June 3, 2023 by Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

“Hidden”

Psalm 119:9-16: BETH “Wherewithal (how) shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord teach me thy statutes.

With my lips have I declared all thy judgments of thy mouth I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

I will mediate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in they statues; I will not forget thy word.”

The cleansing power of the Word of God, we are saved through faith in Jesus and confession of salvation and he forgives ALL our sins, never to be remembered again.

He washed us in his own blood, changing the filthy rags of our own righteousness to a covering of his perfect righteousness, all for the asking, all we must do is believe and ask him! As we study his word, he speaks to us through that word, he speaks of his love for us, his mercy toward us, and the promises of those words, he also fills our hearts with that word, as this scripture reminds us:

“But this man ( Jesus), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

From henceforth (now on) expecting (waiting) till his enemies be made his footstool. for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before.

THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAITH THE LORD, I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR HEARTS AND IN THEIR MINDS WILL I WRITE THEM; AND THEIR SINS AND INIQUITIES (lawless deeds) WILL I REMEMBER NO MORE.

Now where there remission (forgiveness) of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiness by the blood of Jesus.

By a NEW and LIVING way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.

And having an high priest over the house of God.

Let us draw near (to God) with a true heart in FULL ASSURANCE of faith of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith without wavering;(FOR HE IS FAITHFUL THAT PROMISED)” Hebrews 10:12-23

As we had been encouraged to let the mind of Christ be in us, we understand in these passages why that is us needful for us, as God is even telling us that he will put his word in our hearts and his laws in our minds when we are saved so that we can understand his will for our lives and so that through his word we can resist this word, the devil, and all the pit falls and make our way homeward to New Jerusalem. And this is his promise concerning what will happen for you when you get those words in in your heart and in your mind, he will bring those back at the very moment you need them!

He will supernaturally “drop” that verse in your thoughts or a particular Bible story will come to ind to let you know how to proceed, what to read or how to pray for someone else.

Whatever you need it will be there.

John 14:26: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I said unto you.”

Have a blessed day! and hide his word in your heart, hold onto those promises and rest in His peace! We will soon His glory like never before!

Φλογιζω NBJ 2020/ Reverend Nina Brown Johnson *Revisited 06/03/2023

November 25, 2022 by Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

“Abiding In The Field….”

Beautiful fields, prairie fields at the peak of the season flowing with wildflowers and butterflies.

Mown fields, lush green pastures as far as the eye can see just begging to be used as the ultimate reunion of love as two run toward each other to embrace.

Peaceful fields bordered by crystal clear flowing streams as sheep happily graze without a care in the world as their shepherd watches over them.

But there are other fields…. Fields of dry, brown grass withered by the scorch of the sun, patches of soil left exposed and cracked lacking the relief of gentle expected rains that did not come.

Fallow field that require the tedious backbreaking work of removing all the stone and working that ground until it can produce once again.

With the changing seasons of this life WE ARE THOSE SHEEP and those laborers. And we find ourselves in many different fields. The Prophet Jeremiah bought a filed for an inheritance, even though EVERYTHING was going to fall apart, this was the purchase of the FUTURE.

Jeremiah 32:14 : “Thus SAITH the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Take the evidences (deeds), this evidence (deed) of the purchase, BOTH WHICH IS SEALED, and THIS EVIDENCE WHICH IS OPEN; and put them in an EARTHEN VESSEL, that they may continue (last) many days. For thus SAITH the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; HOUSES AND VINEYARDS SHALL BE POSSESSED AGAIN IN THIS LAND.”

And we’ll go to another Bible account and visit Ruth, a lady who found herself in a “foreign” field and how that field held blessing beyond anything she could have imagined for her life at that time.

As she gleaned that field, working to take what had been left to feed those who were hungry, she unknowingly caught the eye of the one who owned the field!

Ruth 2:8,9: ” Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? GO NOT to glean in another field, NEITHER go from hence ( do not leave from here) BUT ABIDE HERE fast (close) by my maidens: LET THINE EYES BE ON THE FIELD THAT THEY DO REAP and go thou after them (follow them) : and have I not charged the young me that THEY SHOULD NOT TOUCH THEE? (they had been told to leave her alone and let her work ) and when thou art athirst (thirsty) GO UNTO THE VESSELS, and DRINK THAT WHICH THE YOUNG MEN HAVE DRAWN ( they were SUPPOSED to SHARE with her their water and allow her access to THEIR water jugs).

