through knee deep water that had the sour smell of a sewer – maybe because it was.  We were traveling underneath my hometown through a storm sewer system.  I am sad to report that we did not locate the lair of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

It was a dumb thing to do.  We walked into the darkness of those pipes, inhaled the gases and were oblivious to any drop-offs that might be ahead.  We also brought home a petri dish full of bacteria.  We were dancing with danger.

But this was not the first time.  I remember waiting for the school bus on wintry days, while standing in the exhaust of a car to keep warm.   This did not improve my report card. 

Often, we would scream downhill on bicycles at a good 30 mph, praying we could make it across the narrow bridge at the bottom of the hill.  Miss it and your name was mud, which was also where you ended up.

It was our practice to shatter thermometers and take the mercury and roll it around in our hands.  I once rode on top of a car traveling 60 mph while frantically trying to maintain my grip on the trim around the windows.  I toyed with most every danger back then except to run with scissors.

Every bit of it – dumb and dangerous stuff.   But it wasn’t till I got older that I realized that the greatest dangers to me were not without, but within me,

In Mark 7:20-23 Jesus said, “What comes out of a person defiles him.  For from within, out of the human heart, come evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly.  All these evils come from within and defile a person.” 

To defile something is to corrupt and destroy it.  The human heart is like a boiling volcano that erupts and spews scalding lava and toxic ash leaving barrenness behind.

The list of offenses reads like my autobiography. Sexual immorality – check.  Theft – guilty on multiple counts.  Murder, Adultery – Hey there’s a couple I didn’t do.  Greed – yep.  Evil – well yes.  Deceit – I was a chronic liar.  Debauchery – not totally sure what that is so I’ll just say no!  Envy – mm huh.  Slander, Pride, and Folly – Guilty as charged.

These things are dangers for sure for they are the kinds of things that send us to hell.  Jesus warned us, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” –Matthew 10:28.

Breathing the carbon monoxide from that snow covered car could have killed my body, but the sins of my heart result in God’s judgment – the destruction of my body – and my soul in hell. 

Fortunately, God is in the business of dealing with ugly hearts.  He once said to His people, “I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you” – Ezekiel 36:26.

As a young adult, I began thinking, “Hey life is tough enough.  I sure don’t want my defective heart to condemn me to an eternal hell.”   So, one night I said to Jesus “I am sorry.  I have offended You and rejected Your way.  You once volunteered to suffer the consequences of my sin.  I accept Your offer.  And I want to do life with You from this point on.” 

He accepted my apology and has given me that new heart of which He spoke.

These days, the most dangerous thing I do is to postpone my colonoscopy.  I am safe with Jesus!  Are you? 

If you have not yet asked Jesus to forgive you and give you a new heart, you should seriously consider it.  You are welcome to contact me if you want help with this. 

A PRAYER: Lord, please continue to sculpt my heart so that it mirrors yours.

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 ®

the Big Tex tragedy — April 16, 2025

the Big Tex tragedy

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Big Tex is the king-sized animated cowboy who has welcomed people to the State Fair of Texas since 1952. He was born in Kerens, TX as a 49-foot Santa Claus but later was reconfigured as a cowboy. In 1951, he became Big Tex.

He was clad in blue jeans and a plaid shirt and wore the face of Will Rogers. He would greet fair visitors with a wave and a wink and a booming HOOWDEEE, FOOLKS!!!”   The two million annual visitors to the state fair made it a priority to do a selfie with the icon.

Sadly, I was there with my family the day that Big Tex died. We were near the midway when sirens began to wail. We had no idea what happened until 2 hours later we were forced aside to make way for a funeral procession.

A large tractor slowly and respectfully pulled an exceptionally long trailer. Big Tex was stretched out upon it. He was still and silent, and wrapped in a makeshift body bag.

As he passed, the cheerful sound of the throng fell to a whisper. Big Tex was dead! An electrical fire had started in his right boot and worked its way up throughout his fiberglass body.

There was genuine sadness among the fairgoers for their beloved Big Tex.

