Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: Jurassic park

wrong turn — August 30, 2023

wrong turn

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I was driving in Tyler, Texas when I looked up and was stunned to see a Jeep with the Jurassic Park graphics on the door.  It was right out of the movie.  I said to myself “Oh Lord, Oh Lord – I must have taken me a wrong turn.”  

Turns out the manufacturer celebrated the 30th anniversary of the film by detailing the Jeep featured in the movie with the original Jurassic artwork.  

What a relief!  Traffic is bad enough without being rear-ended by a T-Rex or escaping a swooping Velociraptor.

But, in some ways, life for me kinda feels like I have accidentally wandered into the Park.  My world is filled with other kinds of ferocious beasts, that are salivating over me. 

They send me emails phishing for a chance to infect my world and give them power over me and my finances.  They use texts with iffy links that could wipe me clean if I click. 

I’m told to never mention the word, “yes” to an unsolicited caller, because it could be recorded and then edited so that my “yes” will be used to approve things of which I don’t approve.  I’ve got to be wary of fraudulent Facebook friend requests – designed to worm their way into my life. 

I can’t say the word “arthritis” without a dozen pop-up ads for cures flooding my phone.  And I must fiercely guard my phone number from phony marketplace callers who are simply trying to harvest it to sell.

When I was in junior high, I barely had an identity, but now I got to protect what little I have with insurance.

I am not a doom and gloom guy, but this is the way it is!  A foreboding forest of vicious people who are trying to claw their way into our lives and devour what we have. 

But what a blessing!  Yes, a blessing!   If I could adequately manage these risks, I would.  But I can’t.  These things are so beyond my control that I must entrust my welfare to the only one that can protect me.

Psalm 18 was penned by David.  It reminds us, of where our confidence needs to rest. 

He begins with, “I love you, O Lord, my strength.”  (18:1).  What a sweet affirmation of David’s devotion to the Lord.  What Father would fail to delight in such words and why would He refuse the request of the child that spoke them? 

In verses 2 and 3 he wrote, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Look at the many different words that David used to describe the safety and reliability of God. 

He called Him a rock.  When I am floundering about in rushing water, a rock in the middle of the river is a secure place on which to stand.   He used the word “fortress.”   A fortress has impenetrable walls to repel the arrows of an enemy above, before and behind.

God was his deliverer.  He got it done.  He was His refuge – a hidden but safe place away from heat of the battle.  He was his shield.  Spears were flying, but he was snugly tucked in behind it. 

The guilty one of Israel would run from an adversary to the temple and grab onto the horns of the altar to find asylum and mercy.   David found as much with the Lord.   

He followed up with verse 13, “I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.“   He cried for help and received it and was saved from his predators. 

It’s true.  We live in a Jurassic jungle, but we serve a God who controls the script.  Trust Him with your life and all the digital details of it and be saved from your enemies!

A PRAYER: Lord when the times cause us to tremble, turn our hearts to You!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you!

Scripture passages are from the New International Version

the horn of dilemma — February 3, 2021

the horn of dilemma

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The park was 430 acres of wild in Grand Prairie, TX.  Like all things Texas, this drive through park was over the top.  Yes, they had your standard zebras, gnus and giraffes – but there were also elephants and even lions who stalked the place – even lion cubs in the petting zoo.

We had never been to such a place and we had a 7 and a 5-year-old that needed to be wowed – so off we went.

With buckets of feed and the windows cranked down, we drove through the Jurassic Parkish gate.  We were in my old lumbering Chevy Impala (mindful that impalas were lion food back on the Savanna.) 

The car was quickly surrounded by a mob of animals with the craziest being the longhorn steer that tried to stick the span of his enormous head into our car to get to the feed. 

Then we encountered a lone rhinoceros.  I was stunned to see the behemoth trot up to my car.   I extended my wary hand and he clumsily swept the feed off and onto the ground. 

He lowered his head and vacuumed the pellets from the ground and then raised it up again, or at least he tried. His horn got caught on the under carriage of my car.   Oh boy!  There was an upset Rhino attached to my automobile. 

He tried to pull out – frantically jerking the car way up and then down as he did.  I think the kids may have been screaming.  OK I may have been screaming.  Was he going to flip the car?

He finally pulled away and we were left with nothing more than a dent.  (try explaining that to your insurance company?)

—————

As in all of life, I try to glean wisdom from my experiences.  What I learned was this, “I need to be careful about what I feed!”

Wait!  This principle is way more practical than you may first think.

You see there is a part of me and you that is just as untamed and dangerous.  The Bible calls it the “flesh.”   The apostle Paul put it this way, “For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh.”  – Romans 7:18

This beastly nature was put to death at the cross for those of us who have been saved. (Galatians 2:20) and yet, it still lurks – waiting to be revived.  “For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.”  – Galatians 5:17  

This beastly nature will be with us ‘til we are with Jesus.  But it can’t rule us unless we feed it.  Paul put it this way, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires.” – Romans 13:14.   In other words, “Don’t feed the animal!”

I was in seminary about the time a movie was released which centered on Amish life.  That sounded safe – right?  I wanted to do a date night with my wife to see it – but I needed to vet the movie first.

A friend had seen it and rated it 5 stars.  I asked about objectionable material.  He said – “Clean as a whistle – oh except one scene where the starlet was naked from the waist up.” 

Well I tried to rationalize the information away ‘cause I really wanted to see that movie.  But the Spirit of God began to needle me.  He reminded me about the beast. 

At the time I was laboring to learn Hebrew.  It seemed that whatever I learned on Monday was gone by Tuesday.  And yet if I were to see that movie, I knew that the image of the bare-chested woman would be forever imprinted on my mind.   I didn’t need it – so I threw the movie tickets away. 

There are just some places I don’t go because the beast is fed there.  There are some people I don’t hang with because the things they say and do, provoke me to do the same.  I’m very careful about what I read because it sparks the imagination of the beast.  I thoroughly review any movies or TV beforehand because I don’t want to awaken the beast.

One Rhino ride was more than enough for me.  I really do need to be careful about what I feed! 

A PRAYER: “May my words and my thoughts be acceptable in your sight.” (Psalm 19:14) 

Scripture references are from the NETBible ®