We’ll keep the advise Ruth had heeded in mind and we will journey on through the Bible and pay a visit to those who were also were also diligently minding the tasks of their field.

Luke 2:8-20 ” And there were in the same country SHEPHERDS ABIDING IN THE FIELD, KEEPING WATCH OVER THEIR FLOCKS BY NIGHT. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the GLORY OF THE LORD SHONE ROUND ABOUT THEM: and they were sore afraid.

And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And SUDDENLY there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host PRAISING GOD, and saying, GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOD WILL TOWARD MEN.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them INTO HEAVEN, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and SEE this thing which is come to pass, which the LORD HATH MADE KNOWN UNTO US. and they came WITH HASTE, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when THEY HAD SEEN IT, THEY MADE IT KNOWN abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

BUT Mary kept all these things, and PONDERED THEM IN HER HEART.

And the SHEPHERDS RETURNED, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”

So that promised redemption, those open deeds, the things made known and crystal clear and those deeds that had been sealed, the birth of a King coming in a way no one could see, born in poverty to parents whose offering would be two turtle doves, the offering given by the poorest of the poor, those deeds to the inheritance of all of eternity had been kept in that earthen vessel which would be born of a virgin and in the lineage of another who obeyed the field command.

As God allowed love to blossom in that field between Ruth and Boaz, a love whose embrace led to the birth of their great-grandson who would be King David whose bloodline would be honored in the ultimate fulfillment of those deeds, those promises of OWNERSHIP of a nation and the world that would come in that earthen vessel born in that humble manger in the body of Jesus Christ.

The shepherds who were doing their job watching over their sheep AT NIGHT (I’m not even getting it to that YET, oh, but it is coming) were rewarded by the proclamation of the news to ends all news given straight BY THE VOICES OUT OF HEAVEN ITSELF!

So about those fields, had Jeremiah took it upon himself to ignore the voice of the Lord and think well, why buy a place that will be destroyed?

What if Ruth had decided that another field with kinder maidens would be more enjoyable?

What if the young men tried to run Ruth away and hoarded all the water that she was dependent on to strengthen her during gleaning?

What if the shepherds had not abided by their flock? They would have NEVER heard from heaven!

Mary kept it and pondered it, she knew who her baby was and that was enough for her.

Whatever field you find yourself in today, please stay there, if it is beautiful and fertile, let the Lord lead you and bless that beautiful place and season in your life, don’t doubt it, run through that field and embrace!

If you find yourself being urged to “purchase” what appears dead or hopeless, heed the voice of the Lord, only He knows His plans and He alone will bring life back to what APPEARS hopeless.

If your field is stone and you have worked until your back breaks and your hands bleed and you have cried so many tears that you can’t even remember the last time you smiled, DON’T GIVE UP!

I promise when that last stone is ripped from the ground and that soil is soft and

God sends those refreshing rains of spring, what you have sown also watered by all those tears is going to spring up into a harvest so plentiful and beautiful that you will rejoice and thank Him for giving you the strength to not give up.

Shepherds take heed that stay by your sheep DURING THIS NIGHT, and don’t let the water boys hoard that which is meant to be shared with those God has sent to glean the leftovers FROM YOUR FIELD and never cease to hear the voice of that heavenly host praising God, they beheld His glory but I promise you, we who are faithful will also behold Him and it will be a glory unlike any that has been as of yet but we have to be listening in our field.

HE IS THE I AM THAT IS and me and my little fire baby Φλογιζω will stay in our field and you stay in yours, you will never regret it!

Φλογίζω / NBJ 2015 Original post date: 12/12/2015 *Revisited 12/07/2019 & * 12/04/2020 & Revisited 12/17/2021 & 11/25/22

July 3, 2022 by Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

Unshakeable

“That your faith should not stand (be) in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:5 One of my all time favorite Bible verses is Romans 3:23, which says this: “For ALL have sinned, and come (fell) short of the glory of God.”

ALL is the key word there, ALL of us, whether we have been saved fifty years or even if we have only been saved a few days. ALL of us. It is not based on looks, character traits, morals, no of that is comes down to one simple truth.

Psalm 51:1:” Behold, I was shapen (brought forth) in iniquity: and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

This verse has nothing to do with anything to do with anyone’s mother or lineage. This verse IS all of us. ALL of us, EVERY SINGLE HUMAN ON THIS EARTH, with the only exception of this being the birth of Jesus Christ whose conception was by the Holy Ghost overshadowing Mary the Virgin and just supernaturally placing this child in her womb.

