Faith Vs Fear...

We live in a fear filled world. You can hear it on the news every night. You can see it in the faces of folks as they go through their daily activities. What does tomorrow hold? More earthquakes? Financial meltdowns? Tsunamis? Wars? Unemployment? How will it all affect us and what can we do about it? The feeling of helplessness sends many into depression and despair.


I have some good news for you! A life of despair does not have to be the focus of your world! There is hope! My tomorrows are not limited to the world view of the media. I see beyond tomorrow! I see it with an eye of faith. That faith is based on something solid and sure. It is the Word of God. It is a hope based on the promises I find written for every believer. 11. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

The Fear Problem

Fear of the future and what it holds often puts a person into a grip of fear that prevents them from doing anything for God. It looks ahead with fear and freezes. Think of Noah for a moment. He had heard from God that he was to build an ark to the saving of his family. He was given exact instructions. By faith, he obeyed God and began the awesome task of building something the world around him had never seen before. For 120 years they mocked him. For 120 years he worked on the project. At any time, he could have stopped, and given up. But he persisted because he had heard from God. Even after the boat was loaded with family and animals, he could have wondered, “Will the pitch hold? Will we all survive? What will the world be like when it is all said and done? Will we find food? ” But he kept his focus on God, not the problems. God speaks today to us as He did to Isaiah: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10) In the middle of your moment of fear, God is with you...He will strengthen you...His hand will hold you!

One of the greatest weapons against fear is remembering the victories of the past. Just think for a moment of some of the wonderful things God has brought you through. For each person the history of victories will be different. Some will think of overcoming cancer. Others will think of how God helped with a bill. For some it will be the reconciliation of family members. What has God done for you? Make a victory file. Put in it all the things God has done. Then look back again and again at what God accomplished when you thought it was impossible and remember. Remember Jesus words in Matthew 17:20 I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, `Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. " and again...in Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

The Faith Factor

All too often the problem is not what God can or cannot do, but our willingness to believe it. "Everything is possible for him who believes." (Mark 9:23) There is nothing worse in a storm than to question and doubt the ability of the Captain. An old seaman once said: “In fierce storms we must do one thing, for there is only one way to survive: we must put the ship in a certain position and keep her there.” In the storms of our life, we must take our ‘ship’ and put it in a position of faith—facing the storm head on. “Jesus said, in this world you will have trouble. But, take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33) We can expect storms to come. It is part of life. God allows it so we will learn to look to Him and as we do, we will grow stronger spiritually. Faith sees the future through God’s eyes. What get’s God into a panic? Nothing! He see’s the whole picture….past, present and future. That’s why He is called the Alpha and the Omega, the A and the Z—the beginning and the end. There is nothing God does not see. If you are facing the possibility of death, it would appear that there are reasons to fear. But Jesus gives us hope even then to conquer our fear. “I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all.” John 11:25-26 (TMB) He spoke these words to Mary at the graveside of Lazarus. They give us hope even today as many face death.

Our Future

The problems of this world are small compared to the eternity that awaits the believer. He promised us a hope and a future, but that future is not limited to the here and now. It is extended into eternity. Paul, the apostle who suffered so greatly in persecutions, shipwrecks, beatings, stonings, and other crises, learned to look at life with eternal eyes. His vision saw into eternity and life forever with God. Jesus told his followers, 1. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. 2. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:1-3) The future is always bright for the child of God. It includes time spent with Jesus. It includes a place He has prepared for each of us. It is a place that is out of reach of Satan’s schemes. It is a place where there will be no sickness or death. It is a future in which we can securely place our trust. There will be no fear in heaven or in the presence of Jesus. So we may as well choose here and now not to fear the present circumstances or the imagined ones we think may come our way. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6-7) We don’t gain anything by spending time worrying about everything. But we do gain the peace of God when we put it all in His capable hands.

So what are we to do in our moments of fear when our faith is down?

1. Pray. Take time to get alone with God and talk to Him about it all. Then listen!

2. Read the Word. By diving into the treasures of the Bible, you will find your faith growing in God in leaps and bounds.

3. Trust. Believe that God has a plan bigger than your problem.

4. Surround yourself with Faith. Share your need with people of prayer. Together in Christ, you are a tower of strength.

5. Hope in God 13May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Rom 15:13 (AMP)

I don’t know your personal circumstances, but I do know the God who knows everything. When you throw up your hands in despair, saying ’There is no use going on” He is still looking down on you waiting for you to ask for His intervention. He is a God of the miraculous. He wants to demonstrate His wondrous power through you. He is not wringing his hands in anxiety over your problem. He has everything under control. He sees it all. Lift your vision above your circumstances and see as He sees. There is no fear in His eyes. He wants to see faith in yours.

J. Johnson

Calm In The Chaos

How often do we find ourselves swept away by a flash flood of chaos that seems to turn our world upside down? Flash floods can be devastating catastrophes. In 1976, the Big Thompson River flash flood killed 143 people in Colorado when 12 inches of rain fell on just one area, sending a 20 foot wall of water down the canyon destroying lives, homes, cars and businesses. We sometimes say that the rain falls on the good and the bad, but sometimes it falls far away and still devastates those least expecting it.


Others find themselves caught out to sea in a boat when the storm of life strikes. Like the disciples, we all tend to panic. You may have been enjoying a beautiful day on the lake until the wind suddenly changed. The boat starts rocking and destruction seems certain. With Christ in the boat, there’s no need to fear. I like the song that says, “Sometimes He calms the storm, and sometimes He calms His child.” He can bring peace in the middle of any storm. But sometimes the kind of peace we want is not what we get. God has other plans for us. Sometimes life throws us a curve ball. We want it all to go nice and easy, but when the tough times come, we must be spiritually ready to face the storm. How do we do this? How do we find calm in the chaos?

