Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: Jesus

an encouraging word — May 1, 2024

an encouraging word

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My wife has taken up the palette and easel to become a painter.   She is doing pretty well!  In fact, I encouraged her to send her finished art to our adult children to hang on their refrigerators.

I’m funnin’ ya’ of course, but that is certainly one way they could encourage her artistic endeavors.

Encouragement can come in the form of pictures on the ice box and other helpful activities, but let’s focus on verbal encouragement for now. 

Hebrews 3:13 tells us we all need a daily dose of it.  It says, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

This is a command directed to us and it is something that we should offer to those around us on a daily basis.

Most encouragement is kind of like milk.  It has a short shelf life.  It expires and then we have to run to the store to get more.  So, we need to encourage each other regularly.

The author tells us why.  He says, “so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”   There is a sin principle which is at work in this world.  Think of it as the sun at work on your skin.  The UV rays penetrate and damage your skin.  Get enough of it over time and you’ll end up with a leathery look.

Likewise, we are bombarded by the destructive lies and the lusts of this world.  It erodes our ego.  Over time it harms our souls and causes us to become insensitive and indifferent to spiritual things.

Encouragement is like sun block.  It keeps the UV rays of sin from penetrating and protects us from damage.

To experience encouragement, we need to be together.  Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…”

The author spoke of people who gave up the habit of church.  He pleads – don’t do that because being with other Christians is where encouragement is found.   

Sunday worship lifts us up, the message challenges us, the classes provide personal interaction and the casual conversation at the coffee table is sweet (especially if your church serves donuts as mine does). 

But Sunday worship is not enough. We need to be in relationship with people whom we know, love and trust. I have a friend who was chronically depressed.  He told me that he would often go to small group discouraged but leave feeling great.

So how do we speak encouragement to one another?

– Make it positive.  Sarcasm and encouragement do not get along.  A compliment bathed in sarcasm, is like a chocolate covered olive.

– Make sure what you say is true.  Flattery falls flat.  Don’t tell her she looks like a model when she doesn’t.  When we lie, we imply that the truth may be painful for them to handle – and they sense it.

– Our words should have substance.  To say you look nice – is nice, but insufficient.   Focus on issues of character and virtue and service.   Tell her that you are proud of the way she handled her surly boss.  Tell him that he did well when he shared his faith with his uncle.

It would be nice if we all lived home on the range where seldom is heard a discouraging word.  Ah, but we do not.

But we can change that.  We can start by being the first and most frequent to encourage others.  It’s crazy how the encouraged, will reciprocate.

My grandson was in the midst of potty training.  He would occassionally fail to succeed, but he always ended those sessions by saying out loud, “Good try.” 

I suppose that we could encourage ourselves, as he did – but it is so much more meaningful and powerful when it comes from someone else.

A PRAYER: Lord my own soul feels a little leathery, help me to create an encouraging community.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you!

Scripture references are from the New International Version.

the journey of the soul — April 24, 2024

the journey of the soul

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I bought a new cell phone.  My old one was having memory issues, it garbled messages and it was having a rough time recharging.  Which ironically is also how my wife describes me.

The girl at the store opened the phone case and took out the SIM card.  That card contains the essence of my virtual identity.  She slipped the card into the new phone, and I was good to go.

Hooray, my virtual identify was not lost, it was just transferred to a new home.

Believe it or not, this helps me to understand a big existential question – What happens to a person when they die?

Well let’s discuss the soul.  When your parents put your birth on the calendar, God did not withdraw a soul from an existing repository.  Your soul was conceived right along with the rest of you.  It came into being at that moment, but it became an everlasting entity from then on. 

Your soul essence was placed in your body.  I am somewhat disappointed because I feel like my soul should have been placed in athletic body.  But the Lord knows best. 

Anyway, the soul remains in the body until death occurs.  At that time, the body is vacated, and the soul of the Christian goes to be with the Lord.  Like a hermit crab that seeks a bigger shell to inhabit, our soul longs for bigger things.

Paul wrote, “Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth, we are absent from the Lord for we live by faith, not by sight. Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” – 2 Corinthians 5:6-8

He argued that the Christian can only be in one of two places – either on earth confined to our mortal bodies, or in heaven with the Lord.   There is no “time out” in Purgatory for bad behavior, nor does the soul ever sleep.  It’s either fixed in our functional earthly body or in heaven.  Jesus said to converted thief on the cross as he was dying, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”  – Luke 23:43.

