Milk and Me

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. (1 Peter 2:2)

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides for ever. (1 John 2:15-17)

Do you remember the days when life was simple? The only thing you did was depend on your parents to do everything for you such as giving you a bottle, picking you up when you cried, and rocking you to sleep at bedtime. Actually, I cannot remember many of these moments very well. However, I do recall eating supper around the family table, telling mom and dad about tough situations at school, and being able to go to bed, sleeping peacefully in the security of my parents’ home. Looking back, it was a joyful time because my parents provided all of my needs and simply asked me to obey. How much easier could it get than that? Life then was simple.

Now, with a six-month-old in the house, I am relearning valuable lessons about loving God and family. Most mornings, I wait for Daniel to start crying when he is waking up in his crib. When I hear that he is stirring, I walk to his bedroom and bend down for his reaching arms. He normally has the brightest expression on his face when he sees me. It is in this moment I realize that all he wants is his mother or me. His love is raw, real, powerful, and intimate, and I know he is completely depending on me for everything. Once he is secure in my arms, the next thing he wants is a bottle of fresh milk. Of course, I give him what he needs and desires, as he rests in my arms.

As he continues to grow, he is beginning to enjoy watching cartoons, playing with remote controls, and exploring the world in which he lives through crawling. Sometimes, he gets distracted from me with the door stop or something on the coffee table, but at the end of the day, all he wants is milk and me, as he says, “da-da.”

Are you still depending on your heavenly Father every day? He was there the day you were “born again” into His family. He has provided for you every single day before and since then. Have you lost touch with Him? Have you forgotten that He is your “Abba, Father”? If so, let Him know how much have missed His intimate fellowship and are thankful for the gift of his Son. His Son died that we may live, and it is in Jesus Christ where we see the glory and reflection of the Father. Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39).

Keep looking up to Him as the Psalmist reminds us, “I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalms 121:1-2). As you look up to the Father, may “the LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace” (Numbers 6:24-26). Knowing Jesus is sweeter than the radiating smile of a newborn babe reflecting from the face of a loving father.

Reversed Roles

Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Today, Jenna and I took Daniel to his four month check-up. The nurses and doctors were busy taking his temperature, measuring his height and weight, and giving him his shots. He is growing by the minute and so is my appreciation for my parents. Every time, Jenna and I find ourselves spending time with, feeding, or buying something for Daniel. I am reminded of how much love my parent’s had for me when I was learning to roll over, squeal, and fight my sleep. I guess the roles have reversed a little in 29 years.

Also, I write today because I feel like over the past 2 years, my role in sending out encouragement has changed. I have received so much encouragement from so many of you. You all probably know that my greatest mentor, granddaddy (78), passed away two years ago this month. My dad (48) followed him 9 months later and never spent a Father’s Day without his dad. Then, my mom, who spent only one anniversary without my dad, passed away 10 months later. And so, the Words of Encouragement that began in August of 2003 quit flowing around May of 2008. It has been difficult for me to write down anything of encouragement. Words would not come in the dark silence.

Throughout the past year, I have continued to preach and teach God’s Word at various places. You may have seen me at church and wondered, “How are you really doing?” Honestly, it has been difficult. I can remember the first time I wanted to call Mom after she passed. Jenna and I had just left the doctor to see how Daniel was growing in the womb. I wanted to call and tell her how well Daniel (then Elijah) was doing and that he would be here with us in a month or so. It was a hard hit. There have also been many days when I needed advice on fixing something around the house. The first person I thought of was Dad. I picked up the phone many times, but I forgot he wasn’t there anymore. There have been times that I desired to talk to granddaddy about the Scriptures, but the closest I can get is looking at his shadowbox in my office that contains his Bible opened to Romans 8, his reading glasses, and a couple sets of notes on Prayer and Christ’s birth.

I guess I write today to let you know how much I appreciate your encouragement. Maybe, this is why I had to be in a place of silence for so long. I needed to see the ministry of biblical encouragement. I was busy writing emails every week, and the Lord wanted to give me a direct lesson on how much people need each other and their encouragement. Life can be tough at times but it is never out of the reach of God’s providence and His sovereign hand. Plus, I found it written in one of Fanny Crosby’s biographies that she experienced a time of silence in her life. Well, she only wrote more than 8,000 hymns in her lifetime, and she started at 43 years of age. Whatever your age, we can all learn to be a better encourager to others, because you never know when the roles may be reversed.

Mom and Dad's love for God and their 30+ years of marriage has been a great foundation to build my family upon. Thanks Mom and Dad for giving me an example to live by now that I am a husband and father!

Newness of Life

Originally Written on February 26, 2009

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:1-4


Could you imagine living in a prison cell for 8 years? Everyday, you wake up and put on the same clothes as everyone else. There are three meals a day prepared for you, and during visits, a vending machine is prized like a steak from Outback. Visitors come for weekly visits, but other than the guards and staff, there is little contact with the “free world.” Not to mention, there is a great separation between the two worlds. Actually, two 12-foot-tall fences with razor, barbed-wire defeat any hopes of escape.