God’s Viewpoint

Remember the bigger picture—God’s view. God sees it all, and he knows how much we can take. He knows all of our tomorrows. He sees into eternity. He knows the lessons we need to learn. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes he wants to take our weaknesses and make them strengths. As you face a storm, ask yourself, “God, what do you want me to learn from this?” Perhaps we will suddenly see we have not been in the spiritual place He wants us to be. His desire is that we find our strength in Him, and we do that by feasting on the Word of God. Don’t count on your mate to feed you, or your pastor. Pick up your Bible and begin to feast as the Holy Spirit directs you to just the words you need to nourish your soul. As you read through the stories of the Old Testament historical books, you will discover that over and over again, God allowed challenges to come into the lives of the people of God. It was for one purpose—that they might come to God for help—that they might rely on Him to deliver them. Joseph needed deliverance from slavery and then from prison, and when God taught him to trust, God put Joseph in a place to deliver his own brothers (who had sold him into slavery) from starvation. God saw the bigger picture. It did not end there. In 400 years, the descendents of Joseph and his family became slaves and needed deliverance. God provided once again in Moses. Soon they were facing the Red Sea in one direction, and pharaoh’s army in the other. God used a man who had been forged on the anvil of God to lead them all, not to disaster, but to freedom and victory. God saw through the annals of time that a plan would be needed, a man who would listen to God and follow. It took faith, trust, vision, and blind obedience. From God’s viewpoint, it was all under control. But from Moses viewpoint, and the panicky throng, all they saw was water—then God stepped in and made a path in their chaos.

The Eternal Plan

God always has a plan. Usually we are too busy or too frightened by what is going on around us to seek His eternal plan. It is found in the Book. “Eye has not seen nor ear heard nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor 2:9) In fact God has you on his ‘daytimer’. You are on his eternal schedule. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) We know that that wonderful plan and future includes eternal life for the righteous. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

God’s plan does not end for man in the grave. It is the beginning of a wonderful new life with Christ. That new life in Christ is eternal. It will never end. The pain and sickness and death will end. The chaos and frustrations we have known in the earthly life will end, but our spiritual end will outlast everything we have known down here. And because we can know for certain that we are a part of His eternal plan, we can go through life here and now with peace and calm in the midst of chaos.

Family Chaos

It’s not easy raising a family today. Demands pound on our doors. Expectations crowd out the ‘normal’ life of a family. What is so necessary is for a family to determine what should take priority. What do you value the most in your family life? In the parsonage, I determined that the needs of my family out-weighed the demands and expectations of those outside our four walls. God had given me a mission-field of four children and a spouse to care for, to see their spiritual needs, physical needs, and more were taken care of. If I chose to take care of everyone else’s needs and neglected the needs of my immediate family, I would have failed both God and my family. I wanted my children to know that God was more important than other people and their expectations, more important than a job or money or pleasure. Too many confuse God’s demands with church demands. When that happens it sends a silent message to our children that they are not important, and that God is an enemy who steals away vital time. In reality, it is not God stealing us away from our family, but our own choices. God wants us to live in a healthy balance, nurturing our family, creating a hunger for God, just as they hunger for food from the kitchen. It is sad to see families disintegrating, out of control, walking in rebellion, refusing to submit to the spiritual guidance needed to restore balance. Too many walk away from church altogether. The children, as they mature, adopt a new set of non-spiritual values and drift off into the attractions of the world around them. The chaos in the home spins them into the chaos of the world.

God’s plan is for a home centered in God and His love. I love what Erma Bombeck wrote in “If I Had My Life to do Over”: I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth…..
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains. I would have cried and laughed less while watching television -- and more while watching life. I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband. I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day. I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more "I love yous", more "I'm sorrys" ... but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back.

How we choose to respond to the chaos of life makes our life. I am amazed as I read how the apostle Paul faced the chaos of ministry life. In 2 Cor 11:24-28 Paul lists the horrible experiences he faced… shipwreck, beaten five times, stoned with rocks, adrift at sea, dangers of travel, bandits, sleep deprivation, hunger and thirst and all the troubles of the churches as well. Is there chaos in your life? Paul kept it all in proper perspective. He knew strength came from difficulties. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:10 NIV)

Is the storm of life tossing your boat? Remember the Master who is with you in the boat. He never leaves us alone in our chaos. He is there.

1.Turn to Him. Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

2. Trust God and His Word. God makes no mistakes, and His eternal plan is working for our good.

3.Thank Him in the chaos of life. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.1 Thess 5:18 Faith looks beyond the chaos to the coming calm.

Have you found your calm place in the chaos? Trust Him. Hold on. When peace comes, tell someone and let the glory of God shine hope into their circumstances.
J. Johnson

Praise reports and prayer requests…..


Pray for revival! Pray for those who are the midst of their storm of chaos.

Pray for the Johnsons as they seek a new place of full time ministry...a church that needs strong leadership. Praise the Lord for another great year at South Division High with Straight UP! Pray for grieving families who have lost loved ones...(the Arleen Johnson family 7-5-2010). Pray for Pastors, Evangelists, Missionaries, and Teachers. Pray for US Army Chaplain Steve Maglio

Pray for those needing a healing touch in their bodies: Bernie Dargiewicz (recovery from heart surgery) Dave Barth (cancer), Jim Brandon, (cancer) Diane Sherwin (cancer), L. Gardner (cancer). Pray for those dealing with chaos, anger, abuse, temptations and carnal sinful habits. Pray for the nation, for the President, for our service men and women, for Israel, for the unsaved, and don’t forget to Praise and thank the Lord!

For Such A Time....

Why are you here? What did God have in mind when He made you? What does He have planned for your destiny? These are all questions we often ask ourselves in various times of our life. As a teen, we often have no idea what the future holds, what God has planned for us. We ask, and we seek, and we knock...and when a door opens, we walk through. All too often we find our lives wrapped up in a seemingly endless parade of mundane events that flow from a day to a month to a year. Be fore we know it, life has seemed to pass us by. We wonder has there been a time when we have fulfilled that destiny God has had planned for us?


I remember singing a song at church when I was younger, and perhaps you know it too: “I’ll go where you want me to go dear Lord, O’er mountain or plain or sea. I’ll say what you want me to say dear Lord. I’ll be what you want me to be.” I knew God had a plan for me. I just walked daily in His plan and He unfolded that plan one day at a time.

Too often today, we plan our lives, we make our schedules, we choose our path. We fail to consult the One who opens and closes doors. I sometimes wondered if Hadassah had done that, what would the world be like today? Who is Hadassah? You will recognize her other adopted name in the Bible, Esther. Young Esther found herself living in a foreign land, experiencing the first anti-Semitic persecution in history. She was an Jewish orphan, living with her cousin when the king called for all the most beautiful women in the land to be gathered for his selection of a new queen. She became a candidate. Her poise and beauty would carry her into the position of becoming the new queen of Susa, wife of Artaxerxes also known as Xerxes. Esther’s wise relative, Mordecai reminded her, that perhaps God had called her to this position “for such a time as this”. In that moment of crisis which demanded she risk her very life to save the Jewish people, she chose to stand by faith in the presence of the King, unsummoned, ready to die if he rejected her. Had she chosen anything else, not only would she have died, since she was Jewish—-but all the Jewish people would have been annihilated from Ethiopia to India. Today, there would be no Israel. A huge part of the population of New York, Florida, and California would not exist. You would not be wearing blue jeans which were invented by Levi Strauss in 1873. Ladies would not be able to carry lipstick which Maurice Levy invented in 1915. We would not have contraceptives, or the laser, or even a remote control, all of which were invented by Jewish people.