The soul of the person who fails to trust in Jesus is also separated from their body at death and immediately placed into a situation that the Bible describes as being one of eternal torment. 

Jesus described it when told the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.  Both men died.  Humble Lazarus was pictured as being carried off to a blissful heaven, whereas the miserly rich man was carried to a painful place.  From there he cried up to heaven, “…send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue because I am in anguish in this fire.”  – Luke 16:19-31

So, what happens to the soul after all this?   

One day Jesus will return to this earth, and the souls of the faithful will return with Him.  Paul wrote, “God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep as Christians.”  – 1 Thessalonians 4:14. 

Then their interred bodies will be raised and be made new and imperishable – an eternal body fit to house an eternal soul.   Paul went on to say, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” – 4:16

And that is the journey of the soul.  When our bodies fail us, the essence of who we are does not die.  It just gets inserted into a new eternally fit habitation.  It’s a little more complicated than transferring a SIM card, but God gets the job done.   

So be warmed if you belong to Him.  Be warned if you don’t!  

A prayer: Lord this truth enables us to face the future without fear.  Thank You

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you!

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ®

an offensive gift — April 17, 2024

an offensive gift

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I have a sweet friend who happily teaches at an elementary school.  Ladonna posted a note, not long ago on Facebook.  She said, “Throughout my years of teaching, my students have brought me little gifts from time to time. It may be a rock, a picture they’ve drawn, or a bracelet made from a pipe cleaner.”

“Today I received another sweet gift.”  She included a picture of this gift.  It was a container of Secret deodorant!  She concluded by asking, “Do you think this student is trying to tell me something?” 

I bet you a hundred bucks she smelled her pits that day just to be sure. 

I’m sure he meant well, but regardless it was kind of a goofy, maybe even an offensive gift.

Ironically, Jesus also lacks tact when He gives His gift. 

He offers us the gift of salvation, but He first must make us aware at how desperately we need it.  He lets us know that…

– Without Him we are incapable of doing what He considers to be good. 

He said, “Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.” – John 15:4. 

– Without Him we don’t even have a desire to be good.

Again, He said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” – John 6:44

– and without Him we don’t even understand what that good is.

Jesus said, “Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear, nor do they understand.” – Matthew 13:13

We have proven Him correct by the many and varied ways we have chosen to sin.  It’s as Paul said, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23.   

We treasure the idea that Jesus loves us.  But this same Jesus regards people as being totally corrupt and possessing nothing that makes us attractive or acceptable to God.  Basically, He says, “We stink!”

We mock the preacher in dowdy dress, who stands on the corner with a sign that says “repent.”  And yet Jesus freely used the word as well.

– He said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” –   Luke 5:32

– He held people responsible for failing to repent.  “Then Jesus began to criticize openly the cities in which he had done many of his miracles because they did not repent.”  – Matthew 11:20

– He predicted a terrible outcome for those who did not repent. He said, “Unless you repent, you will all perish….!  – Luke 13:3

OK Jesus we get the message: we stink. Though we don’t usually think of ourselves as being sinners – You do.  And in the end its your judgment that matters. 

So, what do we do?  I was a lazy teenager, I didn’t shower as often as I should have, but I frequently slathered on deodorant.  Is that TMI?

We need more than that.  Paul said, “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God.”  – 1 Corinthians 6:11.

That will take away the stink – a good washing.  Jesus provides it for those who go to Him.  Our sinful past is washed away by the flow of His blood shed at Calvary.

He then gives us His Spirit – His version of Ice Blue Secret.  The Spirit helps to keep the stink from returning. 

Are you aware at how desperately you need Jesus’ gift?  Have you noticed the odor yet?   Jesus has, and He offers you the help you need.

It’s not too late to acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a Savior.  Whisper that to Him in a prayer.  He will hear and He will save.

A Prayer: Save me Lord – from my sins and myself.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ®

a full cup — March 28, 2024

a full cup

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Our church was participating in communion.  A group of us stood at a table.  The bread had been received and we were preparing to drink the grape juice.  The pastor held up a tiny cup and said to us, “This is the cup of His blood shed for the forgiveness of sins. Take and drink.” 

