The Big Stick Approach

 “You young people!!!” was how the preacher started her sermon, shouting in decibels not easily measured, she glared at the youngsters in the congregation at the Youth Service.

It was at that point I believe the young people stopped listening. I looked first at my two teenaged children seated next to me, they certainly had, as I’m sure did the others who were scattered throughout the church.

How to lose your members in 3 seconds or less should have been the title of her sermon.  She continued her onslaught. Condemning, chastising, blaming, as far as she was concerned there was no such thing as innocent until proven guilty. In her eyes, every one of these teens and pre-teens were all guilty of all the “crimes” she was accusing them of.

“Sinners!!!” she screamed, stressing unnecessarily on the second n and the last s.

“We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), including you up there behind the pulpit” I was so tempted to scream that back at her.

Trying to frighten people into salvation is never a good idea. The Word of God clearly states that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and not by our own efforts or works (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The big stick approach will always make people feel utterly condemned and outside the reach of Jesus Christ and what He purposed on the cross. The big stick approach makes people feel that there is no point in salvation since they can’t achieve the unattainable high standards that these preachers claim that God expects.

Preachers who insist on portraying God as an angry, unforgiving, unreachable, abusive, unloving father who you dare not approach are practicing fear-mongering theology. They are not showing us God’s true nature; a loving, caring, forgiving God, full of grace and mercy.

Brandishing their religious big sticks, these fear-mongers distort the Gospel by their continuous perpetuation of this false narrative, not only in their sermons but sometimes in the way they treat others. And sadly, this type of approach is not unique to the clergy but infiltrates the laity as well.

I truly believe that the words and actions of some in church, have caused many people to stay away from church, leave the church, hate anything to do with church, and worst of all, be weary of God as they misunderstand Him and His Word. To these people the Good News is not good.

Beloved, your life does not have to be un-messy for you to qualify for God’s salvation, for it is “while we were still sinners” that Jesus sacrificed His life for you. God meets you where you are and as you are. God has declared a presumption of innocence over you. He has already made you innocent through His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. God is able and willing to make you free!

Amen!

Shelley Johnson "The Big Stick Approach" © January 16, 2025

 

Spiritual Warfare

 

What comes to your mind when you hear the words, spiritual warfare?

Perhaps you think of people gathered together binding the devil? A preacher casting out demons from a frenzied congregation? A group of believers with their hands reaching upwards and pulling down strongholds? What do you picture?

Spiritual battles are real but spiritual warfare has been made to look like some kind of a pappy show because there are so many persons going overboard with gimmicks and antics, and teaching things regarding spiritual warfare that are not scriptural.

Spiritual warfare is a topic that requires much more time and study than this platform allows. All I can do this morning is give you food for thought. I will just barely scratch the surface as I briefly talk about how living a submitted life, having a pure conscience and the fullness of Spirit is connected to good warfare, according to first Timothy one eighteen.

I pray that we will all delve deeper for ourselves.

Spiritual warfare can present itself in many different forms. The devil is a very strategic and conniving being. He studies his prey, and he knows exactly which buttons to push, when to pounce, what thoughts to place in our minds…what to suggest, what will provoke…

It is a war and like all other warmongers, he studies his enemy.

But there is really great news…in one word and one name…Jesus…the heart of spiritual warfare.

The warfare of the New Testament is not like that of the Old Testament…we are under a new dispensation, we are not the aggressors, it is the devil who is roaming around like a roaring lion and seeking whom he may devour. In this battle we must have a pure conscience and a clear mind; remain sober and vigilant.

We are soldiers in hostile territory, and with Jesus we are more than conquerors. Our warfare is about helping to rescue the perishing. That is our mission. The devil’s goal is to side-track and distract us from the work we have been called to do.

You see, as it is written in 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NRSV),

“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

We need to remain focused, steadfast in our resolve to ensure that the blind see the light of the Gospel, ignoring the taunts of our opponent.

Jesus taught us, “Thy will be done” We are tasked to do God’s will but in order for us to do that, our will must be in line with the Father’s…how do we achieve that?

Complete submission…living a submitted life.

It’s all too easy to bandy about halfway memorized Bible verses without truly understanding their meaning and the power the words hold; we tell people, “resist the devil and he will flee from you” okay but some things are missing, crucial parts have been left out…

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." – James 4:7-8

See the difference?

In those two verses, James has covered two of the things I want to touch on. It is time for us to think outside the box we’ve become accustomed to…

In Ephesians chapter six, verses 10 to 18, Apostle Paul outlines exactly what we need to conduct spiritual warfare.