We’ve all seen the famous Christmas tale entitled” It’s a Wonderful Life” where George Bailey discovered what life would have been like if he were never born. He learned to rejoice over the little things in his life that made a huge difference. When you look at your life, you may wonder, “How have I made a difference?” Instead, I challenge you to think of someone who made a huge difference in your life. Write them a note and thank them! If God is the One who made a huge difference in your life, then take some time to thank Him for all He has done in your life. Tell someone about it. Give God glory! Perhaps your testimony now is —for such a time as this!

We live in trying days, to be sure. Oil is pouring into the gulf destroying the beautiful shoreline, and the livelihood of many who rely on the gulf waters for their income. Volcanoes are pouring out chocking ash, hindering air traffic. Mexico is drowning in the blood of drug trafficking wars. People all around us are in despair over the national economy, the immoral state of the nation, and the declining spirituality in the church. What are we as the people of God to do about it all? May I suggest we look again at Esther? How did she handle her crisis? Did she throw up her queenly hands in despair? Did she go hide in her royal palace? What does the Bible tell us? "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." Esther 4: 16. So we see that her first response was to mobilize God’s people to prayer and fasting. She made sure that those in her ‘household’—her maids, also fasted and prayed. This was her destiny. She was called into the palace for such a time as this! She risked death to save herself and her people. For three days, prayers went up to God. God listened. Like any miracle God performs, it is filled with incredible timing. There was the building of a gallows on which Haman intended to kill Mordecai. There was a sleepless night in the bedroom of the king, and the discovery of the unrewarded Mordecai who had saved the Kings life. Then the banquet and the request...and for such a time as this Esther was there.

What is God calling you to do for Him today? Is it to call your family to prayer, or to lead your church into a time of preparation for revival? The enemy is out there, ready to kill, steal and destroy the people of God. The church is gasping for a fresh breath of heavenly revival. The community and the world is looking for a hero. Who will be Esther to them? Everyday you have an incredible influence on the people whose lives you touch daily. Your spouse looks to you for encouragement and spiritual guidance. Your children look up to you for an example and a reason to learn. Your neighbors are watching how you respond to life’s crises. Your co-workers will follow a leader who emulates the love of God. No matter what horrible experiences you are facing today, God has called you to the place where you are “for such a time as this…” If you are facing marital strife, face it with God at your side. If you are financially overwhelmed, remember that God is the source of all that we need. See Him for a solution. If your children are wandering from God, lay them at the foot of the cross in prayer and let God go to work on them. If you are overcome with fear, rest in the gentle arms of the Good Shepherd, who loves His sheep. You are not alone. Elijah the prophet thought he was all alone, but God has preserved a remnant of Godly people who, when the time was right, would once again stand strong for God. Elijah was chosen, for such a time as this.

You may feel too young, unable to accomplish much, or so old, that there’s not much left you can do. God still has a plan for you. He uses Daniel’s to stand strong in the lions den and David’s to stand before the giant. Old or young, it means nothing to God. God uses empty vessels who are willing to be used for His glory. Unemployed? God always has a job opening for those willing to be His servants. Look around you! What needs to be done? Who can you help today? What has been neglected for too long? Take on a new task, a new responsibility and serve the King. Esther did. She may have been afraid, but as she realized that her own life was also in the balance, she stepped up to the plate and risked it all. What are you willing to risk today?

Missionaries on the field are risking their lives to tell the story. In some countries Christians are being expelled and sometimes killed for their faith. Here in the comfort and ease of living in a democracy, we complain about the littlest things while others are risking it all to serve the Lord. What bothers you today? Is it the lost who do not know the Savior? Is it the church that has lost is focus and vision? Is it a family that has become so engrossed in carnal pleasures that they have forgot about God and eternity? Is it a neighbor who is filling his or her life with drugs and alcohol? These things bother me...and I want to serve my King for such a time as this!

J. Johnson

Hand to the Plow......

It is spring time, and time for preparing the gardens for sowing the seed. I’m not much of a farmer, but my father grew up on the farm as did his father and his grandfather. It was their dream that he also be a farmer. Although he wanted to try his hand at other things, he ultimately continued to farm at least enough ground to feed his family. Many of our ancestors did the same. Each spring they would go into the barn and dig out the plow, sharpen the blade and take it out to the field. Some had a push plow which one man could push through the soil. Others had plows that were pulled by oxen, horses or mules. The original measurement of an acre was the amount of ground a farmer and his oxen could plow in one day. The knack of plowing a field had to be learned.
First of all, it was necessary to till up the compacted soil before planting seed so the soil could ‘breathe’ and the seed could germinate. It was hard work, not for the feeble. Hands would become blistered and calloused as they guided the plow and the animal across the field. It was not a one day job. It took days and sometimes weeks to plow the acreage. Sometimes it meant removing boulders and stumps. We don’t appreciate what our forefathers did to prepare this country for the harvests we have had in the past. When someone has prepared the way before us, we tend to take it for granted.
In the early years of the church, there were plows and planters too. They took on virgin ground, battling persecution from the religious critics of their day, but they persisted because of the words of Jesus Christ found in Luke 9:62 "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." We read these words but often fail to understand them. A good farmer would learn to plow a straight line by fixing his vision on a point straight ahead of him—a tree, a rock, or a fencepost. He would use that point of reference until he had crossed the field at least once. It would keep the row straight and make it easier for the animals to plow succeeding rows. If he spent all his time looking backwards to see how he was doing, the row would end up crooked and the job would be much more difficult to finish well.