And Mary remained a virgin until after Jesus birth. Even though her had Joseph had married, that marriage was not consummated until Jesus. Matthew 1:24,25: “Then Joseph being raised from sleep did and the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not (kept her a virgin) till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

My sincerest desire is to address a COMMON issue facing believers today. The first being those who do believe in God but refuse to surrender to Him because they have fallen to the totally FALSE belief that in order to be saved, we must somehow “make ourselves right”.

Listen my dears, this is impossible. God put it this way to the prophet Jeremiah, 13:23: “Can the Ethiopian change the colour of his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”

We can not change ourselves. We are what we are and to believe in God, knowing that Jesus himself said this, undoubtedly the most quoted scripture of all time, John 3:16-18: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the son of God.”

That is the secret, it is all what WE believe and if we BELIEVE in God but also BELIEVE we can never be saved through pure faith, guess what we will never be saved and that we not be because God would not save us that would mean that we would rather hold onto our guilt and shame, convinced by the enemy that we must be punished and pay a price for hat sin that we are UNABLE to pay.

It IS self-righteousness. It maybe isn’t like hypocritical self-righteousness that we find in churchgoers who look down on everyone else through the holier than thou attitudes and are a smoke in the nostrils of God, because of it. But it is self-righteous in an even worse way, it in effect saying, “Well, I know I need saved, I KNOW Jesus is real but if it all the same, I think I’ll SAVE MYSELF.”

And it can not be done. Jesus Christ IS and WILL always be the only one who came here without sin and remained sinless. As asked in Jeremiah, can ANY of us change what we are BORN as?

No, we admit, ask forgiveness and the next part is the hardest to overcome when we are new to Christ.

The first and most important fact you have to know and get so deep in your soul is this, GOD DOES NOT EXPECT ANYONE TO BE PERFECT. We will ALL have days, we will ALL sometimes stumble, Proverbs 24:16 (a):” For a just man (person) falleth seven times, and RISETH UP AGAIN…”

We are saved, we are covered by the blood but we are STILL human, still in human bodies that ARE genetically PRONE to sin.

Just as birds instinctively, meticulously build nests, baby turtles instinctively know to head out to the ocean, and as humans, we have feet that instinctively “run to destruction.” and we must ACCEPT that.

Stop TRYING to make ourselves perfect and stop trying to live up to expectations of our behavior that God NEVER placed on us and most importantly stop beating ourselves to death over the mistakes of the past or even the makes of yesterday!

The Lord IS our help. He IS our strong tower, and he IS our salvation, we are not our own and we can not be ANY of these things to ourselves.

Micah 7:7,8:”THEREFORE, I will LOOK unto the Lord: I will WAIT for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

Rejoice NOT against me, O mine enemy, WHEN I FALL, I SHALL ARISE; WHEN I SIT IN DARKNESS, THE LORD SHALL BE A LIGHT UNTO ME.”

And that mercy that does not beat us down or condemn us when we come short, we mess up, and that mercy IS for life, not just the moment of salvation.

Lamentations 3:21-23:” THIS I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It IS of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, BECAUSE HIS COMPASSIONS FAIL NOT (never end).

They ARE new every morning; GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS.”

So if you’ve been wrestling with this, just let it go. Yes, that simple, let it go. It is not God’s that is putting you through that and you alone have to change your OWN thinking and you change that by just LETTING IT GO.

Anyone who has read my testimony knows that I struggled a lot coming to Christ, mainly due to these issues, and there was quite a bit of time between the point that I like to call “trying to get saved” which means that I HAD asked, HAD prayed but I still did not feel the change that I needed, until I was delivered and filled with the Holy Ghost.

And we are all different, but I really believe this will help anyone going through this. and I think this is a really cool story and especially the timing, I am a hopeless romantic, I love Valentine’s Day and every mushy romantic thing you can think of. So Valentine’s Day 2000, my sister gave me what she said was an odd gift for valentine’s day, it was a beautiful personalized Bible, and one month later, I was filled with the Holy Ghost and Thank God, my life has never been the same.

So what she had actually given me was the greatest love story ever written and the author of that story being pure love Himself, which IS perfect for the occasion! So that is my main Bible, but prior to this I had ordered one believe it or not, from an Avon lady when I was in the process of “trying” to GET MYSELF RIGHT 🙂 many of us have been guilty of it.

