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 behavior 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 behavior. 

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. So it is crucial for you to also 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. 

Now, 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. 

Amen†

What’s up with your BS?

Shelley Johnson July 31, 2017

Rest in God

When Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah and Jerusalem were faced with what to them seemed an impossible situation, a portion of what God said to them was,

“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. March out boldly tomorrow—God is with you.” – 2 Chronicles 20:17 (MSG)

This message is still relevant for us today but is deeper in its meaning and significance now than it was then, because of what Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection effected in the earth and for every individual. Most people, even Christians, don’t truly grasp the wonderment of Jesus’ miraculous, supernatural life, death and resurrection. Our vision is limited to our too shallow thoughts, but we must be willing to see beyond the obvious, delve into the deep and look far afield if we are to progress spiritually.

Jehoshaphat and his people were to “stand firm” in their confidence in God’s character and word but with Jesus we can do more than that, we have the ability to rest in God through the power of His own Spirit who lives inside our regenerated hearts. So ours is not just an attitude of quiet confidence in God but such a complete and utter dependence on Him that we can sleep soundly, undisturbed and unperturbed in every situation. 

“A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping!” – Mark 4:37-38 (MSG)

Rest in God gives us the ability, like Jesus, to sleep during the storms of life and stay afloat in the worst floods that may threaten to take us under but we are seated with Jesus in the Throne Room of heaven above the futility of this world, above the din and the noise, above the struggles and the challenges, above the ceaseless religious works and striving of the flesh – this is rest in God.

Rest in God is to be totally dependent on His saving work, the Divine work that only God can accomplish; it’s where the impossible is possible. Rest in God is to experience “Thy Kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven” – a taste of eternity. Rest in God is where the unsearchable things of God become searchable; it is to live in God’s reality and revelation. Rest in God sets us free from wrestling with issues and offers us in exchange for our weariness and heavy loads, easy yokes and light burdens. 

Rest in God is not a physical rest done through our efforts, but a spiritual rest apprehended only by faith through the power of the Holy Spirit; it’s where God is the centre and fills everything. Rest in God is a place of no fear, and no limitations; it brings us out on the other side of destruction, unscathed.

Rest in God is an active rest but it’s not our activity, for God does not require our help in solving our problems, because, as His children, our problems are His problems and He is pleased to save us. 

The work at Calvary has already secured a wonderful rest for us and has redeemed us from the endless fighting to obtain and maintain. Rest in God is a higher form of rest whose concept seems ridiculous to the world’s thinking because it goes against everything that we’ve been brought up to believe. “Rest in God” creates discomfort and discombobulation for the religious mind because such a mind cannot relate to such things; it’s incomprehensible to the one who believes that he must labour to dig a well then labour to draw from it rather than receive the water freely from a natural spring. 

Rest in God is a cessation of all our work in amassing material things, it is to leave the wilderness and enter the Promised Land, it is having a heart for God to believe, trust and obey Him and to cling to His truth which states,

“…he who has once entered [God’s] rest also has ceased from [the weariness and pain] of human labors, just as God rested from those labors peculiarly His own. Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell].” – Hebrews 4:10-11 (AMPC).

Amen†

Rest in God

Shelley Johnson July 28, 2017

Jesus goes missing!

The Festival was over, and the caravan was on its way back home. For eleven years they’d done this journey without incident, so why would it be any different this twelfth year? But it was – Jesus goes missing!

After travelling an entire day, Jesus’ parents, expecting that He was somewhere among family and friends in the caravan, were unaware that He was missing. Retracing their steps, they went in search of their little boy, and found Him after three days of separation. He was in the Temple, and He was different, changed – no longer the same. (read Luke 2:41-52)

Three days completely immersed in the will of God can do that to a person. How can you remain the same after that? You too will be found different and changed. Even your closest relatives are ignorant of where you are and what is transpiring with you spiritually, and they fail to recognize that the “you” they’ve always known is missing.

Within you, as His temple, a unique sense of identity is manifested. Your usual worship gives place to extraordinary fellowship with the Father. Just as it is in pregnancy, something begins to grow inside you, an enlarging that you can feel though it’s not yet obvious to anyone else. It is the work of the Holy Spirit stirring deep within, restoring that connectivity to God that was lost…a cementing of your relationship with the Father.