And we did – except for the guy standing right next to me.  His cup was empty – dry as a bone.  Wow!  I wondered, “What sin did this guy commit that was so bad that he was denied communion?”   

Or maybe this was still another evidence of “shrinkflation.”  Just not enough Welch’s in the bottle to serve everyone.  

Well, it’s most likely that the juice in the cup had leaked out or those who had pre-filled the cups accidentally skipped over that one.

Regardless of why, the pastor quickly handed the confused guy a replacement – and he was able to commune with the Lord and us.

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic rite, but our little service made me wonder, “Is it possible for an individual to stand before God one day, and find that he too is holding an empty cup?”

Communion was given to perpetually remind us that Christ shed His blood on a cross to cleanse us from sin and put us in good standing with God. 

So, I suppose the question here is, “Did Jesus shed His blood for some and not all?”  John the Baptist said no.  He saw Jesus and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” – John 1:29. According to John there is a cup for everyone – world-wide.

Jesus also told us that His sacrifice was for all.  He said in John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread, he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”  He gave Himself for the lives of those in the entire world!

Paul agreed in 1 Timothy 2:6 where he told us that Jesus gave himself as a “ransom for all.”

Evidently there is a cup of redemption poured out and prepared for every individual who will have ever lived.  No one will ever peer into an empty cup when they stand before the Lord.

But – not all will be redeemed!   Though Christ died for the whole world, many in the world will nevertheless perish in their sins.

I have officiated at many communion services, and inevitably there have always been some present who have declined to participate.   Their reasons varied, but for some, they chose to let the tray pass, because they did not identify with Christ.  They had never come to believe in Him and trust Him as their Savior.

Maybe they came to church out of curiosity.  Or maybe they were grandparents who were visiting family and the family asked them to go to church with them.

But the tray is passed to grandpa, and grandpa quickly passes it on.  There was a full cup prepared for him in that tray, but he let it slip by – a tragedy.

Equally tragic – I recently sat down and spoke with a mother, who had come to faith late in life.  But she was passionate about Jesus and wanted her adult son to have his chance to meet the Lord. 

So, she set the cup before him, but he refused to drink.   This mom is now profoundly sad, because her boy was recently involved in a car accident which took his life.

She is inconsolable now because he is gone and because he had never come to Jesus.  She doesn’t expect to ever see him again. 

The cup is full!  Continue to drink from its lifegiving flow if you know Him.  Take your first sip if you don’t.   

A Prayer: Lord thank you that there is a cup of redemption for each one of us.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

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

Biblical references from the NET Bible ®

what’s the plan? — March 20, 2024

what’s the plan?

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My wife and I are still reasonably healthy and yet – we recently moved into a nursing home.  We bought a house that was originally designed to be the last home of an aging couple. 

So, they built for themselves a practical one-level ranch.  Included were grab bars positioned next to the toilet and the bathtub for the day that their legs would lose their lift. 

There is a nice bench in the walk-in shower for a mid-shower rest.  And the halls in the house are wide enough to accommodate a king-sized wheelchair or a dump truck if needed.

They were thinking ahead and were therefore able to comfortably live out their last days in the home that they had built. 

The Lord applauds that kind of planning and preparation for the future.

For instance, Proverbs 21:5 says, “Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run.”   I believe ahead is quite a bit better than behind.”

Consider the ant for example. Solomon wrote, “Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do.  All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions.”  – Proverbs 6:6-8

The ant plans for the future.  He gathers and stores when he can, so he will have food when it is needed.

There will certainly be someone who would object saying, “Planning is contrary to believing.  We need to walk by faith and trust God for the future.”

Well, we certainly do need to trust God.   Proverbs 16:9 says, “We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.”  Our plans need to be made on our knees.  

But planning is not at odds with our faith.  Jesus said, “Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you…” –  Luke 14:28-30  Jesus clearly understood the need to plan.

So for what do we plan?

Sarah is headed off to college, – but she needs to check out the job market before she gets that degree in bagpipe technology. 

Lamar is so excited about his beautiful brand-new baby girl.  Oh, but there will be an expensive wedding in her future.  He may need to start setting aside a little money for that. 

