Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: Bible

she turned the Lord’s NO into a YES! — May 6, 2026

she turned the Lord’s NO into a YES!

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Do you have an unanswered prayer?  I know of a woman who can help with that – and no, it is not Mary!

Jesus had been sparring with the spiritual leaders of Israel.  He wanted to rest, so He went where they wouldn’t – into Gentile territory.

Here’s what happened.  “Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret.  In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter” – Mark 7:24-26.

His fame followed Him.  There came a woman who pestered Him to set her sweet daughter free from the demons that distressed her.

He responded by saying, “First let the children eat all they want…for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs” -7:27.

Ouch!  Jesus’ priority was to reach the Jews, but she was a gentile –a people the Jews scornfully called dogs.  However, the Greek word that Jesus used for dog, was not of the mangy cur variety, but of a cute little lap dog – a puppy that was cherished by the household. 

It was an expression of affection and yet His answer still disappointed her. To paraphrase, He said, “Sure the puppies will eat, but the first priority at dinnertime is to feed the kids. You will be taken care of someday, but not today. 

And in fact, He performed miracles on behalf of several other gentiles during His ministry years.  Her situation was simply a matter of timing. 

She responded to Him saying, “Yes, Lord…but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs” – 7:28.  She politely challenged His decision, reminding Him that people tend to spoil their puppies by feeding them table scraps even during dinner.   

“Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” – 7:29.  So…Jesus reversed His initial “no” decision and said yes to her request because of the particular manner by which she replied to Him.

So, what was it in the way she replied that it affected the Lord?  There was…

– Her Humility: She was not one of God’s Covenant people. She knew that she was not entitled, nor did she make demands on Jesus.  She humbly pleaded for the crumbs from His table. 

– Her Certainty:  It was clear that she already believed in Him.  She addressed Him as Lord and believed that He had divine power to help her child.  But the certainty of her faith was highlighted by her reply.  Just crumbs from Jesus would be enough to save her daughter. As to the timing, even puppies are fed when the children are fed. 

– Her Perceptivity: Jesus often complained about those who had ears but could not hear.  Not true of this woman.  He spoke to her using a figure of speech.  She listened and fully understood and then replied by using the same figure of speech.  I bet Jesus smiled when she did.

– Her Persistency: Matthew tells us that she asked continuously (15:21-23) This kind of persistency in prayer is clearly a virtue that Jesus prized.  Luke 18:1 says, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”

Someone said, “People ought to be like postage stamps:  They need to stick to one thing until they get where they’re going.”   

By her reply that woman turned the Lord’s NO into a YES!   I’m not sure how all this works with the sovereignty of God – but I do know that this passage teaches us that the manner in which we pray, affects the way that the Lord answers. 

A Prayer: Lord teach us to pray.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture passages are from the NIV.

God complex — April 29, 2026

God complex

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My SUV thinks its God!  

After years of driving outdated vehicles, I finally got myself one from this century –  a 2024 Honda CR-V.   It was a Godsend!

As I age my driving skills could possibly be diminishing.  At least that’s what my wife says. But my CR-V is keenly aware of my questionable road skills and often compensates for me. 

If a driver makes himself at home in my blind spot.  A little light in my rearview mirror alerts me.   When I forget to dim my lights for an oncoming car, my SUV does not.

My wife tells me that I tend to swerve to the left when I look to the right.  Not anymore.  Lane assist confines me to my lane.  

When I am oblivious to the speed postings, I can find the current limit displayed on my dashboard.   This SUV is making my wife’s back seat driving commentary obsolete.

When I pull up to a light, the vehicle automatically lowers the volume of the radio so the guy in the car next to me can’t hear me listening to “Baby Shark.”  The cruise control even senses when I am getting too close to the vehicle in front of me and it slows me down.  

My SUV is amazing.  It has everything but a cassette player.  

And it reminds me, a lot, of God (the vehicle not the cassette player). 

As I have journeyed my way along, I have assumed that I have controlled the vehicle I called my life.  But actually, God has been with me all along, watching the road ahead and compensating for me.