It was sort-of a silly and yet surreal experience. I thought about the irony of it all. The flesh and blood Jesus also died but received almost no sympathy from the crowd.

He had presented Himself to Israel as their Messiah, and His approval rating was stellar. For 3-plus years He had circulated throughout His homeland healing, delivering, and preaching a stirring message of hope. 

He acted selflessly, spoke courageously, and did harm to no one. If cell phones had been in existence, 99% of his contemporaries would have had a selfie with the Savior.

But He was opposed by a manipulative and powerful minority who arranged to have Him pinned to a tree. And there He hung, just outside the city, along a major thoroughfare.

Matthew’s Gospel described what happened, “Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are God’s Son, come down from the cross!” In the same way even the chief priests—together with the experts in the law and elders—were mocking him: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the king of Israel! If he comes down now from the cross, we will believe in him! He trusts in God—let God, if he wants to, deliver him now” – Matthew 27:39-43.  NETBible ®

There was little grief for Jesus, just cruel and heartless mockery. Jesus died! His adversaries assumed it was all over. His body was packed away in a cold stone tomb. But 3 days later, He shattered their foolish expectations.

They had said, “If He comes down from the cross, then we will believe in him.”  Well Jesus was still alive when they said that. Yes, that would have been somewhat of a miracle if He would have set himself free from the nails and escaped.

Instead, they made quite sure He had died and was entombed. He lay lifeless for three days – and only then – only then He set Himself free – from the graveclothes, and the tomb and the iron grip of death.

Texans also assumed that they had seen the last of our beloved Big Tex. But he was secreted away and made bigger and better. He gained 6,000 pounds and was strengthened to withstand 100 mile an hour winds.  He then took his rightful place at the State Fair in 2013.

Jesus is more than Bondo. He truly lives and is clad in His resurrection body and has taken His rightful place in heaven to one day judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5).

Praise His mighty name!

A PRAYER: Lord, our present grief is for the many who do not acknowledge You!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you!

why’d he do it? — April 9, 2025

why’d he do it?

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Bob wanted some guidance from God, so he opened his Bible and let his eyes fall on the first verse he saw.  He landed on the story of Judas.  It said, “He went away and hanged himself” – Matt 27:5. (NASU)  Bob said to himself “This can’t be right!”  So, he tried again.  This time he landed on John 13:27, “What you do, do quickly.”

This is the time of year when we consider the story of Judas.  Ah sad Judas, the apostate apostle who has never had a child named after him. 

The forever unanswered Judas’ question is, “Why’d he do it?”  Why did he betray his Master?  There are two common theories. 

1. He was motivated by greed. 

When Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with oil, Judas said, “Why wasn’t this oil sold for 300 silver coins and the money given to the poor?”

The reason he said it, follows, “Now Judas said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, he used to steal what was put into it” – John 12:5-6.  He was entrusted with the apostolic group fund and helped himself to it.

So, there are those that argue that greedy Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver to line his own pockets.   But there is a second theory:

2. He was motivated by patriotic zeal. 

The prophets promised that the Messiah would restore the nation of Israel to the stature of David’s glory days.  The Jews of the first century were expecting it to happen in their day.

There was even a political association called “zealots” that was determined to force the Kingdom into existence.   Simon, one of the twelve, was a zealot (Matthew 10:4).

And then came Jesus who presented Himself as Messiah.  His message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!”  – Matthew 4:17. His teachings centered around the Kingdom of God.  The disciples often competed for the positions of authority in it (Matt 20:20-24).

On one occasion the multitude got crazy.  John wrote, “Then Jesus, because he knew they were going to come and seize him by force to make him king, withdrew again up the mountainside alone” – John 6:15.

At His triumphal entry, the crowd was convinced that Jesus was coming to proclaim himself king.  But things were not progressing toward that end.  The entrenched leadership of Israel had rejected Him and Jesus was not aggressive about seizing leadership.  He had business at the cross to take care of first.