During those days of separation, your spiritual awareness is piqued and that’s when you know that your life is about to change in ways unimaginable, a life that will follow a path you’ve never before tread. And, like Jesus, you also go “missing” as your metamorphosis begins to unfold – the person you once knew is fading away. Changes, some subtle, almost undetectable, while others are drastic. A complete 180⁰ turn, a transition from the “old man” to the new creature (see 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).

Searching for the old you, expecting to find you familiar, but instead a re-born unfamiliar you who’s growing in spiritual wisdom emerges – you've found Jesus.

Amen†

Jesus goes missing!

Shelley Johnson July 27, 2017

Leaves are not Green

“So we do not set our sights on the things we can see with our eyes. All of that is fleeting; it will eventually fade away. Instead, we focus on the things we cannot see, which live on and on.” – 2 Corinthians 4:18 (VOICE)

Just because we cannot hear the sound of a dog whistle doesn’t mean that it’s not being blown, it’s merely above the range of human hearing. This is similar to the spiritual, in that, some things are out of our range of awareness, or to put it another way, what we are currently aware of is not all there is to be aware of.

In 2 Corinthians 4:18, Apostle Paul is exhorting us to trust in what is and not in what is seen because there’s far more than meets the eye. We have been raised to place our trust and confidence in only what we can hear or see but that is a fallacy rooted in the world’s system of belief, for the world says that seeing is believing, but our Lord Jesus says, “…better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.” (John 20:29 MSG)

To look up and not see a single star in the night sky surely does not diminish our belief in the existence of the stars. Living by only what we can see, and acting purely upon the things we hear or overhear, is not the way God wants His children to operate. We have been inculcated with many of the world’s misconceptions from childhood, so it is too easy for us to accept illusion as reality but we must resolve to understand that what we see or think we see may not be a true reflection of what is.

For instance, leaves are not green, but appear green because of the light they reflect. 

Everything we can see with our eyes is simply a matter of our perception, our perspective, our view and our interpretation of the symbols and signals that we receive; it’s what determines the way we see things, situations and circumstances. We allow our eyes and our ears to affect our beliefs, and our beliefs contribute to our experiences. If we change what we believe, we can change our circumstances.

“The path we walk is charted by faith, not by what we see with our eyes.” – 2 Corinthians 5:7 (VOICE)

The inherent truth of existence lies, not in our own ability to see, but in our trust in an omniscient God. Trusting in Him, in absolute conviction of faith that recognizes that there are realities that are unseen and unknown. When we can put aside our own reality and give ourselves over to the One who resides beyond this reality, the One who truly knows (see Psalm 139), only then will we experience the better blessings of which Jesus spoke. 

Amen†

Leaves are not Green

Shelley Johnson July 25, 2017

The First Fruit

A new Pastor, at his first weekly Bible study session, asked a question: “Who can tell me what the first fruit…?”

The words were barely out of his mouth before the hands of those eager to show off their biblical knowledge, sprung up. Hesitant but curious, the Pastor decided to indulge their agitation and pointed to sister Millie, a devoted Bible study attendee, “I never miss it, rain or shine” was her usual assertion; with a smug grin, she stood and said, “The apple…from the tree…in the Garden of Eden.” Then, looking from left to right at the others who shared the pew, took her seat, satisfied with her answer.

Next, brother Howard, the choir master “for well over two decades” was his proud declaration, cleared his throat, stood up and said, “Well, it can only be the first fruits presented to the prophet Elisha as recorded in 2 Kings 4:42, yes, Elisha, second Kings.” Stressing unnecessarily on the “d” in second, he seemed to marvel at his own brilliance, he then surveyed the room looking at no-one in particular, cleared his throat for no seeable reason, and sat down.

Pastor pursed his lips and motioned respectfully to Mrs. Watts the elder, her daughter-in-law was the younger. Her always well-manicured hand was raised high above her always bewigged head. The elder did not stand as she offered, with much dignity and exaltation, “The fig of the fig-less fig tree.” With a contemptuous smirk of utter self-satisfaction, and stroking her gold-engraved Bible cover, she looked at each face yet did not even notice the expression of sheer horror that had possessed the Pastor’s.

