Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: faith

still attached — October 27, 2026

still attached

/pickleheavenpress

some of us detach when we ought to latch! 

I watched a guy pull out of a fueling station with a tail that trailed behind his car.  And no, it was not the tail of a Ford Mustang.  He just forgot to remove the hose after he gassed up. 

Well, he wasn’t the first to do that.  It is reported that this happens at busy fueling stations 1-3 times a month.  Wow I wonder what the stats are for Buc-ees? 

But fear not!  The pumps are equipped with breakaway couplings that prevent it from coming apart and causing an explosion.  Good to know. 

And it’s amazing that the repair only takes about 5 minutes, but it will cost about $500 – about the same as for a fill up these days.   

When it comes to spiritual fueling, we tend to have the opposite problem.  We tend to detach when we need to latch. 

Here’s what I mean.  Jesus made a comparison in John 15.  He is the vine and we are the branches.  He said to us, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

The purpose of a grapevine is to produce grapes.  To do so, the branch must remain in the vine, and the life and nourishment of the vine must remain in it.

The word remain is translated from the Greek word, “meno.”  Jesus used it 11 times from verses 4-10.   Evidently Important!  It means to abide (which is the word I prefer) or to stay in relationship to. A friend once described this as “hanging with.” 

It speaks of an unbroken connection.  It is to live with the Lord every day in every circumstance. Warren Wiersbe called it, “A living union, a loving union, and a lasting union.”

Some of us started our journey with Christ well.  We prayed with passion and dug into his Word each day.  We sought to know and do His will. We engaged in heartfelt worship on Sunday.   But then life happened and we were distracted.

Grapes and the wine they produced were essential to the ancients.  Apart from water, it was their primary beverage.  But it was also a medical boost.  It was often mixed into water to kill disease-causing microorganisms.

Once it was planted, the vine would yield a full crop in about 5 years. If well managed, however, it could continue for about 100 years.  The Christian who abides in Christ will bear fruit perpetually.

Fruit in the Christian life is manifested as godly character, righteous deeds, holy attitudes and so on.  Jesus specifically mentioned several fruits in John 15 such as obedience (10); joy (11); love for each other (12); and sacrifice (13).  When we abide in the vine these excellent qualities naturally erupt, when we don’t – they don’t.

The Christian who abides in Jesus is hungry to daily mine His word to hear His voice.  He or she converses with Him in prayer.  This person seeks to obey Him in all things and is grieved when they fall short of what He expects.  This person delights at being in His presence for worship.

In verse 5 Jesus said, “apart from Me you can do nothing.”  A branch cannot hold its breath and force the grapes to pop out.  Fruit bearing has little to do with the branch.  It can only bear fruit when it is intimately connected to the vine. 

The only responsibility we branches have is to abide. 

How embarrassing it must be to drive back to the gas station with a nozzle to nowhere in your hand.   More embarrassing is to wake up in heaven someday realize that you failed to abide in your relationship with Jesus.

So, plan to “fill er up” today, and go ahead and leave the hose in place.

A PRAYER: Lord my tank is empty too often.  Teach me to abide.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

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

Scripture passages are from the NIV

a verse to value — October 21, 2026

a verse to value

/pickleheavenpress

I have at least two verses that I have memorized from the Bible.  The first is Job 19:17 – “My breath is repulsive to my wife.”  No amens please!  The second is John 3:16

John 3:16 is perhaps the sweetest words Jesus ever spoke.  That single verse has been used for generations to unlock the blessing of salvation for many. 

You probably have it memorized as well.  Which means that you possess the means by which to redirect eternity for your unbelieving family, friends and neighbors.   May I show you how? 

I had a friend in his forties but had never ever been to church and knew little of Jesus or the Bible.  I will call him Nate in my story. 

He began to visit a church.  He was bewildered by what he experienced and we often discussed it.  Over time he seemed to be warming up to Jesus.   One day he was asking the right kinds of questions.  I used John 3:16 to help him wrestle with the issues. 

I recited the words, “For God…” This assumes the existence of God.  I asked Nate if he believed that God existed.  He said “Yes.” 

…so loved the world…” This tells us that God is essentially love – that He loves people.  “Nate do you believe that God loves the people of this world?”  “Well yeah!”  “But do you believe He loves you?”  “Yes!”  Then I told him about one unique act of God’s love.