David conveyed this idea in Psalm 139. 

He wrote, “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord” (1-4).  

Our all-knowing God is very aware of what, when and how we do it – even before we do it. 

He continued, “You hem me in behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” (5-6) Because God is omnipresent, He surrounds and protects us with His incomprehensible divine force field.

“Where can I go from your Spirit?” wrote David.  “Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (8-10)

No matter where we go, or how fast we travel to get there, He sticks with us. He guides us, keeps us in our lane, and even prevents us from back-ending the person ahead of us.    

“If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you (11-12). He is more efficient in handling the darkness I face than my automated high beams. 

My SUV also does makes me aware of any internal mechanical concerns.  The Lord, however, does that and more.  David wrote, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting (23-24).

Psalm 139 tells us that God assists us when we are weak, alerts us to dangers and concerns and keeps us centered in the narrow way. He is at work for us and in us whether we are aware of it or not.

And He comes with an extended eternal warranty.

A PRAYER: Lord, where would we be without 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.  

to behold Him — April 8, 2026

to behold Him

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Many of us were raised in liturgical churches.  A liturgical service begins with the minister saying, “The Lord be with you.” The congregation responds by saying, “And also with you.”

Well, one Sunday the minister attempted to begin the service, but the microphone was malfunctioning. So, he tapped the mic several times and then finally said, “There is something wrong with this!”

And the congregation answered, “And also with you!”

That’s a joke of course, but having been raised in a liturgical church, I believe that this kind of thing could possibly happen.  Our worship was often more routine than reverent. 

But is there such a thing as a perfect worship service?  Not in this life!   A church should assist families with their after-service review by providing an Amazon style 5-star rating system.   

But the services in heaven will be a lot better – won’t they?  I wonder – what will the worship services be like in heaven?

Will Michael the archangel begin by tapping the mic and asking, “Hey is this on?”  Will the video operator still be stuck on verse 1 while we are supposed to be singing verse 2?  Will the feedback from the celestial sound system make our ears bleed?   

The pre-service announcements down here seem to go on for eternity, so will they – in eternity?   Will the guitar player play an annoying little riff while we pray?  Will we have the strength to stand for the entire worship for all eternity? 

I suspect that our worship in heaven will likely be free from those distractions. 

For one thing, we won’t have to imagine Jesus, and what He looks like, or the sound of His voice.  We will see Him face-to-face.

We find this truth in a surprising place.  Job said in the book by his name, “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God, whom I will see for myself, and whom my own eyes will behold, and not another. – Job 9:25-27.

Job has in mind the prelude to the eternal state – the return of the Lord Jesus to this earth to rule for 1,000 years.  Job was extremely excited to put his eyes on his redeemer. Again, he said, “I will see God, whom I will see for myself, and whom my own eyes will behold…”

He understood that it would be a long way off, and that he would die before that would ever happen.  But he also believed he would be raised again to see his Redeemer God with his own eyes – and he was thrilled by the prospect. 

John, the apostle, was privileged with preview of our glorified Lord.  He wrote, “He was dressed in a robe extending down to his feet, and he wore a wide golden belt around his chest. His head and hair were as white as wool, even as white as snow, and his eyes were like a fiery flame. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword extended out of his mouth. His face shone like the sun shining at full strength” – Revelation 1:13-16.

Wow! Imagine a worship service with Jesus appearing in this way.  John reacted saying, “When I saw Him, I fell down at his feet as though I were dead” – 1:17.

It’s true that some of us worship today as if we were dead – but this is different.  John was awed, stunned and staggered by the magnificent person of the Lord Jesus Christ – as we will be when we bow before Him.

Even if there were things to distract us from our worship in heaven – Jesus will nevertheless, receive 100% of our attention.  No one deserves it more.

 A PRAYER: “Come Lord Jesus” – Revelation 22:20.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture passages are quoted from the NETBible®

a happy autopsy — April 1, 2026

a happy autopsy

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I recently had a medical issue – possibly lymphoma.  So, the doctor performed a biopsy.  My family prayed for me.  In fact, I understand that my grandson asked Jesus that I might get a good report on my autopsy.