 

At this point, their new Pastor had heard more than he could stomach, and quickly composing himself, he asked, deliberately and slowly, “Now, who…can tell me…what…the first fruit…of the Spirit is?” Not a hand went up. The pang of disappointment that stabbed his heart came as a surprise. Ignoring it, he pressed on, “Please, turn to Galatians 5:22.” Pages fluttered as everyone searched for the epistle. He read aloud from his Bible…

“But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others…” (MSG)

Now it was his turn to look around at those in attendance, hoping that the words might evoke some understanding but all he saw were blank faces. Silence pervaded the atmosphere, as the Pastor, his voice almost a whisper, said, “Love”. An unexpected wave of compassion filled his heart as he continued to speak to them...

“Love is the first fruit that Paul lists in Galatians five. The first fruit that we must all bear before we are able to bear any of the others on that list. First Corinthians thirteen, verses four and five…Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited, arrogant and inflated with pride; it is not rude, unmannerly, and does not act unbecomingly. Love, God’s love in us, does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful…” (AMPC)

Pausing for a moment, the Pastor prayed silently for the seed of God’s Word to find root in their hearts, for what he had just witnessed made him realize that these devout and ardent church-goers were only that – church-goers. This was a congregation that did its duty. They attended weekly Bible study without fail; they attended church every Sunday without fail; leaders and stewards; choir and committee members; organizers of tea parties and fundraisers. They were all good Christian folk who did not know what the first fruit of the Spirit is. 

Good Christians who were not concerned about “things like affection for others”, but were focused on things to do. They were good church-going Christian people who had no understanding of the Word. Regular church-goers consistently feeding on candy-bar Christianity – sweet but containing no nutritional value. People in church but not the Church.

The Pastor, from this brief interaction, recognized that much was lacking, most of all the very first element that comprised the fruit of the Holy Spirit, Love. He became keenly aware that these were people who, perhaps, over the years, had lost sight of what was really important. 

Have you lost sight of what’s really important? Have you replaced the first fruit of love with fig-less-ness? 

Each one of us is called to love – “to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength, and to love others in the same way you love yourself. There are no commandments more important than these.” (Mark 12:30, 31 VOICE)

Beloved, it is not easy to love but God is love and if we are His, then we must learn how to authentically love. Receiving His love will enable us to give love, for the source of our love lies not in ourselves but in the One who is Love. “First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.” (1 John 4:19 MSG).

Amen†

The First Fruit

Shelley Johnson July 20, 2017

A Little Leaven

“You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience? This detour doesn’t come from the One who called you into the race in the first place. And please don’t toss this off as insignificant. It only takes a minute amount of yeast, you know, to permeate an entire loaf of bread.” – Galatians 5:7-9 (MSG)

Think about this for a moment: 99% of food containing 1% of poison can kill a grown man. 

Like that 1% of poison, a minute amount of yeast – a little leaven – is deadly! Leaven, in Scripture, is used in most instances to symbolize the effects of sin, and even though some verses speak of a little leaven or yeast, that does not mean that there are varying degrees of sin, no, sin is sin and must never be quantified. Apostle Paul was trying to get an important point across to the Galatians at that time, and also to us today. It was important for them then and equally important for us now, to understand that just as a little leaven causes all the dough to rise, so too a mere speck of sin is enough to permeate an entire person, household, community, nation and church. 

When sinful behaviour, even in “small” amounts, is permitted, disregarded, or ignored, its results will be the same as leaven’s effect on dough. Jesus, in Matthew 13:33, helps us to further understand this effect that leaven has, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” My friends, the effects of a little leaven cannot be stressed enough, and we must not discount its power. 

Satan, and his advocates, have a way of convincing people that it’s just a little sin so there’s nothing wrong with that. But Galatians 5:9 uses the word “permeate” to describe the consequences of a little leaven, a little sin. Do you truly understand what that means? Permeate is to spread or flow throughout, to penetrate through the pores, to get into every part, to saturate, infiltrate, seep into…are you getting the picture? Left to do its thing, sin, like leaven, will spread and spread quickly throughout its host; seeping into every crevice, nook and cranny; hastily getting out of control like flood water or a raging wild fire. And all this happens unseen. 

According to Paul, all it takes is a simple deflection from the true course of obedience – a minor detour from your spiritual path, a casual stumble out of the will of God – it’s as “simple” as that. 

But the news isn’t all bad because we serve a God who never leaves His people without hope. His Word assures us that He has already made a way for us to get back on course (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). God has provided a solution to our little leaven problem – Repentance! 

