February 13, 2022 by Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

Angels, Roses, & True Love/ Part 1, The Intro

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God in whom I will trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome (deadly) pestilence.

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust(take refuge); his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (shield).

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in the darkness; nor for the destruction that wastesth (lays waste) at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only wit thine eyes shalt thou behold the reward of the wicked.

Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come thy dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” Psalm 91:1-11

Most familiar passage of scripture there, most know it and if you don’t, what a more fabulous time to learn it! And what a better time of the year, i am just a wee late on this but love should be celebrated every single day!

Not just once a year, but every single day. And I am not talking about carnal love, or the romantic love of a married couple, but the true healing balm that softens even the hardest heart and seals even the deepest spiritual wounds.

The love that is best understood by carefully reading and spiritually dividing his Word an this passage is an excellent place to start.

“If ye have heard of the dispensation (stewardship) of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward;

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in in few words,

Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

That Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel;

Wherefore I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifest wisdom of God.

According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you which is my glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.

That he would grant you according to to riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded IN love, may be able to comprehend (understand) what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height.

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Ephesians 3:2-19

Part of the lesson the be learned from this scripture is this, the “mystery” of God, that had perplexed humans since the dawn of time, is not quite a mystery after all. Humans have a need to understand, to know, even to believe in something s much more than ourselves.

Love itself testifies to this because we know that love can not die and God created us with that very desire to know to understand something so much greater, but in that we have through time searched for these answers in so many wrong places.

Never understanding the simplicity of the truth, and being human we want to attribute our human thinking and logic to a divine force that can not be reduced to our human mentality.

This is why Jesus came to earth, everything that thought and everything that attributed to God was quite skewed, He wasn’t all about fire and brimstone, punishment and death, and the ability to hand down the sentence of eternal damnation, which all those have their place, but he came here for one reason and one reason only to save us and save us not with punishment and terror but to save us, and to save us with thew most misunderstood yet greatest attribute of His divinity, His LOVE.

I do hope you will join me for the remainder of this series, lord will, we will look at how that love which does truly surpass anything our mortal minds can comprehend, goes so far beyond and yet touches us every single day and just as our customs of angels, roses, and never ending love stories,but the real love story was written by the greatest author of all and that story has no end and that rose never fades and that love never dies or grows cold but lives forever, eternally in a story yet to be told.

And here is your final verse for our intro,

Romans 5:8: “But God commended(demonstrates) his love toward us, in, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Join me next time! Have a blessed week. Rev. Nina Brown Johnson / Φλογιζω NBJ 2020 REVISTED 02/13/2022

August 21, 2021 by Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

“BLESSED” / THE BETROTHED AND THE BEHEADED PART 1

The rapture of the church, the return of the Lamb to retrieve his Bride, having paid her bride price with his own blood.
Giving his life that she may live, the ancient Jewish customs proving faithful as the souls of believers confess “You are my Savior” echoing “I am my beloveds and he is mine.”
Having gone away to prepare a place for her, being reminiscent of the protective, seclusion of the wedding canopy.
He will now return with the army of his companions to take her away to the “secret dwelling place of the Most High” until all things can be fulfilled on earth.
And he does this because we could not bear to witness the carnage and bloodshed that will overflow this earth.
As in Ezekiel, when those who were supposed to be his servants filled his temple with filth and abominations, at the cries of his people who could not stand seeing his temple defiled, he then determined that the end for them had come, he called forth his angel

Ezekiel 9:4-6 “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men ( humans) that sigh and cry for the abominations that are done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing (so I could hear), Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary.”
Just as judgment must begin at the house of the Lord.
He always deals with his people first and we shall see one day just as with this story, what will become of those who hold doctrines not quite true to the word of God.

Lets do a little mirror image on this and see the reflection.
Revelation 7:2,3 “And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea. Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”

As all things foreshadow those which are to come, only it will come on a much grander scale.

Revelation 9:4 “And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.”