I have friends who do a yearly inventory of their marriage, and then make specific plans for dates, trips and so on to help strengthen their marriage in the year to come.

Terrell and Tammy are in their fifties now.  They are finally starting to plan for retirement, but the projections are not looking so good.  They really regret not having started to save when they were younger.

Planning works with lesser things as well.  Who hasn’t gone on a trip and forgotten their toothbrush?  Consider downloading a travel checklist app or create your own.

Store the list in your computer and print it out and use it each time you pack for a trip.  You’ll never forget your toothbrush again, and the airline passenger next to you will thank you for it.

And what about your forever future?  We can plan and prepare for that as well.  John 3:16 says, “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”  NETBible ®

How does the old adage go, “When we fail to plan, we plan to fail.” Seems true enough to be in the Bible.  

As for me I am planning to go sit down and take a shower!

A PRAYER: Lord pry us from the present to help us plan for what’s ahead.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

(Unless otherwise noted, Scripture is from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

stay clear of the camo! — February 14, 2024

stay clear of the camo!

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I am fairly cheap so I bought the cheapest wallet I could find – one made of nylon and Velcro.  It was inexpensive cause it had a camouflage design to it.  Which is why I can’t find it when I need it. (Although neither can a pickpocket!)

The sight of it is somewhat embarrassing, but so is the sound.  When I go to remove my credit card to pay the waiter – the rip of the Velcro attracts a lot of unwanted attention.

I exaggerate a little, but I really do have such a wallet. (I wish I could find it.)

The point of camouflage is to disguise or to cause something or someone to blend into their surroundings. 

It brings to mind a guy who was a camo Christian.  He is mentioned in all four Gospels, but many don’t know of him because he was camouflaged.

Joseph of Arimathea was a good man who awaited God’s Messiah.  So, when he heard Jesus preach and saw His miracles – he believed.  He counted himself as a genuine disciple of Jesus. (Matthew 27:57)

However, he was also a member of the Sanhedrin, which was the ruling council of Israel.  Jesus was a controversial figure, and to publicly identify with him might jeopardize Joseph’s position.  

So, he said nothing and allowed others to assume he was loyal to the status quo.  The Scripture referred to him as a “secret” disciple. (John 19:38). 

The word secret is translated from the Greek word “krupto” which means to conceal or hide, which is what Joseph did with his faith.  It is the Greek word from where our English word “crypt” comes from.  A crypt is where the dead are placed.  Ironically, Joseph’s faith was a dead and unproductive faith. (James 2:26)

He evidently was absent the day that Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.  A city located on a hill cannot be hidden…let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.   (Matthew 5:14 & 16)

It was ironic that while I was writing this post, I learned of a very unsecret disciple.  Anthony is the father of a friend of mine and he deeply loves Jesus and enjoys every opportunity to speak of Him. 

He was employed by a car dealer in Wichita Falls, TX.  They had a problem with his faith and therefore told him, “From this moment forward, you are to cease and desist from uttering one word, spoken or in print, which is religious in nature.” 

He did his best to honor his employer while remaining loyal to Jesus.  But after 25 years of distinguished service, management terminated him.  They cited 3 instances where he mentioned the words, “King Solomon, Sunday School, and God.”

Before the meeting concluded he said, “As my last official act as an employee of this company, and as a longtime employee of this dealership, may I pray for you?”  After a couple of seconds of looking bewildered, one of them said, “I would love that.”  And so, I asked God to help them remember that Jesus is the safe harbor to whom they can run and in whom they can trust.”

Such courage – the kind that eventually gripped Joseph. 

Jesus was condemned by Joseph’s peers on the Sanhedrin – but without his consent. (Luke 23:51) Once Jesus had been crucified, Joseph brazenly asked Pilate for His body and had Him buried in his own tomb.  (Matthew 57:57-60)   The crucifixion of His Lord awakened and emboldened him. 

We remember him today not for his camo, but for his courage. 

Our culture wants to put the cuffs on we who believe.  But Jesus is the only way to heaven (John 14:6) and we must courageously proclaim it.  It was difficult for Joseph and costly to Anthony, but they did it anyway.  So shall we!  