Ironically, Jesus actually received a great report on His autopsy.  “He’s alive!” the angel told the women who arrived at His tomb – Luke 24:23.

Jesus was crucified, died and was buried, and rose again on the third day.  He is alive!  And the destinies of His disciples were dramatically changed because of it.

There was certainly proof that He had died.  John stood at the foot of the cross.  He saw the nails that stabbed his hands and feet and the blood that flowed from His side.  He was there to hear Him say, “It is finished” and watched as Jesus exhaled his last breath.  His heart fell when Jesus’ head dropped.

When Christ was removed from His cross, I imagine John looked for any shred of evidence that He was still alive – a pulse or a shallow breath – but he found none.  No heroic medical efforts were made to revive Him.

His body was then embalmed and left unattended in a dirty stone tomb which was sealed with a massive piece of stone.  Three days later the tomb was gloriously found empty.  And yet, the disciples were exceptionally skeptical.

Mark 16:11 says, “And when they heard that he was alive and had been seen…they did not believe.”   Jesus then appeared to two men on the Emmaus Road.  Those guys “went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them” (16:13).  

“Then He appeared to the Eleven themselves, while they were eating, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen him resurrected” (16:14).

There was less than zero inclination on the part of Jesus’ disciples to believe that He had risen.

But, in that room, they interacted with Him, face to face.  They could see and hear Him and touch Him.  They even watched Him eat (Luke 24:42-43).  That is when Jesus told them to, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature – Mark 16:15.

The skepticism was gone and the conviction of a risen Savior gripped their souls.

So, James the apostle proclaimed the risen Christ to all Jerusalem.  But that’s as far as he got.  He was the first of the apostles to suffer martyrdom, being slain with a sword at the command of Herod in 44 A.D. (Acts 12:1-2).

Thomas was once a doubter, and yet he preached the risen Christ in Persia and India.   He was rewarded with a lance through heart by the order of the King of India

Bartholomew preached in Armenia and India.  Because he did, he was stripped of his skin and crucified upside down.    Andrew took the message to Greece where he was crucified on an X-shaped cross.

James, the half-brother to Christ, proclaimed the Lord in Jerusalem which provoked the leaders of Israel to take him up to the pinnacle of the temple and push him off.

Peter was afraid of the authorities which is why he denied Christ 3 times.  After meeting the resurrected Christ, he fearlessly confronted the authorities that had crucified Christ (Acts 4:10).  But his message eventually offended the emperor.  Nero had him crucified in an upside-down position.

Why did these men choose to face persecution and death?   It wasn’t to get rich, and certainly not to become popular.  They did it because the One who overcame the power of death and the grave asked them to do so.  

People will die for something if they believe it is true – even if it is not.   But they will not die for what they know to be a lie.

Those men were uniquely permitted to do an autopsy of sorts on their Messiah who was once verifiably dead.  And the consensus was, “He’s alive!”

A PRAYER: Lord over life and death – we worship You!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture references are from the NETBible®

5 threats to the frets — March 25, 2026

5 threats to the frets

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My wife is not a fan of my driving.  I was behind the wheel one day with her in the passenger seat.  She did a remarkable job of restraining herself.  She didn’t stomp on an imaginary brake or close her eyes when I passed another car. 

When we arrived, she said, “Thank you!” and I said, “You’re welcome.”  She said, “I was talking to God!”  (Just kidding!) She may not appreciate my driving, but she is on my team. She loves me and I am grateful.  This has not been true of everyone in my life.  

There was the woman who questioned my integrity and the staff member who worked to undermine me.  And then there was that guy who pulled out a handgun and said with a threatening sneer, “This is for Jim Johnson.” 

I’ll be honest, those folks made me anxious and I don’t like anxiety.  It tends to emotionally paralyze me, physically afflict me, and spiritually neuter me.  I could not control them, but I wanted to manage the anxiety they produced in me.

Psalm 37 helped.  I found David’s advice to be like a weed killer that helped choke out anxiety and promote emotional stability.   There he gave 5 threats to the frets.  The wicked around David seemed to be prevailing, while he was not.  So, he began by saying… 

37:1-3 “Be not envious toward wrongdoers.  For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb.   Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.”

