Speak Life

By Gayle Bragg Johnson

Did you know you are a prophet? The words you speak will come true. The good, the bad, the ugly. It WILL come to pass.

Satan is a liar. Period. He comes for no other reason but to kill, steal and destroy. (John 10:10). He will attack your mind every chance he gets. He will tell you that you are worthless, not lovable, you can't do it. He is a liar. God says, through His word, that He loved us SO MUCH that He GAVE His only son to die for OUR SINS (John 3:16). We are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). He also says that we can do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength. (Philippians 4:13).

I have 5 wonderful grandchildren. In the last month I have had to speak to 3 of them because they are listening to the lies. Lies they hear in their heads that they are not lovable and must change who they are to fit in. One is being made fun of because she is so smart, another one because he is not as good in school as others in his class. One thinks she is unlovable because her father abandoned her. My heart breaks because I see their worth, and I know God sees their worth. These kids are raised in a good, loving family. Can you imagine the kids who don't have this support????

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.' This is a lie. Words can do MORE damage than sticks or stones.

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18:21‬ ‭NIV‬‬. You will eat, digest and live the words you speak. They will go into your innermost being and become a part of you. This is true not only about the words you speak to other people, but what you speak to yourself.

In James 3, he speaks of a bit in the mouth of a horse used to guide a horse where it will go, and a small rudder used to steer a large ship. So also the tongue guides our life. It steers us where we will go. He also states that the same mouth we use to praise God, we use to curse people who are made in the image of God! Think of the old adage that people say to someone using a lot of foul language. "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

You want to see a young girl bloom in front of your eyes? Call her beautiful every time you see her. Want your husband to be more helpful around the house? Praise him every time he does. (Everybody likes to be appreciated). Want to see a young man become more compassionate? Tell him you are proud of him when he is giving.

This coming year, speak life. Always. To others and yourself. And watch their lives, and yours, change. "Mountains crumble with every syllable. Hope can live or die. So speak life. Speak life., to the deadest, darkest night, when the sun won't shine and you don't know why. Look into the eyes of the broken hearted, watch em come alive as soon as you speak hope, you speak love you speak...you speak life!" (from 'Speak Life' by Toby Mac.

Do You See What I See?

By Gayle Bragg Johnson

I love Christmas. I mean everything about Christmas. From picking out the perfect gift for that someone special, to the lights, making the cookies and getting the tree. But one of my favorites is the songs. 

I remember caroling when I was younger. We would pile in our cars and go caroling to the shut-ins from church. (Caroling in the country is waaaaay different than caroling in the city!)  During the long drive between houses, we would see the Christmas lights. All in all, good memories from my childhood. 

As I grew up, Christmas became more of a stress factor. The drive for the perfect Christmas took over and I didn't enjoy Christmas as much.  The older I've gotten, the more I realize that, as the Grinch said, "Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store.  Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

So, I'm thinking this year, I'm going to enjoy Christmas again. Totally. I'm going focus on the REAL meaning of Christmas. And I'm gonna pay more attention to the songs. 

"Let every heart prepare Him room."  "Oh come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord".  And one of my favorites;  "And in despair I bowed my  head; 'There is no peace on earth' I said, 'For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men'.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep, 'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men'"

A baby. That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. Regardless of what the world says or does, it is a day set aside to celebrate the birth of the God-man, the Lamb of God, who came to take away our sins. The One who payed the ransom with His blood so we could have a relationship with the Almighty again. He didn't have to do it. He did it because He loves you. He did it because he loves ME. It's personal. 

So I will enjoy Christmas again. And I will celebrate the birth of a baby and remember that "Unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a savior, which is Christ the Lord". Luke 2:11

Do you see what I see?

Thanksgiving

By Gayle Johnson

The past four years have been wrought with trials for me. I started out watching my father's health fail. I watched a strong and proud man become physically weak and humbled by the fact that he was no longer able to do the things he used to do by himself. During this time, I experienced an overwhelming tiredness that would not go away. An almost crippling pain in my left side prompted a visit to the doctor, which led to a CT of the abdomen. The results of the CT started a roller coaster ride of tests, biopsies and multiple doctors and office visits. 

I was thinking back a few months ago to all that I and my family has been through in the last 4 years. To make a long story short, I have had 5 surgeries, about 15 CTs, 5 ultrasounds, 4 biopsies, been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and lymphoma, 6 months of chemo, 5 maintenance chemo treatments, 2 heart caths and 3 stents, been told I've had a heart attack at some time, labs, labs and more labs, and a partridge in a pear tree. 

