On the Road to Pentecost: What’s up with your BS?

So, you’ve read the title of today’s blog post and, some of you, if not all, have come up with an interpretation of the acronym “BS”. Some eyebrows might be raised, some brows furrowed, some may frown, and others may chuckle, but each one of you would have made a decision about its meaning according to what you believe. Those of you who may have gone into the gutter for its meaning can climb out now…

”BS” here doesn’t stand for that, even though at times your BS can be BS, it’s an acronym for “Belief System”. We all believe in something – we all have our own BS and when it comes to what we believe as Christians, unlike acronyms, it cannot be shorthand, however, like acronyms, your Belief System has to stand for something of substance and value. Beliefs are personal and who or what you believe in is also personal – it is a matter of choice – a choice that no-one but you can and must make. It is up to you to decide.

Joshua and his household made their choice when he publicly proclaimed,

“But maybe you don’t want to serve the Lord. You must choose for yourselves today. Today you must decide who you will serve…You must choose for yourselves. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15 (ERV)

If you consider yourself a Christian, what you believe is essential for the Christian life and plays an important role in your walk or journey. Your beliefs are rooted in where your faith rests and is fundamental in determining what your return will be. The Word of God tells us what to believe and lets us know the outcome, for instance, Jesus said to Martha,

“Remember what I told you? I said that if you believed, you would see God’s divine greatness.” – John 11:40 (ERV)

But many times, we choose either not to believe or we believe some things and ignore the rest. Listen, if God says something “is” then that’s what you believe because whatever He says, He will bring to pass (Isaiah 46:11). You call yourself a Believer but what are you actually believing, and where is it taking you?

The truth is, we have not been conditioned to completely believe God. We do not take Him at His word, yet we want others to believe that our word is our bond, even in our fickle state where we change our minds from one moment to the next. There’s a lack of persistent fidelity in our Belief System which causes the vacillation.

Your BS will drive your behaviour and influence your life experiences. As passionate as your desires may be, you’ll never experience what you desire to be, only what you believe to be – change your BS, transform your life. Some BS, rather than lead you toward Christ is leading you away from Him and sadly, you are so resolute in your own BS that you do not recognize that you’re headed in the wrong direction.

People have a tendency to get so caught up in the church’s stated set of beliefs, they start believing the right things the wrong way and instead of establishing an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus, they become deeply involved with church and its activities. Jesus is not a doctrine or an accumulation of rules, He is a real Person, with whom you must be involved by way of a personal encounter (see Revelation 3:20). Bare knowledge of the content of the message of Christianity does not a Christian make, your Belief System cannot be built upon a shifting-sand foundation or based upon outward behaviour.

 The Word of God distorted by misinterpretation, incorrect teaching, and abuse and misuse of Scripture can only result in an unclear, ambiguous presentation of the Truth. We are warned,

“My dear friends, many false prophets are in the world now. So don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God.” – 1 John 4:1 (ERV)

Understand that beliefs are very powerful, and you can be deluded not only by others but by yourself as well.

Now, that said, I am not attempting to foist my own BS on you, I cannot tell you what you should or shouldn’t believe, that my dear friend is entirely up to you. We are all varied in our beliefs, however, as it pertains to our walk with God, we can all agree on the basic belief that apart from Christ we are separated from God (John 14:6). This is a necessary starting point despite our certain theological differences.

On the road to Pentecost is the perfect place to take an honest look at your BS; examine your BS in the light of the Word of God, not on your own but through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Author of the Word.

Amen†

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “On the Road to Pentecost: What’s up with your BS?” © 2017 revisited May 10, 2025

On the Road to Pentecost: No need to Fear

You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm
and put their trust in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

I started writing on a different topic for today when suddenly, a conversation I had yesterday with a dear friend, entered my mind. I knew that the topic for today had changed. 

You see, my friend's life has taken an immediate turn for what seems like the worse due to circumstances beyond her control and now she is afraid of what will happen to her and even more so to others who have also been affected.

Apostle Paul tells us that he had “learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor”. He went on to say that he “can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength” (Ephesians 4:12-13 CEB)

Are you always afraid or fearful for one reason or another? Well like Paul, turn to the One who gives you strength to endure whatever comes your way.

The Word of God says that a person is a slave to whatever he gives into? Yes, it does in 2 Peter 2:19, check it out for yourself. If you, like my friend, are worrying or anxious for everything, endlessly fixated on your challenges and difficulties – some warranted, others contrived – and afraid of the outcome, then you are enslaved by your fears.

No need to Fear…

Throughout the Old and New Testaments are instances where individuals and groups of people are told to not be afraid.

Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today…” – Exodus 13:14 NLT

"Do not be afraid of them," the LORD said to Joshua – Joshua 10:8 NLT

“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27 NIV

In his letter to Timothy, Paul wrote,

“The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:7 ERV

Beloved, God never meant for us to be a people afraid but people who would trust the intent of His heart and believe that He desires nothing but our benefit.