We who are alive and have remained faithful to our bridegroom and kept our faith, will be removed from this earth just as he protected Noah and his family from the flood.
Lot and his daughters were spared from the destruction of Sodom, on behalf of the intercession by Abram.

This is what the Lord speaks over us: Isaiah 26:19,20
“Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.

Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out her dead.
Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut the doors about thee: hide thyself as it were, but for a moment, until the indignation be overpast.”
We must be ready when that call comes, because only those who have accepted Christ will be in this gathering.
Those who remain on this earth after the rapture of the church will only be saved by refusing to worship the anti-Christ and refusing the mark of the beast, and being beheaded for that refusal.

Maybe people who may not yet be ready to commit will soon see, all we need to do is watch the news. Israel is almost completely surrounded by enemies as the Lord said would happen and the heart breaking beheading of the first two journalists revealing an eerie clue, the first a Christian, the second a Jew.
Facts probably unknown at the time to their captors, all things are prophetic when you look at what is really there.
So to all who are not saved, please do not wait, if you feel the tug of God, please accept him before it is to late. You do not want to be left on this earth.

His promise to us: Revelation 19:7-9 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.

And he said unto me. Write. Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. and he said unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”

Please accept his invitation, because this is one dinner you do not want to miss.

Original Post Date: 09/19/2014. All rights reserved. Rev. Nina Brown Johnson 2015 REVISTED 08/21/2021 This is one of the subjects people always wonder about when dealing with scripture, and now more than ever when you look at this world you can see just how close this day is dawning.

March 7, 2021 by Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

“Kingdom of Christ” Part 1 Responsibility

Original post 04/09/2017, I wanted to revisit this thought as we go into Easter, but there is a reference to something that had happened at the time I wrote this, so please don’t think I’m tripping and not knowing what date today is 🙂

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD ARE BECOME (are now) THE KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD, AND OF HIS CHRIST; AND HE SHALL REIGN FOR EVER AND EVER.” Revelation 11:15

Since the dawn of our existence, our most confusing and heavily debated aspect of Christianity has been death, the “rapture”, Heaven, hell, and the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth and “where” exactly it is that believers will go.

In honor of Holy week, I wanted to do something a little different and I know for me personally, I have never heard very much teaching on these subjects, so I will hopefully take the next few posts and prayerfully do just that.

And as today is Palm Sunday and there has already been attacks against our Egyptian brothers and sisters in Christ as they worshipped this morning and many gave their lives for that worship and now have become more in the list of Martyrs that do have a special place of honour under the altar of the throne of God.

And as we get deeper into this series, Lord will, I will give you scriptures to back up every word that I write, it is imperative that we keep ever fresh on our hearts and minds, “setting our affections on things above” WHOM we serve and why we serve Him and most importantly that even though at the present moment, satan is the “god” of this world, the day soon approaches when ALL things WILL be fulfilled and Jesus Christ will take His rightful position as KING OF THIS EARTH.

Many have always heard, get saved and go to heaven when you die.. well that is partially true and we will deal that later in our series. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour, we are given ABSOLUTE promises from God, that we ARE HIS, that nothing can change that:

“And I GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE: and THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH, NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY HAND. My Father, which gave them me IS GREATER THAN ALL; and NO MAN is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand. I and my Father ARE ONE.” John 10:28-30

We CAN NOT be taken from Him unless we are WILLING to be taken:

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye ARE SEALED unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

So we know that our souls are sealed by HIS Holy Spirit, and as we do not grieve Him by turning our backs on Him, and committing acts that we KNOW are sinful, never asking Him for forgiveness, and taking the good gift of His SPIRIT and His SALVATION as a light thing and taking it FOR GRANTED and arguing against one another when all time is at hand:

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, (basic discussion) let us go on to perfection (maturity): not laying AGAIN the foundation of repentance from DEAD works, and of faith toward God, Of the DOCTRINE of baptisms, and of the laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this WE WILL DO, IF GOD PERMIT.