Some believe that Judas was also a zealot and that in betraying Jesus, he tried to create a situation where Jesus would be forced to confront His adversaries and establish His Kingdom.    

Why’d Judas do it?  Which one fits?  I wonder if both may be true. 

Judas was clearly motivated by greed.  He used his position of trust to steal funds from Jesus.  So, what if the Kingdom were to come?    The disciples were promised to rule with Jesus.  Judas probably expected to be installed as the royal treasurer of the Kingdom where he would have fantastic and unfettered access to wealth.

Who knows for sure why he did it?  Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick” – 17:9 (NASU).

But what concerns me is the condition of my own Judas heart.  For I fear that I too may possess quirky motivations that obscure the truth and possibly spoil my love for Jesus? 

David felt the same, which prompted this prayer, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” – Psalm 19:14.

He asked the Lord to do a heart procedure – to purify the meditations and motivations of His heart.  A perfect prayer for you and me, especially during this Easter Season.

A Prayer:  Lord, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight…”,

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture passages are from the NETBible.com unless otherwise noted.

the 12th man — April 2, 2025

the 12th man

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I visited the home of what some consider a quirky crew – the campus of Texas A&M University.   It began as an agriculture school.  Some students still bring their own horses to college with them. I wonder if they get a free ride.  I attended Ohio State, also an Ag school.  They told me to hold my horses.

I was there at Kyle field to watch the Aggies play some football.  The stands were packed with ordinary students with some odd traditions.  They held out their fists with an upraised thumb and urged their team to “gig” their rivals.

Students would whoop it up when they were excited.  But they are not permitted to whoop until they become upperclassmen.  Is whooping class 301 a requirement?

When the team scored, the ecstatic students turned and kissed their dates.  If you didn’t have a date, you might get kissed anyway.  

And then there was the tradition of the 12th man.  It began in 1922 with an alum named E. King Gill.  He was a former member of the A&M football team and was in the stands to watch them play top-ranked Centre College.   It was a brutal game with nearly every Aggie sustaining an injury. 

The desperate coach summoned Gill down from the bleachers and told him to suit up.  Gill became the 12th man on the team, standing on the sideline waiting to be sent in.  The Aggies, however, prevailed.  So, Gill was not sent in, but he was ready. 

Soon after, the tradition took root.  Today the students stand the entirety of every football game.  They symbolically assume the role of the 12th man, ready for the coach to send them in for the win.

This brings to mind the 4th man tradition.  This one goes back a little farther than 1922, 540 BC to be exact.  Three brave young men were commanded to fall down and worship the image of an egotistical king.  If they defied him, they would be thrown into a blazing furnace. 

These men have always stood out to me as the most heroic of heros in the Bible.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego told the king, “We do not need to give you a reply concerning this. If our God whom we are serving exists, he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. But if he does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected” – Daniel 3:16-18. – NETBible®

What courage!   They knew that their mighty God could deliver them if He so chose, but even if He should not, they would not bow down and worship the king’s image. 

The king was fit to be tied, so the men were tied up and the furnace was heated to 7 times its usual temperature.  It was so intense it fried the men who tossed them in. 

And yet the King was astounded to look into the oven and see the three walking about, unscathed by the flames – even more shocked to find that there was a fourth man present with them – one the king fearfully compared to a “son of the gods.” 

Who was that person?  That 4th man was more than a man.  He was in fact – a – rather THE – one and only Son of God. 

He was suited up and ready get into the fray to rescue His faithful ones.  But, in this case, the Father gave the order and sent Him into the game, and He used His miraculous powers to preserve our three heroes and help them to prevail.

The Son of God once said to us, “Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me” – John 14:1 (KJV) Jesus is still standing, waiting to be called in when needed.  So call!

A PRAYER: Lord, this is a tradition that I treasure – thank you

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

pick-me-up — March 26, 2025

pick-me-up

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She was elderly, lived alone and felt quite lonely and depressed.  She didn’t want to be – but she was.  She was usually able to tread her emotional waters by thinking on her favorite verse of Scripture – Isaiah 41:10. 

