Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: Jesus

my redneck tesla — September 11, 2024

my redneck tesla

/pickleheavenpress

I decided to convert an old Toyota Sienna into a camper van.  My kids thought I was crazy (and I guess I am).  I had fun doing the conversion myself.  Now folks who follow behind me on the road may be puzzled by the 3-prong household plug that pokes out of my van.   I tell people that’s where I connect my redneck Tesla to the charging station.

Power is necessary to redneck Teslas and to Christians in general.  Our gracious God understands this, and He provided the Holy Spirit to be our charging station.

So, what do we know about the Holy Spirit?   He is not an “it” or a “something,” nor is He the holy “influence” of the Father.  Seven times Jesus referred to Him as a “He” in John 16.  For instance, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13).  He is a full-fledged person possessing intellect, emotion, and a will.  

Granted, He is a different kind of person, existing as a spirit.   But He has the capacity to manifest Himself in a physical form such as He did at the Baptism of Jesus.  Then He appeared in a form that compared to a dove (Matthew 3:16).  

What’s more is that He is a “holy” Spirit – a member of our triune Godhead.  He possesses the same attributes as God.  He is all knowing (1 Corinthians 2:10-12); all powerful (Job 33:4); omnipresent (John 14:16); and eternal (Hebrews 9:14).

All three were present at the Baptism of Jesus.  The Father spoke from heaven, the Spirit descended from heaven, as the Son was dipped in the waters of the Jordan (Matthew 3:16-17)

And He plays an extremely important role in the life of the believer.  When Jesus ascended to heaven, He made sure that His replacement descended and took up residence in the life of a every born-again Christian.  The apostles and their brethren were gifted on the day of Pentecost.  Believers today receive Him the moment we come to faith (Ephesians 1:13).

His role is to teach us (John 16:14); to convict us of sin (John 16:8); to intercede for us (Romans 8:26) to guide us (John 16:13); to gift us (1 Corinthians 12:4-11); and especially to empower us.

Before Jesus left, He wanted His disciples to know that the Spirit would be sent to energize their efforts.  He told them to, “Stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” – Luke 24:49. Like an American Express Card, they were not to leave home without it.

This Pentecostal power filled their prayers so that the supernatural became a reality (Acts 12:5-8). It bathed them in courage and conviction to be bold witnesses of the risen Christ (Acts 1:8).  It strengthened their battered hopes (Romans 15:13); and provided a means with which to resist the caustic influence of sin (Ephesians 3:14-21). He empowered them, and today empowers us to live victorious lives.

And this power is continuously supplied.  We don’t need to stop every 272 miles and plug into an EV charging station and sit there baking beneath the windshield for 10 hours. 

This power is always there for us, unless we should offend the Spirit.   Because this power comes through a person, we can sometimes disappoint and even grieve that person through spiritual insensitivity, disobedience or rejection (Ephesians 4:30).  When this happens, the power goes poof!

And there amid the 12- lane highway of life, during rush hour, with the draft of semis shaking our car – we helplessly sit – powerless.   

But because He is a gracious and forgiving God, He welcomes a contrite plea for forgiveness and will respond to a request to be filled again (Ephesians 5:18).  He is our recharging station, and how blessed we are that He resides within us. 

If your spiritual batteries are full, good for you!  If not, talk to the Holy Spirit about it.   

A Prayer: Lord, more power please!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you!

Scripture passages are from the NETBible®

presence — July 31, 2024

presence

/pickleheavenpress

A storm was brewing, but the grass needed mowing.  Amid thunderous, flashing skies, I pushed the equivalent of a metal lightning rod through the grass. 

It started to rain but I persevered.  Like captain Ahab at the prow of a mighty whaling ship with the wind-driven spray of the sea lashing my face – I courageously (or maybe foolishly) pressed on. 

But then I was joined by a big old mangy dog that was obviously terrified by what he did not understand.  He jumped with every clap of thunder, and he followed me – stuck to me like glue with every turn.

He was more afraid of the thunder and lightning than the noise of my Briggs and Stratton.  Being near me seem to bring him a measure of comfort and a sense of security.  

So, for a half an hour we plowed through the lawn together and as we did, I began to reflect on what I had just read the night before in my Bible. 