For it is IMPOSSIBLE for those who were ONCE enlightened, and HAVE TASTED OF THE HEAVENLY GIFT, and WERE MADE PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY GHOST, and HAVE TASTED THE GOOD WORD OF GOD, AND THE POWERS OF THE WORLD TO COME.

If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the SON of God afresh (again), and put him to an open shame.

For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft (often) upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet (useful) for them by whom it is dressed (cultivated) receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth (brings forth) thorns and briers IS rejected, and is nigh unto cursing (being cursed); whose end is to be burned.

BUT beloved, WE ARE PERSUADED (confident about) BETTER THINGS OF YOU, and THINGS THAT ACCOMPANY SALVATION, thus we speak.” Hebrews 6:1-9

Proof positive that we HAVE been given the greatest gift receivable, as being vessels INDWELT by the SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD!

How much greater a gift could we receive? We are also taught the extreme NEED for us to honor, and cherish, and protect the gift we have been given. As we see the mirror to the scripture, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”, we are warned and comforted by the fact that, better is thought of us, that we will not be guilty of this. So once we have accepted Christ, we MUST understand, and accept the responsibility that comes with it.

As scripture also states, “We are bought with a price” therefore we are no longer our own, and understanding that will help us understand what is expected of us.

This is His prayer before His crucifixion, and through it we can understand better WHO WE ARE in HIM and WHO He expects us to be and so much encouragement knowing, that just as He prayed this prayer almost two-thousand years ago, HE STILL PRAYS FOR US today!

“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also might glorify thee: As thou hast given him power (authority) over ALL flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL, that they might KNOW THEE, THE ONLY TRUE GOD, AND JESUS CHRIST, WHOM THOU HAST SENT.

I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me (alongside) with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee BEFORE THE WORLD WAS. I have manifested (revealed) thy name unto the men (humans) which thou gavest me OUT OF THE WORLD: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and THEY HAVE KEPT THY WORD.

Now they have KNOWN that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. FOR I HAVE GIVEN UNTO THEM THE WORDS WHICH THOU GAVEST ME; and they have received them, and have KNOWN surely that I came out from thee, and THEY HAVE BELEIVED that thou didst SEND ME.

I PRAY FOR THEM; I pray NOT for the world, BUT for THEM which thou hast given me; FOR THY ARE THINE (yours).And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I AM glorified in them.

And NOW I AM no more in the world, but these ARE in the world, and I come to thee, Holy Father, KEEP THROUGH THINE OWN NAME those whom thou hast given me, THAT THEY MAY BE ONE, AS WE ARE.

While I was with them in the world, I KEPT THEM IN THY NAME: those that thou gavest me I HAVE KEPT, and NONE of them is lost (destroyed) , but (except for) the son of perdition (destruction) {referencing Judas Iscariot} that the SCRIPTURES MIGHT (would) BE FULFILLED.

And now I come to thee; and THESE THINGS I SPEAK IN THE WORLD,that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; AND THE WORLD HATED THEM, because THEY ARE NOT OF THE WORLD, EVEN AS I AM NOT OF THE WORLD.

I pray NOT that thou should take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (evil one). They ARE NOT OF THE WORLD, EVEN AS I AM NOT OF THE WORLD.

SANCTIFY THEM THROUGH THY TRUTH; THY WORD IS TRUTH. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Neither Pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be ONE: as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE ONE IN US: THAT THE WORLD MAY BELEIVE THAT THOU HAST SENT ME. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; THAT THEY MAY BE ONE, EVEN AS WE ARE ONE.

I IN THEM, AND THOU IN ME, THAT THEY MAY BE MADE PERFECT IN ONE; that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, BE WITH ME WHERE I AM; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou hast loved me BEFORE THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD.

O righteous father, THE WORLD HATH NOT KNOWN THEE, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: THAT THE LOVE WHEREWITH THOU HAST LOVED ME MAY BE IN THEM, AND I IN THEM.” John 17

So now we understand our relationship to Him and that our allegiance is NOT to this world, because we are NOT of the world but of the Kingdom of God., and the Kingdom of Christ which is YET to come!