The Lord said through the prophet, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” – KJV

She was challenged by the words “be not dismayed.”  Hey, I will celebrate my birthday dis-May, but that’s not what this word means.  It carries the idea of being anxious.  The Lord tells us, however, that no matter our circumstances, we don’t need to feel that way.  

OK you cannot tell a person how they should feel can you?  I used to try that with my kids, “You will eat those Lima beans and be happy about it.”  It didn’t work.  But God can say such things to us, because He has His ways of dismantling dismay.

In this verse He promised to strengthen us.  A depressed person is locked into a diminished emotional state but the one who crafted us knows us and is able to address it.  He may not remove the underlying problem, but He lends His strength that we might bear it. 

Isaiah said He would uphold us by His right hand.  I was caring for a hospice patient recently.  He could not get out of his chair to get to the bathroom.   He asked me to put my hand on the small of his back and nudge him a little to get him up and out.  With trepidation I did it, and he made it. 

With my hand I strengthened his effort and that’s what God does for us.   

I have an old picture of my skinny 3-year-old nephew.  It appears that he had lifted a barbell with massive weights over his head.  The bar stretches beyond the borders of the picture. Impressive! But what you don’t see are my 2 brothers who are holding up each end. 

We may not always see God in the picture, but He is always there upholding us.

God said, “I will help thee.”   This is an all-inclusive promise of assistance.  Pick a problem – it doesn’t matter.  He promises to help.   Can he help with your finances?  Sure!  But can He pick us up from depression?  Yes, that too!  

The sweetest part of this passage is where He says, “I am with thee.”   

I was just with a clerk at the convenience store.  His presence didn’t do much for me.  If he were the last person on earth, we might hang out.

On the other hand, we find great satisfaction and comfort in being with people who we know care for us – a parent, a spouse, a child, a friend.  Those are the people we want with us when trouble comes.

But God, God cares for us like nobody else.  He has demonstrated that.  The fact that He is all powerful and all-knowing is a considerable bonus.

Isaiah 41:10 always helped my friend’s depression in the past, but not today.  She decided maybe she needed a distraction – a good novel to read.  She found one in the facility library that piqued her interest. 

She got it home and flipped over to page one.  She found a large bookmark stuffed there from a previous reader.

There were some words in a 24-point font printed on it – Isaiah 41:10, ‘“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

God personally delivered His message to her.  She was not alone.  And the realization of it dissipated the fog in her heart. 

Hey – He is there for you too! 

A PRAYER: We don’t know how You do it Lord, but we are sure glad You do.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you

useful — March 19, 2025

useful

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She was leading a Bible club at church.  There was one little girl who was completely lost when it came to memorizing the books of the Bible.   She didn’t grow up in church.  She didn’t know the difference between Deuteronomy and a tonsillectomy.  But the leader patiently persevered and the little girl joyfully mastered the task.

The child was blessed with a richer knowledge of the Bible.  Her leader, however, was astounded that God could use her so effectively in the child’s life. She felt nearer and dearer to the Lord because of it.

God uses us to achieve His purposes if we will allow Him!  

In 2 Tim. 2:21 the apostle described Christians as being useful.   He said, “So if someone cleanses himself of such behavior, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, useful for the Master.”

So, is this a desirable thing?  Absolutely. If we are Christians, then we are on the team.  Now when I was a kid, I played on a basketball team, or I should say I watched from the bench.  The coach almost ever sent me in, maybe because he wanted the team to win the game. 

Nevertheless, it was terrible to sit on the bench, to feel like I had nothing to contribute – like I didn’t matter.  The coach didn’t even get my name right in History class.

But God, He wants to send us into the game.

– sometimes God uses our natural abilities  

The early church was experiencing some upsetting management issues.  A man named Philip was one of seven chosen to take charge (Acts 6:3-5).  This was because he had a good reputation, he was a spiritual man, and because he was also wise with managerial expertise.  