When people do evil things and yet prosper, we are inclined to follow their example – to compromise or to do to them what they do to us.  David, however, tells us to take our eyes off of them; to settle down and carry on with life; to be faithful with our responsibilities and do them with integrity no matter what the wicked do.  It takes trust in the Lord to do this.

37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart’

We are to take our eyes off what seems to be the success of the wicked and to make the Lord our focus and what He provides instead.  When we delight in Him, our motives and desires align with His – and we receive everything that we need.

37:5-6: “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday.”

When we commit our way to the Lord, we are choosing to live as He would have us live and then trust Him to produce the right results. 

37:7-8: ”Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.  Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.”

We get so worked up when we are unjustly treated.  Blowing up with anger doesn’t help.  We are encouraged instead to rest – to leave the matter in the hands of God and just rest.   

37:9-11: “For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land.”

God will make sure that justice prevails. Over time, those who persecute us will fade from the picture.  God will mute their maliciousness.  We need to patiently wait in the meantime.

Today, I look back and realize that God took care of every single one of those troublesome situations just as David said He would – and I am good.  (But I do hope that the guy with the gun does not read this post).

A PRAYER: Lord God, so much to worry about – Help us rise above the frets.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you

Scripture passages are from the NASU

feeling useless — March 18, 2026

feeling useless

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I had a procedure done recently – a cyst was removed from the back of my head.  The doctor sewed it up and it seemed to be healing fairly well.  But a week later I felt around the wound and found that I had a hole in my scalp about the diameter of a pencil.   

That’s when I told my wife, “I need this like a hole in the head.”   For those of you who were born in this century, that is an idiom – an expression describing something that is useless and unwanted – like that hole.   

Oddly enough, there are times that I feel like I am an idiom (which is not to be confused with idiot.)  I worry about how useful I am. 

Like many of you, I have had a job since I was in my mid-teens.  I enjoy work.  I like to look back on what I have accomplished at the end of the day.   I especially enjoyed my ministry years as a pastor.  People were saved, marriages were mended, the church grew and I was sure that God was happy about it. 

I was never the type to define myself by what I did, but I confess that I tended to justify my existence based on how useful I was.   Especially with God.  I was once such a sinner, that I sorta feel like God takes care of me as long as I am useful to Him. 

When things become useless to us, we take them to a thrift store.  Some of us do that with people.  When they no longer serve our purposes, we drop em like a dirty sock.

I am semi-retired now and I find myself feeling like a mess because I am doing less.  So, does this matter to God?  Is His care for me diminished because my body is decrepit?  Does He overlook me because I can only do 10% of the work, I once did for Him? 

Is God less concerned about me because I am less useful to Him?

Not according to Psalm 23.  I was grazing on it one evening when it occurred to me that I am a sheep.  So, I did some research on how sheep were used in the Biblical era. 

Their primary value to the ancient Hebrews was in their fleece.  They produced some milk but not much of it, and they eventually might become lamb chops, but for the most part, it was the wool they produced that gave them value.

But here’s the thing, the sheep were sheared in the early spring – just that one time a year.

It took a whole year’s worth of shepherding to obtain an average of 7 lbs. of wool per sheep.  The bleating beast proved useful only on that one day of shearing.  And yet, the faithful shepherd provided comprehensive oversight and care for his flock 365 days a year.

So, as I age and become less useful, the 23rd Psalm becomes more precious to me.  David wrote…

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”  – KJV

Regardless of the level of service we might offer, our shepherd feeds us, waters us and provides rest and healing for us.  He leads and protects us, honors us and plans a wonderful future for us. 

Why does He do this? Because that’s just who He is! 

A PRAYER: Thank you Shepherd for removing the pressure of performance

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. 

submarine races — February 25, 2026

submarine races

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It is very important to tell the truth, but is it ever better to wait to tell it? 

We were cruising in the moonlight along the Olentangy River Road.  Across the river was The Ohio State University.   As I gazed through the window, I noticed a very long line-up of cars that were parked along the river. 