A PRAYER: May those around us know that we love Jesus and that You, Lord are the only hope for this world. 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture references are from the NETBible ®

honor rolling — January 31, 2024

honor rolling

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General Rommel, also known as the Desert Fox, surrendered his famous German Afrika Corp in WWII.  150,000 men were taken prisoner at that time and transported to the U.S.

The Geneva Convention required that prisoners of war be moved to a climate similar to the one where they were captured.  Somebody figured that the Sahara and Texas have a lot in common – so they shipped them all to the Lone Star State.

There were 200 of them quartered at General Harmon Hospital in Longview, Texas (now the campus of LeTourneau University).  They served there as hospital orderlies.

With only minimal security the prisoners were able to sneak out of camp and wander into the surrounding neighborhood.  Fortunately, the community around the hospital was uncommonly hospitable. 

My friend Jim Armstrong was a child, living in Longview during the war.  This is what he remembers.

A prisoner politely knocked on the door.  The Mrs. appeared and was flabbergasted and intimidated.   The prison garb revealed who the man was and where he belonged. 

He didn’t know English, so he gestured, moving his hand to his mouth several times.  He seemed to be asking for food.   This was puzzling!  He was fed well at the hospital.  In fact, the locals called the place, “The Fritz Ritz.”   

But the man was evidently tired of – all the mess – at the mess hall.  He longed for a tasty, lovingly crafted, homemade meal.  Well, she was a Christian and felt it was her duty to provide it.

So, he was invited in to dine with the family.   After dinner he expressed his appreciation by clicking his heels, bowing, and saying Donke Shoen – and then he left to slip back into camp.

This happened multiple times with a number of Longview families. 

Ironically, most of those families had menfolk who at that very time were risking their lives in Europe to stop the Germans in their world conquest.  Yet the folks back home looked upon those German men with compassion and invited them in. They honored their enemies!  

This reminds me of the words the Lord gave us in 1 Peter 2:17. He said, “Honor all people…”  NET Bible ®

I initially read that, and my mind scrambled to explain it away – because – well, I didn’t like it.    It seemed to say that a Christian is obligated to honor and respect all people.

The problem must be in the translation.  Maybe I should look at the New American Standard.  Hmm it says, “Honor all people.”  What about the NIV, “Show proper respect to everyone.”   Well certainly, the old King James will get it right.  Oops – it says, “Honour all men.”  KJV

Surely this cannot include that guy whose vote cancels out mine on election day!  It must not apply to those whose moral values I question.  I just know it can’t be speaking of those who despise me because of my faith. 

Yes, the Scripture tells me that I am to honor even those.  There is no getting around it.  The believer ought to make every effort to respect and honor every person.

But why? Probably because we are all created in the image of God.  We bear His likeness.  We are interrelated as family – sharing the same divine DNA.

And you know, thinking in terms of family, makes it seem doable. Most of us have learned to tolerate and get along with sullen siblings and combative cousins and such who may challenge us. 

We may disagree on politics, or religion, or schooling philosophy or even our favorite singer on The Voice.  And yet we make a super extra effort to get along and to honor them simply because they are family.

Unfortunately – we dwell in a culture where civility has become a casualty and respect is disrespected!   It hasn’t always been and isn’t fated to always be.  And by God’s grace maybe we can do our part to get the honor rolling!

A PRAYER: Lord this is a tough one.  Help us get tough and do it.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

manipulated! — January 19, 2024

manipulated!

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Oh Wow! I have been manipulated by a video game. The app is called Royal Match, but it is one of many apps that are similarly designed.

It begins with an enticing drop-down ad featuring lots of happy users.  The download is free and there are no ad interruptions, plus you can play offline.  It’s ideal.  It appears that there are no strings attached. 

So, I download and play. The developer made it so easy that even someone over age 12 can succeed. The gains are lavish. Scores of coins and bonuses are collecting, and the rush of success feels good. No downside, so I play on.

At certain points, they pit me against other players.  Peer pressure pervades.  At other times I’m forced to play against the clock.  The frantic pace keeps me engaged. 

I eventually reach a point where I’m stuck.  I need to spend some actual cash to get that extra boost to beat the next level.  This was not disclosed in the promo.   If I don’t buy, I’m warned that I’ll lose what I already have.  Pressure prompts my purchase. 