Perhaps he was a businessman or a supervisor with the government.  He brought his natural skills to bear on the Lord’s business and the problem was effectively managed.

– sometimes God equips us in supernatural ways 

Persecution had broken out in Jerusalem so the believers, including Philip, fled town.  He ended up in Samaria where the folks had never heard of Jesus, so the administrator began to address the crowd.  And no, it was not a dry, boring message.  In fact, Acts 8:5-8 says, “the crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the miraculous signs he was performing.”

He found himself among folks who had not heard the Gospel, so he volunteered to fill the need and speak, and God was pleased, and He chose to supernaturally empower him to cast out demons and heal the sick.

Philip decided, “If there’s no one else – I will do it, and God happily equipped him to get the job done.

– sometimes we are aware that He is using us

Later, Philip was directed by the Lord to meet with a spiritually minded Ethiopian man.  Philip obeyed and told the guy about Jesus, who then surrendered to the Lord and was baptized (Acts 8:26-38).  He understood how the Lord desired to use him, and he cooperated.

– at other times we are unaware of how He is using us

The last time we meet Philip in the Scripture, he opens his home to some weary travelers – Paul and Luke and the rest of his companions (Acts 21:8). Philip fed and sheltered them as ambassadors of the Gospel.  It was a simple kindness he extended.  Yet according to Jesus he probably had no idea how significantly he was used by God (Matthew 25:35 and 40).

God uses us and when He does, there is an interesting and incredible chemistry that forms between us.  We get the sense that God values our work.  He allows Himself to depend upon what we can do.  He chooses to need us.  Our big old all powerful – do anything kind of Father needs us.  That is both astonishing and affirming.

Hey, make yourself available and He will use you too!

A PRAYER: Lord, put me in the game – please!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

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

Scripture passages are from the NETBible®

why do you sing? — March 12, 2025

why do you sing?

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I met a guy who had moved from Nevada to East Texas.  I thought to myself, “Oh boy!”  Nevada isn’t part of the Bible belt, maybe I have finally met someone here who needs to hear about Jesus.”

I was right.  He was in his early forties, but he had never been to church and didn’t know enough about it to fill a thimble.

He began to attend our Sunday services and placed himself into what seemed to him to be the wacky world of the church. 

He approached me one day and asked, “So what is all the singing about?  Why do you sing?” 

“Why do we sing?  Well because we sing – that’s what we do.  The audacity that you should ask!   You do know that I am a worship leader, don’t you?”

“Why do we sing?”  I was truly shocked by his question and frankly very embarrassed that I didn’t have a ready answer.

But I have thought about since then, and this is why I think we should sing…

– Jesus worshipped in song.   He and His disciples left the upper room and “After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” – Matthew 26:30.  Good for Jesus; – must be good for us too.

– The Scripture directs us to sing.   Scripturecontains nearly fifty commands to sing. Consider Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.”

– It is one of the few things that we can give to the Lord.  The author of Hebrews wrote, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name (13:15).

– Singing etches the truth on our hearts.  When a song is built on the Scripture, it articulates the truth in a way that is memorable, impressive and repetitive.   In fact, it was the primary way to assimilate the truth until the Reformation when Scripture was finally translated into common languages and the printing press made Scripture more broadly available.

– Singing sets heaven to work.  When God’s people sing to Him in worship, good things happen.  The amassed enemies of Israel were defeated by a song (2 Chronicles 20).  The jail that held Paul and Silas was opened by an earthquake as they sang praises and prayed (Acts 16:25-26).  Most of us have also experienced a God-given peace that comforts us when we sing.

There are lots of reasons I could have given my friend.  But honestly, if I were in his shoes, I don’t think any of these would have carried much weight.  But this last one might.

When a person experiences joy, they very often will make music.  She said yes to his marriage proposal.  He drove home singing at the top of his lungs.  She was declared valedictorian and went humming along the rest of the day. 

That’s what we do when joy fills us.  There is a song in our hearts, that is often voiced with words.

