Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: god

a verse to value — October 21, 2026

a verse to value

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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

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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

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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

tea bag troubles — September 24, 2026

tea bag troubles

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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

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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

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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

to the end — August 12, 2026

to the end

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I had a good friend who had a terminal disease.  His immune system was shot, and the doctor ordered him to remain at home to avoid people who might infect him.  But then my wife happened to run into him at Wal-Mart.

She asked him why he was out.  He said, “I don’t want my tombstone to say, ‘He was cautious!’”

Like my friend, there are some of us who are very aware that our time on earth is almost done.  Some can’t sleep because they fear they’ll never open their eyes again.  Others try to reconcile with distant family members.  Some rest in peace before they die because they know they are secure in Christ. 

Christ also lived in the shadow of His death.   What was on His mind during those days?   

John 13 begins the telling of the Last Supper.  This, of course, was the last meal that Jesus would share with His disciples before His crucifixion.  His execution would take place only hours later. 

The Apostle John wrote, “Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father” – John 13:1. No question here, Jesus clearly understood that the time of His crucifixion had arrived.  

John continued saying, “(Jesus) Having loved his own who were in the world…”   

That is quite an amazing statement.  Jesus loved – who?  Well, those who were gathered around that table. 

They had left everything for Him.  They shared countless adventures together; they saw the glory of God penetrate the gloom of Israel; and together they suffered rejection.  They were a tight bunch, and Jesus had loved them well. 

Then John completed his sentence by saying, “He now loved them to the very end.”  His end was near, but His mind was focused on this group of people that he dearly loved.  This is quite amazing for at least two reasons.

One: Jesus was thinking of others when most would be centered on themselves.

And Two: Those disciples were going to disappoint Jesus over the next few hours.

They eventually left the supper that night to retreat to an olive grove called Gethsemane.  Jesus took His inner circle: Peter, James and John with Him, and asked them to watch while He prayed and wrestled with the Father over His crucifixion. 

It would be incredibly stressful for Jesus and He wanted them to be with Him and to pray for Him, but they fell asleep instead.  Jesus was deeply disappointed, but His love for them persisted.

Judas had been present at that meal.  But at Gethsemane he would betray the one that loved him with a meaningless middle-eastern kiss on His cheek.  A heartless betrayal, and yet Jesus would love even that man to the end. 

Jesus was apprehended in the garden and His hands were bound as they led Him away like a sheep to slaughter.  The disciples vanished like roaches when the lights come on.  It was every man for himself.  And yet Jesus’ love for them endured to the end.   

And then of course there was Peter, who covertly slipped into the courtyard of the home where Jesus was on trial.  Three times Peter denied knowing His master, when in fact he probably knew him better than most anyone else. But even Peter was loved by Jesus till the very end.

Jesus threw caution to the wind and loved His own – His ungrateful, unreliable, unpredictable own – until the end.  How comforting it is to know that He loves you and me with that same unrelenting love. 

Paul wrote, “Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” – Romans 8:38-39.

A PRAYER: Lord, thank you; thank you; thank you for such love.

God bless you!

Scripture is quoted from the NETBible ®

a soothing aroma — August 6, 2026

a soothing aroma

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Our granddaughter is in second grade and she is ridiculously cute.  Her auntie found a sweat shirt at an estate sale that she thought she might like.  Her grandmother, whom she calls Mammo, ran it through the washer and then gave it to her.

The top was too big for her, but she chose to wear it to a school event anyway.  When asked why by her mom, she said, “I like the way it looks, and it smells like Mammo.”

She treasured the familiar smell of someone that she loved.  Did you know that this is true of God as well? 

In the Old Testament era, God’s people would present “offerings” to Him.  The offering might be for the purpose of covering sin, or restoring fellowship with God, or maybe a freewill offering solely to demonstrate one’s love for Him. 

