All things have become new…Just the Beginning (revisited)

Too often a person asks Jesus to come into his heart to become his personal Saviour, and then he goes right back to living a carnal (earthly) existence. He does not truly understand that the asking is just the beginning of the Christian Walk of being re-born.

Acceptance is the very first step on the journey to becoming a new creation in Christ, where the old things pass away and all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old you must give way to the new, and this can only be done through the renewing of your mind by the power of the Spirit of Christ now dwelling in you.

“…be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” – Romans 12:2 (NIV)

It is an on-going process of transformation that has to take place if you are serious about your journey. It’s about changing the way you think because when your thinking is changed, your behaviour will change.

“For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” – Proverbs 23:7 (NASB)

This process affords you an understanding of the incredible depths of what Christ has done for you – the work of the cross is what enables your transformation. Your new existence begins with Jesus.

Now, the old you is tied to the flesh and what is carnal, and it is your natural tendency to cling to the old and familiar, but if this transformation is to work, you must allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in you. If your mind is still anchored in the old way you will never be able to apprehend the Kingdom and its principles. You see, It’s not an ordinary transformation, it is a spiritual transformation – the Holy Spirit striving with your flesh nature to break your carnal will and develop the mind of Christ in you.

Paul tells us in Galatians 2:20 (NLT),

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

And Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23 (NLT),

"If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.”

Your old self must be crucified day by day through the powerful work of Christ’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, who begins His work of transforming you from the inside out, that’s why to the natural eye the old you still seems to exist. Spirit works deep within you to give you a new heart and a new spirit, to put God’s law in your mind and write it on your heart (Ezekiel 36:26; Jeremiah 31:33) – transforming you from the old life to the new (see Ephesians 4:17-24).

You are being born again, re-born from above, so do not reject the moving of Spirit in you. He is recreating you so that you may be one with Christ, abiding in Him and He in you in the heavenly places with Him (Ephesians 2), where all things become new.

 

 

Shelley Johnson “All things have become new…Just the Beginning” © 2013

The Romans Road (revisited)

 As you know, there were six days of creation. And do you know that there are six steps to your re-creation? Yes, it’s six steps on the road to your re-birth, to a new creation – a new you, a new person – salvation.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! – 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

God, in His goodness to all mankind, has laid down a road to salvation, upon which anyone may travel. This well paved road can be found in the inspired words Paul recorded in his letter to the Christians in Rome. The Book of Romans is filled with craftily written verses that, when placed together, can help us understand the incredible message of Salvation. Along this road to Salvation – The Romans Road – God wants us to understand that,

1. Romans 1:21 (MSG)

 

What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. 

• You come to the realization that without God in your life you really have no true direction – you’re lost, utterly lost

2. Romans 3:23 (NLT) 

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.

• You become keenly aware of your sinful nature and the fact that you are incapable of living the type of life God has designed for you to live – you know that a change of direction is needed and you actually begin to desire that change

3. Romans 5:8 (MSG)

God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

• And with the desire comes a “knowing”. More and more you can’t shake this “knowing”…you just know that the way you’ve been living your life is not how you want to live anymore and you begin to feel conflicted; suddenly you start to sense the depth of God’s love for you – that God loved you so much that He sent His only Son to die for your sins, and now it becomes so clear to you – you are in need of God’s forgiveness; you want a new life, a real life 

4. Romans 6:23 (MSG)

Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

• Enough said…you’re convinced, that’s what you long for, Life through Jesus Christ

5. Romans 10:9-10 (NLT) 

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 

• You cannot get over the stirring you feel deep inside you – you are sure of it and you’re compelled to answer the call and so you confess with your mouth what you believe in your heart – “Jesus is Lord! God raised Him from the dead!”

6. Romans 10:13 (NIV)

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

• And you cry out to God with a penitent heart, "Lord save me!"

He saves you, and you are saved. 

The Romans Road is the beginning of your new life; the journey has only just begun. 

Amen †

Shelley Johnson "The Romans Road"  31-Jan-2016

(Photo at Nelson Island Trinidad by Shelley Johnson)

Seeing the Kingdom

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 NKJV)

Under the cover of night, Nicodemus, a prominent leader, a Pharisee, came to Jesus. All that Jesus was doing had not just made him curious but had piqued his interest. Nicodemus wanted to know more; he desired a deeper understanding. I believe that Nicodemus, though puzzled, was hungry for it.

Jesus did not hesitate to go straight to the heart of the matter. “You cannot see the Kingdom…unless you are born again…you cannot enter the Kingdom unless you are born of water and of the Spirit” (see John 3:3,5)

Jesus revealed two truths that night which spoke of seeing and entering. But Jesus, in speaking to Nicodemus, was also alluding to something much deeper. You see Nicodemus, as mentioned earlier, was a Pharisee, a leader of the Jews, a Teacher of religion, yet he neither understood or knew these things.

Jesus was showing that one can be a teacher of Scripture and still not understand the simplest of truths it contains. How disconcerting is that to us who are dependant on our leaders’ interpretation of the Word? How many of our leaders, who bring the Word to us are struggling to understand the Word?

That may be a topic for another day.