I figured some big event was going on so I asked, “Daddy what’s everyone doing?”   He paused and said, “They are watching the submarine races.”   And I said, “Wow, dad, can we go?  Please?  I want to see the races too?”

If you don’t already know, “submarine race” is a euphemism – a figure of speech, from the 1950’s.  It was used to describe couples who were parked along the river for the purposes of making whoopee (which is another euphemism).

I wasn’t old enough then, to understand the attraction of the sexes, so dad ignored me and I stewed in disappointment over having missed the big event.

It certainly is important to tell the truth, but the situation and ability of a person to hear truth needs to be taken into account.  Consider Jesus.

He was gathered with His disciples for their last supper together.   The atmosphere was sober, even tense at times.  During the meal Jesus foretold of the things to come such as His betrayal (John 13:18-30); Peter’s denial (13:36-38); His departure from them (14:1-6) and their rejection by their world (15:18-21; 16:1-3). 

The guys must have been bewildered and disheartened to say the least, but then Jesus added these words, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” – John 16:12. 

Jesus still had more to say to them – more truth to impart, but He determined that they were just not able at that time to hear any more and to bear the weight of His words.

“But Jesus, didn’t they need the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?”  Yes – they did – but it would be revealed later.  Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would pick up where He had left off.  The Spirit would soon come and guide them into all truth. (John 16:13)

I have often thought of these words as I have related to other people and have learned that there really are times that we should withhold the truth.  Not to lie, but to be wise about when we speak it.  

– For instance, we need to postpone truth telling when a person is physically not at their best.  If they are in pain, or physically worn out, it’s better to wait.

– We need to hesitate when the person is emotionally stressed.  If they have just lost a loved one they don’t need to hear, nor are they able to hear your well-intentioned advice. 

– When a person isn’t old enough or mature enough to understand the truth, we need to pause. A six-year old doesn’t need a rundown on the dire state of the family’s finances.

– Be considerate if a person is stretched for time.  It isn’t wise for her to talk to him about marriage concerns when he’s walking out the door to go to work.  

Is it important for a person to hear the truth?  It is!  Paul wrote, “each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor” – Ephesians 4:25.   But he also told us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). 

I have found that it’s usually better to speak the truth sooner rather than later but speaking the truth in love requires us to be sensitive to timing and circumstances.

Yep, my dad was wise in withholding the truth about what they were doing down by the river.  He did, however, eventually educate me when he gave me the talk on the birds and the bees (which is another euphemism). 

A PRAYER: Lord help me speak the truth, at the proper time so that it gives grace to those who hear.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ®

cul-de-sac — February 17, 2026

cul-de-sac

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We live on a cul-de-sac – a French term which means, “place where vehicles turn around because the driver is too lazy to put his vehicle in reverse.”  Realtors tout them as places for folks who crave quiet and privacy.  Ours is more like the drive through at Chick-Fil-A at noon.

I suspect that Tripadvisor lists circling our cul-de-sac as the #1 thing to do in White Oak, Texas.  “Where’s Waldo?”  I’ve seen him here.  When the Christmas lights are up, I have watched people revolve around that circle three times to make sure they don’t miss a twinkle.

The actual French translation of the term cul-de-sac is, “the bottom of a sack.” Yep, that’s where I live.

A cul-de-sac is pretty much a dead-end – one way in and one way out. However, you almost never find a sign at the entry to a street with a cul-de-sac warning you that it is a dead-end. 

Which is why more than one person has unknowingly turned down our street, to eventually circle back to where they started.

That sounds a lot like a guy named Samson from the book of Judges.  He started life with two parents that deeply loved the God of Israel.  It is also said that the Lord uniquely blessed him (13:24-25).  Because of this, he was well on the road to success in life, but silly Samson frequently chose streets with cul-de-sacs instead.  

He wanted a wife but looked among women who did not share his faith.  He overruled the objections of his parents and guidelines of his God to get her.  But she betrayed him and then became the wife of his friend (14:1-20).  Samson pursued the cul-de-sac of sensual desire but then found himself alone.

