The Immaculate Conception

Today, the Catholic Church is commemorating the Immaculate Conception of Mary, blessed mother of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But should we not all join in on the celebration, both Catholic and non-Catholic alike? For we are all Christians with the belief that it was indeed the young innocent virgin named Mary who was hand-picked by God Himself to bring His one beloved Son into this world to save us all. So why not celebrate?

The Catholic Church has chosen this day as their day of celebration but all who confess that they belong to the Lord should remain mindful of this absolutely wonderful event. An event, which brought to us the incredible gift of salvation.

So, let non-Catholics not scoff or thumb noses but join in the celebration as we take this opportunity to remember, commemorate, and celebrate the blessing that was bestowed on a young girl, who, though confused by the message she had received, still accepted that message with grace and privilege saying, “I belong to the Lord, body and soul, let it happen as you say.” (Luke 1:38 – Phillips).

Amen†

The Immaculate Conception    Shelley Johnson 07-Dec-2016

Spiritual Terrorism

When a crime is committed, the burning question on every tongue is: “Who did it?”

A horrendous crime has been perpetrated against all humanity. A criminal like no other is on the loose. A conman whose main weapon of choice is deception. A snatcher of good seed and a sower of seeds of destruction. A consummate thief who steals away the abundant life that you and I were meant to live. A serial terrorist, terrorizing mankind from time immemorial.

Since the beginning of time, this terrorist concocted a massive scheme of spiritual terrorism – a devious plan to carry out murder on a grand scale. But even though we may not always recognize this master of deception, he is well known to those in authority. When, disguised as an angel of light, he managed to wangle his way into the Throne Room to lay accusation against God’s faithful servant Job, God did not fall prey to his ruse and exposed him on the spot.

“One day the divine beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Adversary also came among them. The Lord said to the Adversary, “Where did you come from?” – Job 1:6-7 (CEB)

Jesus also knows the culprit well. He had to deal with this tempter during those 40-days He spent in the wilderness (read Matthew 4:1-11). And Jesus, like God, was not fooled by his shenanigans. Jesus is very clear about who’s trying to choke the spiritual life out of believers and fingers the prime suspect in Matthew 13:38-39.

If for some odd reason, after reading that, you’re still not sure, Apostle Paul left us more than a blatant clue as to the identity of this perpetrator in Ephesians 6:12 (Phillips),

“For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organizations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil.” 

And, Apostle Peter cautions us to be on the alert and remain vigilant because this serial terrorist is continuously prowling around looking for prey. It’s all part of the devil’s devious plot against God’s people. 

“Be self-controlled and vigilant always, for your enemy the devil is always about, prowling like a lion roaring for its prey.” – 1 Peter 5:8 (Phillips) 

For ages the devil has been engaged in spiritual terrorism. For thousands of years he has been honing his craft. Jesus Himself testifies,

“He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false.” – John 8:44 (AMPC)

A thief, a killer, a destroyer, a liar, the devil has been all these and more, from his first appearance in the Garden until now, his game plan of trickery and deceit has not changed, his methods to lure and entice have not changed; he continues to present his fabricated stories as real and we fall for them more often than we ought. Jesus, Apostles Paul and Peter, and James have all told us how to handle the devil…

Jesus, subjected to the devil’s temptations, did not yield but quoted the Word of God instead: “It is written…” and “It has been said…” (see Luke 4:1-13). 

Apostle Paul said that we must “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:10-11 NIV). 

Apostle Peter tells us to resist the devil and stand firm in the faith (see 1 Peter 5:9).

And James says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.” (James 4:7-8 NIV).

Amen†

Spiritual Terrorism Shelley Johnson 30-Nov-2016

Mirror, Mirror…

“Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart.” – Proverbs 27:19 (MSG)

Peer into water and what do you see? You see a reflection of your true likeness. In the same way, your heart reflects your true character. Several times, in this blog, Bethel at Balata, I’ve written that your heart is that place deep within you beyond your conscious thoughts, your inner-most being and it possesses the power to motivate and compel you – if it is evil, you will tend to do evil but if it is good, you will tend to do good. In Luke 6:45 Jesus says,

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (NIV)

Although outside influences affect you, your true character traits come from deep within. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts--murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” Matthew 15:19 (NIV). Clearly, it is what’s in your fallen heart that corrupts your whole being. That is why David, after committing adultery and murder, pleaded with God to create in him a pure heart (Psalm 51:10) – he understood that it was in the heart that sin is devised (see Genesis 6:5; Proverbs 6:18), but even more importantly, he recognized that it was not within his own power to overcome and sought the help of the only One with real power to restore, God Almighty.