When I lose successive times, I’m forced into a 30-minute time-out.  Like a junkie, I keep checking the clock – is it time yet?

When I first picked it up, I could play and set it aside.  But now every unscheduled moment I work the app.  Sometimes I wake up at 3 a.m. and seek my device. 

I have to play – I must.  I’m in too deep to stop.

______________________

Honestly, it’s as if the app developer was the devil himself.  No, there is nothing evil about the game, but the way it manipulates me is so like the devil.

His essential work is to tempt us, by that which draws us away from God.  He is so identified with temptation that Scripture dubs him, “the tempter.”  (Matthew 4:3) 

Those of us that are planted on the rocky soil tend to fall away when tempted.  (Luke 8:13) Those planted in the good soil don’t always fare so well either.

Satan is relentless in his quest.  Consider his attack on Jesus, “When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time.”  (Luke 4:13)  Satan levied one unsuccessful attempt after another, until he punted and waited for a more opportune time.  

Honestly, it is uncanny how the manipulations of a video game, reflect the devil’s methods.

You have heard of William the Conqueror.  Time to meet William the Loser!   He also responded to a drop-down ad – one featuring an alluring young lady.   It wouldn’t hurt to click the image.  His wife didn’t know the password on his phone.  It’s ideal – no strings attached. 

He clicked and considered. She was lovely. He was stirred.  It made him feel good.   And it was so easy – no downside.   So, he chose to play on. 

But now they want money to see more.  If he doesn’t buy, he will lose the discount offer.  The pressure is on, so he makes his purchase. 

William’s wife enters the den.  He shutters the app.  It seems like an eternity as he waits on her exit.

When he saw that first image, he could look, and then set it aside.  But now every unscheduled moment he craves more.  Even at 3 a.m.  His life is unraveling, but he keeps on playing.  He’s in too deep to quit.

OK – with the gaming app, there really isn’t a terrible dark downside.  But with sin, the consequences are devastating. 

We may not struggle with William’s temptation, but the devil also knows our personal weaknesses and relentlessly seeks to exploit them.   So, here’s what we can do to counter his assaults.

1. “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”  (Luke 22:40)

2. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7)

3. Be careful with gaming apps that train us to give into temptation. 

A PRAYER: Lord it often feels like we are in over our heads.  Deliver us from evil. 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Scripture references are from the NETBible

in the nick of time — December 20, 2023

in the nick of time

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The pastor phoned in an order for a special Christmas banner for the sanctuary.  It was to say, “Unto Mary, Jesus was born!”  He also specified the size.  But the salesman evidently misunderstood him, because the finished banner read, “Unto Mary, Jesus was born – five feet long and three feet wide.”

Wow – that’s a big baby!  

Most homes prepare for the birth of a child.  But did you know that the Father in Heaven also prepared our world for the birth of His Son.

Galatians 4:5 says, “But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son…” * Jesus was sent to us at a precise and perfect time.

It was a time when….

– the world spoke a common language.

Since the tower of Babel, the world had been segmented by a multitude of distinct cultures and languages.  Nations went centuries without being able to talk to each other.   But in the 4th century B.C., Alexander the Great conquered the world and infused the Greek language into it.  By the time of Jesus, Greek was the trade language of every nation.  It became the common bridge through which to speak the Gospel.

– the world was at peace.

 The world had been ruled by rogue empires.  First Egypt, then Assyria, then Babylon and on and on. The constant instability and lawlessness would have made it difficult for the messengers of Christ to do their job.   

But that changed when Rome came into power. For almost 500 years, the Roman legal system protected her people and the Roman Legion kept the peace.  This peace and stability gave the Gospel messengers freedom to journey forth and preach.

– travel was superior.

 Prior to the Romans, roads were narrow dirt paths, often impassable when the weather was bad.  They followed the easiest route – often circuitous paths.  But Rome paved the roads, so well in fact some are still in use today.  Their roads were built with efficiency in mind. 

They went through mountains and over rivers and marshes.  There were 51,000 miles of paved highways in the empire.  People like Paul were enabled to move freely and quickly from place-to-place sharing the gospel – assisted by Roman roads.

– the world was spiritually prepared.

The ancient world was bursting with idols and pagan religions while the truth of the Yahweh was bottled up in Israel.  Several centuries before Christ, Israel was invaded by Assyria and then Babylon.  The Jews were forcibly dispersed throughout the world. 