Samson had a big ego.  He wanted to be regarded as witty, so he created a riddle.  He bet the Philistines that they couldn’t figure it out, but they outsmarted him. Samson was humiliated and wreaked revenge by killing 30 of them.  He pursued the cul-de-sac of his ego but found himself humiliated (14:5-20).

The Lord chose Samson to lead His people in the ways of righteousness, but Samson was more concerned with the cul-de-sac of self-determination.   His reckless self-willed behavior caused His people to reject his leadership and then deliver him over to their enemies (15:9-13)

Samson continued to pursue his dead-end cul-de-sacs until the Philistines finally captured him, gouged out his eyes and put him in chains (16:21-27).

If we aren’t careful, we too could naively end up on a street that gets us to nowhere.  The thoroughfare we really need is found in John 14:6, where Jesus said to us, “I am the way…”

Jesus is the way; the only way to the Father, and the only way to do life

When we choose Jesus as the way, we trust Him to forgive our sins and make things right between us and God.  But we also follow the path He lays out for us.  We don’t need GPS because we have His Holy Spirit, to guide and direct us and His Word to fill in all the details.   

It’s a narrow way to be sure.  Jesus said, “How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it! (Matthew 7:13-14)

And once the path is chosen we must not look back.  Jesus also said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God”  Luke 9:62. But it is the way we need to go. 

Are you aware that Luke, in the book of Acts refers to Christians as people of “The Way?”  (Acts 9:2; 19:9; 19:23; 24:14; 24:22)  

I love that!  We are people of the Way – people who follow the Way.  No more dead ends.  No more crazy cul-de-sacs, just sure and steady progress on the highway of life that leads to heaven.    

A PRAYER: Lord, help us avoid the dead-ends of life.  May we walk in the Way.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scriptures passages are from the NETBible ®

armed with a song — February 11, 2026

armed with a song

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One of my Biblical heroes is a king named Jehoshaphat.  In fact, I kinda wish I had named one of my sons Jehoshaphat.  Can I do that retroactively?

The king had a serious problem, and yet isn’t every problem serious?  Some of them really are while others just feel like it.  We would like to trust the Lord to work out our problems.  But is there any evidence that we really and truly trust Him to do that? 

Well let’s consider Jehoshaphat’s problem as written in 2 Chronicles 20. A terrible trio of hostile nations were perched and ready to invade his Kingdom of Judah and things were looking grim. 

But the king had recently discovered that he mattered to God, and that God could be trusted to provide the security that he and his people needed.

So instead of seeking an ally, he called his people together to seek the Lord for help.  God’s spokesman answered saying, “You will not fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand, and watch the Lord deliver you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! Tomorrow march out toward them; the Lord is with you!” (20:17).

They were told to meet the enemy, then passively watch as the Lord fought their battle.  They went to meet their foes and did what God told them to do.  They waited and waited but nothing happened.  It was as if God was waiting to see evidence of their faith.

So, Jehoshaphat, “appointed musicians to play before the Lord and praise his majestic splendor.  He instructed them to march ahead of the warriors and sing a song, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his loyal love endures” (21).

Unbelievable!  The king gathered the temple worship team and said, “I want you guys to stand at the front of the column and when you meet the enemy, start singing that song I really like – the one that goes, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his loyal love endures.”

This song was used in the worship services of Israel.  This line was repeated at least 12 different times in the Old Testament in various Psalms   They knew it so well that they didn’t need a video projector for the words.

The singers were speechless, but they thought, “Are you nuts?  What about the archers and swordsmen?  Shouldn’t they go out first?  We left our camo at home.  King these hands were made for plucking a harp not a bow.”  But the King insisted.

So, the trembling tenors took their places at the front of the army, and the sergeant cried, “a one and a two and a…” and by faith they sang.

And then, “When they began to shout and praise, the Lord suddenly attacked the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated” (22). 

When they began to sing, the three hostile armies were confounded and then destroyed each other.  They were befuddled and disturbed by Judah’s confidence.