Looking back would give me a good reason to be depressed, and a reason to believe that God is mad at me. Yet through all of this, I can honestly say I have been blessed. I have continued to work throughout all of this, even during the worst of it. My husband, who is my gift from God, still loves me and continues to take care of me, without complaint. My children and grandchildren, also a gift from God, continue to love and respect me. They are very much in my life every day. 

Every trial I go through forces me to see and understand that God alone is in control. And I see that I am still here, still working, still going to church. I should feel waaaaay worse than I do. 

My faith has grown. God has given me a blog to sing His praises and I now teach the Sunday school class and I am being taught by the Holy Spirit himself. God is faithful!  Everyday!  He loves ME!   He knows MY NAME! It is tattooed on His hand!  I am acutely aware that I cannot do this on my own, and, praise God, I have stopped trying. 

Great is thy faithfulness is one of my favorite hymns. 

"Great is thy faithfulness, oh God my Father.

There is no shadow of turning with Thee. 

Thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not

As thou has been, thou forever wilt be.

Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness. 

Morning by morning new mercies I see

All I have needed thy hand hath provided

Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me."

Today I am first and foremost thankful for Father God's faithfulness. I can trust Him. He is true to His word. These trials have pulled me closer to God. And I am full of the peace that passes all understanding. And joy.  Don't forget the joy. I wouldn't change my life and go back to the relationship I used to have with Jesus. You know, when I knew who he was, but not really as a friend. Today, He is my friend. And He calls me friend. 

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.””

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭27:1‬ ‭

“ If anyone attacks you, don’t for a moment suppose that I sent them, And if any should attack, nothing will come of it. I create the blacksmith who fires up his forge and makes a weapon designed to kill. I also create the destroyer— but no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what GOD ’s servants can expect. I’ll see to it that everything works out for the best.” GOD ’s Decree.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54:11-17‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Thank you Father God for trials. May I always remember how truly blessed I am.

The Legacy That We Leave

By Gayle Bragg Johnson

I was sleeping the other night and somewhere in the twilight between sleep and wakefulness, I heard the words "The legacy we leave". I started thinking about what I will leave behind when I leave this earth. What is MY legacy?

My father was a Christian man. From the time I can remember, he always took us to church. He TOOK us to church.  And yet, the man who took us to church when I was a child was not the same man whose hand I held as he slipped from this world. The old man was wiser, his eyes narrowed and moist with the tears of a life that was full, but he seemed to feel a regret. There was an urgency in his words, calling anyone who would listen to repent and follow Christ.   The regret? Not telling enough people. 

Everyone who was blessed enough to know him was affected by his faith. He was a quiet, humble man. But He was also a leader, a teacher, a disciplinarian and someone who, I believe, God would call a friend. He was easy to get along with, unless you dishonored his God, his wife, his family or his country (in that order). 

Most of my life has been spent in a Christian home. I never remember a time when I didn't believe in God. I knew He existed. No one had to try to convince me that there was a God. I accepted Him when I was 10. But following Him, well that was a different story.  I didn't want to go where He wanted to go. Until I realized that “Even the demons believe that (there is one God)--and shudder.” ‭‭James‬ ‭2:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬. Was I no better than a demon?

Jesus himself said to the disciples to "Follow me." (John 1:43, John 21:19, Mat 4:19). He called them to walk where He walked, do what He did, to associate with those He associated with. That's what He calls us to do. Get out of your comfort zone. Get your hands dirty and your feet wet. Follow Him. Wherever He leads you. I still struggle with that. But I am trying now. 

Faith, that is the legacy I got from my father. I cannot thank him enough. Dad made sure I knew he loved me. More importantly, he made sure I knew Jesus loves me. He made sure that I knew when I screwed up, that I was always welcomed back, like the prodigal son. (Luke 15:11-32) The legacy I leave my children and grandchildren? I hope they would say the same. 

My Life is in God's Hands

By Gayle Bragg Johnson

In Job 1 we see that Satan comes in front of God. "Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”   ‭Job‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭

To which Satan says (paraphrased) Well of course he acts like that. You have a hedge of protection around him and bless everything he does. Take everything away from him and he won't be so righteous any more. He will curse you to your face. 

This conversation tells me one important fact. Everything that happens to me is Father filtered. I have been punched down now for 4 years. One problem gets solved, then another one pops up. A few years ago,I asked God, "What are you doing?  Why are you picking on me?"  Then something amazing happened. 

I learned that times of trials are a time of learning. Today, I am not really bothered by the things that happen to me. I pray daily for the peace that passes all understanding. Slowly, the Holy Spirit has given me that.  Through each trial, it gets a little easier to give it to God. And to let go of it. 