Please join me for part two when we will look at the invitation and just where we are invited to.

Φλογίζω Σαλπιζω NBJ 2017

This will be our song… pay special attention to the ending… beautiful worship!

January 20, 2021 by Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

EAGLE

There once was a beautiful, beautiful eagle. He was a very, very old eagle and came from a long line that had watched the birth of a nation and the determination of people to break free from tyranny.

Eagle knew the story of how a people left homes, riches, and all they have ever known to take a journey completely by faith.

Faith that would lead them to a plentiful land free from the persecution they suffered and for freedom, freedom to worship the one true, creator God .

Many died on this journey and many more after their arrival, but God had given them land that a plague had left empty. And as time went he blessed them in all they did and they kept his commandments and worshipped him openly. Over time the apron strings of the mother country would prove that a battle would indeed need fought before true, true freedom would be won.

Eagle watched our forefathers as they tried at first to keep peace with their overlords and he watched as one by one stood up and proclaimed this land would be for liberty and it should be for all.

His favorite of these men would be Patrick Henry, a voice among the great voices who shaped our land. He heard him say words such as “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it Almighty God. I know not what course others may take but as for me give me liberty or give me death.”

He watched as tea poured into the harbor and cries of “The British are coming!” bellowed through the land. He watched as bloody soldiers fought to the death and gunpowder flooded the air and the sound of cannons echoed. And he watched as they pressed on, pressed on in their battle, because they would be free or they would die but they would never surrender.

He watched as this great battle came to a close and America proclaimed her freedom, freedom from her overlords and she would now shine as beacon to the whole world.

Eagle was honored as he was chosen to be her great symbol, brave, strong, powerful, and above all free.

He would be given olive branches, that he would always extend peace and he would reserve his great force as a last resort.

He would be given arrows, that he would use that force if necessary to defend his liberty and his people.

He would be given his shield to protect him and all he stood for and his main stand was “Death to tyranny”.

Eagle watched as the constitution was written and signed and he thought upon the words of his friend Patrick Henry, ” The constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.”

And Eagle soared, high in the sky, the sun warming him and flying higher and higher playfully trying to catch the ever elusive rainbow that the Creator had placed in the sky, a symbol of his glory and promise and Eagle knew that near the rainbow he would always be safe.

And he watched on, as struggles, trails, and heartaches came to the great land brought through evil men who had crept in there.

His feathers tattered a few times as freedom for those enslaved had to be won, pitting brother against brother and splitting the country in half.

He was ruffled as leader after leader rose and new troubles were unveiled, but storms would always pass and he would again gain his ground, liberty, bravery, and justice were on his wings.

Then suddenly it started growing dark, darker and darker as the new generations forgot their heritage and lost the wisdom held by the fathers, Eagle was reminded again of these words, “It is when a people forget God that tyrants forge their chains” that were long ago spoken by Patrick Henry.

He listened as laws were changed, comprises made, and the peace that had been so hard-fought for was pandered away by making truces with those who hate us.

He listened as prayer to the creator was taken away, he heard as they mocked and profaned the Son of God’s holy name.

He looked on with horror as the holy laws, the ten commandments of God were ridiculed and taken away.

He looked on as a people who once had been free now were told what they may and may not do.

He looked down and saw streets lined with half naked people, and parades, and mocking’s of the crucifixion of Jesus, the Son of God, reminding him again the warning of his friend, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ! For this very reason people of other faiths have been offered asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.”

Horror for his people took hold as the sky darkened and grew black and a strong wind violently blew and whipped around him, in the darkness his path was unclear and the battering winds against his wings knocked him off-balance, as he tried to regain flight something caught his eye, it was a rainbow!

If he could just get to the protection of the rainbow he would be safe and regain his strength.