No need to Fear…

God has promised you and me that the plan He Himself has designed for each and every one of our lives is great (Jeremiah 29:11-14) but we have to cooperate with God by believing what He says. Instead, we believe that it’s natural to be afraid, even of our own shadows, not realizing that to constantly think this way only keeps us rooted in fear.

Isaiah 26:3 assures us that if we keep our minds fixed on God, He will keep us in perfect peace. However, this cannot be properly done by means of our own power, we have to rely on the Holy Spirit’s power.

No need to Fear…

God gave to us a powerful, loving, and disciplined Spirit, upon whose power we must draw if we are to truly overcome the fear to which we have given dominion over our lives.

Being continuously afraid gives fear a stranglehold on your mind and in turn your heart, and this chokes the life out of what you believe concerning God’s promises toward you.

Fearfulness wreaks havoc in every area of your life; your general sense of perception is hammered askew, causing you to fall into a state of unbelief and making you unable to accept God’s testimony about you as a new creation in Christ Jesus. Consequently, you are not able to exercise even your mustard seed sized faith.

No need to Fear…

Beloved, the sincere faith you had when you first believed in the Saviour, is that same faith you must keep ablaze even in the worst of circumstances. You must come to the realization that it is the same God who lovingly sent His only Son to die for you who is working all things together for your well-being. So, there is no reason to be afraid, is there?

God knows what’s coming and it’s never for your harm but always for your ultimate good. If you continue to fear for your life and of what’s to come, you haven’t yet recognized your loving Father and the abundant blessings He has in store for you.

No need to Fear…

We tend to give too much significance to our fears. Please, don’t let fear steal your reward (see Matthew 25:24-29).

Traversing on the road to Pentecost, surrender to God, whatever you are fearful about and allow Him to redeem it for something that is worthy. Let the transforming power of His Spirit transform your life, and beloved, be anxious for nothing (see Philippians 4:6).

Amen†

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “On the Road to Pentecost: No need to Fear” © 2017 revisited May 9, 2025

On the Road to Pentecost: For Lack of Knowledge

 

Isaiah 11:2, we read, “The life-giving Spirit of God will hover over him…the Spirit that instills knowledge” (MSG) 

Okay, so here’s the scenario:

A man has lost his job. He’s experiencing very hard times and can’t pay his bills, including his mortgage which is now way overdue. He is in a quandary, perplexed by the certain ruin that looms before him. In the meanwhile, he gets news that his great uncle, with whom he was acquainted but rarely visited, has died. However, he’s so caught up with his own dire circumstances that he casually brushes the news aside. He alleviates any modicum of guilt he feels with the fact that he didn’t know his relative that well anyway and decides not to attend his great uncle’s funeral. Furthermore, he’s receiving repeated phone calls from a number he does not know so he doesn’t answer, thinking that it may be calls from the bank or some other debt collector. But what he doesn’t know is that it is the old man's attorney calling since he has left his great nephew, of all people, a fortune. Yep, the nephew lacks that knowledge, so he continues to eke out a paltry existence, trying to get by on morsels, when the truth is, he possesses an abundant inheritance.

 

Hosea 4:6 tells us that our quality of life is destroyed for lack of knowledge, and the rejection of that knowledge. Like the nephew, we are limping through life ignorant of all that we truly possess. It’s so easy to fall into the lap of meagreness when we don’t understand what Christ’s death has wrought and aren’t aware of what we have inherited in Him.

The reasons for this is not knowing, and, knowing but rejecting. Some of us simply do not know of God’s plan for our lives, while some of us know but we choose not to accept His plan.

Beloved, God’s plan for your life is told in the Bible. God’s Word is written there for you. It lets you know who you are and what your inheritance is but if you do not read it or study it how will you know and understand? The biblical know is an intimate knowledge, a “knowing” that’s securely lodged in your heart. It is knowledge instilled by God’s own Spirit within you.

As Christians, we love to declare “knowing the truth will set you free!” but it is always taken out of context. Jesus said that if we would abide in His Word, then we would be His disciples [disciplined followers] and then we would know the truth, and the truth would set us free (see John 8:31-32).

This clearly shows that being simply acquainted with God’s Word is not enough, anyone can do that. The blessing of inheritance comes from the knowledge we gain by living in His Word and acting on His Word.

James 1:22 (CEB),

“You must be doers of the word and not only hearers who mislead themselves.”

Apostle James says that we must do the Word – comply with and adhere to the Word of God. If we aren’t doing that then we're just fooling ourselves; according to the familiar phrase, we’re “playing church”.