Anyway, the back has a section for help and I found a heading titled “Jesus’s idea of prayer” and it is actually when they asked him how to pray and he told them the Lord’s prayer, so you know, I thought, that works!

I memorized it and would call my sister every night and ask her to pray with me and I would pray it, and even now when we pray together, we often start out with that prayer.

I was so scared trying to pray out loud and even after I was saved, if they call on me in church to testify, I was honestly so shy and scared that I would shake.

So please don’t ever think that you’re too scared, too shy, too nervous, God gives us boldness and courage AS we step out in faith in these areas. So I want to give you this very well-known prayer, but I want to break it down and show why it is essential to memorize this by heart and pray it EVERY day and how each verse can be used individually to pray over any need you may have.

Matthew 6:9-13: “After this manner therefore pray ye.

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done, in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.”

This prayer starts with acknowledging God in heavenly realm, it offers to Him the respect and honor due unto his name. Psalm 93:2:” Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.” Isaiah 66:1:” Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool….”

Remember Jesus also told us that “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven.” So this prayer asks for His kingdom to come for that purpose.

It asks for His will. 1 John 1:14: “And THIS is the confidence we have IN HIM, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.”

But also for His will to be done IN earth, not only ON earth but in the earth of these vessels we call bodies that became known as humans the moment He created Adam from the dirt of the ground. And it asks AGAIN for that connection between heaven and earth to be established.

Next we are seeking not only our material needs for that day, but ALSO and more importantly our spiritual needs as Jesus also spoke, during His time of temptation by the devil, “It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” And that is WHY we must LIVE by these words.

And of course forgiveness, as we forgive we are forgiven and this includes the mercy, and kindness that He shows us that we are to show others. If we forgive someone their shortcomings, or even something they owe us, or in mercy look over something that had been said or done, God will return the same to us.

This is where we get into, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:” Debts are not always financial or material, we can also be indebted through action and emotion.

And of course praying NOT to go into temptation, remember what he told the disciples in the garden, “Pray that ye not enter into temptation.” This is another area, we ALL can fall to temptation, again we are human. James 1:11-13: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried (tested), he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Let NO man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God can not be tempted with evil, NEITHER TEMPTETH HE ANY MAN. But EVERY man (person) IS tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and ENTICED.”

So the devil knows what to send your way to try to entice us away from God, so we are to pray not to go into temptation, BUT deliver us from evil, deliver us from those temptations, and also from all our hurts, pains, and sorrows, and I believe this can prayed over the multitudes on a higher scale.

And it ends with a three-fold acknowledgement, “a three fold cord is not easily broken” and this gives honor and allegiance, not to this world and the powers that be, but honor and allegiance to Him and His kingdom, as He also said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not hence.”

Hence translating to here, but it one day be as we are told in Revelation 11:15…” The kingdoms of THIS world are become (have become) the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, AND HE SHALL REIGN FOR EVER AND EVER.”

His power, which has no rival or equal, as Jesus also said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.” He expounds on the full reach of that power, Luke 12:5: “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell: yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

Habakkuk 2:14:”For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”

And the need to ALWAYS bear that glory in mind, speaking of FUTURE New Jerusalem Revelation 21:23: “And the city had no need of the sun, neither the moon, to shine in it: FOR THE GLORY OF GOD DID LIGHTEN IT, AND THE LAMB IS THE LIGHT THEREOF.”

This prayer covers it all. of course you still need to study and learn all you can but I hope this comforts someone by helping you realize that GOD IS FOR YOU! He is ever present and ever merciful. Jesus is the only person who has died to save us from our sins, why on earth would He not help us overcome our own flesh? No one wants you to make it to heaven more that him! TRUST THAT!

Just ENJOY that salvation and rest knowing that “he who started a good work in you will finish it”!

Wishing you love, peace, and a blessed week!

Φλογιζω NBJ 2017 Original Post Date: 11/19/2017 Revisited 07/03/2022/ Rev. Nina Brown Johnson * My sister referenced in this post has since went home to be with Jesus.

May 16, 2022 by Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

GUMDROPS, LOLLIPOPS AND CANDY COATED CHRISTIANITY

*From the archive*

New, news and more news. Oh, what you can discover during a very snowy week with plenty of extra time on your hands. mention of time, what time is it getting to be anyway?
All that is required is to turn on any major network news, this week alone, within the span of a very, few days the tale is told.
The fact that ISIS has managed to enrage America, Britain, Japan, France, Syria, and Egypt (Because in order for the anti-Christ to come into power all nations must have a common denominator enemy, as he promises peace, they will give him their power, uniting a one world order, henceforth, “through peace he shall destroy many.”