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” – Ps 46:1.  These words sound as if they were written by someone who had experienced them.

Actually, scholars suspect that King Hezekiah of Judah was the author.  He had prayed for deliverance from his enemy and God answered by sending His angel to slay the 185,000 Assyrian troops that were there to topple the capital city. 

God proved to be a stone-walled refuge and the strength of His people.  The King was full of gratitude and a Psalm. 

The latter part of the verse fascinates me.  He referred to God as a “very present help in trouble.”

When we are in trouble, we typically need help.  It might come from afar such as from your dad who Venmo’s some money to help you get your car fixed.  In the same way, a person can rely on God to dispatch help from heaven when it is needed.

But the Psalmist said that God was a “present help.”  This would be like dad driving several hours and taking his weekend to work on your car himself.  The Psalmist said God is like that.  He shows up when you need him.   Or as they say in Texas, “He shows up and shows out.” 

But the Psalmist adds that little qualifying word, “very.”   God is a “very present help.”

Not only is He present, He is very present.  Sometimes a person can be present without being present.  You see, dad might make the drive and show up, but maybe he is not hugely concerned about your problem.  Maybe he doesn’t listen to you when you describe the noise your car is making.  His kind of help is not very helpful. 

Not true of God.  His presence means that He stops what He is doing to give us His full attention.  He is engaged and aware and listening and incredibly able and willing to do what needs to be done. 

Because this is true, the Psalmist continued in verse 2 by saying, “Therefore we will not fear.”   How can a person possibly be afraid when our God is very present and inclined to help? 

His presence makes all the difference. 

So how does He make His presence known in troublesome times?  We might see Him in the specific answers to our prayers.  Some say they’ve heard Him speak words of comfort as He has directed them to specific Scripture.  Some say He has filled them with peace when He is near while others say they have actually heard his voice. 

One of the most common ways we experience His presence is through the presence of His servants.  That person who sits with us through our sickness, or the loss of a parent – that person becomes like the moon and reflects the rays of the sun.  

My presence made a small difference for that sad doggie, but God’s presence makes all the difference for us.

A PRAYER: Be with us Lord.  Your presence makes a difference.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

to the test — July 25, 2024

to the test

/pickleheavenpress

I was a highly motivated school-boy.  I often finished my tests before the teacher had distributed them to the rest of the class. 

I was in such a hurry that I seldom took the time to read the instructions – which is why I usually got a score of either 100% or 0%.   You see sometimes I circled the right answers when I should have Xed out the wrong ones.  Oh well!

Fortunately, when the Word of God is tested, it always passes with flying colors.

One promise is found in Matthew 6:33 which says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” – KJV.

This calls us to make God’s Kingdom business our highest priority.  Jesus promised that God will provide all the necessities of life previously mentioned in chapter 6 such as food, clothing, shelter – as we prioritize His Kingdom each day.

We might paraphrase it in this way, “When we take care of God’s business – He takes care of ours.”   OK, but how does this fare when tested?  May I offer an example? 

There was a time when a financial tornado swept into my house. 

My pre-teen daughter was told by the orthodontist that she needed braces.    The cost was $3,000 and he wanted half of it up front to get started.  That same day my accountant called and said, “You owe the IRS $3,000 dollars in taxes!” 

And then I went to start my car and it didn’t work.  I would have to hire a mechanic to fix it.  And then my wife threw a load in the clothes dryer, but it didn’t spin.  Alas more money for an appliance repair man.  

We were shocked, astonished and stunned.  All of this happened in one day.  Of course, financial problems occur.  It’s a given in life.   But they don’t usually come in a 4-pack.   Was our sovereign God trying to communicate with us?

We had always been responsible with our money.  We tithed and on top of that we provided financial support to three different missionary families.  

But the $600 in our checking account was not enough to cover the $6,000 we owed.  Where would we get all that money?

THEN to top it all off we came to realize that we were three months behind in the financial support that we had pledged to the missionaries. 

Well, I guess we weren’t doing such a great job of taking care of God’s business. 

My wife and I spent time in prayer.  We decided that the first priority was to take care of God’s business.  We had to send the money to the missionaries that we had promised.  They might be hungry!