…that He gave His only begotten Son… Because God so loved the world, He gave what was most precious to Him – His only Son.  This was Jesus, of the same substance as God and yet He took on human flesh to come to us.

         When God gave His Son, He sent Jesus to the earth to bring the message of eternal life, and then to die in order to provide it.  “Nate, do you believe this?” He said, “I think so.”  

…that whoever believeth in Him… “Whoever” tells us that anyone can benefit from what God has given.   But there is one thing we are expected to do – that is to believe. Most religious systems teach us that we must earn our ticket to eternal life.  But John 3:16 tells us that Jesus purchased it for us.  We must simply receive it by trusting Him. 

        So, what do we need to believe?  That we have sinned against God and that the penalty for that sin is death.  We need to believe that the Son of God took our place and died on a cross.

“So, Nate tell me, do you believe this?”  There was a very long pause, but then he said, “I do.” 

…shall not perish… This tells us that the one who fails to trust in Christ shall die an eternal death.  It’s called hell – a place where a person exists, but in unending suffering.  Nate indicated that he believed there was hell.

…but have everlasting life…The one who believes shall not perish but instead will have eternal life – this is an eternal existence with God in an unbroken state of joy. I asked Nate once again, “Nate to do you believe that God takes all who trust Him to heaven?”  He said “Yes.” 

It was then I said, “Well Nate, it seems like you understand the Good News and that you believe every bit of it.  He said, “I guess I do.”   He and I then prayed, and he surrendered his life to Jesus. 

Hey, I believe you could do that too.  You already have John 3:16 memorized. 

You already understand it and can explain it.  It is an approach that is easy and natural.  You don’t have to whip out a tract or find a Bible.  You can share it from your heart.  

Some of us believe that sharing the Gospel is the pastors’ job.  “Let the shepherd of the flock do it.”  But someone once observed, “Shepherds don’t give birth to sheep; other sheep do.”  I hope you will do the same.

A PRAYER: Lord help us be aware of opportunities we have to share our faith

Scripture is quoted from the King James Version

a bathroom made of glass — October 14, 2026

a bathroom made of glass

/pickleheavenpress

I did something pretty embarrassing.  I relieved myself in the middle of the Hopkins County Courthouse Square.  I really did!  It was in a stand-alone public bathroom with walls made of glass.  

I was curious about it, so I visited.  I opened the door which was more stout than the door at my bank.  (What would you want to steal from in there?) 

I walked inside and experienced an unobstructed panoramic view of the square and all who walked by.  But could they see me?  No!  From outside the walls looked like solid mirrored glass (at least that is what I wanted to believe). 

The décor style was Mid-Penitentiary Modern with a steel sink and toilet. God forbid that I should have to sit.   It was really weird to be so hidden and yet feel so exposed.

Transparency in a bathroom may not be a good thing – but when it comes to relationships – it’s the best.

Transparency is the quality or state of being easy to see through – like glass.  

When it is applied to relational things it is the quality of being honest and open and clear in the way we communicate.  Think of most any politician and you have an idea of what transparency is not. 

But oh, how we like to hide from each other.  We have been known to stuff our feelings and disguise our motives and we can be preeminent at pretending.   

Pointless behavior from God’s perspective because Hebrews 4:13 says, “And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.”  There is nothing about us that is hidden from the penetrating eyes of God.

But here’s the thing – God says that you and I need to be transparent with one another.

– To be transparent is to recognize we are needy.

We are all sinners saved by grace and yet sinners we remain. John reminds us that if any of we Christians think we are without sin, then we are liars and the truth is not in us -1 John 1:10.  Not just some of us but every single one of us. 

To know that we are all sinners frees us from the burden of pretending that we are not.

– To be transparent is to confide in one another

         Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” 

         God has charged His people to support one another in our weaknesses.  But how will my spouse know, or my friends know what I need unless I am open with them.

– To be transparent is to be truthful.

Paul wrote, “Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor because we are members of one another” – Ephesians 4:25.

It is a lie to speak something that is untrue, but also a lie to say nothing and allow a person to believe something is true of us when it isn’t.  We need to speak the truth in love with each other and leave dishonesty at the dump.

– To be transparent is to be accountable

         James wrote, “So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed.” – James 5:16.