If you want to access this inheritance, you must be in genuine relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. God’s love is unconditional but His promised inheritance is not. There’s nothing you can do to warrant your salvation, that’s a gift but you cannot want the gift and not the Giver. You can’t keep rejecting His call and expect to reap the benefits of His abundance. It’s important for you to abide in God’s truth daily because that’s the only way you’d become a co-heir, and once you’re in, through faith in Christ, you’ll receive the power to walk in His footsteps along the pathway of a life of blessing through the guidance of His Holy Spirit.

Too few of us walk in the abundant life because of our own ignorance, not knowing that the inheritance of God is ushered into our lives by faith, when we live in absolute dependence on God.

Beloved, Christ died and left you a vast fortune and for lack of knowledge, you have no idea what you’ve inherited.

As you journey on the road to Pentecost, pray for Spirit-instilled knowledge that the eyes of your heart would be enlightened, so that you will truly know what the hope of His calling is, receive a full revelation of your potential in Christ and have knowledge of what the riches of the glory of His inheritance are in you.

Amen†

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “On the Road to Pentecost: For Lack of Knowledge” © 2017 revisited May 8, 2025

On the Road to Pentecost: Get Understanding

“The Lord’s spirit will rest upon him, a spirit of…understanding” – Isaiah 11:2 (CEB)

Paired with Wisdom is Understanding. What’s the use of wisdom without an understanding of that wisdom? What is the point in having spiritual wisdom if you cannot understand anything spiritual?

Understanding is the very next gift of the Spirit listed in Isaiah 11 verse 2. Understanding is crucial in the development of the mind of Christ in you.

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." Proverbs 4:7 (KJV)

King Solomon, to whom God bestowed a unique gift of wisdom (see 1 Kings 3:12), says that in all your getting you must get understanding. You see, it will profit you nothing to read the Bible from cover to cover, memorizing every Scripture verse in order that you might rattle off any one of them at will, yet not understand one single thing you have read or memorized. You’ve become a master Scripture-quoter but do not ask you for an explanation because you haven’t truly understood a word far less a sentence and worse yet a chapter. In all your getting you did not get understanding. You’re spiritually ignorant.

It happens. I’ve been to some Bible Study sessions where sadly, from the participants’ contributions, it is quite apparent that they have not even a basic concept of what the preacher has said. Religiously they attend, week after week, unaware of the deeper meaning of God’s Word. Living on the surface of the pages of the Bible, still in the milk stage, never graduating to solid food eating (see 1 Corinthians 3:2).

Beloved, you cannot depend on yourself or others for this understanding that Solomon is exhorting you to get. God is the source of understanding and even though He may use people to guide you toward understanding, ultimately that deep spiritual understanding is from Him. It is a gift from God, imparted by His Holy Spirit. You can read God's Word until your eyes are protruding from their sockets, never miss Bible Study and listen to 52 Sunday morning sermons, but unless He gives you understanding you just won’t get it.

 

So how do you get this understanding? Ask for it. It’s that simple. No matter who you are or think you are – whatever your status in life – recognize that you are a servant of God, admit that without His insight you will understand nothing. So, humble yourself and ask.

The King James Version puts it like this, “I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.” (Psalm 119:125) and I also like the Message Bible translation,

“I’m your servant—help me understand what that means, the inner meaning of your instructions.”

Understanding is there for the taking, available to anyone – the intellectual and the craftsman alike; the extravagant and the simple; the priest as well as the laity – whosoever will ask for it will be given it.

It is God who gives you the ability to understand the Bible. It is only through His indwelling Spirit that you are able to comprehend and grasp spiritual concepts. It is His Spirit operating in you that brings a proper understanding. It is the Holy Spirit that illuminates and reveals the mysteries hidden in the Word.

Pastors, Preachers, Priests and Bible Teachers may lead you to the pasture to feed but in order to properly understand you must seek God’s Spirit of understanding.

While on the road to Pentecost, “…stretch your mind toward understanding. Call out for insight, and cry aloud for understanding. Seek it like silver; search for it like hidden treasure. Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:2-5 CEB)

Amen †

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “On the Road to Pentecost: Get Understanding”  © 2016 revisited May 6, 2025

On the Road to Pentecost: the Spirit of Wisdom

“The life-giving Spirit of God will hover over him, the Spirit that brings wisdom…” – Isaiah 11:2 (MSG)

“I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you wisdom to see clearly and really understand who Christ is and all that he has done for you. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can see something of the future he has called you to share. I want you to realize that God has been made rich because we who are Christ’s have been given to him! I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great his power is to help those who believe him. It is that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in heaven” – Ephesians 1:16-19 (TLB)

Certain things can only be learnt via the teachings of the Holy Spirit. He introduces us to a divine perspective of reality. A perspective that is completely different from the world’s point of view.

“Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you.” – Romans 12:2 (TLB)

This gift of wisdom opens you up to a whole new way of thinking and being. It communicates the very mysteries of God on a personal level, affirming the Divine Presence within you.