Repenting is the very first step towards removing the leaven. You’re probably saying, “But we all sin and fall short of God’s glory though”, and that’s the Truth, but you have a choice to continue to run along in sin, or turn in the opposite direction, so that you can get back in the race mapped out for you by God Himself, running superbly with Spirit as your running mate and this time, side-stepping anyone who tries to cut in on you.

Amen†

A Little Leaven

Shelley Johnson July 19, 2017

Sneaky Sin

Sin is designed to lure and entrap you in the most surreptitious of ways. The devil is a master of disguise who veils his schemes in things that appear to be innocuous. He wraps sin up in a variety of packaging, often under the guise of fun and entertainment – a t.v. show, a play, a game, a movie, even a song, are not exempt from his methods of deceit, he will place his mark on them all as he seeks to entangle and destroy you. It is his sneaky way of distracting the unsuspecting believer away from the Lord and getting you mired in sin.

Beloved, sin can begin as the smallest and simplest of distractions. Something that seems to be just innocent fun turns out to be innocent fun with a side order of sin and sadly, many times, you’ve placed that order yourself. The devil’s expertise is sneakiness and you cannot afford to be deceived. Because Satan is so crafty and adept at his trade – he has had thousands of years to perfect it – it is easy to be outwitted by him but you cannot allow folly to outweigh wisdom. 

Without becoming fanatical, you need to get into the habit of carefully examining the things that you’re getting involved in. The seemingly “innocent fun” things that are demanding all your attention and taking you into the idol worship zone, is a trap that anyone can fall into without even realizing it.

Apostle Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 10 to stay away from idol worship. He reminds us about what happened to the Israelites who indulged in idol worship and subsequently other sinful behavior while they were on their sojourn to the Promised Land. 

When your focus has shifted to constantly engaging in everything other than the things of God, you’re going to encounter the problem of yielding to temptation. The devil is counting on your willingness to compromise but Christians must set an example of restraint. It is not an easy road to walk but if you are sincere and serious, walk you must, always keeping in mind that you are not alone on your journey, you have an aid, a helper, a guide, advocate and counselor – the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will give you a heads up if you’ll be sensitive to His nudging and attentive to His leading. 

The Israelites had the presence of God with them constantly, night and day, hovering and covering, yet still they chose to be wayward. They committed sexual sins, had wild drunkard parties, complained bitterly and tested Christ. Please know that you can’t have it both ways; you cannot expect to have the Holy Spirit and partake in sin at the same time. God will not occupy the same space as sin. 

The Apostle wrote,

“They all ate the same spiritual food, and they all drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from that spiritual rock that was with them, and that rock was Christ. But God was not pleased with most of those people…So anyone who thinks they are standing strong should be careful that they don’t fall. The only temptations that you have are the same temptations that all people have. But you can trust God…when you are tempted, God will also give you a way to escape that temptation…So, my dear friends, stay away from worshiping idols. You are intelligent people.” – 1 Corinthians 10:3-5, 12, 13, 14, 15 (ERV)

You are intelligent, trust God, He is your escape, ask Him for wisdom to recognize that sneaky sin that can so easily entrap you.

Amen†

Sneaky Sin

Shelley Johnson July 17, 2017

Fruit Inspector

“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” – Matthew 7:15-20 (NLT)

Did you notice that just before Jesus begins explaining about fruit identification, He warned His listeners about false prophets? False prophets were as big a problem back then as they are today. Some of the Temple hierarchy were not who they presented themselves to be, and Jesus wanted to make sure that they could be spotted. And today, some false prophets have so honed their craft that they cannot be easily recognized even by their actions and that is why it is so important for us to become fruit inspectors, not to condemn but to warn and be warned.

But how can we identify the fruit in others when we are not sure of the fruit we’re bearing? First of all we have to properly learn about the fruit we are expected to bring forth and bear it ourselves. We are to inspect others' fruit as well as our own. 

From Jesus’ words, it is clear that we are to bear good fruit, not bad, unless you want to be “chopped down and thrown into the fire”. This good fruit has to do with the Christ-like characteristics, we as His followers must display. The problem is, we live in a society consumed by greed, selfishness, pride, envy, malice, jealousy and hate, where everyone is trying to outdo the other but if we are sincere about our desire to be like Jesus, bearing the fruit of which He speaks, then we need to set aside self-interests. 

