Forgiveness

You’ve been hurt and now you are devastated. Between your sniffling, you manage to blurt out, “I will never forgive you for that!”

People hurt people all the time. When someone special does not meet our expectations, we feel hurt. When a loved one betrays us, we are sorely disappointed and depending on the severity of the betrayal, forgiveness is hard to muster.

Being a Christian does not make you immune to this. Christians, like anybody else, are sometimes hard-pressed to forgive, and choose instead to hang on to unforgiveness.

But you can’t hang on to hurt and you certainly can’t hang on to unforgiveness. Unforgiveness is costly, a heavy price is paid and not by the unforgiven but by the one who refuses to forgive. It’s like placing spokes in the wheels of your new life, stalling your journey and hampering any enjoyment that you should be experiencing.

Clutching unforgiveness works at cross purposes with the newly created you. It will cripple your walk and hold you in the grip of the old ways of bitterness, vengeance, resentment, hate and blame. These should never be a part of your new life in Christ Jesus, who, in teaching His disciples how to pray said,

“Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.” – Matthew 6:12 (GNT)

This Good News Translation hits the nail squarely on the head.

God is into forgiving the wrongs we have done, do and will do. As believers in His beloved Son, we need to be into forgiving the wrongs others do. As a matter of fact, we also need to forgive the wrongs we ourselves do.

Listen, hurt fades away; you just have to wait but during this period of waiting, you must deliberately forgive. It takes some effort, especially when anger is a factor. Remember that it’s a process, you won’t have overnight success because the process is also a teaching tool.

Too many of you, because you’ve heard time and time again, “forgiveness is for you, unforgiveness will only destroy you” , want to forgive but on your own terms with no help from Spirit. You know why? You still want to store the negative emotions in the inner compartment you have reserved for hurt, anger, bitterness, resentment, hate, ire, pain, bad-mind, and unforgiveness.

That same compartment that you created deep inside you will eventually become a festering sore with maggots eating you from the inside out. Consider that for a moment. Nah, picture it instead.

You cannot properly achieve this in your own strength only by the power of the Holy Spirit is it doable; you can and will get rid of the hurt feelings and the anger when you turn to the Holy Spirit.

Indian Bay St. Vincent photo by O'Reilly Lewis

Beloved, make up your mind to forgive, be determined. Forgiving is the essential first step in the process. Get back on the road from wherever you detoured. Forget about all the various methods you can use to punish the one who levelled the hurt, focus on healing and continue living.

Amen? Amen!

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Forgiveness” © January 30, 2025

 

 

Of Wheat and Tares

Jesus told many stories called Parables. It was His way of teaching. These stories challenge our expectations, provoke our thoughts, and inspire us.

Jesus’ parables are meant to teach us how to live godly lives, how to live in community and treat with others, they teach us what truly matters and cause us to make serious decisions about the future.

One such parable, the story of wheat and tares, found in Matthew 13:24-30 with an essential addition in verses 36 to 43, ought to force you to reassess your life. Where do you want to be for all eternity? I’m not talking about when you die, I am referring to the end of the age, when all is good and done and Jesus sends the harvesters to separate the wheat from the tares, weeding out of His Kingdom “all causes of sin and all evildoers”.

My beloved, no one knows when the Son of Man will return as the Righteous Judge, so you have to decide today, if you want to be a son of the Kingdom, or a son of the evil one.

While it may be too late when you see the angels approaching with sickles in hand, it’s not too late right now to determine your fate.

Every day we make decisions about one thing or another, and the ability to change our minds about that decision is a fact we take for granted. Sometimes we make great decisions and there are times when we regret the decisions that we’ve made but all decisions have an outcome.

Every day, a person somewhere decides to reject Jesus as their personal Saviour. A decision that will not only affect their lives here on earth now but for all eternity. It is a life-or-death choice we have to make.

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (Deuteronomy 30:19 NRSV)

Out for a drive with a friend, who made the decision to “choose life”, he began telling me of the baptism experience he’d had only the day before. Filled with excitement, he related his poignant tale of how he got to this point and the reason behind his life-changing decision. His happiness was palpable. Teary-eyed, I could hear the melodic sounds of violins as he spoke. Just then, someone cut him off. That dunk of yesterday was dunked at that point, as the words that effortlessly flowed out of the once pious mouth contained primary, secondary, and tertiary colours. To say I was stunned was less than descriptive of my utter astonishment.