I love this story. Standing and watching was God’s idea. Using the Levitical singers – that was all Jehoshaphat.  And it appears that God was extremely pleased with his decision.

When a problem comes to visit us, I am pretty sure the last thing we want to do is to sing about how good God is.  Our lips are locked; our hearts are numb and there is nothing within us that wants to sing to the Lord

But Jehoshaphat teaches us to meet trouble with a tune.  This is something I have learned to do when trouble comes. 

My heart looks to heaven, and I sing to Him a simple hymn or chorus.  What I find is that my attitude is quickly turned around; and once that has happened, my circumstances are not always but often turned around as well.

When a problem sticks to us, we need to sing to Him!  Solid evidence that we truly trust Him with the problems we face.

A PRAYER: Lord, please give us that kind of courage

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ®

heads or tales — February 4, 2026

heads or tales

/pickleheavenpress

I think it’s safe now to finally tell my story.  If Sister Aimee Julie is still alive, she would be about 121 years old.  She was my eighth-grade teacher.   If you are reading this post and looking at the picture, I’m not the one in the black habit.  I am the spindly guy next to her. 

From the front of the classroom, sister launched us into a song and then exited the door in the back of the room.  Mario and I sat next to each other at the front of two rows. 

Mario was very Italian.  I’m pretty sure he sprinkled garlic salt on his Captain Crunch, but we were buds because I could make him laugh.

Once sister was gone, I began singing in falsetto – like a girl. Mario cracked up and did the same thing.  Pretty soon the entire class was giggling.  I felt pretty good about myself. 

However, Sister slipped in the back door and saw what was going on, but Mario and I didn’t know it because we had our backs to her.  She marched up the aisle, took Mario’s head in one hand and mine in the other and bashed them together.  We were on the floor – the desks were spilled, books were everywhere and we were seeing stars. 

We picked ourselves up and sat quietly for the rest of the school year.  She had certainly altered my behavior, but not my heart.  I was seething inside.  Still am! I was wrong for sure, but her harshness compelled me to try to justify my behavior.

Though she was a religious person, she was so unlike God. Romans 2:4 says, “Do (you) not know that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?”

When God corrects us, His goal is more than changed behavior, He is after a changed heart.  Harshness hardens a heart and alienates the guilty one, whereas kindness softens a hard-heart and draws us near. 

It was the apostle Paul who recorded Romans 2:4, and no one knew the kindness of God better than he.

He was a persecutor of the early church, known then as Saul.  He delivered Christians to prison and rejoiced when they were executed (Acts 26:10). Saul had legitimately earned a good head-bashing – but the Lord chose to confront his meanness with kindness.

God sovereignly arranged for Saul to be present when Stephen eloquently delivered the good news of Jesus for which Stephen was stoned.  A powerful Gospel seed was planted, and God, like a patient farmer, kindly allowed time for it to germinate in Saul. 

On the road to Damascus the Lord personally spoke to him saying.  “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” – Acts 9:24. The Lord didn’t gossip about Saul to Michael the Archangel.  He spoke directly to Saul with his carefully worded concern. 

Nor did He attack him in anger but framed His words in terms of the impact of Saul’s actions.  He let him know that he was personally wounded by Saul’s choices.

He used a question not an accusation to start the conversation.  How wise!   Also, the tone of his words suggested that He spoke with sincerity rather than severity.

The Lord didn’t publicly embarrass Saul.  Those with him heard His divine voice but didn’t understand what was said.  His uncomfortable words were for Saul’s ears alone (Acts 22:9).

And instead of an unrelenting berating of Saul for his sins, the Lord gave him a grand positive vision of what he could and would be should he repent. (Acts 26:17-18)

Had Sister Aimee Julie sat us down and had a conversation like that, I would have responded appropriately and repented thoroughly, and I could have avoided my recurring headaches (just kidding about the headaches).  

She did not get the memo, but we have.  When the people in our lives hurt us, disappoint us, disparage us, betray us or even sing in falsetto, confront them with kindness. 

A PRAYER: Lord it is so easy to be cruel, help us to be kind.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com  

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture passages are from the NETBible®