So too you must be honest with yourself, come clean with God about what’s really in your heart. Yes, it’s true, He already knows but this confession is not for God’s sake, it is for your sake. As 1 John 1:9 assures, 

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (NIV)

This verse gives credence to the familiar old Scottish proverb: “Open confession is good for the soul.”

The “open” is usually left out but it is indeed open confession that is the prerequisite to repentance, and forgiveness from a God who delights in forgiving and forgetting.

Allow me to leave you with a few verses from the Bible upon which you can meditate:

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment…Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3:3,4 (NIV)

People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NIV)

“For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” Mark 7:21-23 (NIV)

“Explore me, O God, and know the real me. Dig deeply and discover who I am. Put me to the test and watch how I handle the strain. Examine me to see if there is an evil bone in me, and guide me down Your path forever.” Psalm 139:23-24 (The Voice)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Amen†

Mirror, Mirror… Shelley Johnson 25-Nov-2016/29-Nov-2016

A Prayer For Today…

O Lord, You are the One upon whom no limits can be placed, You cannot be contained, and nothing is impossible for You, for You can do anything – immeasurably more than I can ever ask or imagine. 

Today I pray that You would forgive me for the limits I have placed upon You, thinking of You in my limited human terms and not as the all mighty, omnipotent, omniscient, universe-filling God that You are. 

Cause me to lift up my eyes from the natural realm so that I may truly perceive the spiritual. Teach me the truth of Who You are, the I AM that I AM. 

I long to clearly understand Your invisible attributes, Your divine nature, and to experience Your eternal power, in every area of my life. 

I thank You for Your Spirit in me, my Teacher, Who brings revelation of the truth and for Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who has made reconciliation with You possible through His incomparable sacrifice. 

I pray that I will not yield to temptation, instead I will yield myself to You as never before. Thank You for delivering me from the evil one and keeping me safe under Your protective wings. 

To You who alone are God, my Saviour through Jesus Christ my Lord, all glory, majesty, power, and authority are Yours before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! 

I pray in the powerful and matchless name of Jesus, Amen†

A Prayer For Today… Shelley Johnson 25-Nov-2016

Freely Give, Freely Given, Freely Receive

“All to Jesus I surrender, 

All to Him I freely give; 

I will ever love and trust Him, 

In His presence daily live.”

The opening lines of today’s post make up the first verse of the hymn written by Judson W. Van De Venter, All to Jesus I Surrender. Some of you may know it and have sung it, and for those of you who have, how many of you really owned it by taking it to heart, truly meaning every word you’ve sung.

“All to Him I freely give” – what a line. Have you freely given all to Jesus? It’s difficult, I know, but do not be afraid to do so. When you freely give Jesus everything, you will be freely given everything for God Himself will bless you and when He does you must freely receive them with thanksgiving.

“Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks.” – 1 Timothy 4:4 (NLT)

“All to Jesus I surrender” – complete surrender, if you’re honest, is pretty daunting, but do not be afraid to do so. Let us look at Joseph and Potiphar (see Genesis 39). Potiphar, a wealthy officer of Pharaoh, was Joseph’s master therefore Joseph was Potiphar’s slave, to serve and to help him. But Potiphar saw something very special in Joseph and completely surrendered everything to him, making Joseph master over his entire household and over his field. Joseph, like Jesus, had two distinct characters, Servant and Master. 

Looking at Joseph as a type for Jesus, like Potiphar, you must give everything to Jesus. Come to the complete surrender of everything to Him – all that you are, think you are, and all that you have. Too often we see Jesus as Servant only, there to serve our every need; we say that we love Him and trust Him yet we do not see Him as Master but He is Master also and we are to treat Him as such – placing Him over every area of our lives. 

“He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him. From that moment on, God blessed the home of the Egyptian—all because of Joseph. The blessing of God spread over everything he owned, at home and in the fields, and all Potiphar had to concern himself with was eating three meals a day.” – Genesis 39:4, 5, 6 (MSG)

If God blessed Potiphar in such an incredible way, how much more would He bless you if you put your entire life into Jesus’ hands? God will surely cause blessings to spread over everything that concerns you, inside and outside. 