         The pinnacle of transparency is the ability to be honest with others about our failures and even allow them to help us overcome.  This is truly a scary thought and yet Proverbs 28:13 says, “The one who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses them and forsakes them will find mercy.”  This has certainly been my repeated experience.   

What are the benefits?  People are comfortable with those who are transparent.  They feel like they can trust them, plus pretending is exhausting.   So come out of hiding and try on transparency for size especially with those you love and trust.

A PRAYER: Lord, help me to be an open book especially with those who love me. 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture passage taken from the NETBible ®

when God gets in the way — October 7, 2026

when God gets in the way

/pickleheavenpress

does God ever stand in our way?  Maybe!

Dean was still less than 20 years old, but she had accumulated a lifetime of bad habits.  About that time, she met Jesus and His sweet love transformed her.  The vise-like vices in her life began to release their grip.

Smoking, however, was a tough one.  She loved to light up a Marlboro light and was a pack-a-day kind of girl.  But she felt like the Lord would have her give that up too – and so she did.  She trashed a brand-new box of cigarettes that day.  It was a sacred commitment that she made to the Lord.

She managed okay without them, but stressful times intensified her desire to have a smoke.  One day life became too much, and she was desperate to light up.  But she knew that God would not approve, nor would her church friends in that small town.

So, she boarded a ship for Tarshish.  She drove her pickup truck in one direction for about three hours to a community where she had never been nor would she be known.  She walked into the convenience store and looked for the familiar red and white box.

But then a voice reached out and said, “Hey Dean, what are you doing here?”  No, it wasn’t God, it was a guy with whom Dean worked with back home.  Turns out his mother lived in that town and he visited her every weekend. 

So, Dean bought a soda instead and drove home.

Our God is quite amazing.  He has given us the freedom to make choices, be they good or evil.  He will not rescind that gift.  We are free to choose, but also responsible for the choices we make.  He does this because He is a just God. 

But because He is also full of grace, He does for us what He did for Dean.  The apostle Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.”  He reminds us that we all experience temptation.  And there is no unique or exceptional temptation we are forced to endure. 

He continued, “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”  God permits us to be tempted because an untested faith is no faith at all.   But, because God is committed to us, He vigilantly stands with us during those times we are tempted. He intervenes and limits the degree to which the evil one can entice us. 

And then Paul says, “But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” Paul anticipated that we will be tempted in the future, but he tells us that God will assist us to resist it.  He will be there to help us succeed.  

Isn’t that what He did for Dean?  He sovereignly worked out the circumstances so that her quest to sin took her to a secret and remote destination which brought her to the same town her coworker would be. 

God also worked it out so that they would convene in the same convenience store at the same time.  Her devious heart was instantly exposed. She recognized that God was at work, and that was enough for her to say, “No this isn’t really what I want.” 

So be aware!   When you are about to click on that forbidden website and Windows freezes up – that’s God.  When you’re about to walk into that dive and you get a random text from your mother – that’s God.    When you are on the verge of losing your temper and your little girl comes into the room – that’s God.   You might want to pay attention – and make a better choice.

A PRAYER: Lord, we invite You to freely intervene if we should wander.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

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

Scripture passages are from the New International Version

slipping away — September 30, 2026

slipping away

/pickleheavenpress

It was a frigid day in rural West Virginia, and yet a great day because a young man came to Christ that Sunday morning.  He asked to be baptized in the nearby Mud River. 

The Mud River, however, was more like the Mud Shiver because it was covered with a thick sheet of ice.  Pastor Terry Keaton, took an axe and chopped a big hole in it.   The congregation watched from a bridge as they both stepped in.  Pastor Terry said the words, and then slipped the man beneath the waters, 

BUT the current caught the man and swept him under the ice and down the river.   The pastor panicked!   Terry jumped out and tried to intercept the guy, frantically chopping holes as he went.  Several yards downriver, he was finally able to snag the new convert and reel him in.

Pastor Terry was determined to retain that new church member.

Ironically, other folks are slipping away from churches today, never to be rescued.  They were often present for worship, and some helped with VBS.  Some were Deacons, others sang soprano in the choir.  Many were once a part of the youth group. 