Luke 17:20 tells us,

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation”

Jesus is referring here to natural observation. We need God to open our spiritual eyes to see the Kingdom, and the realities contained therein. But, going back to John chapter 3, a spiritual birth must first take place. Jesus was speaking a language that was foreign to Nicodemus since he could not grasp what was being said to him.

Many of us are like Nicodemus in that our eyes are covered to the Kingdom;we don’t believe earthly things, therefore we will not believe heavenly things (see John 3:12).

Do you know who saw the Kingdom but never entered?

Asa Wright Nature Centre

Moses saw the Kingdom – the Promised Land- but never entered. We do not want to be like Moses, do we? We want to see and to enter, not in the future but now. Too many of us are born again statues. We remain in one position, doing the same things and saying the same things and expecting the same things. We are content with complacency and living on the edge of the Kingdom. Seeing the Kingdom but unable to enter the Kingdom.

We keep hitting the Rock instead of speaking to the Rock. We are stuck on the outskirts, and we cannot even recognize that that is where we are. We could be moving forward with our Living Lord but we’re too full of our own righteousness to realize that we are at a standstill.

We religiously prattle about this and that, sincerely believing that we are fluent in Jesus-talk, but we do not truly understand His language so we fail to follow His basic instructions, all the while, walking in our own created glory.

The fact is, we cannot see the Kingdom far less enter the Kingdom, without the Spirit. Seeing the Kingdom is seeing in the Spirit. This involves intimacy with the Spirit of Jesus Christ; we must desire more. We must be like Nicodemus in this regard. We need to become hungry not to just observe naturally, but to see spiritually…to hear and to talk and to walk in the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:8-9 (NLT)

But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

 

Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Seeing the Kingdom” © February 25, 2025

 

 

The Old gives way to the New

 The Cross signifies the death of the old and the birth of the new. Surely when we turn to Jesus, whose sacrifice on the cross made such provision for whosoever will, we are reborn, not as Nicodemus thought but as new creations, born from above in Christ. So, the old gives way to the new.

The new port in Kingstown photo by O'Reilly Lewis

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

This transformation in individuals is completely spiritual.

Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3 NIV)

Kingdom living is wrapped up in the New Covenant of Jesus and unlike our natural world, it is above the level of our physical senses. It can be perceived only in the Spirit.

The old, born after the flesh is tied to the flesh, and blind to spiritual concepts but the new, incomprehensible to the old, is born after the Spirit.

“So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to—the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, and you must put on the new self, which is created in God's likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.” – Ephesians 4:22-24 (GNT)

Though you are a Christian if you are not “working with fear and trembling to complete your salvation” (see Philippians 2:12) then your mind remains trapped in the old and you will remain spiritually blind believing only what you want to believe, unable to see what God is showing you, where Spirit is leading you and what Spirit is teaching you.

Only a sincerely repentant heart and a true relationship with our living Lord can produce a revelation of the Kingdom.

The old must give way to the new. Spirit indeed lives in you but still strives with you to break the carnality so that your spirit-self can step forward into the new life.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “The Old gives way to the New” ©February 25, 2025

 

 

Turn the Knob

You hand is on the door, but you must now choose to turn the knob and enter within. With the gift of freewill that choice is always yours.

Change frightens us. It is easier to remain where you have grown accustomed than to move into unfamiliar territory. If you are not ready, then remove your hand and walk away. If you are ready to trust God, even when He does not come in the way you expect, then stay at the door and turn the knob.

Turn the knob and open the door to a new life, a new landscape, and a renewed mindset. Turn the knob and open the door to healing, salvation, restoration of fellowship with God, the fullness and gifts of the Spirit and your restoration.

Your entry into this new level might seem lonely at times but it’s not a lonesome road, Spirit is with you every step of the way because it is only through His power that your life will be changed.

Please remember that even though you cross that threshold your transformation is not instantaneous. It is a process and the speed at which transformation happens is dependent on you. Furthermore, this is bespoke reprogramming, so your journey may be similar to someone else’s, but it is never the same and it’s certainly never corporate.

You may not feel the transforming power as it is taking place but know that once you enter within, Spirit begins to work at effecting that change. To effect this inner change is to go deep within the inner parts of your being, where the Holy Spirit dwells within your born again self.

The Kingdom of God is within you and this truth has nothing to do with your outward appearance but is all about your inner parts, your essence, your soul and your spirit.

1 Samuel 16:7 (NASB) states that “God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” He looks at your heart, not your physical heart but that place that Psalm 103 verse one describes as “all my inmost being”, it is the location of the deepest activity of Spirit.

“…though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16 (NASB)

It is daily renewal

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” – Colossians 1:27 (NIV)

It is a revealing of Christ in you

Inside the heart of every believer is the Kingdom, the Power, the Glory, the Treasure (see Matthew 13:44), the Light (see John 8:12), the Spirit of the Son (see Galatians 4:6) and the Spirit of the Father (see Romans 8:11).

Turn the knob...

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Turn the Knob” © February 23 & 24, 2025

Where is The Kingdom of God?