Say:

Today, I make Jesus Master over everything that concerns me. I surrender all to You Jesus – my inner life and my outer life; my soul, body, intellect, relationships, money, time, marriage, home, household, children, business, career, job. Every single thing, Jesus, I give to You, all that I am or think I am; all that I possess and all of my cares. Take complete control and cause me to live in Your presence daily. As I empty myself, I rest in the blessed assurance that as I freely give to You, I will be freely given, and I am now open to freely receive. Amen†

Freely Give, Freely Given, Freely Receive Shelley Johnson 24-Nov-2016

Thanksgiving

This week Thanksgiving will be observed in the USA. For them, this is a huge celebration – schools close, offices shut down, and people are busy travelling from one state to another to join family and friends for a grand time of food and festivities. For me, a person living outside of the US, looking on at the buzz that happens at this time of the year in the US, forces me to ponder deeply upon the whole concept of giving thanks. 

I look at the terrific effort that is put out this particular week, and the incredible energy that is spent in preparing for this single day of Thanksgiving, and I can’t help but wonder how people’s lives would change for the better if even half of this was done every day of their lives. If people, not just in the USA but people everywhere, on a daily basis, would simply be thankful on purpose.

On August 28th the blog post was, “The Gratitude Experiment”, where I invited you to join with me for three months, 90 days, of being intentionally thankful. Then after that, through blog posts in September and October, I reminded you to remain grateful and to still be thankful. I would admit, that some days I was hard pressed to do so but I made the effort because I knew that being thankful every day, no matter the events of the day, was to my benefit and the benefit of those who I’d come into contact with.

I don’t know how many of you participated but even if you did not for these past 90 days, remember it’s not a limited edition concept, there is no time limit on thanks giving. Be thankful every day, all day. Let God and those around you know just how grateful you are. 

Sometimes we do not recognize all the reasons why we ought to be giving thanks but even if you don’t, trust me, there is always a reason, so give thanks anyway.

Amen†

Thanksgiving Shelley Johnson 23-Nov-2016

“God owns Everything!” – Part II

God owns Everything...the cattle on a thousand hills are His (Psalm 50:10)

“When you come to grips with “God owns Everything!” and live as God’s faithful steward, God will always give you extra and you’ll begin to truly live the life of enjoyment and abundance that Jesus Christ came to give.”

That’s the final line from yesterday’s blog post, Part one of “God owns Everything!”

The fact is to live as God’s faithful steward extends far beyond the physical. Stewardship is an evaluation of your trustworthiness, not just of what’s physically apparent but more importantly, God is looking for someone He could trust with true riches, the things that are eternal. Stewardship is embedded in the spiritual. God entrusts to you money and other material possessions to determine how much He can trust you with spiritually.

How much you have is not the determining factor, it’s how you manage what you have that is the indication of your spiritual reliability.

Jesus said, “If you cannot be trusted with worldly riches, you will not be trusted with the true riches. And if you cannot be trusted with the things that belong to someone else, you will not be given anything of your own.” – Luke 16:11-12 (ERV)

The only possession that is your own is in eternity and your stewardship of worldly riches will impact upon the eternal. 

When you finally come to terms with and genuinely understand that every financial decision is a spiritual decision, you will realize that the way you think about money and possessions must change – it’s a whole different way of thinking. You begin to “see” that it really is all God’s and what you do with what belongs to Him can no longer be your decision but the decision has to be His and His alone. Your question must now be, “How does God want me to use this money?” and the only way to find out is to ask God. Keep in mind that it’s not just money but it’s every possession you have, your house, your car, yourself. How can you use what God has given you to serve both God’s purpose and the needs of others?

So, it is clear that in order to live as God’s faithful steward, you cannot be focused on yourself. Selfishness is a breeding ground for unhappiness because it’s when you are behaving selfishly that you complain the most about everything. And, who can enjoy life when they’re constantly complaining? Think about that for a moment.

Be willing to give, and give cheerfully (Malachi 3:10-11; 2 Corinthians 9:7). That willingness can only come from a renewed heart and a transformed mind, eager to please God – “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (Matthew 6:21 NLT). What you do with what you have reveals the truth about your priorities. Even in this, is a reflection of what’s really going on deep within you beyond your conscious thoughts (see Luke 6:45). 

God owns Everything!

Resign yourself to that truth, and you will see just how easy your life will become. It is freeing, because, the truth will always set you free. Free to give – it is easy to give cheerfully when you know it does not belong to you, since you’re not trying to selfishly hold on to it. It is easy to be a cheerful giver when you know that by giving that which belongs to God, you’re actually engaged in doing the will of God. It’s easy to give cheerfully when you know that the more you give the more you will receive (see 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; 1 Chronicles 29:14; Luke 6:38).