Beloved, you may have recited the sinner's prayer, you may have professed your belief, and like my friend, your priest or pastor may have submerged you in that water and brought you back up again, that’s not enough to save you. All those things are only outward symbols; first steps in a plethora of many more steps.

Scripture tells us, “work on your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12 NRSV). Salvation is no curbside pickup, you need to work on it every single day, because “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

Look at my friend, his spirit indeed was willing on Sunday afternoon but by Monday morning his weak flesh came rolling in fast and furious.

Jesus cares deeply about you and the choices you make. I believe that is why He took the time to explain this particular parable. The decision you make today will determine the future you have tomorrow. Jesus does not want you to make a decision that will be detrimental to you even now and worse yet in eternity. He wants to be in relationship with you and does not want you to suffer the consequences of separation from God – He wants reconciliation, not alienation.

“The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NRSV)

I sincerely pray that today, you will choose life, come to repentance, and work on your own salvation by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Shelley Johnson “Of Wheat and Tares” © January 29, 2025

 

 

Persecutor

Jesus said,

If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. – John 15:20 (NKJV)

Listen, on this spiritual journey – your Christian walk – expect to be persecuted. Don’t be at all surprised when tongues start wagging, and persons who you know, some you may be very close to, are the ones with the most to say. They are the ones with the largest armoury, always at the ready to pull out some type of weapon against you.

While the persecutor is shooting arrows, keep Isaiah 54:17 in mind,

No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. (NKJV)

But I want to share something about the persecutor that you may find a bit disconcerting.

Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job…And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. – Job 1:8 &12

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. – Luke 22:31 (NKJV)

There is a commonality in both instances. Satan was given permission by God to persecute these two god-fearing men. In the first instance, it was God who suggested Job.

You see, no matter who does the persecuting, it’s God who gives the permission. He allows it. I know some I-can-walk-on-water Christians must be damning me right now but read those two verses again. Now you tell me if it’s not God allowing it.

Let’s have a look at 2 Samuel 16:10 & 11

But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” And David said…Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the Lord has ordered him. (NKJV)

It was God who told Shimei to curse David, God gave Satan permission to sift Peter as wheat and God allowed Satan to afflict Job. All these men underwent persecution at the behest of the Lord. Check it out, in every verse, “the Lord said”. Who “said”, who “has said” and who “ordered”? Okay then. But it’s for good reason, so don’t be like, “But how God could allow that?”

Persecution is a means of distinguishing the sincere follower from the hypocritical one. When suffering comes, who will endure? When blustery storms set in, who will take hold of the mast and sail through?

We like to believe that only unbelievers persecute believers, but believers persecute believers. Those same I-can-walk-on-water Christians, pretend to be devout followers in good times but as soon as the going gets a little too tough they bail, they scatter. They are only willing to navigate the calm seas. They will follow Christ to the Garden of Gethsemane but not to Calvary.

They say that they are self-denying Christians but when the fiery arrows fly, it’s then you see the hypocrite run off in self-preservation. Persecution is a heart revealer.

Please, don’t get me wrong, this spiritual walk is not always easy, and one may be sincerely zealous at first, but become faint-hearted along the way. To suffer through the trials is difficult; the ridicule from friends and family is painful; the condemnation from the pharisaic brethren can be hard to ignore (I have mastered the art) but beloved that’s why you must depend on God all through the testing.

As a child of God, you will go through times of persecution (see 1 Peter 4:12). When you are placed in that fire of affliction, know that it is not to destroy you but it’s to “take away the dross from silver” to be used by the Jeweller (see Proverbs 25:4). When you are being sifted as wheat know that it’s a test of your faith (see Luke 22:31).  

All who are walking this road are tried and tested but do not turn back or turn away from God. Hold on to God, for when you are weak, then you are strong (see 2 Corinthians 12:10), and be assured that,

“No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NRSV)

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Persecutor” © January 28, 2025

Makarios in Persecution?

Painting of Zan by Lennox Robinson

When my great nephew, Zan, was a toddler, anything that, to him, appeared to be nonsensical, for instance, if a parrot was perched on his shoulder, he would exclaim, “What madness is this?”

Well Jesus’ final beatitude elicits the same exclamation from me, “What madness is this?!!!”