But something happened.  Maybe they had expectations of the pastor that were not met.  Maybe someone said something that didn’t sit well.  Or maybe the fire inside just went out – and they drifted away from church. 

It is estimated by polling organizations that about 3.5 thousand people walk away from the church in the U.S every day.   Unfortunately, most of those folks don’t have someone like Terry to chase them down and break the ice. 

Jesus told a parable about people who wander away from the flock.  He said, “What do you think? If someone owns a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray?” – Matthew 18:12.

It was a rhetorical question with an obvious answer.  “Yes, certainly if one of the foolish sheep were to slip away from the flock, most anyone would make sure the other 99 were good, and then seek out that one lost sheep.” 

Well, what’s good for sheep – is good for people. 

Jesus went on to say, “In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that one of these little ones be lost” – 18:14.  The Father in heaven values the one.  One person is too much to lose.  He is not willing to write them off.  Jesus said, “I came to seek and to save the lost.” 

If heaven rejoices when a wandering sheep has been found, tears must be shed in the heavenlies when 3.5 thousand daily wander away. 

So, what can we do about this?  People who leave the flock are typically suffering from a church inflicted wound.  They have been hurt, but they don’t have the courage or maturity to speak to someone about it, so they gradually withdraw.  And this withdrawal is their cry for help.  They hope that someone might notice and talk to them about their hurt.

Unfortunately, the majority of church dropouts will tell you, “No one noticed.  No one cared enough to call and ask why they haven’t seen me lately.”   And this then becomes their primary justification as to why they need to leave that church.

Like our Father in heaven, we need to seek out those who wander.  The pastor should be an essential part of that team, but Paul reminds us that “we are members of one another.” – Ephesians 4:25. A pastor doesn’t impart a sense of belonging – that comes from the church family

When we look at that pew and see nothing, we need to say something.  We need to seek that person out, sensitively probe and listen to them. In my many years of pastoral experience I have found that this is the most crucial step towards restoring broken fellowship. 

So, let’s grab an axe and get to it! 

A PRAYER: Lord sensitize us to those in our church family. 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

Scripture passages are taken from the NETBible ®

tea bag troubles — September 24, 2026

tea bag troubles

/pickleheavenpress

You may be an old bag – an old tea bag to be precise.

It was a cold day, so he made himself a strong, dark, steamy cup of tea.  His daughter also asked for a cup.  Well – being a frugal fellow, he took the tea bag from his cup and swirled it around in hers.  The water became slightly tinged with an amber color. 

But then her son also wanted a cup.  So, grandpa recycled the soggy tea bag a third time and then handed the boy a completely tasteless cup of hot water.  

That scenario is not likely to really happen, but it does occur quite frequently in fact, in the spiritual realm.  

The first-generation Christian believer is deeply devoted to the Lord.  They have personally experienced God’s work in their lives and are wholehearted in their obedience.  Like the first cup of tea, this person’s faith is strong and vibrant.  They raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord

But that second generation slips a notch in their priorities.  Other things are more important, and they find it easy to compromise.   Like the second cup of tea, their faith is weaker and diluted but has just enough color to it to appear to be real.  

The faith of the third generation declines even more.  God doesn’t much figure into life for them.   They are unmotivated to follow Him or obey His word. Like the third cup of tea, there isn’t much evidence of any kind of faith at all.

Dr. Bruce Wilkinson traces this kind of decline in his teaching “The Three Chairs.”  (You can find it on youtube.) 

Joshua was a first- generation believer.  He and his people walked through the Red Sea, fed on manna in the wilderness and watched Jericho fall.  Joshua 24:31 says, “Israel worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive. These men had experienced firsthand everything the Lord had done for Israel.” 

The key words here are, “experienced and first hand.”  Joshua and his generation experienced God and His working in a first-hand way and they were faithful to Him for life. 

But Judges 2:7 tells us that the next generation slipped. “The people worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive. These men had witnessed all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.”

The words, experience and first-hand are not used here.  What we find instead is that they witnessed.  These people watched and saw the wonderful things that God did to bring His people from Egypt to Canaan. But they had been children. They rode along in the back seat and watched as their parents forged the way of faith. 

The third generation is found in Judges 2:10. “That entire generation passed away; a new generation grew up that had not personally experienced the Lord’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel.”