Now that you know the truth, let go of ownership and enter into freedom, the freedom of stewardship where you get to enjoy the perks of ownership as you manage the property of the true owner, God, the owner of Everything.

Amen†

“God owns Everything!” – Part II Shelley Johnson 22-Nov-2016

"God owns Everything!" – Part I

“…all the world is mine and everything in it.” – Psalm 50:12 (NLT)

Your life experiences influence the way you think – from childhood you’ve been programmed by one thing or another, one person or another and altogether these have marked and continue to mark your thinking and ultimately your beliefs about many things, including how you value money and other material possessions. 

Do you know that there are over 2000 verses in the Bible that, directly and indirectly, deal with money, finances, and possessions? The book of Proverbs alone is full of financial wisdom. This tells you that, how you view and treat with these things is important to God. He cares so much about it that He has given instructive lessons, throughout the Bible. 

One of the very first things you learn is that God owns everything since He created everything (Genesis 1:1) and if He created it, then He owns it.

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.” – Psalm 24”1-2 (NLT)

Here, it’s plain to see, creation establishes ownership: you belong to God along with everything you think is yours. Like Adam and Eve, you were created by God and placed in a garden that He also created, and, just as they left the Garden with nothing, so too you will have to leave behind, in this garden, everything you think you own.

“People come into the world with nothing. And when they die, they leave with nothing.” – Ecclesiastes 5:15a (ERV) (see also 1 Timothy 6:7) 

It is sometimes hard to come to grips with this, especially if you have worked hard to earn and are successful. But the truth is that even if you’ve worked hard for everything – house, land, car, boat, furniture – you still have to leave it all behind.

“They might work hard to get things, but they cannot take anything with them when they die.” – Ecclesiastes 5:15b

Everything belongs to God!

Understand that whether or not you have worked your fingers to the bone to acquire stuff, it is God who has given you that power and ability. You don’t have to believe me, you can read it for yourself in Deuteronomy 8:17-18.

“Don’t ever say to yourself, ‘I got all this wealth by my own power and ability.’ Remember the Lord your God is the one who gives you power to do these things. He does this because he wants to keep the agreement that he made with your ancestors, as he is doing today!” (ERV)

There is still another problem and it is a worldwide epidemic that afflicts every single human being – selfishness. Selfishness is a tricky affliction that can hide itself making you think that you don’t suffer from it. Other people certainly, but never you, after all, you give money to the poor and to orphans and donation sheets. 

Selfishness is in every financial decision that you make. You base your financial decisions on what’s best for you in your situation; even the money you donate so “freely” to charity is selfishly motivated because your giving solely depends on how you feel. You give because it makes you feel good, you feel that you look good or both – it’s all about you. When your thoughts are set on “me” and “I” that is selfishness. 

Right now, your view about what you have is all about you. You do not truly realize that your entire existence depends upon God. He is the owner of everything, not you. You are not the owner and you have to let go of ownership. When you let go of ownership that is when you enter into genuine financial freedom, that’s when you begin to truly believe that God is Jehovah Jireh, your provider, the supplier of all your needs. 

However, to believe this requires a different way of thinking, a re-programming of your thought process, from thinking like the owner to thinking like the steward of someone else’s possessions. But that is who you are: a steward who manages someone else’s property, that someone else being God.

To change from thinking like the owner to manager will take some doing but it is not impossible and for you to truly enjoy what you have, you must do it. And if you are a steward who does well at managing you’ll be given more to manage and more to enjoy (see Luke 16:10 and 1 Timothy 6:17).

Understand that being the steward and not the owner does not mean that you’re destined for the poor house, it simply means that you are giving up control of ownership and it certainly does not mean that you will no longer enjoy life, actually you will enjoy life more because true enjoyment comes from God for those who do the will of God, it is a gift (see Ecclesiastes 2:24-25) – there’s no price tag on enjoyment. You get the privilege as you learn to manage

When you come to grips with “God owns Everything!” and live as God’s faithful steward, God will always give you extra and you’ll begin to truly live the life of enjoyment and abundance that Jesus Christ came to give.

“I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” – John 10:10 (AMPC)

Amen†

"God owns Everything!" – Part I    Shelley Johnson 21-Nov-2016

“My Cup Overflows!”

“…my cup overflows. Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…” Psalm 23:5,6 (NIV)

If that isn’t a positive affirmation, I don’t know what is.

Imagine yourself, for a moment, filling a large jug with water, then pouring all of that water into a teacup without stopping when the teacup is full. What do you see? 