“Blessed are those who are persecuted…”

Makarios in persecution seems illogical, oxymoronic at best. Where’s the true contentment, the genuine happiness, the joy in that? But Jesus did not end there, He continues with,

“…for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Okay, okay, I can deal with that. Does not appear to be nonsensical now. And following, in verse 11, Jesus, primarily addressing His disciples, goes on to say,

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”

The Message translation says it best,

“…count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.”

Makarios in persecution makes more sense now, doesn’t it?

Paul’s charge to Timothy included this,

 “Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12 NRSV)

Yes, it’s a little scary, especially if you’ve just begun your journey. But don’t be afraid, keep walking in His strength and the Lord will rescue you from all of them (v 11)

When people revile you, gossip about you, tell lies about you, speak badly of you (bad talk you), it is evidence that you are on the right track, that you are a citizen of the Kingdom of heaven…your passport says diplomat! Be glad and rejoice! 

Let them talk, let them scoff, let the haters hate; you all up in the Kingdom, Father and Son walking alongside you and Holy Spirit dwelling inside you. Amen? Amen!

While you’re being a peacemaker, they’re stirring up discord? While you’re cultivating a pure heart, their hearts are full of “deceit and desperately wicked”. While you’re being merciful, they’re being cruel and ruthless. While you are yearning for and receiving spiritual sustenance, they’re spiritually starved and dehydrated. While you are walking in humility, they’re puffed up with self-exaltation and “swollen with conceit”. While you are emptying your-self, surrendering to God, they are busy with the "self" – endlessly self-centred, vindictive, spiritually blind and unresponsive to Jesus.

So yes, suffer the hurt, suffer the rejection of family and the loss of friends, for Christ’s sake…endure it all because God is counting you worthy to suffer dishonour for the Name (see Acts 5:41)

Relationships cannot mean more to you than your relationship with Jesus (see Matthew 10:37; 12:46-50; Luke 14:26)

Draw from David’s wise advice as it is written in Psalm 37…

Do not fret because of evildoers (v 1), trust in the Lord and do good (v 3), delight yourself in the Lord (v 4), commit your way to the Lord…He will act ( v 5), be still and wait patiently for Him (v 7), refrain from anger and forsake wrath (v 8), obey Him (v 34), and take refuge in Him (v 40).

There are too many people shouting “Hosanna!” when they see the palm branches but scamper away at the sight of a challenge. Too many, who say they believe, and profess their faith but are unwilling to go the distance – they are not prepared to suffer for Him or be inconvenienced in any way whatsoever for Him.

Understand that this persecution is not meant to consume you but is in fact a refining fire. (see Isaiah 48:10)

Beloved, the point is, that no matter how difficult this spiritual walk may become, living for the Lord is worth it. 

All these godly attributes that Jesus prescribes in His Beatitudes to the gathered crowd and His disciples, including us, are to make us recognize our need for Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

Amen!

Shelley Johnson “Makarios in Persecution?” © January 27, 2025

 

  

Peacemaker

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9 NRSV)

Let me begin by saying that being a peaceful person does not make you a child of God. Children of God are those who have already entered the family of God by adoption through faith in Christ Jesus. (see Galatians 3:26 and 4:4-5)

“Huios” is the Greek word used for “children” in this verse. It is the same word used in Luke 20:34-36 to describe those who are born again. Verse 36 says, “They are children of God and children of the resurrection”.

Iglesia de San Antonio Cali Colombia

From James 3:13-18, we understand that peace and in turn, the ability to make peace is born out of wisdom received from above, wisdom that comes directly from heaven. So, it’s not by you demonstrating a certain type of behaviour, walking around pious and trying not to get into tiffs.

The kind of peace that James is talking about is sent from God into one’s born-again spirit.

The poor in spirit empty themselves, relinquish the “self”, surrender to God in complete reliance on Him, and are open to receive Jesus and do God’s will.

“But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God," (John 1:12 NRSV)

This beatitude is not telling us how to become children of God. Jesus is saying that peace-making is a characteristic of the children of God, those who are born again, those who have become new creations in Christ. Children of God are recognized as peacemakers.

As children of the God of peace (see Romans 16:20), we inherit the peace of God.

As children of God, we must follow in His footsteps. Yes, peace-making involves being in step with God, to do the will of the God of peace, as did the Prince of Peace, Jesus (see Isaiah 9:6).

Children of God are pursuers of peace, actively working to reconcile people to God and to each other; they are not passive church goers hoping for peace.

“Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” (Romans 14:19 NRSV)

Peacemakers share in the mission of Christ Jesus. Peacemakers help to make peace between man and God through the sharing of the Good News.

God sent His Beloved Son, that we might have peace from God.

"Pursue peace with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14 NRSV)

God sent His Beloved Son, that we might have peace with God.

“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:1NRSV)

God sent His Beloved Son, that we might have the peace of God.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7 NRSV)

Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Peacemaker” © January 26, 2025

A Pure Heart

What comes to mind when you think of what having a pure heart must look like?

We’ve only just past the six-year mark since my husband had a massive heart attack. My minister, at that time, told me that performing his funeral had taken a toll on her, she had sat at her desk bawling and questioning God as to why now, His response to her was, “I took him when his heart was purest”

Grieving, hearing this brought me so much comfort.  In the eyes of the Catholic church, he was Catholic, my husband would not have been a candidate for sainthood, but he was a kind-hearted man who loved God. Generous to a fault – sometimes much to my chagrin, he showered his family, my mother, especially, with lovingkindness. The night before, my mom had been ill and the loving attention he gave to her made him a saint in my eyes. What he had done that night could only have emanated from a pure heart. The very next night, he saw God.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:8 resonate with me.

What does it mean? Is it one’s physical heart? My husband’s physical heart failed but God had said that his heart was pure, so it must mean something else.

As I’m writing, a memory interrupted my train of thought. It must bear significance…

…that fateful night, was family prayer night and my husband smiling broadly, boldly declared, “I have forgiven everyone that I need to forgive”

This spoke of his inward character.

“Lev Shalem” is Hebrew and can be translated as “Pure Heart”. Lev is the same word translated heart in “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” – with all our lev, we are to love God. But our English word heart does not convey the depth of meaning that lev holds. Lev isn’t a mere physical thing but so much more. It’s talking about all of your being. Body, soul and mind. Everything that is you.

Shalem comes from the word shalom, peace. But not peace as in the absence of strife but shalom goes much deeper than that, it’s about one’s well-being, rooted in wholeness and in a state of complete harmony, fulfilment, and restored unimpaired relationship with the divine. To say Shalom is to offer a blessing of divine grace to be manifested in one’s life.

Is Jesus saying, “You are truly content when all of you is in harmony with the divine nature, then you will experience His Presence."?

In other words, a pure heart is a portal through which the Kingdom of God is manifest.

When you honestly exhibit lovingkindness, you open that portal.

When you generously give of yourself, expecting no reward in return, you open that portal.

When you are genuinely kind with your words and in your actions, you open that portal.

When you can boldly declare that you have forgiven everyone that you need to forgive, and truly mean it, you open that portal.

When you love God with all your being and love your fellow man as yourself, you open that portal.

Beloved, the condition of our hearts, our internal well-being, is of utmost importance to Jesus and it must be as equally important to us.

Amen.

 

 

Shelley Johnson “A Pure Heart” © January 25, 2025

 

 

Mercy Mercy Mercy!

Coming out of the previous beatitudes, Jesus’ next pronouncement seemed a natural flow to the course. 

To the gathered crowd He said,

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” (Mathew 5:7 NRSV)

This verse draws our attention to the reciprocal nature of mercy.

You will feel true contentment when you show mercy to others, and it will come back to you, not just from man but more importantly, from God.

Jesus is challenging the hearts of all men because as a people, we are not naturally merciful but as a reborn child of God, when the Son of Righteousness’ rays of grace and mercy shine on you, and in you, melting the once-frozen heart, then that same grace and mercy will shine forth from your newly created self.

Having a heart for God is having a heart that melts in mercy. A heart that melts in mercy will guide the lost wanderer, will bolster the weak, will lift up those who have fallen and will tend to the wounded, without  expecting anything in return.

When you recognize,

• your own spiritual impoverishment
• your need for the Comforter
• that without God you are and have nothing
• your yearning for spiritual sustenance

only then will you be able to express god-like mercy to others.

The merciful heart is full of compassion towards others. Mercy is not rooted in externals but produced deep within the faithful, authentic followers of Christ, who cry tears of contrition upon recognizing their own pitiful conditions, and God shows them mercy. He delights in doing so. (see Micah 7:18 NIV)

God extended great mercy toward us when He gave us His beloved Son. If we were to receive exactly what we deserve, then heaven help us. Lord ha’ mercy!