Russia versus the Ukraine, Iraq has been a mess for quite a while. While in America it is the tip of the iceberg… literally, with Niagara Falls appearing much like one. Maine hit with a record fifty below zero, while Boston struggles to contain nearly one hundred inches of snow, meanwhile a six point nine magnitude earthquake hit Japan, threat of tsunami (Biblical sea waves roaring) and according to NBC NEWS, worldwide earthquakes have TRIPLED over the last decade.
New, aggressive strain of the HIV virus is discovered in Cuba, (just as the travel ban has been lifted) return of the long thought dead measles. “Super bug” thought to be linked to surgical equipment now hitting three states, new tick virus. CDC announcing Ebola has claimed at least nineteen hundred lives, we could go on for days on the weird, freaky medical woes.

Two hundred and fifty Jewish graves were desecrated in France and ISIS with what they believe to be their holy war beheading twenty-one Egyptian Christians, who according to a CNN report did indeed die with the name of Jesus on their lips, moving on with their reign of terror, they torched forty Iraqi policeman and tribesman.

Unconfirmed reports, that along with their human trafficking business that they may now also be selling the organs of their murdered victims on the black market.

Even secular experts stressing to the media that they are attempting to fulfill prophecies of their own to rush in an apocalyptic war.

John 16:2: ” They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.”

That time has come! They really, really believe this and it is really hard to fight people who are not afraid to die.
The “icing on the cake” as it were, in the way of prophetic fulfillment came when Prime Minister Netanyahu calls for all the scattered, European Jews to come home. Announcing that Israel is fully prepared to welcome them in.

Turn off the news and surf the web, check out huge Christian website with all kinds of goodies, how to think, how to dress, how to market your church, a virtual how to manual on being the politically correct, well dressed, good-looking, prosperous church of the twenty-first century.
Complete with a tab to click titled” Fifty shades of Grey”, I had heard about this movie, was pretty sure it was originally a book, knew the subject matter and pretty confident that Ariel Castro and the Boston Strangler would have both given it two thumbs up.

It was slated to be “THE” valentine movie that most couples would be attending. And it’s ticket sales did go through the roof.
So I was curious what this “Christian” site had to say on the subject, it was an open comment piece on how people who profess Christ should reconsider watching this, mingled and heavily presented with the colorful, crunchy candy coating that so many have now come to stand for.

WHY SHOULD THEY HAVE TO BE TOLD? It should be known, it comes down to the last few years of “ministers”
(they are not real one’s, they are a disgrace) candy coating everything about God and about his word and all that he stands for. All to bring in members for financial gain and RELIGIOUS prestige. God is nowhere near that mess, he requires repentance and everything from him is completely free!

Now, for Jesus’ take on the news: Matthew 24: 6-8,33: “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye not be troubled: for ALL THESE THINGS MUST COME TO PASS, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. ALL these ARE the BEGINNING of sorrows. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, KNOW that IT IS NEAR, EVEN AT THE DOORS.”

Isaiah 51:9-12: “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old, Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? Therefore the RANSOMED OF THE LORD SHALL RETURN, and come with singing into Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. I, even I am he that comforteth you: who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and the son of man which shall be made as grass.”

But I suppose with secular Christendom one would be far too busy pondering the truly important question of how dirty can you get before it shows on the outside of your fluffy white coat of self-righteousness, to care about your brothers who are being slaughtered for the name of Christ.
The candy coats use the name, a name they are willing to wear haute couture, but a name they are unwilling to live for and a name I am sure they are NOT ready to die for.
Ready or not, this is happening to our brothers and sisters in other areas of the world and it is becoming a real possibility that we will be faced with the question of will you renounce Christ or will you die? How will any of us have the faith to answer that if we have never been taught the truth? And we all face that danger.

Luke 21:34-36: “And TAKE HEED to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and THE DAY COME UPON YOU UNAWARES. For AS A SNARE SHALL IT COME ON ALL THEM THAT DWELL ON THE FACE OF THE WHOLE EARTH. WATCH ye therefore, and PRAY A:WAYS THAT YE MAY BE ACCOUNTED WORTHY TO ESCAPE ALL THESE THINGS THAT SHALL COME TO PASS, and TO STAND BEFORE THE SON OF MAN.”