I want us to keep in mind that even though the battle is not ours but the Lord’s, we get caught in the middle. So, we must be appropriately dressed.

Out of the six components Paul lists, five are defensive and meant to protect us; here are the three that apply to today’s devotion.

1. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. – Ephesians 6:10
   
   
2. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God – Ephesians 6:17; can’t have the helmet without that sword.
   
   
3. Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. – Ephesians 6:18

What is Apostle Paul telling us? Warfare is about having a strong defense…without a strong defense our offense will be worthless.

We are to submit to God, resist the devil, be watchful and spiritually alert. (1 Peter 5:8) This is a defensive tactic.

First and foremost, surrendering to God’s will is fundamental to waging good warfare.

I’d like you to understand that at the time that Paul was writing this letter to the Ephesians, he was in gaol, observing the Roman soldiers’ physical armour, he used it as an analogy for spiritual armour.

That helmet is not just for our heads but our hearts too.

And the sword, which is the Word of God is a two in one weapon, used both defensively and offensively. Who is the Word of God?

Just by virtue of being in Christ, we are protected from the wiles of the devil.

The Gospel is the heart of our spiritual warfare; it is the power of God unto salvation.

Our ultimate goal is to win as many as we could to Christ and in so doing defeat the devil’s kingdom.

Prayer is the binding agent that holds the armour together but not just any sort of praying.

Ephesians 6:18 clearly specifies that we are to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. It’s in the fullness of Spirit. A very significant weapon in our arsenal.

These are not self-centred, religious, long-winded, empty prayers. These are prayers rooted in Spirit, passionate, heartfelt, fervent, earnest, and full of meaning; a crying out to God in desperation not caring about what anyone thinks or how it will look. This is prayer that cannot be taught. It’s from our heart to God’s heart.

Pray and keep on praying to the Lord of the harvest…God-centred prayers; praying for our mouths to be opened boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel, to see the lost come to Christ; praying for those who are serving God and building His Kingdom, for leaders to be saved, for the freedom to share the Gospel, and praying for each other to move as a single unit and not individual soldiers in this war.

The devil will still attack; the trials will still be grievous, but they will not succeed because the truth is…

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Amen.

 

Shelley Johnson "Spiritual Warfare" © 21/3/2023

 

The Good Samaritan

Who does not know the story that’s entitled “The Good Samaritan” found in Luke 10:29-37? Okay, here’s a refresher...

A guy, heading from Jerusalem to Jericho, is robbed, stripped naked, beaten badly and more or less left on the side of the road to die. First a priest then a Levite, come walking up the road but upon seeing the half dead man laying there, both do the same thing at different times; they cross over to the other side of the road and pass the guy straight. Imagine that. Then, a Samaritan, who by the way, Jews despised, on his way to somewhere, sees the poor guy and immediately makes a detour. He bandaged the guy’s wounds, poured oil and wine, put him on his donkey, took him to an inn, took care of him overnight, yes, overnight; then next morning because he probably already missed the first day of his conference, had to leave, so he paid the innkeeper to continue to take care of this Jewish stranger…the guy was going from Jerusalem to Jericho, so we can confidently deduce that he was Jewish…until his return.

Okay, good, that is the story in a nutshell. This, one of Jesus’ parables, is meant to teach us a lesson.

Now, I know that when we read or hear a sermon on this Samaritan, we are often told that we should be good like the Samaritan, showing mercy and compassion to others, and not be like the priest and the Levite who did not.

But, like the priest and the Levite, everyone just bypasses the guy. All of us, including preacher, pastor and Bible Study teacher, leave him on the side of the road. We completely ignore him. After reading the passage we do not mention the guy ever again, we only focus on the priest, the Levite, the Samaritan and sometimes the innkeeper gets a bit part but never the guy. And you know what I think, out of all the characters in this parable, it is the guy with whom we should all be identifying.

Yes, that wounded, beaten, side-stepped, ignored guy is you and me. Oftentimes we find ourselves in such a messy situation, downtrodden and broken that even when we try to get back on our feet, we feel so beaten up that we just cannot seem to stand. We simply cannot do anything for ourselves and the persons we think we can depend on, upon seeing our state, just keep on walking. They prefer not to get involved; they want no part of you when you are down. But not Jesus. He attends to all our needs. He bandages our wounds and takes good care of us. Jesus is the Good Samaritan. He picks us up and takes us into that place where we can feel safe, heal and re-gain our strength.