When Jesus spoke these words to his disciples, they were walking along side Him making their boasts… “I’ll follow you anywhere!” (Lk 9:57) Early they were even arguing about which of them would be the greatest. (Lk 9:46)It was time for a valuable lesson. Following Jesus meant becoming like a little child. It meant not having a place to lay your head...no 5-star hotels for followers of Jesus. (Lk 9:58) It meant making sacrifices, and realignment of priorities. Following Jesus meant more than saying “goodbye’ to family and friends, to burying loved ones. Jesus had set the example. Jesus knew that His time of sacrifice was almost upon Him. “ 51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” (Lk 9:51) Jesus was focused on the task at hand. He was plowing a field. He had told them already about the field of the world...and the farmer who went out to sow seed in the field ( Luke 8:5-8) and he explained to them the importance of sowing seed in good ground. But some seed would fall by the wayside in hard ground, and other in stony ground and still other in the thorny ground with weeds. But it was the seed of the Word of God that was sown in good ground that would produce a harvest. So plowing that ground and making it good ground was very important.
But there are a lot of folks who say they want to follow the Lord and put their hand to the plow until they discover the cost—the hard work, the sacrifices required of farmers. Some are lazy at heart. Others are drawn away by riches and comforts and family ties. They often struggle with indecision and focus. They often do not want to sever the old ties from the past, and choose the lonely walk behind the plow. But Jesus was very clear here. Where we turn our face is important. What we choose to face will determine our future. If the farmer is looking back, then his eyes are not on the goal, and though he may be plowing, he is plowing without focus and purpose. It brings disaster. How many have taken their eyes off the road for just a moment, only to discover that in that instant you had drifted dangerously into a wrong lane or even off the road. Texters today are learning this the hard way. The efficient servant of God will aim his plow and his vision in the same unswerving direction with the purpose of preparing a field for a great harvest.
There is one little word that often causes us to swerve… “but”. “I will follow you but…” not until the time is right, not until the finances are secure, not until I’m older. Not today, but perhaps tomorrow. Other tasks are demanding our full attention today. We tell ourselves, we need to take care of business. We look back much like Lot’s wife. Redemption was ahead of her but she chose to look back at the judgment falling. She was tied emotionally to the things behind her in the doomed city of Sodom. She disobeyed and paid a price. There is a price to pay for looking back. The verse tells us that those who do are not “fit for the Kingdom of God.” To be ‘fit’ means more than just being physically strong. It means to be ripened, prepared, and competent, ready for service. Paul the Apostle learned this lesson for he says, “One thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3: 13). He had it right, with not one backward look, Paul pressed forward, knowing the goal. His high calling took him to a martyrs death. He was plowing ground with a great harvest of souls in mind. Did it work? Can we learn from his example?
How many today want to be followers of Jesus, but they just have a few issues they need to deal with. Jesus is calling us all to follow Him. But some delay because of procrastination. “Not yet...someday I’ll take care of that”. How often do we procrastinate just once and it suddenly becomes a pattern. We intend to write that letter to someone, but we put it off. Soon the opportunity to write is gone forever. We sometimes procrastinate in forgiving too. We hope time will deal with it and emotions will heal. In reality, we have just swept the dirt under the rug. When God calls, we must respond and do so immediately and decisively. There is no room for hesitancy. We are either admirers or followers. Admirers look on from a distance and say, “One day, I’ll follow too.” But followers get up on their feet and position themselves behind the plow, set their eyes on the goal, grip the plow firmly and follow the Master. They are not distracted by the past, the pain, or the people to call their name. They, like Jesus, have a purpose.
Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem, knowing the cost. He was looking to Calvary, to the cross and to dying there for mankind. The purpose was clear. He could not just half die. It required total commitment. Death was the desired end. Why? Because He loved us! It was not a half-hearted love. It was complete, the love of a hero for someone who needed rescuing. How do you love someone half way? It’s impossible. Love means 100% commitment. It is unconditional. The only acceptable response is to love back completely and fully. We are either admirers, or followers. If we are followers, we must put our hand to the plow and follow Him without a backward glance.
I always admired the tenacity and faithfulness of Anne Sullivan who taught Hellen Keller. Anne was born into a home of Irish immigrants, and she suffered from abuse at the hands of her alcoholic father and was forced to tend to the needs of her crippled brother. They both became orphans. She became blind herself at the age of 5 and went through many surgeries to correct the problem. In spite of her past, she demanded an education and graduated as valedictorian. She knew her life had purpose and she set her hand to the plow. Helen Keller was the harvest.
As believers, we have a higher calling. Lost souls all around us are seeking guidance, wondering about life and death, heaven and hell. Angels cannot preach the gospel. Only man has the commission. But all too often we link ourselves with the stuff of the world. The Bible tells us that the plowman was forbidden to mix an oxen with a mule while plowing. They would be unequally yoked. (Deut. 22:10, 2 Corinth. 6:14) We must keep our lives pure and focused on the mission, the call, the purpose God has for us all. The plowman’s call is exclusive. There is no room for variation or experimentation. The seed must be sown in the field on time, or there will be no harvest, no time of reaping. There is already famine in the land? What will the people of God do? "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day." Luke 9:62 TMB
J. Johnson