He told us to watch and that day is here. We will only stand rooted and grounded in HIM and Him alone and without the indwelling of His Holy spirit and his guidance, no one will be able to survive it.

Judgment must begin at His house, that means getting OUR hearts right!

Unless some major revivals, house cleanings and true conversions take place, all I can say is, God help us, and if someone doesn’t start standing up and speaking against all this spoon fed fluff that these people are digesting everyday in lieu of the true Gospel, and realize Christianity is serious, and that church is not a country club, then really don’t know what will become of us.

Oh, Yeah, what time is getting to be again? Time to look up…

Luke 21: 28: ” And WHEN these things BEGIN to come to pass, then LOOK UP, and lift up your heads; for YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH.”

February 11, 2022 by Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

Cultivating a passion for compassion

To the word… shall we? Luke 7:11-16: “It came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people (a large crowd). Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people (large crowd) of the city was with her.

And when the Lord SAW her, HE HAD COMPASSION ON HER, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and TOUCHED the bier (open coffin): and they that bare him (carried the coffin) STOOD STILL.

And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that WAS dead SAT UP, and began to speak. And he (Jesus) delivered him to his mother.

And there came a fear on all (fear seized them all): and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet has RISEN among us; and that GOD HATH VISITED HIS PEOPLE.”

I know the look of this writing format is not the greatest but it is kinda tricky to say it in my head and expect everyone to read it with the points I would so stress vocally… so we instead get this big bold words to hit the preferred points.

Going be, hopefully ‘talking’ about compassion or rather the lack thereof. I will admit I get very angry, very easily with the stories of people who do things that are just so mean and sometimes hearing peoples thoughts, takes, and advice in dealing with everything from children to pets and sometimes I just want to scream, “WHAT is wrong with you people?!”

I still think the “wrong” part is what helped usher in the falling away of the church, especially taught in the old days, teaching against women and that everyone and everything was to be brought “into submission” through hitting and brow beating, that church shaming keep the flock in check, when actually it ran them out, and the Bible teaches us that love “discreetly” covers matters.

The old school-house rules of teachers actually calling bullied kids “tattle-tales” instead of defending them. So, it is not to be a shock that people who “grow up” under these teaching and in homes with these thoughts often (NOT ALWAYS) cling to those same destructive mentality as adults.

Doubt it? Well, how babies do you think are born as white supremacists or born with any other natural inclination to hatred and violence, or to hold any other poisonous prejudiced belief. NONE, we are created completely equal, with no hate, or distrust toward anyone.

Infants do not even have to capacity to hate. Anger itself is supposed to be three to six months of age and shame around thirty-six months, but hatred is its own monster and usually it is taught or birthed from a neglectful, abusive environment.

So, if a person has never been taught love, compassion, and mercy how can we expect them to show it? And it is so easy for us to give into our own hatred and disgust (which IS still wrong, I fully admit I wrestle with it in many instances) because we can’t understand how people cannot see that there is a better way.

Compassion which is one the most precious attributes of the Lord, among his innumerable is the most often overlooked, and avoided of them all.

So much with hell and brimstone, which I also preach, and do not feel is preached nearly enough, but it has to be in context with the conviction spirit drawing people, convicting them of their need of salvation.

Only God can bring true conviction, saving conviction, conviction that will bring change as he himself cautioned all to “TURN from their WICKED ways”.

ALL of us who are truly of the body of Christ have felt that conviction, we were made fully aware of our ways and how truly wicked and sinful our lives had been, that is what gets through to us.

We can never do that, we don’t “get people saved” we can make people feel shame, fear, guilt, (which is again, all WRONG) and try to “get them saved” and only make them feel like dirt and view us as “judgy” hypocrites, causing them to run even farther away…which is what brought us to this post!

People can only be told so many times that what they say is sinful, what they think is sinful, what they wear… AGAIN sinful before they just finally give up.

What we THE WORLD needs is compassion; we NEED a revival of compassion. I have said this before and probably will again, but the most missed point of all time has been COMPASSION, Jesus IS compassion and I love the story from Luke, because NO ONE had to ask him to do this, NO ONE told him about this lady or her son, of course being God, I am sure He knew, but for our recorded information NO ONE else brought this to his attention. We are told that he SAW her, he SAW her pain, he SAW that this was her only child, he SAW her widowhood and being God, He SEES it all.