But as he flew closer to hide under the protection of safety of the Creator, he realized this was not the real rainbow, but a piece of fabric blowing in the great wind, and as it caught him, he became tangled, his olive branches and shield crashed to the ground, his arrows broke in the struggle to regain flight and Eagle fought with all he had but to no avail, He crashed helplessly to the ground.

As his heart beat faded, and drawing his last breath, as his eyes grew dim, he caught sight of shimmering in the field, it was the soft, amber glow of a fire burning and as Eagle’s life continued to slowly fade, he felt comfort, because he was sure that in that fire, he heard in the distance, that old funeral song, that old faithful hymn, that he remembered from the battlefields and the old camp meetings…

” Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord,

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored,

He hath loosed the lightning of his terrible swift sword,

His truth is marching on…

Glory, Glory, Hallelujah,

His truth is marching on…”

* Authors note: This post is from 07/04/2015, but amidst all that is going on in our country and in the face of the “cancel culture” movement and cries to destroy history from our records, one thing remains true, as has been said many times by many others, we learn by our mistakes and we are warned by memories of the past reminding us of the error of our ways that society viewed as perfectly acceptable during those times as acceptable.

But without Jesus Christ, and the blessing of Almighty God on us and on our land we are and will be absolutely nothing and we welcome that blessing by and through our obedience to the Word of God and regardless of what society DICTATES or demands that we believe, we must stay true to what GOD through his Word has commanded us, and that is to worship him and love him and to be the representative bearing his Holy name as his child and follow the teaching of Philippians 2:15: “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world.”

Revisited 07/03/2021 And may God Bless all those who have fought to keep our country FREE and especially those who served in Vietnam, with the average age being nineteen years old, they served, giving everything they had, their bodies, minds, and pieces of their very souls as they watched their friends die and then upon returning home, which should have been to a hero’s welcome they were met with sheer hatred and thankless protests by those who had never fought for anything in their lives.

God Bless those who still fight today for those who can’t fight for themselves, God Bless you with a wonderful Independence Day.

Original post date: July 4, 2015 Revisited July 3, 2019 / And again, 01/20/2021 & 07/03/2021

April 26, 2020 by Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

Bringing it forth…

“Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me; and, Because I go to my Father?

They said therefore, What is this that he saith? A little while ? We cannot tell what he saith (understand what he is saying)

Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do you enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

A woman when she is in travail (labor) hath sorrow, because her hour is come; But as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man (human being) is born is born into the world.” John 16:17-20

Now when Jesus spoke this to them he was referencing his death, that very soon they would no longer see him or be with him but that again, soon, they would surely see him again.

That they would indeed over the days soon coming face sorrow, and dread being inexplicably confused as to how this could happen to him and not even beginning to be able to understand much less comprehend that this could be not only the will of God for Jesus to suffer and die on the cross but to fathom this is was his actual plan.

As Jesus encouraged them that as surely as those things would come, but again, in a little while, something so much sweeter, would also come, again.

That, again, those sands would slowly but surely sift their ways again through the hourglass of time and all those times of heartache and doubt would turn to unimaginable joy as those moments sifted through all the little whiles to fall perfectly into a single moment in time when He would resurrect leaving death conquered behind and had they known for but a second as He tried to warn them to this and to give them hope that it was again, a little while, would they have have begged him not to go?

Surely, but He would have answered them, No, as scripture tells us of Jesus, “…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.”

Just as Peter tried to to believe that there had to be another way, that this could not possibly be what was meant to be.

Curious it would be know the mental torment of the others or the one who ran away, not because they should have had regrets and second thoughts but you know that being human that they did.

Peter was going to fight against the arrest of Christ proving this as he cut off the servant of the high priest’s ear. Jesus’ reprimand to him as he replaced the severed ear letting Peter know this was not the way that Jesus would have him go.

But soon the were scattered, alone, and scared, how often do you suppose over the period of those, what would had to have seemed never ending, three days the thoughts of “We should have hid him” or “We should have stayed” raced through their minds?

