Getting Your Hands Dirty

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-4, 14

Last week, my wife and I were privileged to go to the hospital and visit friends who had their first child. I was amazed at the responsibility of a child and thought through some of the differences a child would bring into someone’s life. When we arrived in the room, I was able to hold her while she quietly slept and occasionally yawned. She was easy to handle but quite fragile. There was a lot of attention being focused on this little girl. I kept my eyes on her most of the time while talking to the family. It was a precious moment! After a while, she was stirred to emotion and began crying. Of course, my wife had her in her arms by that point; I had already passed her off right before the cries started. It wasn’t long until she seemed to be at ease. She was quiet and still but emitted a little bit of odor. My wife graciously handed the baby over to her father, and he inspected her. There was a mess to be cleaned up; It was personal, private, and obvious.

Have you ever thought about how we treat relationships at times? It is easy to be friends with someone who always responds the way you want them to. It is easy to get to know someone who has the same interests, job, socio-economic status, cultural background, and ideas on life. What is hard is to engage and take initiative in building relationships with those who are different. Of course, relationships are built over time, vary in levels of trust, and at times can be tested. Should we walk away so easily when relationships get messy? There is a part of us that wants to be separated, isolated, and unchanging. However, there is also a part of us that yearns for contact. With contact, there will be conflict at times, yet we must change according to truth and adapt to show that we care. This is the only way to grow in the context of a community.

Have you ever thought about what God looked down on when He saw us walking around and living in our sin? He could have said, “I do not want to get involved in the mess they have created for themselves.” He could have remained distant, silent, and uninvolved, yet He didn’t. Galatians tells us, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” We were condemned by the law. It exposed the personal, private, and obvious sins in our messy lives. Like helpless babies, we are unable to do anything for ourselves. Actually, Paul told the Ephesians that they were dead men walking (Eph. 2:1-3).

However in spite of our filth, Jesus entered the world we live in. He got his hands and feet dirty. He felt the desert air on his face. He felt the sun beaming down. He rode on filthy donkeys, wore dusty sandals, and built things as a carpenter. He loved on children, rebuked false professors, and showed grace to the repentant. He calmed the disciples’ fears on the sea. He was betrayed by one of them, Judas Iscariot, and saddened by the rejection of one of his closest friends, Peter. He loved by initiating contact with sinners in their messes. He loved by confronting men and women with truth. He loved by never compromising his character—the nature of his Father that He declared and came to reveal (Hebrews 1:1-3). He loved on the cross by dying for the way, truth, and life. He entered our world so we might be born again and see His (John 3:1-6).

Jesus was the Word made flesh. He lived among real people in a real time and was full of grace and truth. He proved that God loved the world not in thought only, but in sacrificial action. He chose to love us, so He might display the greatness of His glorious grace. In His extravagant love, based on truth, He revealed the grace-filled life and died for the church—a community connected in Him and bearing the cross with grace, truth, and love. The church is not of this world. We are seated in heavenly places with Christ (Eph. 1:3), but we must love, be incarnate, and be His body to those who are wallowing in their mess. Who is it that you need to reach out to and love? Who can you show Christ to? Pray. Act (Don’t pass your opportunities on to someone else!). Live in the power of the Spirit. Enjoy God’s presence in being part of the body of Christ.

Alive in the Word,
Brian Johnson

The Pruning Process

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
John 15:1-8

Have you ever had the green thumb and tried to grow something? Sometimes, it can be harder than you think. This time last year, I sowed my yard with grass after tilling up the whole thing. Some of it came up, and some of it didn’t. The soil, weather, and maintenance all had a factor in the growth process. What about house plants? Have you ever tried keeping those things alive? Recently, one of our house plants was demoted to the patio in the back yard. It is a big peace lily and was attracting too many bugs, according to my wife. I wondered if it would survive the sun and weather…

Over time, the weather has been nice to the plant. It has received some rain from time to time, and we have watered it on occasion. The main problem has not been with the surroundings of the weather, but the sun has beamed down on it and scorched many of its leaves. I have painfully watched this over the past few weeks. Finally, I decided to trim the scorched leaves and see if it would survive. I took my pruning scissors and cut off almost every stem that had browned. The plant looked greener, but it also looked like a mess. The only thing that would be able to sustain it now would be a strong root system.