A variety of gifts were offered: bulls, goats, lambs, oil, grain, even wine.  But the offering always represented a heartfelt financial sacrifice made by the presenter. 

The offerings were placed on an altar of fire and as the smoke rose to heaven, the Lord metaphorically inhaled it and regarded it as a “soothing aroma.”    

The first instance of it in the Bible is found in Genesis 8:20-21.  Global sin was the order of the day, and God reluctantly brought global judgment because of it.  Noah and his family were spared, and once the waters had receded, we read, “Noah built an altar to the Lord. He then took some of every kind of clean animal and clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of humankind.”

God found the offering to be a soothing aroma.  An aroma is a fragrant scent that is pleasant to the nose.  To soothe is to calm a person’s emotions, to relieve, or to refresh them.  Noah’s offerings did that for the Lord.  

But then the phrase “soothing aroma” was used 38 more times in the OT to describe the burnt offerings that were made and the way they were received by the Lord.  When something is repeated 38 times, it must be important. 

It fascinates me – that a person is capable of giving to God, something that soothes and pleases Him – something that inclines Him to look upon us with pleasure.    

Does God still enjoy a soothing aroma?  He does. 

The Lamb of God became an offering for us.  Of Him Paul wrote, “…Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.”  Ephesians 5:2   

Christ offered Himself.  He satisfied the wrath of God that had been directed toward us.  He saved us and God regarded His offering as a fragrant, soothing aroma.     

Now as we stand in Christ, we have the opportunity to offer gifts that please the olfactory sense of God.   Consider Philippians 4:18. 

Paul was in the process of writing a thank you note to the Philippians for having assisted him financially in his ministry.  He wrote, “For I have received everything, and I have plenty. I have all I need because I received from Epaphroditus what you sent—a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, very pleasing to God.”

The financial sacrifice given by that church was received as a wonderful fragrance, very pleasing to God.

As I pointed out, the offerings of the Old Testament were many and varied, but the thread than ran through each – was sacrifice.  When a sacrifice was made on behalf of the Lord, it was received as a soothing aroma.

We sacrifice today when we financially support God’s work, or we give of our time to serve God’s purposes or even to lay our pride at His feet.  He receives any sacrifice, made with the right motive, as a soothing and fragrant offering. 

So, when the Lord sniffs your way – what does He smell?

A PRAYER: Oh God, our hearts want to bring you joy.  Teach us how to do that

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ®    

the gift that stays given — June 17, 2026

the gift that stays given

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They say that money speaks.  It does.  Mine often says goodbye!  

But there is more than one way we can lose what we have.  There is always the Indian Giver.

It was not uncommon in colonial America for a native American to offer a gift to a colonist.  If the gift was not regularly used, the giver might expect their gift to be returned.  It was a cultural practice that was misunderstood by European settlers.  

Which is why, a colonist who welched on their gift giving came to be known as an Indian giver. 

The term is obviously offensive to native Americans partly because of things like the Indian Removal Act of 1830.  Ironically, this law stripped tribal peoples of land that had been previously given to them and forced them to relocate out west.  The journey was called the Trail of Tears. 

Scripture says, “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” – Romans 6:23   Though eternal life is God’s gift, is it a gift that He might potentially recall.  Would He take it back if it goes unused?   Might we forfeit it by some misbehavior?  Could there be a Trail of Tears in our future?  Not according to the Scripture…

– Jesus promised to keep us secure. 

He spoke of those who believed saying, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand” – John 10:27-29.  

– We were sinners before He saved us, and remain sinners after He saved us

John wrote, “If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us” – (I Jn 1:7-8)

 Sin does not condemn the believer to hell, but it sours our relationship with Jesus.  We certainly want to remove that barrier as soon as we can, which we can do through confession (1 John 1:9).

– We have been born into His family.

 Jesus told Nicodemus to be “born again.” (John 3:1-3).  John wrote “But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children” – John 1:12.  The Christian has been born into the family of God.  So, “What can we do to be unborn? 