The truth is, good fruit does not originate with us but comes from Christ’s own Spirit. It is the fruit of the Spirit, a gift from God which manifests when we abide in Jesus Christ, and it is made up of nine elements,

“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” – Galatians 5:22,23 (NLT)

One fruit with nine parts and every one of them must be cultivated in us if we are to reflect Jesus’ character. We cannot do anything on our own to manifest this fruit, the fruit of the Spirit can only be developed in us through His working within us. It’s a necessary on-going transformation process that can be very painful at times.

These elements were lost to us when Adam abdicated his position that day in the Garden. And in his attempts to compensate for his loss of fruit and hide from the presence of God, he covered himself with leaves. Just like the fig tree that Jesus cursed was full of leaves but no fruit…so were Adam and Eve, immediately after eating the forbidden fruit and so it is with the religious false prophets, they are full of leaves but no fruit.

Like Jesus we must be able to see through the leaves, which represent a false piety – a religious covering, a hiding from the presence of God, but God will always expose leaf wearers…He sees through everything, there’s no hiding from Him. God wants us to see past the leaves, observe the fruit of others, and inspect it carefully and if there’s anything that does not appear as it should, we need to “Beware”.

Amen†

Fruit Inspector

Shelley Johnson July 6, 2017

Divine Teacher

As a believer in Jesus Christ, you have been given the gift of a Divine Teacher, and that Divine Teacher is the Holy Spirit. This is just one of the Holy Spirit’s many roles, and as Teacher, He is duty bound to teach you all things. However it is up to you to open yourself to receive His teaching and commit to learning all that God has in store for you to learn. 

The promise that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things was first made to the Apostles, then the Apostles applied it to all believers when it was said,

“Christ has poured out His Spirit on you. As long as His Spirit remains in you, you do not need anyone to teach you. For His Spirit teaches you about everything, and what He teaches is true, not false. Obey the Spirit's teaching, then, and remain in union with Christ.” – 1 John 2:27 (GNT)

It is therefore, the privilege of every believer in Christ to be taught by His Spirit independent of human teachers. This does not mean that we cannot learn from others who have been taught by the Holy Spirit, but while we may learn a great deal from other Spirit-filled men and women, we should not become utterly dependent on their teaching alone. Human teachers will never give us an exact apprehension of the Truth, which can only be received from being directly taught by the Holy Spirit. 

There are also a lot of charlatans out there – false prophets spewing doctrine that does not always appear to be obviously false. If you allow the Divine Teacher to teach you, then you will find yourself in a better position to know the difference between the doctrine of God and that of man.

The Word is the place to which the Holy Spirit, who is the Author of the Word, leads His pupils and the instrument through which He instructs them. He opens your mind to understand the Scriptures (see Luke 24:45). The Holy Spirit is the only one who will “lead you into all the Truth”; it is the Holy Spirit “who reveals the truth about God” (see John 16:13), speaking not on His own authority but speaking everything that He hears from God. He reveals God’s doctrine in all its glory.

The Divine Teacher is the only Person that can properly educate you about the things of God. No-one else is capable of giving you the most comprehensive understanding of Truth. It is by Spirit’s divine revelation that you will know the Truth that makes you free to be who you are in Christ – unshackled and unburdened by the things of this world. It is through the Divine Teacher that God imparts His secret wisdom to you, “even the hidden depths of God’s purposes” (1 Corinthians 2:10).

Apostle Paul warns that when you are taught of God by the Spirit of God, your perspective will change, your speech will change – you will no longer speak words interpreted and shaped by human wisdom but words crafted and taught by Spirit. You will have insight and understanding of spiritual truths that seem to some as utter nonsense. Always quick to judge according to their own contrived sense of knowledge, these are the persons who will not hesitate to label you crazy, foolish, deceived and any myriad of unflattering adjectives but their actions only prove that they neither have open communion with the Holy Spirit nor understanding of spiritual realities (see 1 Corinthians 2:14).

Beloved, if you sincerely want to know the Truth, you must turn to the Divine Teacher to open your eyes that you may see the wonderful deep things that God has prepared for those who love Him. You must be willing to empty yourself of your own wisdom, and yield completely to the Holy Spirit’s leading. 

Amen† 

Divine Teacher

Shelley Johnson July 5, 2017

Watchmen

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.” – 1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)

I read an article recently that said that turkeys have a vocabulary of warning calls which they employ depending on the predator. One is always on watch to warn the flock as soon as danger threatens.