The Silent Killer

The Silent Killer

We listen to the advise of experts to protect our home and families from things that can harm them, even kill them. One of those deadly silent killers is radon while another is carbon monoxide. Radon, an invisible radioactive gas that seeps into homes through foundation cracks, causes 100 times more deaths than carbon monoxide poisoning, says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We learn that there are ways to deal with these two deadly problems. We place detectors in our homes that will alert us to the impending danger. Those detectors have saved many lives while homes without them, have sometimes had fatal consequences. As families have slept, the gases have filled the homes gradually eliminating healthy life giving oxygen with deadly odorless gases, causing the human body to begin to shut down, go into coma and sometimes die from lack of good clean air.
There is a silent killer lurking in many homes and churches across America. Daily it does its task of destroying the plans and purposes of God in the lives of God’s people. Like the deadly gases, radon and carbon monoxide, it seeps into our lives when we least expect it, and begins gradually doing its deadly work. This silent killer begins with a casual remark, a careless word, an undeserved jab or even a thoughtless deed. It results in cracks in our clay vessels that cause our love to leak out and the painful killer to seep in. What is it? Unforgiveness! You may lightly say…”Oh, but that’s not my problem!” Unfortunately, it’s everyone’s problem. In our own personal lives, it colors our view of life. In the church, it affects everyone with whom we rub shoulders. It has been known to destroy marriages and families, as well as dividing churches and ruining ministries. Most pastors have at one time or another heard someone say, “I’ll NEVER forgiven them!” They say they are Christians, but the pain of the deadly silent killer has already tainted their soul. They forget everything they ever learned from the Bible and make the pain of the past more relevant, more significant. They unconsciously choose to never forget, and in doing so, they also never put it behind them.
How To Clear the Air.
Forgiveness clears the air in our spiritual lives. Refusing to forgive invites poison that pollutes our souls. But how can we forgive those who have hurt us in such awful ways. How does a child forgive the incest? How does a woman forgive the date-rape? How does a mother forgive an abusive husband who damages not only her but her children? How does a wounded Christian forgive abuse of another Christian? It is not impossible. Just as you choose to love and trust, you can choose to forgive.
1. Recognize that the anger and frustration you feel comes from a moment of hurt that needs attention. Sometimes we tend to sweep it under the rug and ignore it, hoping it will just all go away in time. Yet the wound continues to fester.
2. Remember that others who may have hurt you are also vulnerable to hurts and may have been hurt in the past. Abusers often were abused themselves. When you see them as victims, it creates compassion rather than hate.
3. Forgive yourself. Perhaps you did something for which you blame yourself, resulting in the problem. We all make choices, some good and some bad. We learn from our mistakes. A baby learns to walk by falling down and getting up again and again.
4. When you can, restore relationships. Some have a habit of ‘snipping’ others out of their lives. Each person who wounds them in any way gets ‘snipped’ from their list. A story was told of a woman who did this all of her life. She began with many friends, but on the day she died, her family expected a large crowd at her funeral, only to be surprised when only the immediate family came to pay their respects. All the old friends of the past knew they had been snipped out of her favor years before. How sad! When we ostracize family and friends, we are expressing our lack of forgiveness. How sad it is to see families where parents and children no longer speak to each other, or churches where whole groups leave because of a lack of forgiveness. Practice reconciliation.
5. Take the Initiative. Be the bigger person and look beyond the faults of others. Don’t let the past keep you in the past. See the future God sees. Let your forgiveness build a bridge over troubled waters. Launch your lifeboat and watch what God will do. Tell your abuser sincerely… “I forgive you….” and watch them bend over backwards to make things right. Guilt will do that. Use your experience to help others be free from the past and the pain.
6. Remember what the Bible teaches! Forgiveness is Biblical. Jesus always practiced forgiveness instead of condemnation. He told the adulteress, “Go and sin no more.” He told the Father “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” One key verse we must lock onto is found in Matthew 6:14-15 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. According to this verse, we cannot expect God to forgive us if we fail to forgive others who sin against us. Our eternal destiny depends on our willingness to forgive. Even Paul taught the principal of forgiveness. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Col 3:13) Jesus sets the example for us all. Just imagine how many of us would not make heaven our eternal home if we failed to forgive.
I love the Message Bible version of Psalm 130:3 If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you're worshiped. Our God chooses deliberately to forgive...and forget. Unlike God, it is difficult for us to forget. While me may not forget, we CAN forgive!
7. Forgive with eternity in view. Life here is not all there is. We are planted on this small blue planet for just a few brief years. In those years, we are given opportunities and choices. We can become better or bitter. We can cut and snip, or glue and paste. We can give Satan a foothold or allow Christ to be the center of it all. Ask yourself these questions: “In eternity, when I stand before the Lord, what will matter the most? Will it be my anger or my forgiveness? How will it affect my eternity?” One person who learned to forgive put it this way: When you haven't forgiven those who've hurt you, you turn your back against your future. When you do forgive, you start walking forward. (T. Perry) Have you stopped in your tracks, paralyzed by the past? Your attitude will affect everything around you. It will cause you to be angry….and your children will be just like you. But the moment you forgive, you break the chains that bind you to the past, and set your steps moving forward again into freedom. God cannot use your potential when it is bound in unforgiveness.
Joseph in the Egyptian jail had every right humanly speaking to be a hateful bitter man. His own brothers had sold him into slavery and deceived his father into thinking he was dead. His employer had him thrown in jail on false charges of rape. His own cell mates forgot all about him after he had helped them. But GOD...had a plan bigger than anything Joseph could have imagined! God’s plan was based in Josephs attitude. He never allowed bitterness to take root. He let God take the lead and God used Joseph for the saving of his family and the nation.
8. Forgive with a Helper. There are many things that the Christian often discovers he cannot do on his own. He needs help. Jesus sent us a Helper. It is the Holy Spirit. He comes along side to speak into our lives, to guide us, to give us boldness, to make us more like Christ. He comes into our lives at salvation, and the moment we receive God’s forgiveness, He is there to help us forgive others. He is the ‘wind’ that blows away the poisonous gases in our spiritual lives. He fills us with His Presence. He points out to us all of our failures so we can let Him help us each day. He convicts us of our sin so we can see His forgiveness. He prods us to reconciliation with God and others. He is the potter who mends our broken vessels, then fills us to overflowing with Himself.. He lifts us above the circumstance, above the past, and gives us a hope and a future. (Jer 29:11)
What about you? Have you forgiven? Are you forgiven? Will you choose to forgive? I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Phil 4:13: . Remember these words...Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Cor 5:17 Put the old ways of unforgiveness and vengeance behind you. God wants to give you a new day. Let it begin right now. Let the Holy Spirit be your ‘unforgiveness detector’. When His warning sounds, take immediate action. Forgive completely and immediately. Make forgiveness your habit and change your world! Let the wind of the Spirit blow away the silent killer of unforgiveness in your life today. J. Johnson

House For Sale?

You see the signs posted on every street….sometimes more than one… as our nation faces financial pressures like it has not known since the crash of 1929. Mortgage companies fold up their offices...Big box stores post their going out of business signs...and strip malls have vacancy signs in every window. It’s the ‘signs’ of the times!
Many of the youthful generation don’t have the base of knowledge that the seniors in our culture have, whose parents survived the breadlines of the ‘30’s, and some think it just a passing ‘phase’ that will soon pass and prosperous times will come again. Perhaps….and perhaps not… Only God knows the future. But while it is all a little scary for most of the population, not knowing if they will have a job tomorrow, or if they can continue living above their means as they have done for most of the last few decades...I am concerned for the spiritual state of the nation! Finances come and go. People eventually learn to deal with the way life is. For some it takes a little time as they learn to withdraw from opulence. For others, reality hits quick. But the spiritual state of what used to be called a ‘Christian’ nation is becoming more and more concerning.