This third generation was born in Cannan land.  The exodus from Egypt and the fall of the Jericho walls were all ancient history to them.  They didn’t experience nor did they even see the works of the Lord.   Consequently, the remainder of the book of Judges chronicles the moral chaos that characterized this group. 

So where do you fall in the family tree?  Are you a taster or a watcher or maybe you are of the third group that has done neither.  

If you wish, you can go to the kitchen yourself and make your own cup of tea using a brand new tea bag.   How?  Paul wrote, “Present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—which is your reasonable service” -Romans 12:1. 

Surrender to Him – today – and enjoy your tea!  

A PRAYER: Oh God, save us from a watered-down faith.  

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

Scripture is quoted from the NETBible®

bray without ceasing — September 16, 2026

bray without ceasing

/pickleheavenpress

New neighbors have moved into our neighborhood – a couple of mangy mismatched donkeys.  They saunter up to the back fence whenever they hear us. 

My wife is ecstatic.   We have taken out a loan to keep them supplied with carrots and grain pellets.  They also crave animal crackers which ironically include donkey shaped crackers.  Clearly a case of cannibalism? 

They insist I give them my attention when they see me.  The bigger one brays (which is donkey speak for screams).  He, in fact, brays without ceasing – continually – non-stop, and unfortunately, he sounds like he has swallowed a flip-flop. 

He knows that I have the power and means to feed him and he won’t let me forget it.  I am annoyed and yet I marvel at his persistence.  He puts my prayer life to shame. 

Indeed, the Apostle Paul tells me that I am to, “Pray without ceasing” 1 Thess. 5:17.  – KJV.    What?  The only thing I do without ceasing is to breathe.  And I have sleep apnea so I can barely do that.  

So, does Paul really expect us to pray non-stop?  Well, that’s what he did.  In multiple places Paul used the word “always” to describe the way he prayed. (Phil 1:3; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2 Thess 1:11; Col 1:3).

And he told us that a guy named Epaphras prayed in the same way (Col 4:12).

What does Paul mean by this?  The words, “without ceasing” are translated from one Greek word (adialeiptos).  In other literature of the day, this word was used to describe the payment of taxes, a nagging cough, repeat military campaigns and the production of fruit on a tree. 

The word isn’t an “every second of the day” kind of scenario.  The book of Acts makes it clear that Paul did lots of other things than just pray.  This word carries the idea of doing something on a regular basis as a matter of habit.   It is constantly recurring, not continuously occurring.”  (Wiersbe) So…

– To pray without ceasing is to make prayer a regular part of our lives.

We should pray daily when we meet with God and read in His Word.  We might keep a prayer journal to hold us accountable to the commitments we make to others to pray.  Because my wife and I use a prayer journal each evening, we could say that we pray for many people, pastors and churches without ceasing.  We should pray when we gather with others at small group, or church. 

         But there is more to this. 

– To pray without ceasing is to live in conscious dependence on God. 

We know that without the Lord we can do nothing (John 15:5)   If we truly understand this, then spontaneous verbalized prayer will naturally and appropriately happen.  We will give thanks throughout the day when we see evidence of His goodness and pray when we encounter challenges.  When we wake up in the middle of the night and worry – we will naturally seek Him.

Jesus captured this so well.  He was extremely busy with so many things, and yet we find Him deliberately pulling away at times to pray (Mark 1:35).  

At other times He would stop and abruptly pray right the middle of what He was doing (Luke 10:21).  He was dependent on His Father, which made it natural for Him to pray as needed.  This kind of prayer isn’t limited by time or place.  The right aptitude is not required for prayer, but the right attitude is. 

For most of my Christian life I have enjoyed the regular habit of prayer, but its only as I have aged that I have begun to experience this attitude of prayer.  

I am very aware of my desperate need for the Lord and His intervention and grace in my life.  Sometimes I think prayers to that end and often give voice to them as well.  And yet I still feel like I fall short when I hear my neighbor, “bray without ceasing.”

A PRAYER: Lord help me do what is important to You.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavnpress.com

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

be prepared — September 9, 2026

be prepared

/pickleheavenpress

I believe it was Woody Allen who said, “I am not afraid of dying, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”

Like it or not, death is the single most certain factor we can expect in this life.  We know it’s coming – so should we prepare? 