 I have learned that my life here is just a vapor. And that death is only the beginning and my life is in God's hands. Satan must ask permission to afflict me. If God thinks I need to learn to trust him more, then I will receive an opportunity to exercise my faith.  And exercise I have. The more I use my faith muscle, the bigger it gets. And by the way, I also ask God to increase my faith. Be careful what you pray for!

And the real kicker?  I pray every day that God will make me more like Jesus. Guess what? I am being reshaped into a likeness of Jesus. "If that is what it takes to praise you, Jesus bring the rain!" (From "Bring the rain" by Mercy Me)

Purpose in my pain

By Gayle Johnson

So why does God let us go through pain and hard times?  There are several reasons why. 

1.  Drawing us closer to Him. One thing I've noticed about myself is when I'm in a deep pit, that is when I am closest to God. I spend a lot more time with Him when I'm hurting. When things are out of control, I am acutely aware that I cannot do this on my own. I need help. I need God. If things were always perfect, I would not need God, now would I?  

2.  To humble us. Some times we get so full of ourselves that God has to take us to the mat and lay us out on our backs so we begin to finally look up again. 

3.  To put us where he needs us. About 13 years ago I had been working nights in ICU at St Vincent's. I was tired of working holidays, nights and weekends. I wanted a normal job with normal hours. I applied for a school nurse position and prayed and prayed that I would get the job. I did not get it. I was upset and wondered why. It was perfect for me. A couple of weeks later, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I needed to be available during the day to help take her to treatments. I couldn't have done that as a school nurse, but at St Vincent's, my schedule was perfect for this. And then, a couple of years later, I got a job that really was perfect for me. I still work there today. God ALWAYS knows best. 

4.  To build our faith. Faith is a muscle. If you don't use it, you loose it. Faith needs to be exercised. When we exercise it, faith grows. I personally feel like there is a lot that we miss out on because of a lack of faith. How many times did Jesus chastise the apostles for their lack of faith?  What were they missing out on?  What am I missing out on?

5.  Sometimes it has nothing to do with us.   God may be moving other people around you so they can see how you react to a new trial.  After I was diagnosed with lymphoma, I heard some of my friends talking. They were commenting about all the things I've had to go through. One friend asked me how I can get through everything I have been through.  I told her "Jesus gives me strength, cause I can't do this on my own". I wouldn't have been able to say that if I weren't going through a trial. 

6.  God wants to teach us. Sometimes we should ask what it is God wants us to learn. Have you ever noticed that the only time you really learn anything is when you fall flat on your face?  The Israelites refused to learn the easy way, so they had to learn the hard way, in the desert for forty years. I'm thinking I'm gonna ask God what he wants me to know before I take another trip around that mountain. 

7.  Perhaps God is preparing us for what he has for us. You never plant the seed without first plowing the ground. You must prepare the ground to receive the seed in order for it to grow and produce a crop. That requires the ground being disturbed, turned over and exposed to the elements. 

8.  To make us more like Christ. Like the carpenter he is, Christ is smoothing out the rough edges to conform us to his standards. Think about that. Sanding is rubbing a rough piece of paper over a raw piece of wood to make it smooth and functional. It causes friction and heat. But the end result is beautiful. 

9.  Only a beloved child will be disciplined.  Not all problems are discipline.  But if you never get discipline, you might want to re-examine your relationship with God. You may not have one. 

10.  God gets blamed for a lot of things. Some of our problems are a natural progression from sin. If I cheat on a test, get caught and flunk the class, that is a natural progression. God didn't cause it. He told me not to steal or lie. (Commandment # 8 and 9, with a smattering of # 5 for good measure)

Being a Christian doesn't mean we won't face problems. Actually, Jesus promises we will have problems. The difference between us and the non-believing world is how we react to the problems we have.  A persons true character is not revealed when everything is going right, but when everything isn't.

The Big Things

Did you ever have a day when the little things just seem to go right?  I had a day like that the other day. Everywhere I went, something little happened that let me know that my steps were ordered by God. That I was right where I was supposed to be right at that time. 

Nothing big happened. I was walking in to Walmart and another man was walking towards me pushing a cart. Right as we were getting ready to pass, his tub of blueberries fell, bursting open and scattered blueberries everywhere. The look on his face was a mixture of unbelief and dismay. I smiled because I've been there. Then I heard "Help him."  I stopped to help him pick them up.  He thanked me for helping and we both went on our way. 

I went on to the pharmacy to turn in my prescription for a cough syrup. But it was written wrong. So I was informed I had to have it rewritten. And of course it was Friday and the doctor was not in until Monday. But I smiled, said thank you and took the script back. 