We are also to be on watch like the turkeys, so that we may warn our brothers and sisters of impending danger from predators. We are called to be watchmen, all of us, not to look out for number one only but to have such compassion that will allow us to keep watch over one another because the devil, our great enemy, is on the prowl. Please don’t believe, not even for a moment that he is seeking one person at a time, no way, if he could devour the entire flock in one fell swoop then he will. 

Understand too that our enemy prowling, means that he’s always on the ready to pounce at the slightest sign of weakness or inattentiveness. As he spots it, he will move in for the kill, so in order for us to not fall prey to him, we must be vigilant, standing “firm against him” and remaining steadfast in our faith. The devil is going all out to entrap you, he’s not holding back; he is watching, he is staying alert and he is keeping a close eye on you, just waiting for you to lose your footing and waver in your faith. We can be so easily distracted, and at times gullible and the devil uses these inherent traits of ours to his advantage. 

Throughout the Bible, from the Old Testament to the New, we are constantly being warned to “Stay alert!”, “Stay awake!”, “keep watch over your soul”. The Message Bible translation of 1 Thessalonians 5:6 tells us to “not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart.” And Jesus explained to His disciples, in Mark 14:38 that “the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” How many times has your body betrayed your willing spirit? You’re eager to stay awake but your eyelids feel weighted and it’s a struggle to keep them open. It happens but when you are weak, in every manner, remember that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. 

Yes, you must find your strength for all things in God, including the strength to remain spiritually awake. Psalm 127:1 says that the watchman stays awake in vain unless the Lord is watching over the city. If God is not watching over you then what’s the point? You simply cannot do this watching, staying awake and being alert in your own strength. God is willing to keep watch over you but you have to pay attention to His Spirit’s urging, recognize the warning signs that He’s pointing out, notice the red flags when they’re hoisted and be quick to react accordingly. 

Spiritual darkness has a tendency to lull us to sleep and, like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, we can fall asleep at the wrong time. That’s why, when you feel yourself drifting away you must begin to pray. That night in the Garden, when Jesus said, “be in prayer, so you don’t enter the danger zone without even knowing it.” (Mark 14:38 MSG), is a message that rings true for all of us today. 

Amen†

Watchmen

Shelley Johnson June 26, 2017

Bogged Down

I don’t know about you but I find myself getting so bogged down with doing this and that, that I fail to do what I ought to be doing. For instance, this blog. I should post something every single day – it’s a commitment that I should uphold, to God and to you. 

Just like Martha in Luke 10:38-42, we sometimes pay so much attention to the peripheral issues that we lose sight of what’s really important. Can you relate?

My last blog post was June twenty third, nine days ago. What was I really doing from then until now? I look around and I can see no evidence of my busyness. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon lets us know that all our striving is like chasing after the wind but what God has appointed us to do is worthwhile, substantial and will make a difference, so whether this blog is read by thousands or by only one person, I know that because God has led me to do it, it is accomplishing His purpose therefore I need to be consistent and not allow myself to be pulled away. 

The truth is, when I sit down to meditate, research, and write, what is actually happening is that I am spending time in God’s presence and then, I become like Martha’s sister Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet, hanging on to Jesus’ every word – learning valuable lessons and gaining spiritual insight as I read and listen. 

Beloved do not believe that you have to be in church or theological college or in a Bible study group to sit at Jesus’ feet and be in His presence. Spending time with God can take place right where you are. My bedroom is where I really get into deep intimate fellowship with God – conversing, studying His Word and being taught by Spirit. Too many times we favour busyness over intimacy. Forgetting that there’s a time for everything, we get so involved in certain things that the one thing that matters is neglected. Jesus said to Martha, 

“Oh Martha, Martha, you are so anxious and concerned about a million details, but really, only one thing matters. Mary has chosen that one thing, and I won’t take it away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42 VOICE)

Unlike her sister, Mary used her time wisely. She seized the opportunity to take full advantage of Jesus’ visit. We too must make the choice not to misuse our time. What’s the use of getting so bogged down with stuff that we miss out on that one thing that won’t be taken away from us, spending vital time with God? 

Let us all pray for wisdom concerning all things, especially about the time we spend with God.

Amen†

Bogged Down

Shelley Johnson July 3, 2017