We could file an extension on the taxes, postpone the braces, let the dead car sit, and use the laundromat for our clothes – but we had to take care of God’s business.  We must get the money to our missionaries.  So, we did that, and it zeroed out our checking account.

BUT – the very next day the Orthodontist called and said, “Hey I understand you are a pastor.   Well, we like to take care of our pastors so the braces will cost $1,500 instead of $3,000 and no downpayment is necessary.

Soon after the accountant called and said, “I worked through your taxes again, and found a way to reduce them.  Instead of $3,000 you owe $300 dollars this year.

And then I popped the hood on my car.  I found the problem and it was a cheap fix that even I could do.  I was on a roll, so I tackled the dryer.  Once again, I fixed it at very little cost.  By the end of the week, we had a surplus in the bank. 

When we take care of God’s business, He takes care of ours.  It’s true.  Even when tested, it stands.  It gives me the confidence I need to rely on His Word in all things.

A PRAYER: Lord, help us to trust every detail of Your Word.

This had been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

big ears — July 17, 2024

big ears

/pickleheavenpress

They say that our ears and nose never cease to grow.  The rest of the body does, but not the ears and the nose.

Now I don’t think I’m vain or anything, but I feel like my ears are big enough and I can already pretty much hear everything I want and somethings that I don’t.   

But if this is true, it creates some prickly theological issues like, “How big will a person’s ears be in heaven?  Will mine be toddler or granddad sized?” 

And what about Methuselah?  Genesis says, “The entire lifetime of Methuselah was 969 years” – (5:27).  Wow, he must have had some mighty big protrusions popping out of head.

Then there was that incident where Peter deftly cut off the ear of the slave of the High Priest.   Was this because the man was an old geezer with jumbo ears for targets? (John 18:10)  

Well, I decided to research the claim.  Turns out – it’s a myth!  Ears and noses also cease to grow.   However, they are made of cartilage, and such stuff begins to sag over time.  So, they stop growing, but then they start drooping and stretch themselves out.

And what is even more irksome is the fact that our cheeks and lips lose volume as we age, which exaggerates the appearance of our ears and nose.*

So, what’s the difference?  One day Yoda, we will be!

But here is the thing.  I don’t think I would mind having bigger ears – spiritually speaking that is. 

Jesus spoke a good deal about ears and their capacity to hear and understand His teachings.  Twice He said, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” – Matthew 11:15; 13:9) KJV

Usually this was said in relation to the Pharisees and Sadducees who audibly heard the words of Christ but failed to consider them and properly respond to them.

But sometimes Jesus’ own disciples were deaf.   He spoke to them about the “leaven” of the Pharisees,” which prompted them to argue, “Well who forgot to bring the bread anyway?” (Mark 8:14-18) They heard His words but misunderstood their meaning. 

I sometimes do that when I read the Scripture.  It happens when my mind is predisposed to think in a certain way and if what I read contradicts my thinking, I just don’t get it.  I don’t see it.

As a young believer, I naively thought that the Christian life would be problem free. I allowed everything I read to support my belief and glossed over Jesus’ words, “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” – John 15:20.

Many of us have the habit of picking and choosing which truths we accept.  It bothers me that Jesus saved His harshest criticism for people who do this.

As for me, I want ears to hear and understand Jesus – the bigger the better.  Jesus said to His disciples, “Your ears (are blessed) because they hear” – Matthew 13:16.

So, what can we do to grow our ears?  First: lay aside the pride.  Pride creates an egocentric shield that repels truth.  I have a grandson that once told his brother, “Don’t assume that I don’t know everything.”

The Psalmist, however, humbly assumed that he didn’t know everything.  He prayed, “Open my eyes so I can truly see the marvelous things in your law” – Ps 119:18.

It is often our fears that make us deaf to the truth – the fear of what will happen if we should obey.  Fear not!  His word was given not to sink us but to spring us from the shackles of spiritual mediocrity (John 8:36). 

Sometimes we just don’t get it because we are so busy and distracted.  He says to us, “Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still” – Psalm 4:4. – NASU

So, call me Dumbo.  I don’t care as long I am able to clearly hear and understand the voice of my Lord.

A PRAYER: We are serious Lord.  We want to hear and understand.  Help us.
This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture passages are from the NETBible® unless otherwise noted.