Then I went through the drive through and the girl got my order wrong. I smiled and thanked her for fixing it. Then on the way back up to the office I passed by a black man in a delivery uniform.   I had never seen him before, but I thought of all the racial problems in our world today. I smiled and said hello. He looked relieved and said hello back. 

Ok, it wasn't anything spectacular. It was simple, everyday situations that I responded to.  But it made me feel significant in a world that I feel lost in sometimes. 

Some days I wonder what big thing God has for me to do. Then there are days like today when I realize that sometimes the little things are actually the big things. We live in a hurting world where people don't take time for others. Sometimes a kind action, word or smile can make a difference. 

If we profess to be a Christian, but are angry, mean and cussing all the time, non Christians are going to ask "Is that what a Christian looks like? Who wants to be like that?"  We are ambassadors of God's Kingdom. We should act like it. 

I've heard it said to preach the gospel continuously, and if necessary, use words. While I do feel that each one of us are to preach the gospel with words, I also feel that how we live is the biggest advertisement for a new life in Christ. If you're going to talk the talk, you must walk the walk. Only when others see us living a different life will they want to know why.   So stop to help a stranger, be kind when things don't go your way, and share a smile. 

Faith Without Borders

By Gayle Johnson

I've been learning a lot lately about faith. It's easy to have faith in things you see every day. I have faith the sun will come up tomorrow. After all, it has come up every day of my life.  

But having faith in something you can't see is not so easy. My experience tells me that I cannot walk on water. I sink. That is how the universe works.  And yet, I read about Peter walking on water. So why can't I?

A while back, I was reading in Matthew 9.
Two blind men approached Jesus, asking Him to have mercy on them. Jesus asked if they believed he could heal them. “Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”;”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9:29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I've read this many times before and never noticed that he says "according to your faith."  Then I thought about what that meant. It says to me that they would receive what they are believing for. Nothing more, nothing less.

Why were there so many miracles performed in the bible?  Sure Jesus did a lot of them, but so did the apostles. Jesus sent them out and told them to heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons. (Matthew 10) They came back amazed that even the demons obeyed their commands. Jesus had given them HIS power to do these things in His name.

So why don't we see so many miracles today? What did the disciples have that we don't? I'm thinking it is faith. They SAW Jesus work. They knew what could happen. I think we have lived so long in a desert that we don't expect miracles any more.

I believe God can do anything, in theory. But I am being called to step out of the boat. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. "Take my hand," says Jesus. Come on.  Let's step out of the boat together.

Clean Closets

By Gayle Johnson

Cleaning out my closet is never easy. I'm always afraid if I get rid of something that I will need it later. Even if I haven't worn it in years, I can't seem to get rid of it. 

Lately, I have felt like God is cleaning out my spiritual closet. He is removing people who are gathering dust and taking up space in my life. I want to hang on to it, and so I get upset and angry about what I see as betrayal. I argue that God doesn't know what it is like to be betrayed by someone close to me. 

WHAT??? Did I really just say that???  Instantly Judas and Peter come to mind. And I realized just why God came to earth in human form. In addition to dying for my sins, He also came so I could be assured that He DOES know how I feel. Been there. Done that. Wrote the book on it. 

Still, prying things out of my hands is not pretty. Or easy. It hurts. I flash back to the lessons learned sitting by my mothers hospital bed while she was dying. As I held her hand, I asked God to end her suffering and take her hand.  I then heard a gentle voice inside me say, "I can't take hold of her hand until you let go."  BAM. Right between the eyes. Suddenly, it was my move. 

Surrender was my only option. Sure God could have taken my mother before that. He's God. He controls the universe. But He wanted ME to surrender. Yes, I still miss my mother. But she is in Paradise now. And I love her enough to let her go. 

I know that if God is removing something or someone from my life, it is to make room for something better. Joe cleaned some things out of our closet the other day. They were my fathers things. He said 3 years is long enough. It was time to move on. I don't know what God has in store for me, but I know He is making room for something. Help me to surrender, Lord. 

What time is it?