We have to trust Him and not rely on our own efforts. We have to trust Him and not place so much dependence on others. We have to trust that when we are attacked, Jesus will show up.

Beloved, no matter what, Jesus will not pass you by.

Amen

Shelley Johnson “The Good Samaritan” © January 13, 2025

Made in the Image and Likeness of God: Food for Thought

In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness,” (NIV)

Have you ever thought of what that really means? God’s image and likeness…what is that? How does that look?

From all accounts, God isn’t constrained within a body like we are. In John 4:24 we read, “God is spirit”, and Deuteronomy chapter 4, verses 12 and 15 tell us that God has no form. If God is “formless”, then Genesis 1:26 is not speaking about the physical characteristics as we know them. So, it’s possible that it has nothing to do with the tangible image and likeness of a body with its head, arms and legs but goes much deeper than what we see on the surface.

After God formed Adam from the dust of the ground, He then breathed living Breath, Neshamah - spirit (see Genesis 2:7), into Adam. Was Adam birthed a spiritual being in a physical realm?

In Genesis 3:7 we read, “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked” (NIV)

Hmm, they, Adam and Eve, mankind, became aware of their physical attributes. They saw themselves; each other and their own self. Mankind noticed their embodiment, they became self-conscious.

What changed, not just outwardly but inwardly, for us to become aware of what we look like? What caused mankind to shift his focus from God to self?  From a completely spiritual existence to a physical reality?

Before sin made its way into the Garden, mankind was unaware of “self”. Adam and Eve weren’t self-centred, self-ish, self-reliant, or self-conscious. The tangible qualities of “self” did not factor into their lives until the snake slithered into the Garden.

Our progenitors, in their formless state, were nothing in their own eyes before consciousness of the “self” entered. After that, Adam and Eve lost the ability of their unawareness. They were no longer in the likeness of God, no longer able to communicate with the animals that Adam had named, no longer able to understand the language of the cosmos…they lost the image and the likeness, for themselves and for all mankind.

Now corrupted, they were stripped of their spirituality and made aware of their vulnerability.

In this new state of being, this state of self-consciousness, they would never be able to survive in the divine supernatural atmosphere of Eden. So, out you go!

But God had a plan for His creation and so, there was, and is hope for us but only if we are willing to participate in this plan. It will take some hard work on our part. It won’t be easy, but it will be rewarding.

We need to become unaware of ourselves.

Jesus put it this way,

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 16:24-25)

Deny your “self”. Lose your “self”. Lose your way of life, and embrace Jesus’ way of life and you will find the Life that God intended for you to have.

To regain the image and likeness that was lost, you must deny your “self”, then immediately thereafter, take up your cross. In other words, denying the “self” is a daily, constant, continuous sacrificial crucifixion of the “self”.

We have to become utterly unaware, disembodied, so to speak. We have to recognize that we are nothing, not in a negative sense but utterly unconscious of our “selfs” in order that we may properly follow Him.

Are you ready to experience a taste of Eden – a state of simply being nothing, without the burden of the attachment of “self”, to be re-made in the image and likeness of God?

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Made in the Image and Likeness of God: Food for Thought” © January 12, 2025

 

 

 

A Song of Cheerful Hope

 

Psalm 33 verses 20 to 22 (NRSV)…

Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

Let us pray…

Lord, as I place my hope in you, let your steadfast love touch each and every area of my life this morning. I thank you for the dawn of a brand new day which brings with it new mercies, blessings, strength, and bright hope and let me feel your dear presence as I open my heart and soul to receive. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Today, I’d like us all to go forward into the day with a song of cheerful hope in our very souls. 

But, how do we do that? How do you maintain a song of cheerful hope, when all you are seeing ahead of you is a challenge, another day full of uncertainty, frustration, not only at work but at home too, only trials after trials, and you just know that, yet another storm of confusion and pure bacchanal is brewing.

You are at your wits end, asking God, “What is this storm? I am your child, standing on the solid Rock but I am feeling like if I’m on sinking sand.” No answer, only silence. Where is Jesus?

With every hardship, every trial, every storm, that you go through, rest assured that He is way ahead of you and your situation, waiting on the other side.

Beloved, even in the midst of chaos, Jesus is there. Yes, He is. Do not focus on the storm, do not focus on all the raindrops, but only focus on Him.

And how do you do that? Believe it or not, through praise and worship. 