In Psalm 103:8 we read,

"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love."  

God, abounding in steadfast love, has made His mercy available to everyone who wishes to receive mercy. God can withhold His mercy if He chooses but doesn’t. Mercy, mercy, mercy on me!

With His words, Jesus, yet again, invites you to experience makarios, true contentment, in being merciful. It is available to you, all you need do is accept the invitation, embrace the gift and apply it in your life. This too is part of the Kingdom of heaven experience now and forever.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23 NRSV)

 Amen!

Shelley Johnson “Mercy Mercy Mercy!” © January 24, 2025

Pangs of Hunger and Thirst

All our striving to be as moral as possible seeking to establish righteousness only amounts to acts of self-righteousness and is of no value whatsoever.

All our performing of good works is just that, a performance which is admirable but cannot establish true righteousness.

Righteousness is a gift, given freely when we actively apply the Blood of Jesus in our lives. There is nothing we can do to add to this righteousness. What we can do is discard all our illusions of personal righteousness and earnestly seek after that right standing with God through Christ Jesus (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 NIV)

We need to understand what is in store for us when we fully give our lives over to God. When we earnestly desire and delight ourselves in Him, we find ourselves in a position to receive all that He has for us.

It is completely within the power of God to provide us with everything we need. Our provisions from God are both physical and spiritual. And both are to be graciously received, not worked for.

Self-righteousness places us smack dab in the middle of spiritual drought and famine and sadly we do not realize it. We feel hungry and thirsty but don’t know what for, so we get food and water, believing that the need is a physical one but are still not satisfied. We don’t comprehend that we have become spiritually mal-nourished and dehydrated because in this state, our flesh plays games with our minds.

It takes a genuine hunger and thirst for God, His Kingdom and His Righteousness, for us to overcome such games.

On that mountain, Jesus continued…

 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6 NRSV)

Unlike most if not all of us, Jesus’ audience knew what it was like to suffer extreme hunger and thirst. They did not have to use their imaginations, this was their reality, their lives. Jesus’ words would have jolted not just their memories but would have played on their emotions and their fears as well. They knew that feeling, that pain, that yearning for food and water…they knew this desert wilderness experience well, for it was indelibly etched in their present and their past.

Remembering the relentless ferocity of their hunt for food and water in a desolate place, Jesus’ words would have penetrated every fibre of their bodies, and they would have understood what He meant. Do you?

Do you hunger and thirst for the things of God.

Painting by Lennox Robinson

Like the woman at the well (John 4), encountering Jesus will impact your heart, that place deep within you, with such conviction, that it would be like life-giving sustenance.

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water…Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” – John 4:10, 13-14 (NRSV)

Jesus wants us to always hunger and thirst for His Righteousness. We must long for it passionately. We must drink of His Living Water, the Holy Spirit, who will enable us to do the will of God, which is our meat (see John 4:34).

Jesus was and is saying to reach out to those who are hurting and in any kind of need, in humility and with lovingkindness. Becoming a reflection of Him in our families, in our communities – at home, at work, at church – building His Kingdom will be our fulfilment.

“The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your needs in parched places and make your bones strong, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters never fail.” (Isaiah 58:11 NRSV)

Amen!

 

Shelley Johnson “Pangs of Hunger and Thirst” © January 23, 2024

  

Inheritance

Jesus’ next declaration is like a highway with many subsidiary roads and loop routes. The directions we can take are many, but we will traverse one particular access road.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5 NRSV)

I’d like you to note that some translations say "inherit the land". And I mention this not just as trivia but because it bears significance. You see, as was mentioned before, Jesus’ audience knew the Scriptures well. At synagogue, when the Rabbi quoted even a line, they could fill in the rest. So, these words would have jogged the memories of those listening to Jesus.

Psalm 37:9, 11 and 29 say,

For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

The godly shall inherit the land and live in it forever.

Here we can clearly see the inextricable connection between the meek, and the godly. To be meek, is to be godly, desiring God’s will to take precedence in your life, surrendering to Him, relying wholeheartedly upon Him. Sounds familiar? The “poor in spirit”, “those who mourn”? Can you see the thread that is weaving through these beatitudes?

Yet again you see the need to relinquish your self-sufficient attitude. To come out from under that bondage of human effort and religious works and spiritually step into what God has for you, your inheritance, not just in the future but even right now, today. You are “blessed” now.