What if you changed the jug into a hose that’s attached to a fully opened tap. That’s how God wants to bless you. He wants you to experience a continuous source of supply, like gushing water from a tap, always flowing into your cup, filling it up to the brim and then overflowing.

This outpouring of God’s blessings was not and is not exclusively David’s but you too can have a life of Divine favour and grace upon grace, by drinking of the cup of Salvation through Jesus Christ and coming into genuine relationship with Him. David had a genuine relationship with God and was blessed in that relationship.

Beloved, know that God longs to fill every area of your life again and again with His goodness, and His love each day of your life. God’s desire is for you to be pursued by His abundant bountiful provision, always and everywhere no matter where you are.

How wonderful to be the recipient of such a beyond your imagination blessing - far more abundantly beyond all that you ask or think (see Ephesians 3:20). 

Can you see yourself so blessed? 

Can you believe that such a blessing can be yours? 

Will you believe that it is already yours? 

Yes, it can and it will if you just believe, for it is when you believe that you see (John 11:40); it is when you believe that you will have (Matthew 21:22); it is when you speak what you believed, that it is manifested (Psalm 116:10, 2 Corinthians 4:13). 

Your responsibility is to believe, only believe, and to speak, affirming, like David, every day, “My Cup Overflows!”, until you see, until you have, and until it is manifested.

Amen†

“My Cup Overflows!”    Shelley Johnson 18-Nov-2016

“Indefinitely”

Indefinitely is defined as something that is done, or that will go on, for an undetermined period of time, without a foreseeable end.

Can you imagine yourself doing something on and on and on with no end in sight? Especially if it’s some tedious chore, or a dull boring job. Just having to wait for any undetermined period of time can send one insane with impatience and frustrate the skin off your bones. But do you know that that is exactly what the disciples had to do? Jesus had told them to wait for the Father’s promise. It was after His resurrection, He appeared to the disciples and one of the things He said to them was,

“…Wait here until you receive what the Father promised to send…” Acts 1:4 (ERV)

Jesus never specified a period of time, as a matter of fact, when time was brought up, this was Jesus’ response,

“The Father is the only one who has the authority to decide dates and times. They are not for you to know.” Acts 1:7 (ERV)

Another translation says it like this, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business.” (MSG)

The disciples quickly understood that if they did not wait, they would not receive what God had promised. They went into the Upper Room to wait no matter how long it would take. 

Acts 1:13 states, “And when they had entered [the city], they mounted [the stairs] to the upper room where they were [indefinitely] staying…” (AMPC)

Clearly, they were in this for the long haul. They’d made up their minds that they were not leaving that room until that promise manifested – they were prepared to wait indefinitely. Yes, indefinitely, with no foreseeable end; not for a day or two, not a month or a year but for how ever long it took God to show up, they were determined to wait on Him.

Let me tell you, indefinitely is a long time and for us humans, having to wait indefinitely for anything is pure drudgery…it is hard for us to do. We can barely wait 10 minutes for the microwave. But we, you and I, need to know that even if we are not seeing an end or feeling something, God is working His purpose out on our behalf and He will do what He says He will do. You get it?

Hebrews 10:36 assures us that if we stick it out with faith and patience, we will receive God’s promise. Not just me, you too – “we”; so with this in mind, ask God to teach you how to wait, and wait, and wait, and then wait some more, on Him…Indefinitely. Amen?

Amen†

“Indefinitely”    Shelley Johnson 17-Nov-2016

God is good all the time, and all the time…

“God is good, a hiding place in tough times. He recognizes and welcomes anyone looking for help, No matter how desperate the trouble.” – Nahum 1:7 (MSG)

Nahum reminds us that God is good. Goodness is one of God’s many character traits. Good is not just what God does, good is who God is and He cannot be anything else but good. This is why, God is good ALL the time, and ALL the time God is good.

“…No one is good, only God.” – Mark 10:18 (MSG) 

Because God is good all the time, you must expect Him to respond in ways that are consistent with this His character. So that when troubles arise, and they will from time to time, remain in faith and take refuge in God, knowing that He will bring about the very best solution. 

“You are good, and the source of good…my troubles turned out all for the best— they forced me to learn from your textbook.” – Psalm 119:68 & 72 (MSG)

Understand that God knows who is trusting in Him and He has already designed a great plan for your deliverance even before your troubles started. Be mindful that, when you place your trust in God, you’ve already won the battle long before the war began (see Romans 8:37). So, do not worry and do not be afraid, God is fighting this battle for you, all you have to do is take refuge and trust in Him.