The prophet Isaiah would say yes.  He was the spiritual advisor to Hezekiah, King of Judah.  Hezekiah had made some foolish choices that came with a foul consequence.

Isaiah 38:1 says, “In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”   

Isaiah probably needed to improve his bedside manner.  He spoke the Word of God to the King – the dreadful news that he would die but Hezekiah was also given the opportunity to prepare for it.  Evidently time was provided for the King to do that.  The Lord could have taken him home instantly but decided it was important to give him time to prepare.  

It would seem that we also have that opportunity to “put our houses in order” before we should die.

But what about the years that precede death, when we are unable to earn an income?  Again – we need to prepare.  Solomon wrote, “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!… it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest” – Proverbs 6:6-8.

I currently serve as a hospice chaplain.  I am really sad when I meet a patient who is unprepared for their latter days – and there are a great many!  

As of today, 45% of older adult households aren’t able to cover their basic living expenses. 80% don’t have the resources to cope with widowhood, serious illness, or long-term care.  (National Council on Aging).

And yet retirement and death are always on the horizon of this life.  So, what can we do to put our houses in order?

– We begin with Faith Preparation

Jesus said, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” – John 3:36.  We need to receive Christ’s gift today – if we are to have a bright tomorrow.

– And then there is Family Preparation

A shocking number of the elderly people for whom I care, are alone – often divorced, or widowed and even at odds with their kids.  They have little to no family support at a time that it is most needed.  

Scripture says that family should provide care for their aging parents.  Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 5:8, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  

Financial help would be great, but far more important is the relational/emotional support that is greatly needed.

So, before you start going grey, make sure to nurture the family that God has given you.  Love them, affirm them, and be sure to forgive them.  Do that and they will be there for you when you need them.

– And then of course there is Financial Preparation.

Again, I am shocked to meet and care for many who had prospered in their earning years and yet end up barely subsisting on Medicaid.  They are shuttled off to sad nursing facilities because they lack the finances for anything better.

Live below your means today so that you have the means to live comfortably in your senior years.  Take the difference you save now and carefully invest it. 

There are a multitude of other steps you can take to turn your current income into a comfortable retirement.  Check out Dave Ramsey on the net for help!

An ordered house, is a comfortable place to live.

A PRAYER: Lord, we are behind.  Help us make up for lost time. 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

Scripture passages are taken from the new International Version

why so many versions of the Bible? — September 2, 2026

why so many versions of the Bible?

/pickleheavenpress

There are approximately 50 different English translations of the Bible which are currently being published.   Which is why, come Sunday morning the pastor may preach from a version that is different from the one on our laps and may not even match the version projected on the video screen. 

So, when the pastor tells us to read our Bibles, we need to ask, “Well, which one?”    Why are there so many versions of the Bible?

The Bible was originally written in Hebrew and Greek, so it must be translated for us – which is a challenge because…

– language evolves.  The KJV used the word “wist” in Mark 9:6.   Most of us, “wist” we understood what it means.  The NIV replaced it with the words “did not know” which certainly fits the word wist.  We need a Bible translation that reflects the language that we speak and understand. 

– there are different translation approaches.  

There is not agreement as to the philosophy that underlies translation

a. There is the word-for-word approach. (NASB) The object is to translate word-for-word what the ancient Hebrew and Greek manuscripts say.   This type of translation is reliably true, but a little wooden to read.

b. There is the thought-for-thought approach which strives to translate biblical ideas when words are not enough. (NIV)

For instance, Genesis 1:27 says, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (NASB).  The word mankind, or people would better capture the intended meaning here than the word man.

The disadvantage of this approach is that it sometimes results in “this is what I think it means” instead of “this is what it says.” 

– there is new manuscript evidence.   When the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1946, they gave new insight as to how the ancient Hebrew language was used.  The scrolls expanded the meanings of particular words and so on.  A translator would want to incorporate this newly discovered information into a fresh translation.

– some readers have special needs.  A quick way to discourage a kid from reading the Bible is to hand them the King James.  They ain’t gonna understand it.  So considerate translators have provided children’s translations. (ICB)

There are some reasonable reasons to have multiple translations, but – do we really need 50 of them?   Publishers think we do! 

– publishing the Bible is big business. 