This first-listed gift of Isaiah 11:2, provides you with a different perspective of things; it causes you to perceive the divine at work in all situations. It enhances your understanding of Romans 8:28…

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (NIV)

Understand that this is no superficial experience but a deeply profound realization of the Presence of God in everything and everywhere.

As a contemplative gift of the Spirit, Wisdom is active within you and enables you to communicate with others God’s way, by impressing upon their hearts.

The gift of wisdom is the source and foundation from and upon which the other gifts emanate and are built. Without this anchor, this renewing of your mind (see Romans 12:2), no other gift can be properly established.

Some have tried to bring about god-like wisdom but the wisdom of which the prophet and apostle spoke cannot be learned, bought, received from listening to an on-fire preacher or earned, we can merely prepare ourselves to receive it from the only One who gives it, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Wisdom is a supernatural gift from God.

It is the Holy Spirit, the interior Presence of God, who stirs up these waves of Wisdom deep within you. You can feel these waves of change as they well up, manifesting in delightfully unexpected ways.

Beloved, as you keep step on the road to Pentecost, allow yourself to lose your footing so that Spirit may carry you along into the divine perspective, to see life from God’s point of view where, as St. Thomas Aquinas says about this gift in his Summa Theologica,

“The gift of wisdom makes the bitter, sweet, and labour, a rest.”

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “On the Road to Pentecost: the Spirit of Wisdom” © May 5, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

On the Road to Pentecost: These Seven Gifts

“For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.” – 1 Corinthians 2:16 (AMPC)

A few days ago, you would have read that there are special gifts designed to raise our divine consciousness in the transforming virtues of faith, hope and love, all in an effort to create us anew, but today we shall dive a little deeper. These gifts are instrumental in the creation of the mind of Christ in us that Paul speaks of in the above verse.

However, to produce the mind of Christ in us, we must be willing to allow the indwelling Holy Spirit to do so. As you know God will never violate our free will. God wants us to choose and preferably, to choose Him, for when we do, we are elevated spiritually and our journey to transformation is fortified.

This transformation is wrought internally by the movements of the Holy Spirit within us through seven gifts, revealed in Isaiah 11:2,

“And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord.”

1. Wisdom

 

2. Understanding

 

3. Counsel

 

4. Might

 

5. Knowledge

 

6. Reverential Fear of the Lord [Fear of the Lord]

 

7. Obedient Fear of the Lord [Piety]

These seven gifts are divided in two parts; wisdom, understanding and knowledge, are considered contemplative gifts of the Holy Spirit, while counsel, might, reverential fear of the Lord and obedient fear of the Lord are the active gifts.

The contemplative Gifts are mutually related, and God uses these particular gifts to bring us unto Himself so that we may be His entirely – body, soul, and spirit.

The active Gifts are designed to bring the contemplative experience into all of our activities and even the smallest details of our lives. But we must give over ourselves to God in complete surrender, allowing God to decide whatever He wants us to do – where our free will becomes His divine will, where we “hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart”.

As we consent to the Presence and will of God in our lives, these seven gifts that the Holy Spirit imparts, are realized and we are able then to enjoy authentic fellowship with the Lord. Surrendering completely to God is the only way to have an unlimited capacity to respond to the Holy Spirit.

As you continue on the road to Pentecost, meditate on these seven gifts from God’s supreme Gift, the Holy Spirit whose activity within you brings you to a deeper reality of the Lord, your Messiah. And may you choose to consent to His transforming power to align your thinking to the mind of Christ.

Amen †

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “On the Road to Pentecost: These Seven Gifts” © 2013 revisited May 4, 2025

 

On the Road to Pentecost: Wisdom

In Proverbs 4:6-7 we read, "Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding."

As little children we often wished that we could have our very own genie to watch over us. While some, at some point in time, prayed for the protection of a guardian angel. The verses above from Proverbs tell us that wisdom is available to us as a protection and a “watchman”.

Like King Solomon, we must not forgo wisdom but hanker after it. James 1:5 says that if we lack wisdom, that is, the kind of wisdom that we can receive only from God, all we have to do is ask for it.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

What a wonderful promise! Today ask God for His wisdom, knowing that you will receive it.

As you continue your journey on the road to Pentecost, here are some more verses on wisdom that you can spend time meditating on:

Psalm 111:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise. (NIV)

Proverbs 1:7

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.(NIV)

Proverbs 11:2

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (NIV)

Proverbs 29:11

A [short-sighted] fool always loses his temper and displays his anger, but a wise man [uses self-control and] holds it back. (AMP)

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (NIV)

1 Corinthians 1:30

It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (NIV)

James 3:17

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (NIV)

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “On the Road to Pentecost: Wisdom” © 2014 revisited May 4, 2025