“No one will say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’; because the Kingdom of God is within you.” – Luke 17:21 (GNT)

We’ve been searching for the keys to enter the Kingdom of God; to live the Kingdom lifestyle and all this time the Kingdom was in our midst, among us and within us? The Kingdom is here and is ours even now? Where is the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God has already come, and it is to come. Confused? Don’t be.

The Kingdom comes through Jesus Christ, and if you have already believed, accepted and received then “the Kingdom of God is within you”

Throwing your mind back, you must have had glimpses of it from time to time, but the time has come for you to experience its manifestation in your life in a much greater way. Instead of a mere glimpse, you want a full-blown look, a courtside view.

In a key teaching on the Kingdom, Jesus said,

“Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:3 (NASB)

“I have been told that complete mind renewal – heart transformation and reprogramming included – is the key to the Kingdom but now I’m to change and become like a child? But I am an adult, I can’t…”

Hold on, yes but why is Jesus using this analogy? What is He telling us? Jesus is saying that we must regain our ability to think as children think, not to be childish but to be child-like as in using our imagination.

Adults become logical thinkers; some people even describe themselves as realists. Adults throw off imaginations and turn to reasoning.

I worked with a guy who would sit at his desk staring off into a place that was not confined to his cubicle or the office and very often co-workers would describe him as a dreamer, saying, “He? He is always daydreaming and not doing his work.” Yet, he had the best results as a Loans Officer so, one day I decided that I will ask him what on earth he’s doing. His response was incredible to me. He said that it was not enough to just offer loans, you had to devise ways to sell these loans and yourself that were not typical, so he would imagine unconventional ways in which he could do that. I gained a certain respect for him that day.

Jesus spoke in pictures, His listeners could form pictures in their minds from everything that He said to them, and it was no different when He spoke of the Kingdom. Jesus related Kingdom truth in imagery that was familiar to those listening to Him and to us when we read His Word.

The use of imagery causes us to visually perceive in our minds, it forces us to use our imagination. Logic and reasoning will not work in this new land because there will be times when things will not make any logical sense to you.

You must remain open; harness the power of your imagination and enrich your mental capacity to see beyond what is directly in your physical line of sight. Imagination allows us to see things that are ethereal. Stepping into the landscape of your imagination is walking into the tangible manifestation of the Kingdom that is within you.

You are entering the other side of the Cross. The side where heaven begins to pour out the joy of the Presence, the indwelling and the manifestation of His glory, His goodness, His mercy and His grace in abundance. The "thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven" life that you, as a believer, is meant to live right here on earth. The Kingdom is a present-day concept and a future reality as it begins now and continues into the hereafter.

Your hand is on the inner door.

Are we ready, are you ready to go within?

Let’s go!

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Where is The Kingdom of God?” © February 22, 2025

 

The Key

Glaring at us from the pulpit, their faces stern and their voices tinged with condemnation they thunder, “You must repent!”

Okay, but what exactly do they mean?

Then they continue, louder and sterner, “Cry out to God for forgiveness of your sinful ways and turn and go in the opposite direction! Repent now!”

Okay, we get it, but isn’t repentance more than crying over sin and going in the opposite direction? We need to take a step further as repentance also involves changing our thinking. To cry out for forgiveness, and to go in the opposite direction cannot be genuinely achieved and sustained if our hearts and minds are still stuck in the old mindset.

As we read in Ephesians 4:22-23 (GNT)

“So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to—the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. Your hearts and minds must be made completely new”

Understand that renewing your mind is not as simple as declaring, “I change my mind”, it is a process that does not happen overnight, and it is not something that you can do on our own. It is a continuous working in you by the Holy Spirit but you do have a part to play in all this, you have to be willing and determined to become new, in your thinking, in your doing, in your outlook; you need to want to be a new creation.

This process is an inside-out process where Spirit uproots and you let go, where Spirit replaces and you graciously receive, and where Spirit instructs and you humbly obey. It is a transformation which effects a major transition in your thinking; a reprogramming of you so that you may move into a higher level of living, Kingdom living.

Photo by O'Reilly Lewis

You must “set your hearts on the things that are in heaven” (Colossians 3:1) in order to see the manifestation of the Kingdom in your life. Your renewed mental disposition will affect not only your thinking but there will be a change in the way you pray and communicate with God and your fellow man. It is the key to your experiencing the Kingdom.

Let these words of Luke 17:20-21(GNT) soak in for the remainder of the day,

Some Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come. His answer was, “The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen. No one will say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’; because the Kingdom of God is within you.”

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “The Key” © February 22, 2025

 

Enter the New Land

Jesus lived a perfect sinless life of obedience by keeping all the commandments which we were and are unable to keep. He covered our unrighteousness and through Him God imputes the righteousness of Christ to us the moment we believe, accept and receive Christ.

We desperately need the righteousness of Christ if we are to be made right with God. And we desperately need to be right with God if we are to inhabit the new land. However, do not for one moment think that you can run off doing this good deed and that good thing to become righteous. No, none of your strivings can make you righteous because Adam’s sin was imputed to us, we have been tainted by sin and all that we do is sin-tainted.