When king Jehoshaphat found himself in desperate trouble surrounded by enemies, he went to God looking for help, God recognized and welcomed him and said, “Don’t be afraid; don’t pay any mind to this vandal horde. This is God’s war, not yours...You won’t have to lift a hand in this battle; just stand firm…and watch God’s saving work for you take shape. Don’t be afraid, don’t waver. ” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17 MSG)

What God said to Jehoshaphat then, is the exact same thing He is saying to you right now. Beloved, just believe...

“…if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" – John 11:40 (NIV)

Amen†

God is good all the time, and all the time…    Shelley Johnson 16-Nov-2016

When you know what’s Right, do Right

Hosea 4:6 says,

“My people are ruined because they don’t know what’s right or true. Because you’ve turned your back on knowledge…”

Okay, to be fair, if you don’t know what’s right then you can’t do right. But how can you know what’s right? God’s Word – in it you will learn God’s will and His ways and what’s right, in His eyes. In God’s Word you’ll learn about Jesus, how He lived, what He taught and what He has done so now there’s no need for any of us to ever again be destroyed or “ruined because they don’t know what’s right or true”.

The problem is, like most people, you think you already know what’s right and you don’t just turn your back on knowledge, you actively reject it. When you refuse to even thumb through a Bible and heaven forbid that you should step foot in a church because “I know all that already, I don’t need to go to church, there’s nothing anybody could tell me that I don’t already know; yes, I read my Bible once a year, I don’t understand it but I read it…” 

Believing that you know it all is pride, another topic for another day but for today, be reminded “First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.” (Proverbs 16:18 MSG) Just saying…

We often believe we know what’s right but human reasoning can be quite flawed so, in order to avoid that, we need to turn to the Bible. If you did not already know, the Bible is the handbook for every topic we could ever imagine, but if you don’t read it, you won’t know and when you don’t know you become an easy target for Satan. Yes, because, he is the deceiver and when you do not know the truth, you will believe his lies, and when you believe the lies you’ll live a sin-filled life of misery which will ultimately lead to your ruin.

Remember, where there’s no vision – divine revelation of truth – people perish (see Proverbs 29:18). God’s Word is that revelation of truth. Ask God to give you a yearning for knowledge, and a strong desire to study and understand His Word of truth so that you will know what’s right and therefore able to do right.

As Jesus said in John 13:17 (ERV), 

“If you know these things, great blessings will be yours if you do them.”

Amen†

When you know what’s Right, do Right    Shelley Johnson 15-Nov-2016

“How do I love again?”

You’ve been mistreated, cheated on, there’s no love, the faithfulness has gone, and you ask yourself, “How do I love again?”

That was Hosea’s predicament (see Hosea 1-3). His wife Gomer, the poster child of adultery, had abandoned him and their three children, but instead of divorcing her, suing for full custody, turning away, never looking back, and not even sparing a cursory sideways glance in her direction, Hosea, not only forgives his wife but spends money to buy her freedom. You see, concerning that, sometimes we – husbands and wives – deceive ourselves, thinking we’d be better off elsewhere and we end up in situations that we can’t easily get out of, and find ourselves worse off than we ever were before. That’s what happened to Gomer and rather than return home, sold herself into slavery. So, to get her back, Hosea had to buy her freedom.

But why didn’t Hosea just forget her, leave her in her self-created mire and move on? There could only be one answer, God. God is the only one who could cause you to love again. Whether it’s that same person who has been caught up in a cycle of unfaithfulness or someone totally new, you still have to learn to love again. To love again is an emotional healing process that takes time because those wounds are so deep and so infected. To love again requires that those infected wounds be opened up and the poison removed, and God alone knows how to do this type of surgical procedure properly and thoroughly (see Hosea 6:1). 

Now, turning to look into a mirror, ask yourself honestly: “How many times have I been unfaithful, to others and to God?” 

Emotional hurt is not exclusive to married couples. Every single day people hurt and are being hurt, emotionally as well as physically. Sometimes it is done deliberately, and at other times it is by accident or through ignorance – by words and by actions. But, however caused, that pain tears you apart, creates animosity, makes enemies, and destroys relationships. 

As you read the book of Hosea, recognize God’s unconditional love for you, His mercy and faithfulness towards you, and His utter forgiveness, coursing through the pages of this incredible story of true love, God’s love. And know that God will never let you down, He never turns away from you no matter how often you turn away from Him. He is always ready and waiting to give you a fresh start, a new beginning. Return to God, allow Him to heal you, remove the infection, bind up your wounds, and repair your broken heart, so that you can love again. 

