The Immaculate Conception

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

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

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

Amen†

The Immaculate Conception    Shelley Johnson 07-Dec-2016

Spiritual Terrorism

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amen†

Spiritual Terrorism Shelley Johnson 30-Nov-2016

Mirror, Mirror…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amen†

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

A Prayer For Today…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freely Give, Freely Given, Freely Receive

“All to Jesus I surrender, 

All to Him I freely give; 

I will ever love and trust Him, 

In His presence daily live.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Say:

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

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

Thanksgiving

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

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

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

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

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

Amen†

Thanksgiving Shelley Johnson 23-Nov-2016

“God owns Everything!” – Part II

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God owns Everything!

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

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

Amen†

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