* https://www.flushinghospital.org/newsletter/truth-or-myth-our-nose-and-our-ears-never-stop-growing/

battle dress — July 1, 2024

battle dress

/pickleheavenpress

I have a picture of my entire family dressed in camo.  You might look at it and wonder about us, as in, “Did they go overboard with Y2K preparations?” 

Actually, our son was on leave from the Air Force and his mother wanted a family photo.  The rest of us didn’t.  There were disagreements as to when, where and what to wear. 

So we agreed on wearing my son’s BDU’s (Battle Dress Uniform) which he wore when he was on duty.

We loved the final product, and our son took the pic back to the base and hung it on the wall.  A fellow airman looked at it in wonder and asked, “Is your whole family in the Air Force?”  His words exactly!  This was somewhat alarming to hear, given that this guy often stood guard over nuclear weapons.

It really is a great picture – an entire family – from ages twelve to forty-three, each one dressed as if we were ready for battle. 

Now, I wonder if every Christian family should be pictured this way because the Scripture tells us that we are at war.  Enlisted is every member of the family.

Twice Paul told young Timothy to, “Fight the good fight” (1 Timothy 1:18; 6:12).   

The enemy is not our fellow human being.  Peter wrote, “Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour” – 1 Peter 5:8. NETBible ® Our adversary is the one who preys upon us and our fellow human beings.  Unlike some ideologies today, our goal is not to destroy people, but to loosen Satan’s smothering grip upon us.

But beware!  He is a master of disguise.  He often parades as a do-gooder – “an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). He also appeared to Eve as an ordinary garden snake and in the book of Revelation, he will appear as a charismatic world leader.  

Today, we may not recognize him, but his undercover presence is pervasive.  Have you ever told a lie?  Perhaps it was because the one called the father of lies first whispered it into your ear (John 8:44). 

Have you ever found your stomach in knots because you really wanted something that you knew that you shouldn’t have?  It could have been the one called the tempter who was prodding you on (1 Thessalonians 3:5).

Remember when you wanted to support that missionary, but an unexpected expense cleaned out your wallet?   The same thing happened to Job.  Satan swept away his wealth. 

Have you ever served on a church committee rife with dissension and bickering?   James 3:14-15 tells us that this is the handiwork of the evil one.

Did you plan to go on a mission trip but had something happen that made it impossible?  The devil also stood in the way of the apostle Paul (1 Thessalonians 2:18).

Are you ever selfish?  Scripture says in Acts 5:3 that Satan filled the heart of two believers to lie about money.

Do you sometimes desire that which is sensual and impure?  According to 1 Corinthians 7:5, this is the insinuation of the devil himself.   

Have you ever made a dumb decision and wondered, “How could I have ever done that?”  2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us that Satan is able to inhibit our ability to think clearly. 

The enemy is more of a terrorist than a solider.  He slips past our border patrols and waits for the right time and opportunity to disturb and disrupt and destroy.

Every family member must put on our spiritual battle dress which Paul calls the “full armor of God.”   He gives the details in Ephesians 6:10-18, but of special interest is the only weapon that is issued – “the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God” (vrs. 17)  

We need to study it, apply it, and live it.  With the truth, we both defend ourselves and destroy the designs of the devil.

The battle is upon us so hurry and get dressed.

A PRAYER: Prepare us, Lord! Protect us, Lord!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

zapped by a zipper! — June 5, 2024

zapped by a zipper!

/pickleheavenpress

What would the Lord need to do to get our attention? 

I can think of one method that He would not use!

It was a beautiful Sunday morning at church and the worshipful singing had just concluded.   With an air of dignity, I stepped up to the pulpit in the hope of delivering a powerful Spirit-filled sermon.

I reached down to open my message outline, which had been laying there. I saw a yellow post-it note attached which said, “Your zipper is down!” 

Instant brain freeze!  What? Where? How? Who wrote that note?

I wanted to look down and check my fly but that would be too obvious.  Maybe I could get Pentecostal and spin around and fix it on the way.  Or maybe I could use the open fly as an object lesson and bring a message on Zipporah the wife of Moses or maybe we could just sing, “I’ll fly away.”