Consequently, by the first century every major city of the world had a synagogue where faithful Jews would meet for worship on the Sabbath.  These Jewish folks created monotheistic oases in the desert of polytheism.   Through them, the world was finally made aware of the holy God of Israel, and the promise of a Messiah. 

Paul wisely used that network of synagogues across Asia, Europe and the Middle East to proclaim Jesus.

God truly sent His Son in the fullness of time. 

If it had been earlier, the message would have been bottled up and lost.  There would be no common language with which to communicate it, no peace and protection for those who carried the message, no superhighways to facilitate the travel of its messengers, and the spiritual soil would not have been plowed and made ready for the seeds of the Gospel,

On the other hand – had the Father sent His Son much later – the advantages of the first century would have been lost, for after the Fall of the Roman Empire the world reverted into chaos until the modern era.

God’s timing was impeccable – He sent the Lord Jesus in the fullness of time.

Makes me wonder – Since God did such a great job with the timing of the birth of Christ, why we don’t trust Him with the everyday issues of time that affect us? 

A PRAYER: Lord of time, help us to trust you with our schedules.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

*Scripture reference is from the New American Stand Version

from omelets to hair dye — December 8, 2023

from omelets to hair dye

/pickleheavenpress

We were seated at a diner as we looked over the breakfast menu. The Grecian Omelet caught my dad’s eye – only – when he ordered, he absentmindedly asked for a hair product – Grecian Formula. My mom almost fell out of her seat laughing. Fortunately, the waitress brought him an omelet instead of a bowl of hair dye.

Ah, but I am my father’s son, subject to the same silliness.  When I send my order up to God, in prayer, I don’t always know what I am truly asking for.  I may think I do, but maybe I don’t. 

“Is what I seek the best for me?   Is it the right time to have it?  Am I mature enough to receive it? Am I even asking for the right thing?”  So many questions that befuddle me.

Fortunately, God knows me well and Romans 8:26, tells me He provided some help.  It says, “…the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.” NETBible ®

That’s encouraging!  The third blessed member of the Trinity is aware of how weak we are when it comes to our prayers.  He understands that we may not know how we should specifically pray.  So, He helps us! 

He intercedes so that the need is clearly made known in heaven and is correctly met on earth.  The verbs are in the present tense reminding us that this intercession happens on a 24/7 basis. 

The Holy Spirit is the one who says, “Father, he is asking for hair dye, but what he really wants and needs is some eggs.”

So maybe we should just say, “Well Holy Spirit why don’t you just order for me?”  I suppose He could, but prayer is one of those exercises that draws us near to God who treasures our prayers.

Consider Luke 11:9 where Jesus urges us to pray. He said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.”  NETBible ®

It’s like so many other issues in our walk with God.  We are often expected to take the first steps by faith, and then the Lord steps in and helps us accomplish what we could never complete without Him. 

Prayer is actually an underappreciated privilege.

With the Hindus, only the Brahmins, the highest class, are permitted to pray to their god.   A person could be a billionaire, or a high-powered political leader, but if not a Brahmin, they are forbidden to pray. They must seek a Brahmin, even a boy Brahmin to pray their prayers for them.

Can you imagine that?  Suppose it is the middle of the night, and your infant son has a raging fever, and you desperately want to reach out to heaven for help – but you are not allowed because you are not of the Brahmin caste.

How blessed is the Christian.  Every one of us has full access to the throne of grace.  We have freedom at any time or place to personally approach God in prayer. 

The Muslim may not pray until he learns how to do it in Arabic, for his god hears only prayers offered in what Muslims believe to be the holy language.”    

Can you imagine a new convert to Islam from Latin America.  He won’t be able to pray until he learns Arabic.  He may need to pray for help in order to learn Arabic – so that he can pray in Arabic – but he is stuck.   

How wondrous it is, that all over the world at this very moment, people of every race and culture are praying in their own tongue and our omniscient and gracious God is gathering those prayers in and answering them accordingly. 

God has made praying easy and as rewarding as possible.  So why not pray? 

A Prayer:  Lord I pray that I might pray. Help me to sweep away the self-imposed obstacles that keep me from it.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.