By Gayle Johnson

 I'm a procrastinator. It's a character flaw (one of many). Why do today what I can put off until tomorrow?  There's always more time. Until there isn't any more time.
By not making a decision, you ARE making a decision. And it is always NO.Some things don't really matter. Like where to eat dinner. Other times it can be life or death. And one decision can cost you your eternal soul. Or should I say, one LACK of a decision. The decision to follow, or not to follow, Christ.Sunday at church I saw the reality of this for some people. One minute my friend Linda is talking about thanking God after asking Him for something. "Claiming the Victory". The next minute she was slumped over the table and we were calling 911. Now, my friend, Linda, is a strong Christian woman, and I know if she were to be called home by God at that instant, that I would see her again in heaven. Of that, there is no doubt in my mind.But it got me to thinking. What about YOU?  If your heart were to stop in the next few seconds, do you know where you would spend eternity?John 14:6 NIVDid you see that? NO ONE. Jesus is the ONLY way. I'm not being "exclusionary".
God wants all people to come to him. If I am invited to a fabulous party, but I choose not to go, are the ones throwing the party being "exclusionary" because I choose not to go?  Absolutely not! It's my choice. And, it's your choice."Today is the day of salvation" 2 Corinthians 6:2"Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed wants to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Hebrews 9:27-28 NIV
The choice is yours. But time is running out. Make the wise decision. Our elders would be happy to talk to you about this, as would I.

x

A Mother's Forgiveness

By Gayle Johnson

Step between a momma bear and her cubs and you will wish you had never gotten out of bed that morning. It will ruin your whole day. Only, momma bears stop being so protective once the cubs grow up.

Not so with humans. This momma bear is not so forgiving. Threaten my children or grandchildren and fire will be in my eyes and smoke coming out of my ears. Game on.

This week, my daughter's life was threatened by a thug. He robbed her at gun point, stole her purse, cell phone, and threatened to kill her. He was attempting to to get her to open the store she manages in order to rob the store, when he noticed a man at a nearby bus stop watching him. After threatening to kill him also, he abandoned the idea and ran. I believe if he had gotten her in the store, he would have killed her.

Momma was not happy. I wanted this guy to pay. A lot. Right now. I was not in a forgiving mood. The longer the day went on, the more I realized how close my daughter was to loosing her life. But then God brought to mind the fact that she WAS alive and relatively unharmed. I pray daily for God's protection of my family. I realized that today and every day God has answered my prayers. While I would have preferred this not to happen at all, I realized that He is protecting us.

Ok, God. I AM thankful for your protection. But this guy must pay. Then I hear the song That was then, this is now by Josh Wilson.

"That was then, this is now. You're bought by the blood, saved by the Son the saints all sing about. That was lost, this is found, and it's time to say goodbye to the old you now. So Go ahead put the past in the past, box it up like an old photograph.  You don't have to go back.  Cause that was then, this is now".

If I expect The Lord to forgive MY sins, I NEED to forgive this man too. I am grateful that I can box up my old self like old photographs. Then this verse comes to mind. 

Jesus isn't really talking about giving money. He's talking about not judging people. Giving grace. Forgiving. The forgiveness I give will be returned to me. I must forgive. I am trying. Lord give me your strength. And your grace to forgive.

Inside Out

Disclosure: I might be on the wrong chapter. I fully admit that I've lost track... So today I read Matthew, chapter 23 and it reminded me of the movie inside out. I don't know if you seen it but it is adorable! It is the story of a little girl (that's the outside part). The inside part is the five main emotions that live inside her head and control her actions. LOL The emotions are Joy, sadness, disgust, anger, and fear. The movie explains at the beginning that Joy doesn't understand the purpose of sadness but sees how the other emotions as well as herself have a way of protecting Riley and making her life successful and happy. As the movie goes on you see how life changes for the little girl and how life changes inside her brain with the emotions that she goes through. By the end, Joy comes to understand that sadness has a purpose that she did not know (without sadness Riley wouldn't get help or comfort when she is overwhelmed.) I thought it was really cute and fun to watch. The way that this movie reminded me of Matthew 23 - when Jesus is scolding the scribes and Pharisees, we see that they are only concerned with their outside parts, the parts of their lives that other people see. They didn't understand that it is the inside that we need to deal with first and, it is our inside, our heart that will determine our ultimate character and actions. Also the scribes and Pharisees did not know themselves. They thought they were better off without Jesus. They truly thought they were superior and that Jesus was distructive and harmful. The hardest part about this is that we often look at the scribes and Pharisees and do not see ourselves. But Jesus did not put this passage in the Bible because it doesn't describe us, but rather because it does. We have to watch out that we don't become arrogant. We need the Bible to make us self aware of what we are. Just like in that cute little movie when the inside starts to become regulated the outside will have success. We need to have hearts that are seeking Christ on the inside and our outward actions will follow. :-)

ECC Services 2/28/2016

Sunday School - Taught by Dr. Merton Bobo, Genesis - Lesson Two

Special Music - Rachel Tolliver

Worship Service - Message by Kevin Russell

I've missed a few weeks of services, but don't worry - they aren't forgotten. I'll be getting them up later this week. In the meantime - Enjoy today's services! :)