In exasperation, I just flat stopped, and I told the congregation about the note.  Then I turned around and checked – and – my zipper was exactly where it should have been. 

What a terrible prank!  The guilty one confessed after church.  I hope there isn’t a special judgment for such a sin.

But back to the question – What would the Lord need to do to get our attention?   Well, what if He were to raise a nation from the dead?

The nation of Israel died in 70 A.D. when the Romans leveled it.  Yet, the Bible clearly predicted that Israel would be regathered as a nation in the last days.

For instance, Isaiah 11:11-12 says, “In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people… He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.” (NIV)

The prophet was one of many who predicted that the nation of Israel would once again exist.  This regathering was to take place during the time that Isaiah called, “The Day of the Lord” (Isaiah 13:6).    

The odds were against it.  To fulfill this prophecy, the dispersed Jewish people would need to retain their identity throughout the ages, come together again, and then reestablish their nation in their original homeland.”   

Despite insurmountable opposition to the Jews, God brought them together again.  After nearly 20 centuries they officially became a nation on May 14, 1948. 

The rebirth of this nation is a specific fulfillment to prophecy.  Its significance cannot be underestimated. 

The apostle John predicted that the last and final battle on earth will be waged against the nation of Israel.  They will defend their homeland in the valley of Megiddo (better known as Armageddon) which is central to the land of Israel – Revelation 16:16.    

The angels who attended the ascension of Christ foretold of His return.  They watched Him rise from the Mount of Olives which is just to the east of Jerusalem.  They predicted that Jesus would return just as He had left (Acts 1:11).  The prophet Zechariah concurred (14:3-4).

It would seem, that God is trying to get our attention!  The regathering of the nation of Israel is the canary in the coal mine – an indication that God’s plan for this world is accelerating towards its conclusion.   We can’t say whether it will happen today, next month or even next year, but the timer is clearly ticking down. 

Isn’t it ironic, that a nation the size of New Jersey so often dominates the world news?  Isn’t it puzzling how a multitude of nations are so focused on that tiny middle eastern region.  Isn’t it surprising how most anyone you meet in the U.S. has a strong opinion about Israel?

The resurrection of the state of Israel is God’s way of letting us know the end is coming.  We need to pay attention and get ready for it.

A PRAYER: Lord, we hear You and we fear You.  Come quickly, Lord, Jesus.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

no skin off his feet — May 22, 2024

no skin off his feet

/pickleheavenpress

I have a friend who has three passions: basketball, the guitar and frugality.  One day they all came together.  It was in his college days when he played a lot of hoops.  So much in fact, that he often developed large blisters on the soles of his feet.

He would meticulously cut away the dead skin and apply ointment to his wounds.  But one day he looked at an excised patch of skin and wondered. 

He placed it between some books for a few days, where it dried out and became perfectly hard and flat.  He then trimmed it into the shape of a guitar pick. 

Pleased with his new economical creation, he began to strum his guitar.  Unfortunately, his organic guitar pick, quickly disintegrated into a puff.  The skin of his foot turned to dust in his hands. 

What a great reminder of the truth in Genesis 3:19. Adam and Eve had forfeited everlasting life in the garden when they chose to snub the will of God.   God detailed their consequences in this way, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat food, until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you will return.”    

Dust from whence we came, and dust to where we’ll all go.   From Adam to the present day, the number crunchers believe that about 109 billion people have lived and died.  That’s a pretty big dust heap, isn’t it? 

The fine folks of the funeral industry tell us that “dust to dust” is not just a poetic expression.  It takes considerable time, but the final remains of a person are eventually reduced to a handful of dust. 

This stark reality prompted Job, the Old Testament Patriarch to ask the question, “If a man dies, will he live again?” – Job 14:14

Good question!  Will he?  Will a person who dies ever live again? 

Jesus must have thinking of Job when He spoke these words in John 11:25. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies…”

Yes, a person can overcome death and live again IF they have believed in Jesus. 

This life comes to us in at least two installments. In John 10:10 the Savior said, “I have come so that they may have life and may have it abundantly.”

He assumes what many of us experience.  We wander through life like zombies.  There is a deadness that grips our emotions and strangles our hopes and dreams.  It is a shallowness that cheats our relationships with others and with God.  We often feel like a soda that’s lost its fizz! 