And he had COMPASSION, which literally means a mixture of love and sorrow for the plight of another, suffering that feeling WITH them. And that is what we miss and the world misses.

When we see each other hurting, even someone we don’t know well, or even at all, as Christians, that compassion Jesus had SHOULD rise up in us also, just as the man in our verse ROSE and just as Jesus ROSE in victory.

Compassion has the power to do that. COMPASSION is the love and mercy of God coming into a dark situation and RAISING UP a completely different standard and changing the outcome for all concerned.

And just as hatred is taught, compassion can be taught also, when you offer others a “different” way of dealing with something that see as a problem and others can learn compassion from how you treat them. It is part of being that light Jesus left us to be and why he gave us these wonderful teachings:

Luke 6:31-37: “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also them likewise. For if ye love ONLY them that love you, what thank (credit) have ye? for SINNERS also love those that love those that love them.

And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank (credit) have ye? for SINNERS also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank (credit) have ye? for SINNERS also lend to SINNERS, to receive as much again.

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again (in return); and your reward shall be great, and YE SHALL BE THE CHILDREN OF THE HIGHEST: FOR HE IS KIND UNTO THE UNTHANKFUL AND TO THE EVIL.

BE YE THEREFORE MERCIFUL, AS YOUR FATHER ALSO IS MERCIFUL. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive and ye shall be forgiven.”

And we know exactly WHO is speaking to here, he differentiated “the church” from “the sinners” so we would have no doubt who he was speaking to. He is speaking to us, his entire “church” and as he pointed out THE traits and actions are what proves us as his children!

And He IS merciful, and He IS kind and in being those things it CHANGES hearts. Back to the innocence babies, when a child has never been shown compassion or taught compassion, or raised with half-truths, never taught tenderness, gentleness, or mercy they cannot be expected to just spontaneously produce these traits.

At some point the Lord has to have it shown to them, thus teaching that better way. And with everything we learn, it requires time, patience, and two willing hearts, one giving and one receiving and there is nothing greater we can give than the love of Christ and nothing greater we can show aside his enduring, endless mercy, as the Bible tells us “His compassions faileth not” meaning his compassion is never-ending.

And he EXPECTS us to be a reflective of himself, we NEED to start checking that reflection and if we find that we are lacking, we need to pray for his compassion, and mercy to RISE inside of us.

Pray that he would give us spiritual eyes to see what he wants us to see in others.

Pray that he would give us spiritual ears to hear the very cry of wounded souls that are often hidden behind outwardly angry appearances.

Pray that our spiritual hearts are open to his leading and prompting by his Holy Spirit to minister to those needs and show us the time to give that ministration when it would be received.

Pray that the compassion of this world would be stirred, that the spirit of love, mercy, and meekness would take hold of hearts thought to be so cold they would never warm.

Pray that those cold stones learn a better way and then, my friend, that love will spread, and that love will save!

Would you be interested to know the MEANING of Nain, which was the name of the city Jesus ENTERED into and RESURRECTED the widow’s son?

Nain means BEAUTIFUL PLEASANTNESS!!! Now don’t you want others to also know that through mercy and compassion, we are INVITED to ENTER into that BEAUTIFUL PLEASANTNESS with him?!!!

Cover yourself in it! Wear it for the whole world to see!

Colossians 3:12-16: “PUT ON therefore, AS THE ELECT OF GOD, HOLY AND BELOVED, BOWELS (tender mercies) OF MERCIES, KINDNESS, HUMBLENESS OF MIND, MEEKNESS, AND LONGSUFFERING.

Forbearing (bearing with) one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

And ABOVE ALL THESE THINGS, PUT ON CHARITY, (love) love) WHICH IS THE BOND OF PERFECTNESS. And LET the PEACE of GOD RULE YOUR HEARTS, to which also ye are called in one body and BE YE THANKFUL.

Let the WORD of Christ DWELL in you richly in ALL wisdom; TEACHING and ADMONISHING (warn gently) ONE ANOTHER…”

Thanks for reading! Love and peace to you and yours this upcoming week! God bless you!

Εξυπνιζω Φλογιζω Σαλπιζω NB 2018***Original post 04/21/2018 REVISTED 02/11/2022

Love this song, still moves me to tears, beautiful, beautiful lyrics!

December 17, 2021 by Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

“Abiding in the field….”