Adam was given dominion over the earth, all the land, but he lost it in his utter disobedience to God. He forsook his inheritance, and that loss affected all of us. However, through Jesus Christ, known as the Second Adam, that inheritance has been fully restored.

What was granted to the first Adam has been given back to us but in greater measure since we have the opportunity to abide in Jesus and He in us. Being in and of Him, we acquire His divine nature which involves inheritance, an inheritance bought for every one of us through His shed Blood at Calvary.

This inheritance has nothing to do with any contrived meekness but through the meekness instilled within us by the Holy Spirit, The Comforter, as an element of the fruit of the spirit in the form of gentleness (see Galatians 5:22-23). It is the Meekness of Christ replicated in those who become partakers of His divine nature (see Philippians 2:6-8).

Inheritance speaks of God’s blessings, it is a sign of belonging, a reflection of our new identity in Christ and is symbolic of a place of security within His Kingdom (see Luke 12:32).

May we fully apprehend this amazing Truth as we chew on this throughout the day.

Amen!

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Inheritance” © January 22, 2025

Makarios in Mourning

 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”   (Matthew 5:4 NRSV)

How can you experience Makarios in mourning?

This past December, four loved ones passed: two of them, still young in their early twenties, and one, just six years old…gone.

How can I experience Makarios in that? How can a family, who is mourning the loss of three family members in an instant, be in a state of sublime happiness?

In Jesus’ day, people were experiencing loss as a way of life. Under Roman rule, oppression was the order of the day. Remember, Jesus was a real man living in a historical time. Children, in those days, seldom reached adulthood. People, men, women, and children, living under extremely harsh conditions were dying. Existing in horrific circumstances was all Jesus’ listeners knew, to mourn was their reality.

Ecclesiastes 7:2-4…

“It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of everyone, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”

Drawing from this passage in Ecclesiastes, Jesus was helping His audience then and us now, to understand that “makarios” is in our compassion, it’s in our care and lovingkindness toward others, it is in our ability to weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).

There is no “blessed” in only mourning for yourself, not having a thought for others.

“Blessed are those who mourn…”

Loss teaches us something. We learn that it’s not about what to cherish but who to cherish. We recognize that those around us matter much more than the things we possess. A lost possession can be replaced but not the people in our lives, they are irreplaceable.

Another translation says,

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” (MSG)

Jesus is telling us that when we mourn, we will be comforted by the only One from whom genuine lasting comfort is provided.   

“…for they will be comforted”

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” (2 Corinthians 1:4 NRSV)

We have no control over loss and suffering and we mourn over our inability to do so but we have a God who comforts us. We can rely on Him to provide the comfort that’s needed.

Only God can turn our mourning into joy, comfort us, and give us gladness for sorrow. Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. (see Jeremiah 31:13) 

What I have presented to you here is just a tiny pixel of a much bigger picture. There is so much more to unpack from Matthew 5:4, but chew on this for today.

 

Amen!

Shelley Johnson "Makarios in Mourning" © January 21, 2025

 

 

 

 

Blessed

I’d like us to consider the word Blessed as used by Jesus in the Beatitudes, a preamble of sorts to His Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapter 5.

We won’t be able to touch on every statement today but at least we can make a start and continue another day.

Jesus spent a lot of time on mountains. He would retreat to the mountain top, a solitary place, where He could commune with God. In the Old Testament many spiritual events occurred on mountains.

photo by O'Reilly Lewis

Mount Moriah is the place where Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac, until he encountered God. Moses’ first encounter with God was at the foot of Mount Sinai, and it was atop that same mountain that he spent 40 days and nights with God. David established fortification, lived and talked with God, often through the prophet Nathan, on Mount Zion.

All of them encountered God on a mountain. Mountains represent places of closeness to God, places of power and authority in the spiritual realm, places where one experiences God’s Presence.

It was on a “high mountain” that Jesus’ appearance changed; He was transfigured in sight of Peter, James and John, soon thereafter they were bathed in the brilliant light-radiant Presence of God (see Matthew 17)

So, it is no wonder that Jesus would have allowed the crowd to follow Him and His disciples up a mountain, where they could hear this all-important, all-empowering life-transforming sermon.

Jesus' introduction to His sermon, the Beatitudes, with its deep spiritual connotations, is connected to other passages found in the Old Testament, so Jesus’ words would not have been completely unfamiliar to His audience, as in those days, without the benefit of the Bible, Scripture had to be learnt and memorized from a very early age.