Righteousness is a gift freely given to sinners by a gracious God and is received by means of believing in Jesus.

Apostle Paul put it this way,

“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are…and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.” – Romans 3:22, 26 (NLT)

(I encourage you to read all the verses, from 21 to 26)

Paul also tells us in Romans 5:20-21 (GNT)

“…where sin increased, God's grace increased much more. So then, just as sin ruled by means of death, so also God's grace rules by means of righteousness, leading us to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Eternal Life is for now, it’s not something we are given in the future. It too, like righteousness is a gift to be received when we are in Christ and He is in us. It is new life, a new way of living, a Kingdom lifestyle. A Son-sets-you-free life (see John 8:36).

“God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son. Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” – 1 John 5:11-12 (GNT)

God’s intention is to create a new family, a new tribe, in a new land – His Kingdom – and He wants you to be a part of it.

Are we ready, are you ready to embrace the freedom that comes from our relationship with Jesus, to accept His offer of the keys to the Kingdom, so that you may enter the new land?

Let’s go!

 

Shelley Johnson “Enter the New Land” © February 20, 2025

 

  

Break Down the Walls of Limitation

“…they raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat…” – Joshua 6:20 (NRSVUE)

What you just read is a small portion of the much bigger story of how the walls of Jericho were broken down.

We all have walls of Jericho which we need to break down if we are to live the life that God intended for us to live. These walls that we have erected keep us from moving forward and keep out the fullness of blessings we are due to receive. These are walls of limitation, and they need to fall.

When we break down the walls of limitation, it opens the way for us to cross over into the land of promise, into the Kingdom. However, even though it is we who build our own walls, it is almost impossible for us to break them down in our own strength. Like those Israelites, we need the power of God; without it, we labour in vain, and the Kingdom lifestyle will evade us.

Jesus epitomized Kingdom living, and each of us is responsible to pursue His lifestyle. Now you must be thinking or saying that okay but Jesus was God so it would have been easy for Him, but we must remember that Jesus, though He was God, He came to earth to live as a man. A man, just like you and just like me except for the sin part. A man who was faced with all sorts of varying human experiences. And as a man Jesus would have had certain limitations, everything we might face, He faced.

So, how was Jesus able to rise above and beyond His human limitations?

Jesus was in right relationship with God, the Father and was completely dependent on the Holy Spirit working in and through Him. This is what enabled Jesus to invade the impossible.

He is our example for what is possible, if He was solely God then for us everything that He did here on earth we would perceive as unattainable of accomplishing.

“Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.” – John 14:12 (NRSVUE)

Jesus has successfully dealt with sin on behalf of all who believe, now nothing separates us from the Father.

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.” – John 14:16

Here, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to those who will follow Him. We must understand that Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross restored it all. Everything that the devil had stolen from man through the fall of Adam, Jesus got back for man but we now have to claim it.

These walls are serving no good purpose, they are only keeping us from our rightful inheritance and the wonderful promises of God through Jesus Christ.

There is no separation from God the Father, Jesus, the Son and our Saviour is willing, and the Holy Spirit is ready to work in us, through us and with us.

So, are we ready, are you ready to break down the walls of limitation by the power of the Three in One and enter into the new land?

Let’s go!

Shelley Johnson “Break Down the Walls of Limitation” © February 19, 2025

 

 

The Double-Sided Cross

The Israelites were brought out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, we too must be brought out of our Egypt, and into our Promised Land. However, this isn’t going to happen by wishful thinking. We must first come to the Cross, since it is only by it that we may gain access to this land of promise – the Kingdom.

In other words, there is no Kingdom without the Cross. They are two sides of the same coin so to speak.

The Cross is double-sided, but we do not realize this and what happens to most of us is that we remain on the one side, set up residence there, not understanding that the Cross is the entrance to Kingdom living.

We focus solely on Jesus’ death and forget about His resurrection. We sing songs lamenting about His Blood, which is indeed precious, but we forget to rejoice in songs that celebrate His glorious majesty. We are, unknowingly, building foundations on the wrong side of the Cross, neglecting to recognize that there is a whole beautiful world of milk and honey awaiting us if we would simply enter in by way of the Cross.

I dare suggest that perhaps religiosity has made us blind. Some of us are standing at the doorway yet we do not know that it is the doorway. The walls that we’ve subconsciously erected with all our church business has created a fog over everything that Jesus died for on the Cross.

On the one side, the side we are on, there is redemption through His Blood, but on the other side is where the Kingdom is; it’s where we find our inheritance; it’s where we are co-heirs with Christ; it’s where we are seated with Him in heavenly places.

Oh, my goodness! Why have we behaved like the old generation of Israelites who never entered the Promised Land? The journey was only supposed to take 11 days. They took 40 years, and that generation was only able to stand at the entrance, never going in. Today, we have the opportunity to cross over the threshold, to go beyond the Cross.

Look at Matthew 9:5, Jesus, healing a man, knowing the questioning hearts of the religious leaders said,

“For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’?

Do you see it? Do you see the two sides in what Jesus said? Read it again.