The Church:
Let’s look first of all at the church… More and more, we can expect the state of the church here in America or Canada, to be like the state of the church in Europe. In France alone, only one fourth of one percent attend church regularly. In many European nations, churches stand dark and closed, or bought out by businesses or cults, or alternate world religions. The business of ‘faith’ has put the church up for sale. There is a new ‘dark ages’ looming on the spiritual horizon. Missionaries have been struggling to hold the line against the darkness. As costs skyrocket, faith takes a nosedive. When did it all begin? When skepticism, doubt, and atheism rose, and the Word of God lost it place of respect, not only in the educational circles, but in individual hearts.
The more tradition arises, so does apathy. With apathy, comes a lack of prayer and reading and study of the Word of God. It’s the little foxes that spoil the vine. As individuals allow new restrictive laws to hinder the freedom of worship and religion, soon, the general population accepts the status quo as ‘life’ and resists the effort it takes to change things. The church has posted it’s FOR SALE sign and when it’s gone….it’s gone! Recent news postings have informed the world that Christianity is not popular in some parts of the world. In Vietnam, a brand newly constructed church was destroyed on purpose by the local government officials and the Christian believers held back with cattle prods… In India, Christians are under severe attack for their faith. In Europe a recent survey reported: When the European Union asked citizens to rank values representing Europe, religion came last -- far behind "human rights," "democracy," "peace," "individual freedom" and other choices. Only 3% chose religion. A passive indifference has left Europe’s churches nearly empty. While atheism thrives, so does the Muslim faith and that frightens the few remaining Christians, especially as these non Christian groups become more dominant and assertive. In Germany, a wealthy furniture manufacturer is funding a "think tank of Enlightenment," a group of scientists and others committed to debunking religion...Around three-quarters of Europeans still describe themselves as Christians. But only a small minority go to church. In Western Europe, according to polls, fewer than 20% do. The pattern we see in Europe, we can expect here in America. Already, we have seen the massive decline in Sunday Schools. The role of the evangelist is already extinct in many denominations. Sunday night services have yielded to the priorities of our ‘entertainment generation’ who go to churches that please the media pallet. It appears that it’s an either/or taste...either the big mega church in entertainment mode, or the small home church movement. Traditional churches struggle to survive as never before. Tough finances are causing pastors to take secular jobs. Those once committed to a lifetime of serving God are taking a second look at their lives. Tithe paying members are holding their wallets tighter than ever. Those who attend the mega churches often don’t see the struggles of the smaller community church. Denominational officials are seeing a huge decline in pastors continuing in the profession they trained for, and instead learning new professions. Money has become the guideline for ministry. Certainly, there is a remnant out there of Godly men and women who are determined to weather the storm, by taking salary cuts, spending hours on their knees in prayer and raising a high spiritual standard for their church. But they are becoming more and more scarce. If you have such a pastor...take good care of him. Give him all the support you can, both spiritually and financially.
So what’s the problem? Where does one begin to point a finger? What do we begin to change now to stop the dyke from leaking? We live in an age of compromise. One of the dangerous attitudes the church has often adopted is the need for constant change….new ways of doing things to please the limited attention span of the media motivated generation...new songs, new choruses, new bands, new décor, new buildings, new business-like church organizational structures, new titles of church pastors...and worst of all, a passion exalting love and unity above purity of doctrine. In recent years, I have been increasingly alarmed at the pervasive views of fundamental and evangelical believers who seem to adopt whatever they see or hear on the radio or TV as if it were good Bible doctrine. Cults are on the rise. Those who do not know their Bibles are easily deceived. Pastors who fail to preach the clear doctrines of the Word, fail to feed their people the truth that will set them free and keep them that way. More and more of our younger generation are questioning the reality of ‘judgment’, the definition of ‘sin’, resulting in a ‘softness’ that is less offensive. There is weariness and impatience with those who do ’spiritual warfare’ because of it’s negative nature, opting for a ’positive’ faith that makes one ‘feel good.’ Yes, the church is for sale… but who is buying?

The Temple of God…You
We can point our fingers at the leadership of our churches, at denominations who slowly accepted such things as divorce, homosexuality and ‘prosperity’ rather than hold the old hard line of previous years. But in each of our lives, each one of us must give an accounting of our lives, what we have done for God, where we choose to stand and what we choose to believe. For many today, their lives of compromise have taken them down a path leading further and further from the Word of God. The Tyndales and the Wesleys and the Spurgeons of another generation would be shocked at the tolerance of most of today’s generation of ‘believers’ who no longer stand by the absolutes of the Bible.
Where do you stand believer? Is the Bible the absolute Word of God? Did He mean it when he called adultery and fornication “sin”? Have God’s standards changed? No, of course not. God does not change. We do! And we must change! We must have a restoration to Biblical values as never before! Faith in God and the freedoms our nation has preserved up to this point depends on it. It will take spiritual ‘guts’ to take a stand today like the spiritual giants of the past. Where is the church today who longs for a pastor with a heart after God rather than a heart after prestige, position and power. God give us people once again who will choose to serve God, no matter what their salary, no matter what their benefits, no matter how much flack they get from their peers. God longs for a people with clean hands and pure heart. Those that want to feast in His holy presence need that requirement. I learned recently that the Jewish people, before eating bread, will wash their hands in a special way, then say a special prayer of blessing before the meal of bread begins. Today, we need to be feasting on the ‘Bread of Life’, but we come to the table with dirty hands and soiled hearts. We ask God to bless us...rather than bless the bread. Then we reach out and grab all we can get. It must break the heart of God! Yes, too many have the For Sale signs up in their own front yards, selling out to the highest bidder… We listen to the voices around us, flattering our ‘new enlightenment’ which in reality is just a little more compromise. We let that flattery change us and adapt us to the culture around us. We become like chameleons, changing with our surroundings. But if we would stay in the Word, we would remain steadfast...marked by the absolutes that Jesus taught his disciples. If Jesus were to come back today to find a band of disciples He could use to change the world, would he find men and women of integrity? People of absolute values? People whose lives matched their walk?
We face a challenging year ahead of us. Some cities are already in a depression such as Detroit MI. where unemployment is 21% and the average house sells for $18,513. They face a bleak year. But even in the leanest of times, when we put our faith and trust in God, when we look to Him for our resources, when we believe He is able, He will come through. He is still the God of the supernatural. But we must be a people who will listen to and obey our supernatural God. We must want Him more than anything around us. We must be willing to sacrifice the things we think are important for what God thinks is important. We cannot take our houses and lands and bank accounts with us into eternity...but we can take people. And that’s what we are all called to do…”go and make disciples of all nations…”
If you have had your spiritual house up For Sale this past year, doubting the ability of God or the willingness of God to intervene on your behalf, it’s time to get back to the basics once again. Nothing is more important than time spent with God...in His Word, in his presence, at His feet. Miracles come to those who put their trust in God. Take down your For Sale sign and replace it with a sign that tells the world you are a building dedicated to God, ready for miracles, open for the impossible, believing for the supernatural. This is God’s opportunity to bring glory! Let your sign read: “Sold Out...for God!” Take some time to give yourself to ministry. Remember His promise…. “Give and it shall be given…. pressed down, shaken together and running over….” give of yourself, and let God meet all your needs. A loving God responds to generous hearts! I’m not For Sale! How about you? J. Johnson

Divine Intervention....