Amen†

“How do I love again?”    Shelley Johnson 14-Nov-2016

When you Meditate on it, you Magnify it

“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways…Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!” (Psalm 119:15; 34:3 ESV)

Disappointments of any size can cause deep and lingering hurt but you can put a halt to its staying power. Yes, I agree that it’s easier said than done but it is something that has to be practiced. Putting a halt on hurt that has the potential to linger on for years and years has to be done with purposeful determination, and eventually it will come naturally.

You see, when you meditate on the disappointment, you magnify it, and that causes the hurt that you feel to remain. In that, there’s great danger because this can lead to bitterness, resentment, ire, bad blood, hatred and un-forgiveness. 

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, quarreling, and slander be put away from you, along with all hatred.” (Ephesians 4:31 ISV)

We do not realize that it’s not just the big disappointments that affect us but the real danger lies in the various small let downs and frustrations that we cling to – they tend to pile up,  like fallen leaves, one atop the other, and the more they add up, the bigger the mound, and the deeper the wound.

Having a mountain of hurt feelings can wreak havoc in your life, that’s why you have to be single-minded in your pursuit of banking the Word of God in your heart. Meditating on His Word, shifts your focus onto Him and not on those things that cause you to become disheartened, discouraged, and forlorn. When you meditate on God, you will magnify God and not the circumstances of your emotional hurt. 

The choice is always yours, meditate on the disappointment and magnify that which weighs you down, or meditate on God and magnify the One who lifts you up. It’s time to choose.

Amen†

When you Meditate on it, you Magnify it   Shelley Johnson 11-Nov-2016

What’s Wrong in the World?

“O how terrible for those who confuse good with evil, right with wrong, light with dark, sweet with bitter. O how terrible for those who think they’re so wise, who consider themselves so clever.” – Isaiah 5:20-21 (VOICE)

What’s wrong in the world…as a people, we’re confused, and in that confusion easily corruptible. Our morality is warped as we have become “swollen with self-importance, and given to loving pleasure more than God” (see 2 Timothy 3)...continually living in a fog of self-induced deception.

What’s wrong in the world…as a people, we are perverted in our thinking because we have not allowed our minds to be renewed, therefore genuine transformation has not taken place and our spiritual foundation is less than stable, so that even as Christians we come up with our own reasoning: looking at evil but declaring it good, engaging in wrong but convinced that it’s right, walking in darkness yet thinking that it is light, tasting bitterness but believing it to be sweet. 

What’s wrong in the world…as a people our hearts are being drawn away from God, our first love. Rather than delighting ourselves in Him, we continue only to delight ourselves in the pleasures of our senses and that turns into sin.

What’s wrong in the world…as a people, we do not seek true wisdom, instead we’ve become wise in our own eyes and clever in our own sight. We put our own spin on the meaning of God’s Word, employing our own wisdom and never seeking the interpretation of the Holy Spirit, from whom the Scriptures were inspired. We think we know but we are fools, biblical fools, trusting in our own minds (see Proverbs 28:26).

What’s wrong in the world…as a people, we are ever so accommodating, quick to compromise and deviate from God’s standards, opting instead to play Russian roulette with our eternal salvation. 

What’s wrong in the world…as a people called Christians, we too often, at the first sign of opposition, step outside of godliness to be in good standing with the world, following its patterns rather than standing strong in the Truth.

What’s wrong in the world…as a people, we profess our Christian faith but we do not speak out against injustice, corruption, deceit, immorality, wickedness, and the things that God hates and detests (see Proverbs 6) but prefer to remain silent not wanting to stir up the enmity and scorn of the world.

What’s wrong in the world…

What’s Wrong in the World?    Shelley Johnson 09-Nov-2016

God wants you to do nothing

I always depend on God to tell me what to write – every post you have read on this blog, Bethel at Balata, including today’s, has been written according to His instruction, direction, and guidance. You must have noticed that nothing was posted the entire past week. That’s because I received nothing…not one Word, not one idea, not as much as a thought. There are times when God wants you to do nothing. 

This is not the first time that God has had me do absolutely nothing. Not too long ago, I was faced with what would surely be considered dire circumstances, I knew that I had to do something about the situation in which I’d found myself, so like any good Christian, I came up with a plan. And as a good Christian with a brilliant solution to a problem, the first thing that one must do before executing ones well thought out agenda is to go to God in earnest prayer. And that is exactly what I did, I “humbled” myself before my God, thanking Him for the incredibly fool proof plan that I was about to put in place and after I’d poured it all out onto the table, so to speak, I heard, “Do Nothing”. “Huh? Say what?”…”Do Nothing”, same response, same gentle tone. 