The one side…Redemption

‘Your sins are forgiven,’

The other side…Kingdom

‘Stand up and walk’

Jesus side steps all the religiousness and displays the aspect of the double-sided cross. He is opening our eyes to see the reality of the Kingdom.

Apostle Paul also demonstrated this feature of the Cross when he, describing his mission from Christ said,

I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me. – Acts 26:17-18 (NKJV)

I am sure you can see it now.

Jesus’ words to Paul, as His words to the scribes, show that the Cross is indeed double-sided and, it is clear that, He wants us to enter into the Kingdom side, for to remain on the other side is to defeat the whole purpose of the Cross.

Jesus hung on that Cross so that we could be redeemed and to open the Kingdom of heaven to us.

It is time for us all to realize that our exodus from Egypt is behind us. Our minds need to be renewed by Holy Spirit transforming power. We need a Kingdom living mindset.

So, are we ready, are you ready to break down the walls of limitation and cross over by way of the Cross into the new land?

Let’s go!

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “The Double-Sided Cross” © February 17, 2025

 

 

 

Memorial Stones

The Red Sea was not the only waters that God opened up for His children to cross over, He also opened up the River Jordan, and after they crossed over, God instructed Joshua.

Twelve men from each of the tribes were to take twelve stones from the Jordan to be set up as a memorial.

Joshua 4:5-7 (NRSVUE)

Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 so that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.”

Sometimes it is necessary for us to review what God has done for us in the past. To take a look and see His handiwork in our lives. While we do this, we interact with God and this interaction triggers our memories and our lives are transformed.

That’s exactly what those memorial stones would have done for the Israelites. Those stones were not just to remind them but also were a remembrance for generations to come, as the verse says, “a memorial forever”.

We are to testify of the things that God has done in our lives. Spoken or written, our testimonies honour God and help others. Our memorial stones are reminders of Who God is.  

Start a journal, as your memorial stone, and read it often. Tell others of the goodness and faithfulness of God in your life. God is no respecter of persons, and our memorial stones will give others hope, build them up causing anticipation to increase and their focus to shift towards Him.

What God has done in our lives must never be forgotten or overlooked.

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Memorial Stones” © February 17, 2025

 

Spiritual Food

In the book of Job chapter 23 verse12 we read,

“I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.”

Job was suffering through a great deal when he uttered these words, yet his commitment to God was unwavering. He relied on God’s revelation for his survival, he treasured the words that flowed from God’s mouth and valued them more than his daily bread.

Job understood that his greatest need was spiritual food.

That was exactly what God was instilling in the Israelites as they were wandering through the desert. He wanted them to hunger for Him and His Word of revelation more than they hungered for food. God was giving them a completely different perspective than what they had become accustomed to while they were slaves in Egypt.

It was necessary that everything Egypt be completely removed from their psyche, especially the slavish mentality.

What has enslaved you? Who has you in slavery? Perhaps it is you yourself? How do you see yourself?

“…We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes…” – Numbers 13:33 (NIV)

The Israelites saw themselves as less than, they saw themselves as small, they saw themselves as grasshoppers; do you?

Think about that for a moment.

You are more than a conqueror. Remember that.

God is ready to take you out of Egypt, however you must be willing to leave Egypt behind without griping and complaining, and you can neither bring along your golden calf nor create one. God cannot move you if you are still full of artifacts and hieroglyphics. Like the Israelites, you have to become humble enough in order to receive from Him.

The flow from the mouth of God is imparted to us personally but when we are full of stuff it cannot enter. It’s time to release some things, let go of other things and empty yourself.

Honestly, it will feel like a trek through the wilderness, but it is needed to create a humbleness deep within us, to establish a great dependence on God’s revelation so that we can keep moving forward. Job’s dependence on God’s daily revelation kept him moving forward until he was free to receive from God immeasurably more than he had had before his terrible ordeal.

God’s daily revelation in your life will effect a change that is life-altering.

God’s daily revelation enlarges our limited thinking

God’s daily revelation shuttles us out of our inherent complacency toward the abundant life Jesus provides for us

God’s daily revelation takes us from self-reliance to God-dependence

God’s daily revelation will heal the rift in our distorted perspective

God’s daily revelation allows us to take hold of the future before it even manifests, and enables us to call into being things that are not

God’s daily revelation is spiritual food – it sustains us

May we pray every day, “give us this day our daily bread”, for it is life-giving manna from heaven, our daily revelation from God, it is our spiritual food.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Spiritual Food” © February 15, 2025

 

Manna Collection

“He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” – Deuteronomy 8:3 (NRSV)

There is a lot that we can learn from the Israelites’ quest to reach the Promised Land, and this particular verse is a lesson for us today as it was for the sojourning Israelites then. We have an advantage over them though since we have the benefit of looking at what has already happened.

On their trek through the unforgiving wilderness, the Israelites experienced extreme hunger, for there was no food in this barren and desolate place, so they were absolutely dependant upon God, Who provided them with something called manna.

Each day they were responsible for collecting enough manna to satisfy their need for that day.

Deuteronomy 8:3 tells us that manna was something which neither they nor their ancestors had ever known about. And, this daily manna collection, would have been a brand-new concept for them to get used to.