So often it seems like life just goes on and on and God just does not care. At least that’s the view of many people today. They wonder “If God really cares, then why do so many people suffer?” They wonder why it takes so long for prayers to get answers, and they wonder if Jesus will ever come again.
Lessons from the Bible
Looking back through Bible history, there are so many lessons we can learn from, to see how God really does care and He really does have a plan, and He does answer prayer. We can see it in His divine intervention in the ordinary affairs of mankind. God is a God of action and a God who keeps His promises. He is also a God who loves His creation but hates the sin. This generation hates to talk about sin. So often, the negative things we have recorded in the Word of God tell us of the consequences of sin. When we deliberately choose to disobey God, there will be consequences. Mankind in Noah’s day discovered it the hard way. In a sinful, carnal culture that continued to grow worse and worse, the one righteous man, Noah, listened to the voice of God. “Build an ark…” Noah built an ark and his family found refuge when the judgment of God fell on the world. For 120 years, Noah had preached, to those who mocked his efforts to obey God. Noah remained steadfast. Nothing moved him from his commission. His confidence in God told him that when God speaks, man must obey. By faith, Noah built an ark, not knowing why—just following the orders from on high. When those first raindrops hit the roof of the ark, when those clouds took on a strange, ominous look, and when the earth began to shake and water began to come pouring out of the cracks in the ground, Noah knew—divine intervention had come. In a moment of time, God changed everything! Nothing they had known would ever be the same again!
Hundreds of years later, Jericho found themselves surrounded by an army, a motley crew who persisted in marching around this fortified city. For six days they marched, through the dust and dirt, looking up at the awesome walls of the impenetrable fortress city. They had plenty of food inside the walls, for harvest had just finished. In the natural, it seemed ridiculous! But this band of warriors had a secret weapon. They served a God who intervenes in the affairs of men and who comes to their aid when they call upon Him. He gave them specific instructions. March, six days: priests sounding the trumpets in the front and the ark behind. On day seven—march again, but this time do it seven times. On the seventh time, sound the trumpets and shout! As if on a signal from God, the city walls began to crumble. The city that could not be taken was destroyed and cursed by the people of God. Joshua and his warriors became famous in a day because of the divine intervention of God. “So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.” (Joshua 6:27) What kind of ‘Jericho’ are you facing today? Did you know that the God who created the world cares about your crisis? He is still the same God who knows how to give orders, expect obedience, and reward those who follow. He takes the impossible and makes it a miracle! There is nothing to tough for God. Jericho had double walls, 45 feet high, yet they were nothing to God. One little earthquake right on time changed everything. For Jericho, the city was never the same again. For the people of God, their faith was now as tall as those walls used to be.
Israel had made a lot of mistakes, failed to listen to the prophets and their warnings from God, and they found themselves slaves in Babylon. But even then, God was watching and waiting. Three young lads, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah—groomed to become leaders to influence their own people to follow the idol worship of their new homeland—stood tall and bold in the face of ungodly demands. They are remembered for their bold stand. The king ordered those insolent boys to be thrown into the fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than normal. Soldiers died just throwing them in the fire. But the king could not understand it when he noticed the three lads, walking around in the fire, accompanied by a fourth man who looked like ‘the son of a god.’ He commanded them to come out of the fire… and they came out, their hair not singed, not even smelling of fire. The King began to praise the God of these three young men. In a moment when all seemed hopeless, when the fire seemed hot and the sentence seemed irreversible, God intervened on behalf of three who stood firm for God. You may be about to be tossed by the world into a fire that appears will destroy you. Do not fear! God made the fire, and He knows how to protect His own! Praise Him in the midst of it all! God can change everything!
In Your Trial
It’s easy to think the worst. We do it all the time. We look back at all the moments when God could have done something different. We wonder “Why? Why me? Why now?” Whenever we fail to understand, we often fail to see the divine perspective. “Isn’t there some other way God?” is often our question. We wonder why God allows such awful things to enter our lives—loosing a loved one, or perhaps foreclosure, or perhaps cancer. It is in those moments of testing that God gets to hear His children calling out for help. They stop relying on themselves and turn to Him for aid. In those moments, values are re-evaluated, as eternal things take on a new perspective.
Remember Jesus, in the garden? He had seen both sides….earth and heaven, and yet when He came to his most challenging moment, He asked, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matt 26:39) Not even Jesus enjoyed suffering! But Jesus also knew that He had to work the Father’s plan. God always has a plan. This was the ultimate divine intervention on behalf of all of mankind. From this moment onward, nothing would ever be the same again. The old covenant was replaced by a new one written in His own Son’s blood. The sacrifices were ended as His sacrifice satisfied the need for all time. The veil in the temple was torn down. The old system of works was over. A new way of faith and grace was born. The God who had planned from the day Adam and Eve fell into sin, to put Satan under our feet—had accomplished His goal. The new way had begun. God intervened in the lives of men.
He Never Changes:
God is still the same God today. He still cares about you. He still reaches down from glory to touch His people and change the impossible into the possible! But He also expect us to respond to Him when He does it. We have become a most ungrateful people. We forget to say “Thanks!” We forget to give Him the glory. Tell someone what He has already done for you!
What do you need God to do for you today? Are you facing a flood—like Noah, a wall—like Joshua or a fire—like the Hebrew lads? Perhaps you are in a prison like Paul and Silas, or perhaps you are facing shipwreck like Paul. There is no challenge too great, no problem too small, no cost to exorbitant, no distance too far. God sees it all and knows it all and has power over it all. When we are faithful, and we do our part, God, in His time, will do what must be done.
In the coming days, there will be tough times, no doubt. But God is still God! It will be a time to band together as believers and encourage one another in the faith. It will be time to share our resources and aid the cause of Christ as never before. God will ask us to be mature, responsible, giving, loving, humble and honest. When we respond to Him, He will see another Noah, Joshua, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. He will see another Paul, or Silas, or Martha and Mary. He can raise your Lazarus! He can loose your chains! When your boat is shipwrecked, He will bring you safely to shore.