Suppose there was a rebellious son, who got into lots of trouble and did everything he could to dissociate himself from his dad.  And one day

he said to his father, “I hate you and I wish I were never born into this family.” 

The father could possibly say, “Well, I’m sad that you feel this way, but I have a friend at the courthouse who can fix this.  You can change your last name, and the record can be altered so that you will never be connected to our family again.” 

It may be possible to alter the record, but does it really matter?  A child just can’t be unborn!  The verbiage can be changed, but not the fact that a birth occurred. 

Even so, if we were that rebellious son, we could never be unborn from God’s family but there would be consequences for our rebellion at the judgment seat of Christ for sure. (2 Corinthians 5:9-10; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 1 John 2:28)

God loved us into His family, and He loves us while we are in His family.  The apostle Paul told us that there isn’t anything that is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord – (Romans 8:39).

The only trail we will eventually travel will take us to heaven.

A PRAYER: Lord we are grateful for such security.  Help us to live worthy of it

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture is quoted from the NETBible ®

overwait — June 10, 2026

overwait

/pickleheavenpress

Some of us are overwait! – W.A.I.T.   OK, maybe I should explain. 

One of my joys these days is singing about Jesus with my wife and a dear friend.  Not long ago we did a program for some senior adults.  Present was a woman of Japanese descent. We were told that she was 94 years old.  

She approached us after the concert.  It was clear that she had been moved by our ministry of song.  In fact, with tears of appreciation she said to us, “I have waited 92 years for this!” 

Wow! I am not so great with math, but it appears that she had been waiting to hear us sing since she was 2 years old.  I felt like we should apologize for having taken so long. 

Waiting is the worst – isn’t it?  At the Tex Mex place we fill up on tortilla chips while waiting for our fajitas to be served.  We go to the doctor’s office about an infection, but risk dying of old age as we wait to be seen. 

And of course, it seems that we are often waiting on God.  We hope and pray for change, but the boss is still unreasonable, and the kid is still incorrigible, and the paycheck is still laughable.

And yet waiting seems to be a purposeful part of God’s plan for us.  There are multiple times in the Scripture where we are urged to wait on the Lord.  For instance, David wrote in Psalm 27:14, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” – NIV

But why must we wait?   Why does God, who is clearly Lord over time, make us wait? 

Well suppose that every time that we pray, God immediately responds.  I mean immediately – like a vending machine.  Push a button and He drops down exactly what we order.  If this were so, how might that affect us? 

– We would become His Lord and He would become our slave.  I’m not sure I could worship a God like that. 

– It would also feed our tendency to be self-centered which would spill over into our relationships with others.  Selfishness is a cancer that grows.   

– We might get what we ask for but not what we need.  I once pleaded with God for a new job.  He provided one but I earned less than what I was making before.  I got what I wanted but not what I needed.   As we wait, we have time to consider what we seek and why we want it and adjust our prayers accordingly.

– Also our faith in God would be weak and undeveloped.  That would be tragic in that He once said to us, without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)  By waiting for God, we affirm and grow our faith – believing He is in sovereign control, and that He will eventually demonstrate His love for us.

Are you waiting on God these days? Take some encouragement from the words of Isaiah who wrote, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is an eternal God, the Creator of the whole earth. He does not get tired or weary; there is no limit to his wisdom. He gives strength to those who are tired; to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy.  Even youths get tired and weary;

even strong young men clumsily stumble.  But those who wait for the Lord’s help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired” – Isaiah 40:28-31. 

Isaiah wants us to know that, despite the wait, God is still on the throne and in complete control.  And as we wait, He will supply the wisdom and strength and the energy we need.    

It’s kinda like He is the waiter that resupplies the chips while we wait for the fajitas.

A PRAYER: Lord sustain us while we patiently wait on You

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you always

Scripture references are from the NETBible® unless otherwise noted.