We must understand that these Israelites, long enslaved in Egypt, would have had Egyptian habits and culture ingrained within them, for some that was all they knew. God had not only taken them out of Egypt but now had to take Egypt out of them. Getting people to change their ways is a hard nut to crack and so it was with these Israelites.

Lessons in humility were necessary, and starvation is a mighty effective tool in bringing persons to their knees.

From this verse, we see that manna is a metaphor for “the word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”. It represents the Rhema or spoken word of God, and their dependence on a daily ration of manna was a lesson for them as it is for us.

A daily dose of life-saving manna was their necessary food, and a daily dose of God’s Word is our lifesaver. We need to rely on His Word, it is our vital supply.  

Every Israelite had a responsibility to collect their own bit of manna every day and each one of us is responsible for our own manna collection, “every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”, daily. 

Job 23:12 (NIV)

"I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread."

Understand that we cannot move into the spiritual promises of God on yesterday’s manna, so as we too move into our Promised Land, let us make it a habit to seek Him first every day to receive our food from heaven.

Our greatest need is spiritual food.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Manna Collection” © February 14, 2025

 

 

Don't go back

 I knew a guy, well I still know him, but our friendship has waned. I’ll tell you why.

As I was saying, I know a guy whose life was, more or less, in shambles. Everything was falling apart. Added to that he was frustrated in a relationship that, obvious to everyone but oblivious to him, had run its course. The relationship was toxic for years, and he knew that, but for whatever reason he found it hard to leave.

He was extremely unhappy, and being self-employed, in that emotional state, caused his business to suffer greatly. He found himself on the brink of collapse, both physically and financially. Then one day, he distinctly heard a voice telling him to leave. “Leave and don’t go back” was the urging. He knew for certain that he had heard from God. He left.

He broke off the dead-end relationship and, almost in an instant, everything turned around for him. It was as if that relationship had him, and all that concerned him stuck. It was truly amazing to witness how quickly his entire life made an about turn.

His business grew exponentially. He was doing quite well, happy and in good health. God’s hand was evident.

Then, he went back. What?!!!

Yes, he went back, and as quickly as his life had changed for the better, was as swiftly it degenerated. All the strides he had made went down the drain. Deals crumbled. Friendships were torn asunder (ours fell victim). Things became worse than they were before. 

And, what’s more unbelievable, he married the woman God had told him, in a clear audible voice, to leave. Even though he had undeniable proof that it was God who had spoken, he, after a conversation with said woman and her pastor, was convinced that God was telling him to marry her. Crazy right?

Friends, if God has told you something, then someone comes contradicting it, and you have not heard from God for yourself concerning this new word, then chances are it is not God.

This guy never once sought God himself, instead he just went along with someone else’s instruction. In doing so, he placed their word above God’s.

“Things will get better once you marry her. She will become a different person, you’ll see.” Was the Pastor’s “expert” marital advice. Those words were enough to persuade him to go back into a place from which God had removed him.

“The simple believe everything, but the clever consider their steps.” – Proverbs 14:15 (NRSV)

When God makes a way of escape and tells you, “Leave and don’t go back” unless God has an update, do not go back.

Lot’s wife was told to not look back and she did, not out of curiosity to see the fire and brimstone storm from heaven but she looked back yearning to go back. She became a salt pillar where she stood. Same as my “friend” who is now salty and stuck.

We must always follow God’s instruction. If God tells you to leave and don’t go back, then do just that. Yours may not be a romantic relationship but whatever situation God has taken you out of, whomever God has removed from your life, wherever God has instructed you to leave, don’t go back, don’t even look back. Turn away from it and keep walking.

There are consequences for doing otherwise which are often detrimental. While we can only see what page we are on, God sees the entire chapter, the whole book. He knows what the future holds, and it will augur well for us to pay attention and take heed to His Word.

When God gives you a word and you allow others to convince you otherwise, then you become subject to failure of all kinds.

The guy placed more value on the Pastor’s word because it was a Pastor. A man of God is not God.

Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (NKJV),

“Test all things; hold fast what is good”

We are to examine all advice, all suggestions, all ideas, all beliefs, all things as to their authenticity. Test them against the standard of God’s Word. Go to God. Ask Him.

There is God’s way and then there is every other way. God’s way is best.

Painting by Kathyann Chevalier

“What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every God-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward him makes it.” – Psalm 18:30 (MSG)

Shelley Johnson “Don’t go back” © February 13, 2025

 

The Apple of My Eye

“…for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.” – Zecharia 2:8* (NKJV)

We all go through differing seasons and phases along life’s journey, we experience highs and lows, great times, good times and times that challenge us to our wits end, but we have a God Who is always on our side. I know that it doesn’t feel that way sometimes, but His Word says that you are the apple of His eye.

When someone is the apple of your eye, that’s the person whom you love and care for deeply. That person means more to you than anyone else, you value them highly. It’s someone you absolutely cherish. You want to keep them safe, protect them from all harm, you want them close to you and you want the very best for them.

And that’s what God is saying about you.

“[insert your name here], you are the apple of My eye”

As the apple of My eye, you are under Divine protection.