Praising Him in the chaos, in the confusion, in the storm….it may be one of those raging storms, but we cannot afford to lose our focus. Sing, even if you cannot sing, still sing, sing to God, sing songs about Him, glorifying His Holy Name.

Remember how He brought you through that last thunderstorm? The one where you could see no blue sky? Remember that one? When suddenly the sun appeared?

Remember the time when you fell flat and thought you had hit rock bottom and would never be able to get up? And look, you did, and you are still standing.

Remember His marvellous works in your life, how He has been so faithful to you…and sing of His goodness…

Yes, that’s how you do it. That is how you go forward into the day with a song of cheerful hope.

Even if you’re not feeling His touch at the moment, know that He is gently holding you in His hands through it all… praise Him, worship Him, and be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.

Surrender now, give Him everything and keep reminding yourself that answering prayer is God’s job, He is never late, He is always on time. Remain cheerful, remain hopeful and sing that song!

Let us pray…

Heavenly Father, help me to see the beauty of the storm. Enable me to look beyond the raindrops and to know, beyond a doubt, that You are there waiting for me as soon as the rain stops.

Instill deep within me, that hope that caused Job to say, Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.

May I remember to focus on You throughout today and always, with shouts of joy and praise, even when I am mired in chaos. Today, I declare that I will put my hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Shelley Johnson "A Song of Cheerful Hope" © July 24, 2024

Christ is Coming...to bring Love

 

I would like to begin today’s devotion with probably the most well-known Bible verse,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” 

Yes, God gave us Jesus, each one of us, out of an incredible selfless act of love…I would like to suggest that we meditate and chew on that for a little more than a moment.

Too often we drift through Advent somewhat anesthetized, setting our sights more on Christmas day and getting caught up in the bustle of pre-Christmas shopping, preparing only for that day of celebration rather than the preparation for which Advent is purposed.

The Season of Advent, the time between All Saints’ Day and Christmas Eve, does not simply mark the run-up to Christmas Day, it is the time between the times when we expectantly wait in hope for the promised return of our Lord Jesus, who came, who comes, and who will come again.

Okay, I know that you must be wondering “Why bring this up now? Advent is long gone, and Christmas done.” But why not now?

The season of Advent is two-fold. It is a looking forward to Jesus’ second coming and a looking back to the incarnation.

Cyril of Jerusalem, a theologian of the early church stated,

“There is a birth from God before the ages, and a birth from a virgin at the fullness of time…a hidden coming and a coming…before all eyes, in the future.”

Luke, in the very first chapter of his gospel, tells us that God Himself is about to enter this world and sends a heavenly messenger to an obscure young woman, a virgin, to inform her that she has been chosen to bear a child, God’s own child. But not just the Son of God but God Himself.  

Upon hearing this incredible message, Mary exhibits expressions of shock, awe, wonder, gratitude, and great resolve as she allows what is to happen with her, in her, to her, and through her to sink in and digest.

Mary knew that the one who called her is faithful so, notwithstanding the disagreeable reality she would more than likely face as a pregnant virgin, Mary does not hesitate to respond affirmatively. Her hastiness borne out of obedience to God’s eternal plan, not obedience rooted in fear, but obedience deeply rooted in love.

Now completely focused on God, and in anticipation of this unimaginable miracle to be wrought through her womb, Mary, her mouth, filled with laughter and her tongue with shouts of joy, rejoices and celebrates by blessing Him.

Unable to contain the spirit of praise that sprung up within her, Mary burst into song, as recorded in Luke 1:46-55. As it is written,

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Her song of praise is a song of love to the Lord, her yet unborn child, the child to come, Jesus. A song that not only speaks of her intimate knowledge of the Scriptures, but also her faith in, devotion to, and love of, God.

Seen as no one special in her own eyes, for God to use her to bring the greatest gift to humankind, was worthy of her praise. It was all about God, not about her, for there is no room for pride in authentic love, no room for despair, only praise.

Love is the unbroken thread woven through every stanza of Mary’s heartfelt song of praise to the God whom she knew and from whom she found favour. Her song is evidence that she embraced the remarkable responsibility of birthing the impossible, God’s love personified.

Christ, left us so many practical examples of His love, through kindness, serving others, forgiveness, but nothing reveals God’s love more fully than the giving of Himself in sacrifice.