Did you know that our life in Christ is like a plant or a vine? Christ is the vine, and His Father is the vinedresser. This means that Christ is all we need! Without a connection to the root, there will be no spiritual growth or fruit to prove a real work of God. Secondly, the Father is always in control of the growth. He sees the root of our hearts and knows if we are really connected with Jesus Christ. He knows what is producing fruit and what is producing green leaves. Do you remember when Jesus cursed the fig tree? He was looking for fruit on it, and in Israel, and He only saw the external religious system based on self-righteousness. He cursed it, because it did not produce organic and spiritual fruit of the Spirit— love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Next, the Father removes all of the “fluffy stuff” that is not producing real fruit. There is much activity going on today in the name of Christ, but I wonder how much of it is directed by the Holy Spirit and saturated in the Word of God. Then, all of the branches of activity and growth, that are not Christ-centered and God-honoring, are cast into the fire and burned. Man is not saved by works of righteousness, and the evidence of a fruitful, Spirit-filled life reveals a true connection to Christ! Lastly, we have the promise of answered prayer if we abide in Christ. God answers our prayer to display His glory, strengthen our faith, and show the world the reality of abiding in and following Him.

Are you rooted and built up in Christ today? As I went out to water my rugged-looking plant on the patio this morning, I noticed new growth had taken place in just a few days. The pruned stems were dying on the end, but the roots were providing nutrients for fresh, green growth. All of the ugly, brown leaves were hindering the plant. Once they were pruned, new life came out from the base of the plant. There is also a flower budding from the center. It still is not the prettiest plant in the world, but it is vibrant, healthy, and growing. Sometimes, our life can look messy from a distance, but God is producing new growth by pruning the areas of our lives that contain “fluffy stuff” in comparison with eternity. As He prunes, He is adding substance and depth to our hearts which produces fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. First John 2:17 reminds us, “And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides for ever.”

Being pruned,
Brian Johnson

The Joy of Perspective

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:44-46

Perspectives or the way that you look at things affect every aspect of your life. If you look at your bank account and see it dwindling because of gas prices today, you might get depressed. However if you look at the innocence of a child and their zest for life, you might be able to find joy no matter what is going on in your life. The streams of true joy run deep, and they can only be found in one place—God‘s presence. The Psalmist reminds us, “You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (16:11).

What kind of perspective on life have you had lately? Recently, a friend invited me to visit with a man who had moved from Africa to Nashville, Tennessee. He greeted us at the door with a smile and joy in his heart that we had stopped by. As I walked into his apartment, I noticed that he had a kitchen table, a couch, and a lot of empty space for his family of three. There were two perspectives that were clashing. In my view of comfort and ease, I wondered how he could be so happy. This alone made me ask a lot of questions about where he found his joy. He told me of a man who had visited his village in Africa and was spreading the Good News about Jesus. At first, he rejected the man, but the more that he heard the Gospel the more it affected him. As a result of the preacher sharing the Gospel, he was born again by God’s Spirit and began walking with Jesus. This was the source of his joy, happiness and peace.

After learning about his salvation experience, he showed me pictures of where he came from in Liberia, Africa. The roads were made of dirt, some gravel and very little pavement. The homes were built out of bamboo with leaves on the roof and a mixture of mud was used as mortar. He lived in a small place where they grew their own food and survived off the land. The basic mode of transportation was two feet or a bicycle if you were really blessed. He said you could easily walk 10-15 miles in a day. With my perspective being opened up to another culture, my friend informed me of a place he wanted to take the man to get some used furniture. We were able to drive to a benevolence center and pick out a few things—a full mattress, a fold-up single mattress, a few pillows, 3 wooden chairs, an old office desk and a couple of blankets. These items were able to meet his basic needs, and they were free. They didn’t seem like much to us, but it would be the comparison of taking an American to American Signature Home and saying, “Get what you want!” He was happy and overjoyed!