Power for Divine Intervention
In these final days, I believe God wants to do the miraculous. God’s people must prepare themselves to be a part of a movement that will demonstrate the mighty power of God to a skeptical world who thinks they don’t need Him. Once again, God wants to heal bodies, raise the dead, provide food, change the impossible! He will use ordinary men and women just as He used Peter and Paul. Paul once wrote… “I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (I Corinth. 2:3-5) Are you afraid? Paul was! You may feel like you don’t have the ‘stuff’ it takes to do the job, but neither did the apostles and disciples. They learned to rely on God and what He could do. It all depends on your faith. Are you counting on the government or on God? The money or the Messiah? On the promises of politicians or on the Power of God? Don’t look to the church for answers. Look to God! When your words are just not eloquent, let the Spirit flow through your lips. Speak under a divine anointing to change your world for God! Reach out to those who need His touch—His divine intervention! Use the name of Jesus! Pray! Believe! Go! God will do the rest!

J. Johnson

Weary? Don't Quit!!

It’s a problem that plagues every believer at some time in their walk with God. Whether you stand in the pulpit or sit in the pew, we all sometimes feel overwhelmed by life and its circumstances. We wonder where we can go for a break, a time of R&R, just to step away from the chaos for a moment and take a deep breath. Weariness, exhaustion, and burnout all take their toll in the believers walk.
There are times that we do take on too much. At times like that, we need to step away from the forest to see the trees. In other words, we need to take the time to re-evaluate our priorities. Sometimes out of our own personal guilt, we refuse to say the little word, “no” and we end up doing things God never intended for us to do. When you find activities robbing your time with God, with your family, and with the calling God placed on your life, you have gone too far the wrong way. Taking on too much of the wrong things can make us a candidate for both physical and spiritual burnout. Exhausted though you may be, you need to take the courageous step of pulling away and getting alone with the Lord once again.
Jesus spent hours alone during his vital and demanding ministry. While others clamored for His attention, he went up into a mountain to pray. (Matthew 14:23) It is the ego, and pride that sometimes causes us to want and love the adulating crowd. It’s nice to be needed and wanted. But it is also exhausting. If you never take the time for a vacation, take one. If you love your pastor, make sure you encourage him to take a vacation and help with the added costs of doing so. Help to fill some of the roles he takes care of every week. If you can’t take a long vacation, take mini-vacations. Take two or three days away doing something different. Even taking time out of your normal routine to do something relaxing can help lift the weariness.

Let it go.
Sometimes weariness comes from holding on to things we should have let go. A story is told of a lecturer who challenged his class to guess how much the glass of water in his hand weighed. Guesses varied. Then the teacher told them…. " The absolute weight doesn’t matter. What matters is how long you hold it. If I hold the cup for a minute, I would be Ok. If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for one day, you will have to call an ambulance. The cup of water is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels and the more damage it can do to me." Are you feeling the weight of some burden today? Set it down at the Lord’s feet . Sometimes we carry our burdens of sin and guilt and regret. Yet God never intended that we do so. The longer we carry what we were never designed to carry, the more harm we do to ourselves. Let it go.

Press On
There are times when we need to stop and take a look around and then there are times when we need to press on. When you feel like throwing in the towel and quitting, don’t! The enemy of our soul loves to drag us to the point of weariness, until we feel like there is no other way out. Sometimes it takes a new determination to fulfill the call of God in our lives. Sometimes it takes a fresh vision from the Master to renew our purpose and calling. There is nothing like time spent with the Master to get it all back into a heavenly perspective. When God gives the vision, He always makes a way of fulfilling it. It’s part of His plan. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that the weight of His calling in our lives does not just depend on us. It depends on our dependence on Him. I will never forget how God set us aside during a time between churches we pastored. We were busy raising four children, and the demands of ministry had brought us to the place of weariness. We had no regular employment, mouths to feed and bills to pay including a car payment. We had tried to sell it, but God had other plans. He knew we would needed it to travel. One day we reminded God….”God, your car payment is due.”...giving God ownership of the burden. God came through, month after month. We never missed a payment.

Prevention Power
There are times when we look back at some the things God has allowed us to go through and we regret some of the decisions and choices we have made. We often choose in haste, failing to take the time to pray about it and get God’s input into the problem. A story is told of how a mother came home to find all her children in a circle in the living room. At first she was happy to see them all getting along so nicely. Then she noticed what had their attention, a family of baby skunks. In a mad panic, she screamed and told them all to leave the room immediately. They all complied taking a baby skunk with them. More screams followed as the now frightened skunks did what comes naturally in a moment of fear. Soon the whole house and each child was drenched in the unpleasant aroma, which took many days to eradicate. How we choose to react to circumstances can cause more of a problem than if we take the time to pray and think it all through calmly. When our emotions take the drivers seat, we have a fool at the wheel. Thoughtful prayer and careful responses can save us heartache and trouble. Often we are our own worst enemies. We do too many things without praying about it or thinking through the consequences . Some end up with unwanted debt, while others destroy old friendships. Ask yourself if this decision is pleasing to God. When God says “no” don’t make excuses and do things your own way anyhow. That’s rebellion.
When you feel like quitting, take a moment and look at the lives of some of the Bible characters who refused to give up in the face of trouble. Noah, though mocked by his neighbors, labored on for 120 years building the ark, saving his family. Joseph, rejected by his brothers, sold into slavery, and unjustly accused, chose to love his siblings, resulting in the preservation of a nation. David, anointed to be king, spent years running and hiding from Saul. By faith, he awaited God’s timing and fulfillment.
How can we prevent spiritual disaster? Burnout? Weariness? When we follow the example of Jesus, we will make it through. We may not escape all troubles. God allows troubles to strengthen us. But when we keep God’s priorities first, when we invite God to provide a solution, when we stop and listen for His voice, when we persist in prayer---that’s when God moves mountains and calms stormy seas. He is always there—in the deserts of our lives—waiting to provide living water for our thirsty souls. When you are tempted to take the ‘easy road’ that you know is not God’s plan, remember that the enemy would love to tempt you to do your own thing. I have learned to listen carefully to my Father. When He says rest—I rest. When He says move—I move. He knows my needs better than I do. My heavenly father always knows best!
Are you weary today? Feeling restless? Uncertain about tomorrow? He is your shepherd. Let Him lead you to green pastures and quiet waters where you will lack nothing and you can feed in His presence. When your enemies threaten—He is there! When you have need—He provides! When the task seems impossible—He is the God of the impossible!
Turn your back on evil, work for the good and don't quit. God loves this kind of thing, never turns away from his friends. Psalm 37:27 (The Message Bible)
Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Romans 12:11 (The Message Bible)
J. Johnson