•   The Lord keeps you safe from all harm whether, physical, emotional, or spiritual. (Psalm 17 NIV)

As the apple of My eye, you are engulfed in Divine love

• God’s love for you is unwavering, unconditional and relentless; it is incomprehensible how wide and long and high and deep is His love for you (Ephesians 3:18 NIV)

As the apple of My eye, you are in Divine peace

• You will experience an overwhelming peace that surpasses understanding, freedom from worry, an unusual sense of comfort and fulfilment

As the apple of My eye, you are the recipient of Divine provision

• God will provide for you in unexpected, sometimes miraculous ways, in an expression of His unbridled providential care for you

No matter what challenges you’re facing, no matter the season or the phase, God takes care of you every step of the way…

“He found him out in the wilderness, in an empty, windswept wasteland. He threw his arms around him, lavished attention on him, guarding him as the apple of his eye.” – Deuteronomy 32:10 (MSG)

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “The Apple of My Eye” © February 12, 2025

 

 

Pray for Others

“I pray for them…I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me”

Reading John Chapter 17 we see that Jesus prayed for others. He prayed for His disciples and for you and for me. Following in Jesus’ footsteps, we should also pray for others.

Too often we tell someone, “I’ll keep you in my prayers.” or "I will certainly pray"

Then, by the time we walk away, we forget about that. Oh please, don’t tell me that has never happened to you. And it isn’t something we do deliberately, at least I hope not; it just happens.

I truly believe that at the moment we promise to pray, we really mean it, but life distracts us and we forget.

Incidentally, a few days ago someone asked me to pray for their friend. I said I would and, not to fall into the trap of forgetfulness, I immediately stopped what I was doing and prayed as I said I would. And guess what, since then I have remembered to pray for that person. 

“So then, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another…” – James 5:16 (GNT)

Understand that when we pray for others, what we are in fact doing is placing them ahead of ourselves, as praying for others is rooted in selflessness.  It causes us to think of someone else and their needs rather than ourselves and our wants. It’ s serving another, sometimes, without them even knowing.

According to James, praying for others can bring about our own healing.

“…so that you will be healed.” – James 5:16 (GNT)

Offering prayers for others does not only produce healing in us but can release blessings of financial health into our lives as well.

“Then, after Job had prayed for his three friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had had before.” – Job 42:10 (GNT)

That said, we must not pray with any thought of reward. Praying for the well-being of another person must be an unselfish, genuine and authentic act of love, care and concern.

The Word of God gives us many examples of praying for others. I encourage you to search for yourself and make a concerted effort to pray for others, those near and dear to you, people you know and even those who don’t know you exist.

Everyone needs prayer, so don’t ever miss out on the opportunity to pray for others.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Pray for Others” © February 11, 2025

 

Listen

Las Cuevas Bay Trinidad

A few months ago, my two grown children and I went to the beach. My plan was to sit safely on shore and enjoy the sea from a distance.

It’s not that I don’t like the beach, it’s the bulging water that I’m not too keen about. The waves scare me now that I’m an adult. As a child, waves were my amusement, riding them was fun, but children don’t see danger. They simply trust that all is well. It’s when we become adulty-adults that we start seeing everything differently.

For the Israelites, walking between the walls of water of the Red Sea must have been such a terribly frightening experience, especially, I imagine, for the adults. As much as they were attempting to trust God through Moses, the adult sojourners must have contemplated the potential danger of passing between those parted waters.

What might they have seen in the water? What might they have heard as the sea divided to make a path for them to cross over? Was there rumbling like the sound of a thousand peals of thunder?

At the urging of my beloved children, I ventured into the wave producing sea and much to my surprise was overcome by waves of fright. The wave and the waves were barrelling in, someone said “Jump mommy” I stood still unable to move a muscle and as the wave crashed into and atop me at the same time, I went with it tumbling over and over and over again like wet clothes in a dryer.

Why didn’t I listen to the instruction? I can still jump, why didn’t I? Isn’t that what adults often do? They ignore crucial instructions. Instructions that could move them out of harm’s way. We see the danger approaching yet for whatever the reason, we do not move a muscle.

We do the same with God’s instructions. Whatever the reason we do not move when He says to move.

The relationship hasn’t been good for many years, you’ve prayed countless times, pleading with God for an answer, “Oh Lord, what should I do?” Everything around you is now pointing to MOVE, get out, get away but you stay, and many years turn to even more years and you continue to remain, unhappy, frustrated, downtrodden and stressed out. Tumbling over and over the same circumstances in a miserable existence, unwilling to heed the instructions. Afraid to go the way that God has created to enable your safe pass through. Afraid to move. Afraid to jump into something new.

The sojourners were also afraid, but they listened to the instructions and stepped into the unknown, trusting that God would ensure their safe cross over, not in the terrible barrelling waves but in between them. Unharmed, they made it to the other side. Sometimes the path was muddy, it was the once soaked ocean floor after all, but not looking back, they soldiered on to safety leaving the danger behind.

What danger circumstances are barrelling towards you even now? You need to pray, then listen. Listen to God’s instructions. If He says “Jump!” then jump, with all the strength you can muster, jump.