Jesus was putting a new spin on it, to give His listeners then, and us now, a deeper understanding of what could be, their “blessed” state of being.

In His sermon, Jesus begins each statement with “Blessed”. I don’t know what you think Jesus is conveying with the word “blessed” but those Hebrew people on that mountain would have understood “asher” or “makarios” as a state of genuine contentment or true happiness.

The use of this word was not a promise of some future inheritance but an assurance of a condition that can be possessed now, at the present time. Blessed could be what you are even while you are going through challenges. Blessed could be your current position, however, there are always conditions to be met, and Jesus is clear as to what these conditions are. For instance, He says in Matthew 5:3, (see Isaiah 66:2)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

This term, “poor in spirit” speaks of humility. It’s being humble not haughty with a sanctimonious attitude of self-reliance but rather becoming utterly dependent on God to provide your needs, knowing that you can’t get through this life without Him. It’s about seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first (see Mathew 6:33), then you will be genuinely content and happy, resulting in “all these things will be given to you as well”.

The Kingdom of heaven is meant for you to have now, if you would just live a surrendered life. Surrender your plans, surrender your hopes and surrender your dreams to God. Empty yourself, completely rely on Him and enjoy true contentment whatever the circumstances.

Chew on this for today.

 

Amen!

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Blessed” © January 20, 2025

 

 

  

A Test

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness and came to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” (Exodus 3:1-4 NRSV)

Curious, I did a bit of research to find out how long before wood begins to burn. I found out that it’s between 5 and 15 minutes. I’m guessing then that it must’ve taken Moses from 5 to 15 minutes before he realized that this bush was no ordinary bush.

We are not privy to the type of bush, it may have been dry since “Horeb” means “dry place” and according to Exodus 17:6, that’s where Moses hit the rock to get water. So, it could have been that it wasn’t unusual, in this area, to see bushes burning. It’s clear that this one was strange though, as the fire was not consuming it.

Moses was probably looking at this oddity for quite a while before he realized that even though it was ablaze this dry bush wasn’t burning up. And he literally “turned aside” to take a closer look.

Oftentimes God will use the most curious of situations to test our readiness for an assignment.

I recall that someone near and dear to me had to jump in her car and drive to a particular location at the same time every day for weeks; it was a test of her obedience. Will you be obedient even though everyone thinks you’re crazy?

I am sure that some of you can relate.

And that’s how it was with Moses, as miraculous as this was, it was also a test.

Could God use Moses for the assignment at hand? An assignment that would require Moses to look closely at things, to pay attention to detail, to follow God's instructions to the letter.

Did you notice that it was only when Moses decided to take a closer look, that God called out to him?

What might have been the outcome had Moses not gone in for a closer look? Suppose Moses had the attention span of a puppy, about to head towards this burning bush, hear a sheep bleat and immediately turn away, running off in the direction of the sheep, distracted?

Like a puppy, we are sometimes so distracted that we miss the opportunity to be used by God. We start off paying attention to what is before us, then get distracted by this and that and fail the test.

Of course, there is much more to this burning bush curiosity that we can delve into but meditate on this aspect of it for now, remembering, as you go along your way, to pay attention to the unusual for it just might be God showing up in the middle of your test.

Amen!

Shelley Johnson "A Test" © January 18, 2025

 

A Necessary Disruption

 “Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants.” – Matthew 21:12 (MSG)

How does that prayer go?

“Gentle Jesus meek and mild…”

Certainly not in this instance. Jesus was not making any skylark with those who had transformed His house, “designated a house of prayer for the nations, into a hangout for thieves” (v 13)

With this act, Jesus had interrupted the normal course of things.

If you think about everything that Jesus did, you would realize that He was inherently disruptive but all for good reason. His disruption was a necessary disruption to bring about a necessary change.

Jesus had come to announce a counter-cultural way of life. His words and actions were disruptive to the status quo. He opposed the scribes for their misinterpretation of Scripture, adding their own manmade traditions to it thereby nullifying God’s Word (Mark 7:13). He questioned the practitioners of the Law and exposed them for their lack of truly understanding the Law (Luke 15:45-52). He rebelled against the Pharisees, vehemently criticized and rebuked them for their hypocrisy, selfishness and greed (Matthew 23:1-39). Jesus disrupted the religious hierarchy of the day.