About 4 and a half years ago, I was privileged to be connected with a man inside the prison through the Men of Valor prison ministry in Nashville, Tennessee. I did not know what to expect when I walked into the prison for the first time. Actually, I was claustrophobic, and the guards, metal detector, and sound of the two heavy-weight, metal doors frightened me. I knew I was on foreign soil even though still in Nashville. As I walked to the table where I was matched up with a numbered inmate, I realized the guy across the table looked so much like me. He was 25, and I was 24. Other than his clothes, I would have never pictured him as “one of them.”

He had made a mistake in his life. He sinned against God and man and was doing his time to pay for the consequences of his actions. Just this Tuesday, his sentence was up. After visiting him weekly over the past few years, I stood behind the barbed-wire fence and watched him walk into the building. With guards on both sides of him, I saw the radiance of his smile, the joy of his heart, and the first step in the newness of life. He even had brand-new clothes on. He left all the old ones behind. I waited as he cleared the portal, and we embraced for the first time as a free men. He had not seen a world without fences or guards. He had been confined but could now run free through the parking lot. He had been separated from family and friends, and now they could freely embrace and shed tears of joy and laughter.

The first thing he wanted was real food. His family and mine celebrated this amazing day, and I sat back and laughed within as I saw him devour an appetizer, gourmet burger and fries, and a huge piece of chocolate cake. It was a joyful day that I will never forget. I believe he has learned his lesson and will never return back to prison. There will always be risks involved, and the consequences of sin should never be diminished. However, every man needs hope.

There are so many people simply “doing time” these days. They are easy to recognize. They are confined only to this world in which we live, and they never give thought to eternity. They are entrapped and enslaved by sin without any hope in the world.

Unless… Jesus, who entered our world, lived a righteous life and died an atoning death, rescues them. I am thankful today that I am more than a number within the 6 billion-plus people in the world. The Lord knows them that are his (2 Timothy 2:19c). I am thankful Jesus and men who have preached the gospel didn’t overlook me as “one of them.” I am thankful that God initiates contact with sinners and delivers them from sin. I am thankful that Jesus wasn’t afraid of the shame and reproach He would bear on the sinner’s behalf, although he despised it (Hebrews 12:2). I am thankful He fulfilled Proverbs 17:15 which says, “He that justifies the wicked, and he that condemns the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.” I am thankful that Jesus is the door of salvation. I am thankful for the new clothes of salvation. May we ever wear a garment of praise to Jesus. I am thankful for His forgiveness and warm embrace which is peace to the soul. I am thankful for the good things God has given us to explore. I am thankful to be free…

Charles Wesley eloquently portrayed the joy of salvation and the newness of life in the last three stanzas of his hymn, “And Can It Be that I Should Gain:”

He left His Father's throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace,
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam's helpless race:'
Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Walking in Newness of Life,
Brian Johnson

Catching Your Breath

Originally Written on February 18, 2009

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Isaiah 40:28-29

Have you ever been winded? I am talking about that feeling when you start walking up a flight of steps and begin losing your breath. Maybe, like me, you have not played your favorite sport in a while and find that you can’t move as fast as you used to. You used to be able to run like the wind, but now, you just need some wind. This is not to mention the day-after effects of strenuous exercise. Can you feel me now?

Why is it so hard to start exercising and get moving in the right direction? Honestly, it can be painful and involves sacrifice. We would rather sit and eat. It is comforting and nourishing, but are you ready to be empowered? I am not talking about just physically; we need to be empowered spiritually.

Jesus wants us to be healthy Christians. He knows we need rest, so He tells us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He knows we like to try to run ahead, so he tells us, “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD” (Psalms 27:14). He knows we have a hard time listening to instructions, so he tells us, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:10a). He also knows we like to run away from spiritual responsibilities, so he tells his disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23b). He knows right where we are, and He uses life to get us right where He wants us to be—like Him.

Getting healthy spiritually will not happen overnight. There is not a magic pill that can be taken to reduce the weight of mixed priorities or exercise for you. It takes daily discipline which is both personal and private yet public and practical.

Here are some ways to keep you from getting winded and out of shape spiritually:
· Read 5 pages each day in your Bible (if your Bible has 1500 pages, you can read all of God’s Word in less than 1 year). Whatever works for you.
· Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Make prayer as essential as breathing.
· Get encouraged by other believers at church. They may be winded too!
· Examine your heart for clogged arteries. Don’t allow unresolved conflicts to go unchecked which could be between you and God or someone else; the Great Physician already sees your heart.
· Give generously- Time, attention, money, talents
· Train others in following Christ- Teach unbelievers and believers the value of a cross-centered life!
· Focus on the goal! – “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1b-2).

It may be difficult to start exercising your physical body and your faith. Start off small and stay focused. You have a cross to carry one step at a time. Daily discipline can be demanding, but remember Psalms 34:5, “Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”

Shaping Up,
Brian Johnson

Cleaning Up

Originally Written on December 10, 2008

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2 Corinthians 7:1

When I was a kid, the worst chore I was ever given was to clean my room. You would think that I could have figured out that if I would attempt to keep things clean, dusted and vacuumed, that having that assignment wouldn't be so terrible. BUT, it was... Every single time, I would throw a tantrum at the idea of having to do it.