Listen to God now,

“Why are you crying out for help? …move forward.” (see Exodus 14:15)

Shelley Johnson "Listen" © February 10, 2025

Beth El

He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” – Genesis 28:17 (NIV)

Jacob, journeying from Beersheba to Harran, had stopped “when he reached a certain place” to rest. It was at that point that he had an encounter which proved pivotal in his life.

What Jacob experienced caused him to exclaim, “How awesome is this place!”

A certain place where spiritual awe is found.

A certain place where heaven meets earth.

A certain place where life circles open and close.

A spirit-filled place.

A certain place where holiness is awakened.

A certain place where the Presence is tangible, and the ladder of pure light that reaches heaven is erected.

A certain place where angels ascend and descend.

A certain place where the spiritual realm enters the physical realm.

A certain place where you gain direct access to God.

A certain place where you have no choice but to proclaim it Beth El, house of God.

Like Jacob, all the running and hiding must stop. You need to spiritually leave Beersheba and set out for Harran (v 10) because the time has come for you to reach that certain place in your life where you must face the fight.

We often say that the battle is not yours, but this one is.

In this certain place there is no protection from your past because your past is laid bare, open wide where nothing is left covered.

In this certain place, pure light shines on all your “demons” – exposed for your benefit and not for everyone to see for this is a closed event, a private and personal internal wrestling match between you and God. No-one but you can fight this battle. You are on your own.

In this certain place, issues deeply imbedded inside you over the course of time, are thoroughly uprooted and discarded.

As you know, mine is Beth El at Balata but wherever you are, can be Beth El too.

Open yourself to that possibility. Open yourself to the encounter even if afraid, let that fear be one of reverence as you proclaim and claim where you are, holy ground.

Be willing and be prepared to wrestle with God – Father, Son and Spirit, where Father is Referee, Son is Coach, and Spirit is your opponent. Get ready to rumble! Ready…fight!

An unfair fight? Yes, but you win.

Okay, so you won’t be fully prepared for such a beating but enter the ring knowing that it will be worth it. The first round will be the most difficult but with every proceeding round, it will get easier so don’t give up. Focus on your Coach and keep on wrestling.

Whenever the match ends, you’re going to feel defeated, beaten badly, exhausted, bruised, and severely battered, but you still win because your wounds will be healed, your mind set on the path to renewal and your relationship with all Three vastly improved. You will realize that you've become a brand new and better version of yourself (eventually), regenerated and alive.

You win at Beth El!

You are blessed at Beth El!

With the circle complete, you can move forward with the life God Himself planned for you.

Step out of the ring beloved and continue your journey.

Amen? Amen!

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Beth El” © February 9, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salt

Sometimes we need to revisit a topic; today is one of those times. 

As I sat at my laptop awaiting my daily download, the only word I heard was “salt”. I did not immediately act upon it because I knew that it was a topic I had written about years ago. So, I continued to wait…” Salt”. I heard it again. 

Time was passing. I folded a couple sheets I’d laundered earlier. 

“SALT” It was now like a thunderclap in my brain. “SALT” 

Finally I reacted by whispering inquisitively, “salt?” “Yes, Salt” “We’ve done that already though.”

Silence

“Shall I tweak it?”

Silence

I reached for my phone, went to “Bethel At Balata”, searched “Salt” to find when it was posted – 2017. As I reached for my laptop…"You can use a different photo"...

“You, beloved, are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes bland and loses its saltiness, can anything make it salty again? No. It is useless. It is tossed out, thrown away, or trampled.” – Matthew 5:13 (VOICE)

Recently I saw a meme on Facebook of a chef and the caption was “The Salt Man”, I must admit that it was funny. And, as my laughter turned to a chuckle it dawned on me that we’re all “The Salt Man” since in Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth and we cannot afford to lose our saltiness. And, as I mused upon the word “Saltiness”, I thought of something else, “salty” – a word used nowadays to describe a person who is upset, an adjective that explains one who has taken offense or is over re-acting.

To be salty in this regard reminds me of Lot’s wife. She was transformed into a pillar of salt – that’s the ultimate in saltiness – because of her looking back longingly for what God had brought to a destructive end (ref. Genesis 19:26; Luke 17:32). That is not the kind of salt you want to be. In her case the salt she became was a symbol of death – lifeless, tasteless, and unable to add any flavor to anything or anyone. By her actions, Lot’s wife immediately became exactly what she yearned for and looked back to.

Generally, in the Bible, to be salty is by no means a bad thing. Salt is a symbol of covenant, fellowship, and grace (see Numbers 18:19; Leviticus 2:13; Colossians 4:6). Indeed our Lord wants us to be salty; He wants us to add flavor to other’s lives by walking in, and embracing the ways and principles of His Kingdom.

To be the salt man is to bring the Kingdom of heaven to earth through the way we live, to reach out to those around us to share the great news of our Lord Jesus Christ and to be examples of the positive impact He can have in their lives.

Owia Salt Pond St Vincent

We are salt, and that means that we must take every opportunity to provide spiritual flavor to every individual we meet.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson January 16, 2017 re-posted February 9, 2025