If every Christian were satisfied with just one Bible, the publishers would soon be out of business. The market would dry up.  So, they continue to crank out new translations and then promote the idea that the new version is essential to our spiritual health.    

And they expect the authors, who they also publish, to use quotations from their new Bible, so that readers will be influenced to buy the new version for themselves.  All this guarantees a good profit margin and steady revenue.

Bible sales net $350-500 million annually.   The two biggest producers of Bibles are Zondervan and Thomas Nelson.  Both are currently owned by secular publisher Harper-Collins which is owned by Newscorp – Rupert Murdoch’s massive media company.  Publishing the Bible is big, big business – unfortunately.

But we really don’t need so many Bible versions.  The differences between good translations are usually inconsequential.

So what version is best to use?   I prefer and strongly recommend the word-for-word versions – such as the New American Standard Bible (NASB) the English Standard Version (ESV) the New King James Version (NKJV) or the NETBible.com   

Why?   Because they accurately and meaningfully communicate word-for word what the inspired authors once wrote.  To translate in any other way is to allow culture to influence the meaning of the Scripture, when it is Scripture that needs to influence culture.   Culture changes over time, the Word of God does not. 

A PRAYER: Lord, I speak of Your Word.  May Your Word speak to me.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

a sticky situation — August 19, 2026

a sticky situation

/pickleheavenpress

Back in the days of cassette tapes, I was in a band.  And after we performed a concert, people would sometimes ask “Hey do you guys have any tapes?”  I would say, “Yes we do, I got one from the Eagles and Gary has one from the Gaithers.”  Most people didn’t appreciate my witty reply.

But I’d like to discuss a different kind of tape here – the sticky kind.

I was invited to speak at a marriage retreat.  There were several couples present and they shared much in common: each person had been married and divorced before, and each couple had lived with their current spouse prior to marriage.  Each couple was also quite troubled. 

And I was reminded of the parable of the duct tape. 

Think of fictitious Bill as a piece of duct tape (you can choose the color).  He is alone and longs to be wanted.   Like tape, he is ready to adhere when applied to another person.

Bill met Sally.  She is also alone and ready for a partner.  Bill fit the bill.  After a couple of dates, they ended up in the bedroom and became “one flesh.”  Their sticky sides met and they deeply bonded. 

It was more than physical. Their union was also emotional, mental, and even metaphysical in its nature.

After several months of dating, Bill tried to pull away.  But stick two pieces of tape to each other, and it’s almost impossible to separate them.  If you succeed, both pieces are mangled beyond recognition.  And what is left loses most of its stickiness.

Bill eventually married another, but it was a deeply troubled marriage mostly because Bill was emotionally mangled and had lost his stickiness in several prior relationships. 

Back in Genesis 2, God created one man and one woman and invited them to become one flesh with each other – to marry for life and bear children.

This became the template for mankind going forward. God expected us to commit to lifelong relationships and reserve our sexual passions for our spouse alone.

Any departure from this is considered to be immoral.  The Scripture says, “Marriage must be honored among all, and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers” – Heb. 13:4. NETBible ®

God expects us to honor the institution of marriage.  We do that when we say, “I do.”  We are also told to keep the marriage bed undefiled.  Sex was designed to take place within the boundary of marriage, not before it, or with anyone who is not your spouse.

The author indicates that to do otherwise is to be immoral.  The word in the Greek from which this is translated is, “porneia.” Notice the root word “porn.”

Back in 1st century pagan circles, there was a huge number and diversity of sexual deviancies.  So many that God would have needed to compose 1,000 commandments to address each particular offense – so He summed them up instead with this word, “porneia.”

But why would God be so stingy and deprive us of the pleasures of unrestricted sex?  Only because He wants us to experience the richest marriage possible. 

He wants to see two fresh pieces of tape, stick to and bond with each other, so that their relationship will flourish and even endure the hardships of life.  He wants to protect us from the trauma of being mangled by multiple sexual partners.

God is not limiting us – He is looking out for us! 

Many of us, including myself, have already blown it in this area.  Know that God’s grace and forgiveness are great when we seek it.  There’s no need to despair. 

But, we can get it right going forward, and we can teach the parable of the duct tape to our kids and grandkids so that they might experience God’s very best for them.    

A PRAYER: God, how we need your help in this area. 

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you