Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: Luke 24:32

an issue with the audio — February 16, 2022

an issue with the audio

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A friend was having issues with his hearing.  It persisted for 3 weeks until he finally went to see his doctor.  “Hmm” the doc said.  “There is something in your ear.” 

He tried to remove it, but couldn’t, so he called in reinforcements – a nurse with a power wash!   And out it popped – the rubber part of an earbud.  Evidently, he really got into his music, or actually his music got into him. 

Ironic isn’t it?  Something that was designed to enhance his hearing, impaired it instead. 

I am familiar with that problem.

In John 10 Jesus presented Himself as the Good Shepherd and we as His sheep.  The passage speaks of the intimacy that the shepherd has with His sheep. 

In verse 27, Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”   KJV.  A Christian has obviously sensed the Lord’s calling at the time they came to faith in Jesus.

But here, Jesus speaks of an ongoing conversation.  The verb “hear” is present, active, indicative, meaning that it is happening now. 

Jesus speaks to His sheep – words of encouragement, correction, teaching and more.

But we may not be hearing Him, because something that was designed to enhance our hearing, impairs it instead. 

Seriously.  Where do we go to hear from the Lord?  To church – to hear the pastor preach.  And why not?  He has spent 10-20 hours studying and praying over his biblically based message.  He has interacted with the Lord and is excited about sharing it. It’s worth hearing.

But the process is a little like the momma bird that eats and then regurgitates it up for her baby.  Sure, there are nutritional benefits to the predigested meal, but some essential things were lost along the way.

It was momma who sought out her own worm – experiencing the excitement of the hunt and the joy of discovery.   She savored the thrill of victory and then enjoyed a fresh, satisfying, tasty meal. 

Sermons, Bible studies, books, videos, podcasts or even this blog are great – but regurgitations at best. 

What our spirit craves is the joy of discovery and the excitement of the hunt, the thrill of understanding and the fresh, satisfying experience of hearing the voice of the Lord.

So, try this.  Open your Bible and chew on one of the stories of Jesus in the Gospels.  Some folks prefer to read several chapters a day.  I find that more time thinking about less is far more rewarding.

As you read, ask and answer 3 questions about your reading. 

1. “What do I see?”    Make a list of your observations.   Look for the who, where, what, when, why and how of the story.   Consider the details like a detective would a crime scene. 

2. “What Does It Mean?   Try to sum up the theme of the story in a sentence.  What is the moral of the story?  

3. “What does the Lord want me to do with this?”  How can you implement what you learned in your life?  Is there an attitude or behavior than needs to change?  Should you be encouraged, convicted, corrected?  What is the Lord saying to you through what you have read?

The Lord often speaks to us through His Word.  As we read it, we may identify with the men on the road to Emmaus who heard Jesus speak.  “They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us while he was speaking with us on the road, while he was explaining the scriptures to us?”  (Luke 24:32) NET Bible ®

The rewards are boundless.  I have been studying my Bible this way every night for almost 50 years.  Sure, a person can tire of reading the same thing over and over, BUT, when the Lord speaks freshly to me as I read, there is nothing better!  So, grab your Bible and perk up your ears!

A PRAYER: Lord it frustrates me to know that You are speaking, but I am not always hearing.  Help me!

This has been Jim Johnson with pickleheavenpress.com

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

my pastor kept me from my Bible — October 24, 2019

my pastor kept me from my Bible

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james ray johnson

My wife left her Bible at a church we had visited.  I sent my friend, the pastor, an email letting him know we would get it the next Sunday.  He replied, I’ll watch for the Bible, and make sure no one reads it till she gets it back.” 

That earned a belly laugh.  BUT he wasn’t far off the mark.  Sometimes we pastors truly discourage a person from reading the Bible. 

Sometimes it’s extreme.  I was raised in a church that frowned upon personal Bible reading.  I guess they didn’t think we could get the truth right.  So, I never even saw a personal Bible until I was a student at Ohio State University. 

The Gideons distributed free copies of Good News for Modern Man to any student who would have one.  It even had pictures, which helped this biblically illiterate guy

In most cases the discouragement is subtle.  As a now retired pastor I plead guilty.   I bet there were times when I unintentionally communicated something like, “You people can’t understand the Bible as well as I do, because I have a cemetery (I mean Seminary) degree.” 

When I preached, I presented the highly synthesized fruit of my study.  I left very few specific bread crumbs that might help my flock track and probe the truth for themselves.

And then there were times, when someone would get excited about some truth he discovered.  “Pastor, look what I found in my Bible.”  I wonder how often I gave that person a positive, but underwhelming response.  “That’s nice,” while I was thinking, “Oh big deal I saw that 20 years ago.” 

My response to him should have been over the top, frothing at the mouth, full of excitement.  He was reading his Bible. -That’s pretty great!  And the Spirit of God was giving Him insight. –   Incredible.  And He was excited about what he was finding.  – He should be!  Shame on me.    

My greatest regret was that I stood by and watched various small group ministries trade in participation-based first-hand Bible study, to passively sit in front of a flat screen and watch a megachurch pastor teach. 

By the way, do you know what the difference is between a pastor and a congregant?  The pastor is paid to be good.  The rest of us are good for nothing! 

Because of pastors like me, you have a right to be bored with your Bible.  But, its so sad, because the Word of God is an incredibly exciting book.  And the greatest joy is in discovery.  There is nothing, nothing like the experience of poring over a verse, when suddenly the Lord breaks through the heavens to personally tutor you on its meaning. 

The disciples on the road to Emmaus put it this way, “They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us while he was speaking with us on the road, while he was explaining the scriptures to us?”- Luke 24:32 NET Bible ®

May I attempt restore what I may have taken away? 

Pick up your Bible this evening.  Start with the Gospel of Mark. Read only one paragraph – just one – but really read it.    As you read it, answer these three questions:  (I’ll use Mark 1:35-39 as an example.)

1) What do I see?   (Write down anything, big or small, that you observe. Look hard!)

Example: (based on Mark 1:35-39) It was early morning, Jesus got out of bed in the dark.  He left to go to a place of solitude. He was there to pray, and he was missed. Simon and the others looked for him. He wasn’t where they expected him to be.  They wanted him to go back to town to do more healing.  He politely refused in order to pursue his mission to preach.   Then ask…

2) What does it mean?

Example: Pursuing the mission that God gave Jesus was very important.  When His mission was threatened by pressure, He reset His priorities by spending time in prayer.  Then ask…

3) What should I do with it? 

Example:  I need to follow Jesus’ example and spend regular time in prayer.  I need to figure out God mission for me and pursue it. 

If you were to read the Scripture in this way you would get more benefit than having sat through a dozen of my sermons.  (I am serious).  You will be cutting out the middle man and going right to the source – the fountain of truth.  

OK so there won’t be as many jokes – but the experience of having a two-way conversation with God is better – way better.

___________

Bonus:  If you want to probe deeper, check out www.Biblehub.com to access an enormous and free online library.