But Jesus promised to resurrect us from this soul death with new life – abundant life.  A life worth living and wonderfully rewarding. 

The second installment comes later.  In 1 Cor 15:51-52 Paul wrote, “Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” 

A time will come when the dust of those 109 billion will be stirred and the saved will be raised to everlasting life. 

But how can we be sure?  There are other isms that hold to some form of resurrection.  They may believe it, but only one faith leader has died and has been raised to life again – and that would be Jesus.

On the third day He arose again according to the Scripture and there were over 500 skeptics who saw Him, spoke with Him and were convinced.  (1 Corinthians 15:6)  We shall be raised by that same almighty power.

It’s good to know that no dust cloth will be needed in heaven.

A Prayer: Lord what a wonderful hope you have given us.   Help us be generous enough to share the news of it with others.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you always.

Scripture passages are from the NET Bible ®

the way we drive — May 15, 2024

the way we drive

/pickleheavenpress

It occurred to me the other day that the way we drive a car tends to reflect the way we do life in general.  The reckless teenage boy screams around the corner assuming he is all but immortal.  The cautious elderly lady motors along a good ten miles below the speed limit.   We really do tend to express our personalities by the way we drive.

So, what if they traveled by car in the first century?  What if Jesus had entered Jerusalem in a Mustang convertible instead of on the foal of a donkey? 

Let’s start with Paul. I picture him in an ambulance, screaming along at 120 miles per hour, passing through town after town with the life-saving message of the Gospel.  He actually was quite a driven individual.

Peter, we might find pulled over by a car with red flashing lights.  The patrol officer says, “You were going 70 in a 50 mile an hour zone.  Peter says, “I did not!” “Yes, you did!” says the officer.”  “It wasn’t me!”  “Yes it was,” says the officer.  To which Peter replies, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  Then suddenly a song from Sheryl Crow begins to play on the car radio.

Clueless Philip, he would be the guy driving the wrong way on a one-way street. 

You might find doubting Thomas arguing with his wife in the car.  “Thomas the GPS says turn here!”  “I don’t believe it,” he says.

Diabolical Judas, he would be the guy who bypasses the traffic jam by driving on the shoulder of the road.  Ooh I detest that guy.

We might find the sons of thunder, James and John, duking it out over a parking spot.  

And Jesus, well He might just pick up every hitchhiker He saw.  And when they left His car He might say, “Go and hike no more.”

Goofy thoughts for sure, but it illustrates the fact that we express our personalities by the way we drive.

And I am ashamed to admit this – because my driving has often sent the wrong message.  When I was a young Christian, there was a bumper sticker that was popular with believers.  It said, “Honk if you love Jesus.”   People assumed I was a passionate Christian because I honked all the time – but it was out of frustration rather than a love for my Lord. 

I have been challenged by words like these in Titus 2:7-8.  There Paul encouraged Titus to… “be an example of good works in every way. In your teaching show integrity, dignity, and a sound message that cannot be criticized, so that any opponent will be at a loss because he has nothing evil to say about us.”  

Titus was to be a good example in, “every way.”  This surely would have included his driving habits!  For him it possibly meant, “make sure you maintain a safe distance from the donkey ahead of you.” 

For us it means to be polite on the road.  If you are cut off don’t go racing after the perpetrator in rage.    Yield that parking spot to the elderly man in the station wagon.   Respect the laws including the speed limit. 

Paul told him that a good example should especially permeate the way that Titus delivered the Gospel message.   To do anything less would open the door to criticism and provide fodder for the Gospel foes. 

Oh my!  I know there were times when I had just taught a Bible study and then drove home in a way that tarnished the message I had just delivered.  Sometimes I would honk at someone and then hope that they were not from my church.

Well, I am glad to say that as the Word of God has taken root in my life, I am far more patient and attentive to the rules of the road than I once was.  I hope the same can be said of you. 

A Prayer: Lord I know I’ll be tested again in this area.  Help me to respond well!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

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

Scripture quotations are from the NETBible ®

an encouraging word — May 1, 2024

an encouraging word

/pickleheavenpress

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

/pickleheavenpress

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 ®