With my perspectives refocused, I came home realizing how blessed and spoiled I can be. I live in an air-conditioned home filled with furniture, books, food in the cabinets, clothes in the closet, running water, and ice. There are so many things that surround us and bring us comfort yet are we really comforted? Are we really happy? Are we really joyful? A.W. Tozer, in The Pursuit of God, speaks about the Blessedness of Possessing Nothing. He uses Abraham offer of Isaac as a backdrop to say, “After that bitter and blessed experience I think the words my and mine never again had the same meaning for Abraham. The sense of possession which they connote was gone from his heart. Things had been cast out forever. They had now become external to the man. His inner heart was free from them. The world said, ‘Abraham is rich,’ but the aged patriarch only smiled. He could not explain it, but he knew that he owned nothing, that his real treasures were inward and eternal.”

Are your real treasures inward and eternal? Are you like the man who treated the kingdom of heaven like a treasure and sold all that he had to buy it with joy? Or like the merchant who was searching for great pearls and after finding one sold all he had to possess it? This is not saying that the kingdom of heaven can be purchased. The way has already been purchased. It is revealing the point that knowing Christ, the King of the kingdom, is priceless and abandonment to Him provides rich joy and real perspective on this life that we live!

When He Speaks

A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

For three days, I worked diligently on a painting that would be given to an expectant mother. I watched as the colors fell into place and became one of the most unique things I had ever done. The baby's name soon was creatively decorated onto the canvas, and finally, the decision on which scripture to use was finalized. As I wrote the bright pink verse on the pink and green polka dotted canvas, I did not know then how true they would be for me in the next few days...

Just a week before I began this gift, I had applied and been accepted to Western Kentucky University's online Master's Program in Elementary Education. I was overjoyed at the possibility of pursuing a purpose in my life. The door opened for me so quickly to go back to college; I never once took the time to really pray it through. It just seemed as if it were the right thing to do.

In my heart though, I believe I knew better. Just like the pink and green dots so brilliantly corresponded, a teacher with a year off should take the time to get her Master's degree. Or so I thought. We joke about it now, but my husband questioned me one afternoon about going back to school. The anxiety about it was overwhelming me, and with such clarity and conviction, I told him, "I would rather be a mother, than have a Master's."

For the past nine months, I have longed for a child. In December of 2007, when I learned we were in fact pregnant with our first child, I knew God was answering my prayers. Just two short months later, when that same God took the baby into His arms, I asked Him over and over why it had to be this way when He had just given me all that I wanted. When we didn't get pregnant in the next few months and knowing I would not be teaching in any school in the upcoming fall, we decided that God wanted us to further our education. I shared the information with family after being accepted, and as excited as they all were, my dad said the most peculiar words after learning of the news, “I thought you were calling to tell me you were pregnant." He even seemed disappointed (don't take this wrong because my father would love to see me graduate again).

I'll be honest... I was too. Two years ago when I graduated from Western, I was so thankful to be leaving and had no intentions of going back. God seems to have His own ideas and plans, and He actually wasn't keeping them from me. You see, as I was busy making my own plans to head back to school, God was speaking His plans for me loud and clear through paintings, family, and in my heart. I would not be going back to school because 1) the cost is currently too expensive, and 2) we are pregnant with our second child.

Now, I don't know the specific plans God has for me, and I'm not sure that I will ever meet this child that is within me. What I do know is that, through the steady sound of a heartbeat on an ultrasound monitor, God speaks clearly. He speaks directly. He speaks with great wisdom. When He speaks, we must listen. Our lives are not our own, and our decisions are not ours to make. So with a humble heart, I write to express my deepest apologies for misinforming you about my returning to college, and I meekly ask you to pray for us as we anticipate the plans God has for our future...

The bright pink words on the canvas stand out now. They are so plain yet now incredibly beautiful, as I know that God was using them to speak to my heart. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." How awesome it is when God speaks!


Listening to Him,
Jenna Johnson
(See the “Bright Pink Canvas” here.)