Cerro San Cristóbal Santiago Chile

Yes, the Season of Advent is long gone, Christmastime is over, even Epiphany has passed and though we are now in the Season of Ordinary Time, beloveds, times aren’t ordinary so let us recall Jesus’ first coming in anticipation of His second. Let us, like Mary, relinquish our own desires, and allow God to draw us more deeply into the love that the incarnation reveals, with the blessed assurance that just as Christ came in love the first time, undoubtedly Christ is coming to bring love the second time in the consummation of all things, His final victorious act of Love...

Let us pray,

God of extravagant, persistent, unbounded sacrificial love, in this season of so-called Ordinary Time, teach us to give ourselves in joyful service, renew our spirits and strengthen our confidence in You, so that we may truly learn to walk in self-giving love.

May we strive to live as an Advent people, cantered on the wonder of incarnation, on the hope of Christ coming, stretched to deeper faith, to higher hope, and to broader love, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

Shelley Johnson “Christ is coming…To Bring Love” © November 3, 2021

 

"Calm Down", Let's get personal

 Those of you who have been reading and re-reading these blog posts may have noticed that I had not posted anything new since January 2018, and even then, I wrote very little. So, it’s been a while but that doesn’t mean that I’ve not been communicating with God.  

I used to be hard on myself when I did not attend to my blog because I felt as though I was  giving you, my readers, a raw deal, so to speak. During this time of “nothing happening”, I gained a better understanding that this blog, Bethel at Balata, is not my blog, it is God’s blog. That means I must wait on Him and never presume to share what God has not placed on my heart to share. But seven years? I guess seven being the number of completion, something must be up. Right?

Those closest to me would know that since 2018 a great deal has happened in my life. Some were extremely difficult for me to comprehend. I must confess that because of those challenging times, fraught with bewilderment and grief my communication with God, though not broken, had waned.

Very often we think that we’ve learnt a lesson, only to realize that there are many levels within that lesson that we still have to get past.

Folks, this walk is not a straight path, there are hills and valleys, cliffs to rappel down, mounds to negotiate over, plateaus upon which we can rest a while, stony areas, some smooth spots, grass, dirt, muddy puddles, even caves we have to navigate through…it’s a virtual steeplechase.

Spirit told me to begin writing this blog in 2015, and since then, I’ve gone through periods where the downloading of information has been like an onslaught but there were times, certainly over the course of those seven years, when I experienced complete silence, not a word, not an idea, not even the remotest thought.

However, this last Monday evening, an urge to begin again came over me. Incidentally, the first post of 2018 was “Shall we begin again?” I sat at my desk with my laptop open, read that post and I knew I was being called once more to start posting afresh in 2025. Begin again, from the start, with God, and me, and you. I tweaked the old post slightly, using a photo of a lovely sunrise, sent to me by my friend Wain, and I began again, January seventh. Hmm, seven. Okay…

It was a gentle inaudible flutter deep inside me which I could not ignore. I responded.

Is this helping you in any way? I’m quite sure that it’s for somebody…I know that it is for me.

Like Apostle Paul, “I do not consider that I have laid hold of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” What I’m saying is, I haven’t figured anything out, not that I’ve tried to, and the lesson I was obviously in need of still eludes me, but I feel strongly that I have finally passed that test and I am moving forward, leaving what’s past in the past, not completely forgetting but not lingering there. When we linger, how will we ever move forward to what lies ahead of us?

Perhaps I needed to be less hard on God when I could not understand what He was doing or less hard on myself when I wasn’t accomplishing what I believe He was inspiring me to do. The truth is, there are just some things we will never understand, and frankly, we won’t always get it because the way God thinks and the way He works far surpasses the way we think and work. (See Isaiah 55:8-9)

Thankfully, God is never hard or harsh with us, for even His rebuffs are couched in love and compassion. Why then, can’t we show love and compassion to ourselves? We need to ease up a bit, relax, or as my son often says, “Calm down”.

Yes, calm down, take a breath and listen to what God is saying, even when He’s silent. God’s silence does not mean that He has thrown anything or anyone aside, on the contrary, God does His best work in us and for us in the stillness. What does the psalm say?

“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 40:10)

When the silence descends, just be still and rest assured that the same I Am God that appeared to Moses is the same I Am God doing His thing.

When you just don’t get it, just be still and know that it is the same I Am God that is constantly working everything together in your life to achieve the best outcome.

Oftentimes it doesn’t seem that way, but we must believe…only believe. And if it takes seven years, well so be it.

 

Amen.

 

Shelley Johnson “Calm Down”…Let’s get personal © January 8, 2025