Today, we as Christians, feel that Christianity is all about being meek and mild, stepping lightly around hard topics, and not showing any sort of force.

Christianity and Christians are supposed to disturb the norm. Our words and actions, like Christ’s, should disrupt the world.

What we do and say is supposed to be impacting those around us in such a way as to bring about change so positive, that it disturbs their psyche and everything they thought they knew.

We can either be passive observers or actively participate in this Christ-like disruption.

Jesus did not allow things to continue as they always were, and if we claim to be His followers, neither can we.

The disruption, even if it makes the “this-is-how-we-have-always-done-it” posse uneasy, is necessary!

How could you, claiming to be an authentic follower of Christ, leave the norm to continue in its dysfunction, knowing full well that it’s resulting in thievery of all forms because you don’t want to step on anyone’s toes or have a confrontation with the elders?

There must be a necessary disruption!

How long will you simply look on? Isn’t it time for you to stop being a bystander and start being a table over-turner?

Okay, yes, I agree that change can be difficult, so we avoid it, fight it and rail against it. We don’t want to get out of our comfort zones, we don’t want to be displaced, we don't want to kick over tables, we prefer not to have to be discommoded in any way. Change can be uncomfortable and takes effort, so we opt to leave things as is, how it’s always been, because that requires no effort whatsoever and things remain the same, bringing no positive results, no growth, no forward movement, no new mindset, only stagnation.

Beloved, Jesus did not allow things to remain the same. That’s not why He came. He did not say, “Oh that’s how it’s always been? Okay, well come on you twelve, let’s move on to Sidon” No, Jesus left nothing unturned; He even made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the Temple, animals included (see John 2:15). Jesus was disruptive. His disruption was necessary, it has been to our benefit. Let us follow His lead, but not the whip part, we’d be arrested.

There’s got to be a necessary disruption!

Shelley Johnson "A Necessary Disruption" © January 18, 2025

Real Good News

When last have you received real good news?

When that long-awaited promotion at work finally came through, good news.

When, after years of trying, the doctor says, “You’re pregnant”, good news.

When the office bully gets transferred to some obscure branch far from civilization, good news.

When your filthy rich great uncle who was kind to you passes away, bad news; then you get a call saying he left everything for you, that is good news.

Apostle Paul was commissioned to go into the Gentile world to announce better news than all that, he had real Good News to share.

“For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), a teacher of the gentiles in faith and truth.” 1 Timothy 2:7

What was this news and what qualified it as real good?

Surely this news, being this good, would have already been known? But in those days and even now, many people had not heard of news so good that it is life transforming.

Something wonderful had happened and people were invited to be a part of this different way of life. This real good news would create a new and radical change in anyone’s situation. Apostle Paul was announcing that something had happened that resulted in the world and in particular, your world becoming a different place.

Paul was appointed to offer real good news about a God who was alive and active, a God who wanted to be in relationship with man. A God who, because of His love for all of mankind, Himself became a man, so that all mankind can know Him intimately.

Paul had first-hand experience, not that he had known Jesus when He was on earth but had surely experienced Jesus on the road to Damascus. It was an encounter that altered Paul’s, then Saul's, life forever. The light literally went on in Paul’s life and everything made sense, and after his transformation, he became eager and energized to share this real good news.

The real good news of Jesus Christ empowers us and enlivens us. It creates a whole new reality because we now see things in a different light. A light which brings things, once blurred, into focus. In the light of this real good news everything else is seen in a new way.

Jesus Himself put it this way, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Jesus was talking about a reality of heaven right here on earth, life eternal (John 10:10), not to be confused with life in eternity. Jesus came so that we may experience eternal life, a slice of heaven, provided that we believe. And this life, in all its fullness, is not just for a select few but for whomsoever will believe.

It is a little scary when you first encounter Jesus present in your space, with you, personally, and realize that His sacrifice for you was real and you now understand that the Kingdom of God has come upon you (Matthew 12:28) in a tangible way.

Accepting Jesus and all that's been made possible by and through Him, makes us more in harmony with all of creation, and as we step into this new reality, the process of transformation begins by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) and that’s when we are in the world but not of the world (John 17:14-16). Set apart, separated, with the ability to draw from heaven’s reality, to partake of something far beyond the world’s façade.

Now that is Real Good News!

Shelley Johnson "Real Good News" ©January 15, 2025

 

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