“Do nothing? But what about my incredibly brilliant well thought out fool proof solution to my present danger problem? I can’t just sit and do nothing about it, something must be done, Lord!” 

“Yes, something must be done but not by you. I Am, already doing something about your situation, be still…do nothing.”

You see, God is always working. He does not sleep, it’s true. He has already devised solutions to every one of your dire circumstances, all you have to do is co-operate, comply, and if you are required to “stand still and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes” (1 Samuel 12:16 ERV), then stand still.

Jeremiah 10:23 says, “I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course.” (NLT)

And in John 8:28 Jesus said, “…I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me”

Understand that Jesus, though Divine was also human and therefore in complete subjection to the Father, He did nothing on His own initiative, and that’s how God wants us to operate. Not on our own but to totally depend on Him, in complete subjection to His way and will. I know, for some, this is a hard pill to swallow. 

During my time of trial, some of my closest relatives asked me why I was not doing something about my situation, they called me lazy, and stupid, and, reading from the book of Exodus, they said I was stiff-necked, stubborn and arrogant, also proclaimed me a fool for believing nonsense, they accused me of doing my own thing because God would never tell me to do nothing. They quoted from the Bible, “God helps those who help themselves!” – this is not in the Bible, but I didn’t have the heart to interrupt their rant to let them know that. They cited the account of Noah, saying, even Noah built the ark when God told him about the flood…yes, a feat which took more than 50 years mind you and for all those years, Noah was being obedient to God’s instructions, doing nothing on his own initiative, again I did not interrupt the rant.

People who believe they know what’s best for you will not understand and you cannot make them understand, only God can penetrate the closed hearts of those who’ve already come to their own conclusions. But you have to be obedient to Him, no matter what (see Matthew 10:16-42).

We don’t see the entire picture but God does, and believe it or not He does not need our help to carry out His plan for our lives – a Truth that Job painfully had to learn. Oftentimes God allows us to take part, but it’s never that He can do nothing without us, on the contrary, we can do nothing without Him (John 15:5). Ephesians 1:11 clearly states, “…God is the One who makes everything agree with what He decides and wants.” (ICB)

Nowadays, when God tells me to do nothing, that’s exactly what I do because I know that He has His reasons and it’s not necessary for me or any of us to know what those reasons are. If God chooses to let you know then be grateful, if not, still be grateful. The truth of the matter is, we just need to trust God’s way of doing what He does. 

Genuine followers of Jesus follow the examples Jesus Himself set for us – do nothing of your own initiative but do anything and everything that God would have you do. 

So, in the midst of flying objections from every side, do nothing if God wants you to do nothing. 

Amen†

 God wants you to do nothing    Shelley Johnson 08-Nov-2016

Prayer Focus: Pulling Down Strongholds – Time to be Bold

“I use God’s mighty weapons, not those made by men, to knock down the devil’s strongholds.”

(2 Corinthians 10:4 TLB)

Lord I pray that You would set me free from anything that holds me other than You. Deliver me from any memory of the past that has the power to control me or keep me trapped in its grip. Teach me how to forgive, especially anyone who has hurt me, so that unforgiveness will not be able to hold me captive. 

Set me free from everything that keeps me from being all that You created me to be. Protect me from the plans of the enemy, and cause me to always remember that no-one including the evil one can affect the deliverance and healing You want to bring about in my life, after all, Your Word declares that, no plan or purpose of Yours can be thwarted (Job 42:2).

Restore all that has been stolen from me until I am lacking no good thing. I know that in Your presence there is healing and wholeness. Teach me how to live in Your presence so that I can be made, and remain totally whole. 

Lord, Your Word tells me that “though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NKJV). So I know that I cannot use my own human plans and methods to win any battles but instead I use Your mighty weapons. And today is my time to be bold and declare, in the name of Jesus, I pull down any stronghold the enemy has erected around me – the Lord sets me free and I am indeed free.

In the name of Jesus, I declare that for my sake, God “will not rest, until my righteousness goes forth as brightness, and my salvation as a lamp that burns” (Isaiah 62:1), makes darkness light before me “and crooked places straight” (Isaiah 42:16).

Lord, You have said in Your Word that “whoever walks wisely in Your Word will be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26): I boldly declare that I will walk with wisdom and find full deliverance, in Jesus’ mighty name above all names, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, Amen†

Prayer Focus: Pulling Down Strongholds – Time to be Bold

(Adapted from a prayer by Stormie Omartian)