That phase lasted up until I was in middle school. I continued with the feeling of disgust over cleaning my room. Oh, and in high school too. I would have friends coming over, and at the last minute, I would be shoving things into my two closets and under my bed. It was an awful habit, I must admit.

The alarming part of this is that I still dislike having to clean. You would think the feeling would change what with having my own house and getting married and having a child on the way. BUT it hasn't. I could not tell you if you asked me to inform you on all the things under our bed right now. My closet is shameful, and the soon-to-be nursery closet is the most atrocious thing I have ever seen. You seriously cannot see the wall, carpet, or ceiling; it is packed that tight.

Life is like that sometimes. We have so many things we like holding onto rather than getting rid of them or just cleaning them out. We pride ourselves in hiding our dirt. It is sad but painstakingly true. In Psalm 24, it is evident that we need to get busy with cleaning up... "Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart..." I know I am taking it a bit out of context, but in all seriousness, I think it somewhat applies. How can we live clean lives if not ALL of us is clean? I just don't think it is possible.

With that in mind, I have started cleaning. Maybe it's because I realize I have a baby on the way and I've GOT to make room for him. Maybe it’s because I am tired of all the things I have held onto and realize it is time to make the break. Maybe it's because I have learned that THIS WORLD is not my home, and as the old hymn says, "I'm just a-passing through." The less I have here, the better off I will be when it is my time to go.

It isn’t just my house that needs cleaning. If I would be willing to admit it, I would have to say that my heart could use some dusting as well. My life is not as spotless as the recently-cleaned bookshelves. There are some relationships that need to be tended to, and there are emotions I have been carrying that need to be trashed. I want to be the one who isn’t just cleansed physically and emotionally, but spiritually as well. The person I am is not always the person God intended me to be when He cleaned me up that day on April 10, 1994. It is obvious that I have some housework and major heart work to do.

It's time to clean out the closets and clean up from underneath the bed. It's time to rid myself of things – feelings, emotions, tendencies - I do not need. It's time to realize that God has given me more than enough to live on, and there are those who need these things more than me. So, I'm giving in and cleaning up...

Coming Clean,
Jenna Johnson

To Our Faithful Friends,
We would like to apologize for not writing you sooner. The Lord has been giving us our own “words of encouragement,” and we are delighted to share them with you when the Lord allows. Please keep us in your prayers, as you and yours are in ours. Thank you for understanding, and may God richly bless you during this joyous holiday season.
Until We Write Again,
Brian and Jenna

A Constant Change

Originally Written on November 4, 2008

For I am the LORD, I change not…
Malachi 3:6

It did not seem like much at the time it was planted, but it has grown to show me how constant my Lord tends to be. As a friend left the bush beside our house, I never imagined it would actually do what he said it would... The small, green leaves seemed so insignificant that I doubted they would ever take change like he promised. Yet, I watched and waited, and last year, it did nothing. It remained the same, hunter green and never changed in size. I was almost disappointed when this "special" bush did not change before my eyes. Of course, I never took the initiative to water it or prune the plant, but I just expected something to happen.

I am not usually that fond of change, but at the same time, it happens all around me. I have changed hair colors, phone numbers, and cities. I have changed cars, jobs, and relationships more often than I will ever admit. I have made new best friends, began shopping at different stores, and completely changed the ways I think throughout the years. In just two short years, God has transformed me from a single, outspoken teacher to a married, stay-at-home, soon-to-be mother, and not all of these changes have been easy to accept.

Expecting change is one thing, but having it happen without knowing how to handle it is another. I am reminded of Abraham when the Lord told him that his barren wife, Sarah, would give birth in Genesis 17 and 18. He fell on his face, laughed, and doubted the change the Lord promised. Sarah also laughed within herself at the idea of becoming pregnant in her old age. Though they had been told, Abraham and Sarah seemed astounded when she bore Isaac (Gen 21:6-7). Never has change been an easy thing to accept, even when you are waiting for it.

Hannah prayed for change. Though her womb was closed, she went year after year praying for a child. Hannah even vowed that if the LORD of hosts would grant her a son, “…then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life (1 Samuel 1:11).” Did Hannah realize what she was promising? After pleading years for a child, would she willingly give it away? We all know that she did (in the latter portion of 1 Samuel 1). She begged for change and received it. She waited for change and cherished it. She longed for change and loved it.

No matter how change comes, it is never what we expect, and its outcome is not always what we planned. However, while waiting on our burning bush, which never seemed to bring forth the change I was hoping for, I have learned that God is in the midst of the changes we seek or are given. He promised that He Himself would never change. Daniel said, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons… He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding (Daniel 2:20-21).” Though things around us are changing, we can be confident in knowing that the Lord will give spiritual guidance to those who seek Him.

As I looked outside this afternoon, I saw the most beautiful thing… change. In it, I saw how faultlessly and timely the Lord moves. The leaves were a bright red, and just like Moses before his burning bush, I stood in awe of the wonder of change and the beauty of a constant God.




Finding My Consistency in Christ,
Jenna Johnson