The Psalmist wrote, “O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation” – Psalm 95:1 (NASU)

When I think of what the Lord has done for me and my family – the way He has been with me and worked with me and through me – it overwhelms me with joy, and that joy escapes me in song.

Chris Tomlin understands.  He said as much in his song…

“How can I keep from singing Your praise?   How can I ever say enough? How amazing is Your love?  How can I keep from shouting Your name? I know I am loved by the King and it makes my heart want to sing.”

That’s why I sing? Why do you sing?  – Or do you?

A PRAYER: Lord it’s not much but I gladly offer you my joyful song.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you always.

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ® unless otherwise noted.

Mrs. Lee’s Garden — March 5, 2025

Mrs. Lee’s Garden

/pickleheavenpress

Mrs. Lee and her husband were blessed with wealth, so they bought a little getaway just south of Gladewater, TX.  She thought it would be nice to plant some flowers there, so she ordered a box of Jonquil Daffodils.

There was a mix-up, however, when they were ordered.   The day of delivery, she received not a box but a boxcar, a railroad boxcar full of daffodil bulbs. 

For you nerd’s, a boxcar has a volume of about 7,300 cubic feet.  Boxes of bulbs can be purchased 100 to a box of 1 cubic foot in size.  Which means Mrs. Lee bought approximately 73,000 individual bulbs at today’s cost of $1,460,000.  An inundation of daffodil bulbs.

She was shocked by the delivery and yet also delighted.  She hired a crew of 40 workers to plant the bulbs.  Fortunately for us, she left her property to East Texans as a legacy – a 4-mile, drive-through trail of dazzling gold.

I recently read her story, and I just had to laugh.  I thought about what it might be like to have Amazon deliver a boxcar full of the coffee we often buy. 

On the other hand, when you really think about it, many of us have had a Mrs. Lee experience.

On that day we were considering Jesus, we said to ourselves, “Yes, I think I’ll have a box of that.”  But what He delivered was a boxcar of blessing. 

When we said yes to Jesus, our sins were expunged, past, present and future – “once for all” says Peter. (1Peter 3:18)

The suffocating blanket of guilt was removed so that Paul could say, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” – Romans 8:1.

That same day we were “born again” (John 3:7) The old broken incapable person that we were, was crucified with Christ and replaced with a new nature that Scripture calls a “new creation” – Galatians 6:15.

We were given a “Helper” at that time, the Holy Spirit who teaches us, guides and directs us, and is instrumental in refining the way we live (John 14:16). 

Jesus removed our insecurities by promising that He would always be with us (Matthew 28:20) and Paul assured us that nothing, absolutely nothing could ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39).  We are His forever.

The Lord adopted us into His amazing family.  We have people in our lives who are genuine and authentic.  We have nothing to hide because Jesus took care of our disgrace.  They pick us up when we are down and encourage us to strive for our best.

For most, the Lord gives us a spouse and children – and because we have been shaped by His love, we are able to properly and deeply love them and they respond and love us with God’s love. 

He imbues our lives with purpose and meaning.  We are situated on this earth to serve Him and bless others.

Before Jesus we endured life defectively.  Jesus gave what He called “life abundantly” (John 10:10).  This is life that is jam packed with joy.  I personally remember my early days in the faith where each day seemed to be ten times richer than those before. 

We have the guarantee of His temporal care in this life.  Food, drink, shelter clothing – all the essential He pledges to make ours.

Of course, we have the hope of heaven, an eternal blissful existence in the presence of God.

As we drove through Mrs. Lee’s Gardens, I was asked if the bulbs were perennial.  Of course they are!  They have been popping up every spring for well over 70 years now. 

The blessings of God also keep popping up – every year, every month, week to week, daily, moment by moment we have them to enjoy.    

A boxcar of blessing is what we possess.  Like Mrs. Lee, maybe we should make sure that others can enjoy it too!  

PS: The daffodils are currently at their peak at Mrs. Lee’s Garden

A PRAYER: Lord, you overwhelm us with Your goodness. Thank You 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture passages are taken from the NETBible®