As we think about His words as he had tried to prepare them and assure them that this was the will of God. Jesus also encouraged them to the joy that would come after all the pain, he used the comparison of a mother in the process of giving birth.

As a mother I can truly attest to this, as I am sure the ladies reading very well can too.

There is nothing as beautiful, as wholesome, and as pure as when we are expecting, nothing as gentle or as precious.

And as we decorate in expectation with blues, purples, yellows, and greens. Adorning the walls with little boy blue, the cow jumping over the moon, rabbits, rainbows and everything in between, everything bright peaceful and clean, teddy bears, ribbons, and kittens gracing nurseries with cradles prepared for the new arrival as mobiles dance overhead.

The excitement, the joy, and the expectation are soon overshadowed as labor sets in and as the pain comes, thankfully, only a little at a time, but each contraction grower harder and lasting longer than the last.

There is an absolute knowing during the process of giving birth that you are helpless, there is nothing you can do to stop this and that you are either going through this process or you will die.

Only two choices and you have control of neither.

This is why, in my belief, Jesus chose this comparison to give us so that we would understand and that we would understand the differences, just as when Pharaoh demanded the Hebrew boys be killed at birth the midwives informed that him the Hebrew women gave birth fast and we know Jacob’s wife Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin and as we like to say here in the south women have “laid in labor” for days suffering desperately needing to be delivered of that child and yet the baby for whatever reason unable to come. Thank God we do have medical resources today that have saved the lives of countless mothers but still not all and the birth still have to take place.

Paul in his writing referencing childbirth with the statement that she “shall be saved in childbearing” he is not referring to being saved spiritually he is referring to not dying in the process.

Birth is painful, there are not words that can even come close to describing it, birth is bloody BUT birth brings about something so beautiful, so pure, innocent, and magnificently renewing that as Jesus said the anguish of that sorrow, the sorrow of needing to be delivered of that child, not the child needing delivered but the mother’s body needing to escape that dreadful travail is forgotten because immediately it is replaced by joy, a joy that mirrors the pain, as the pain is inexplicably indescroble SO IS that joy.

A joy that completes you, a joy of looking into a tiny little face and as my late mother explained to me, the overwhelming feeling that this tiny little person that you have never met until this day you feel as though somehow you have known forever.

Jesus referred to unsettling times and events that would take place before his return (painting the baby’s room a cheerful pink with that delicate wording) as the beginning of sorrows, which translates to birth pangs, we are in very, very uncertain times and everyone just wants life to get back to normal, but we are not going to ever experience the “normal” that once was but we can look forward, which requires looking past the pain, look forward to lives that can be even better, as families are reconnecting and many are taking time to actually realize what is truly important and cherishing those things that alone are worthy of being truly cherished and those who maybe have never given God, his existence or the afterlife a second thought may now be seriously pondering those questions. And as far as churches it is coming down to who’s left standing. People are regaining their compassion for each other again and with compassion comes respect and a chance to love each other again forgoing the senseless hatred

Being in the same boat together now reminding us that we are all human, we all love, we all cry, we all experience the same feelings because we were all created in the same image and that and that was in His image. And that is the good you gotta hold on to,

And of course as He told us long long ago the labor will be quite unpleasant to put it in the mildest “dreft” scented terms but once the deliverance has come there will be nothing that can even come close to the beauty of that glorious “baby” that will come.

We are all praying and we have to continue to pray and pray that those”labor pains” those “sorrows” as Jesus warned us would one day come are covered by his mercy, and that what is to be brought forth through that process will birth fast.

God bless you and your loved ones during this season, praying that He will cover you and yours under the shadow of his wings and that through it all you will find a joy and a peace and a renewing of His Spirit with you that knowing that joy will see you through.

Φλογιζω Rev.Nina Brown Johnson / NBJ 2020

April 8, 2020 by Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

“Temple”

Photo by Arvid Knutsen on Pexels.com

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

I have fed you with milk and not with meat (solid food): for hitherto (until now) ye were not able to bear it, neither yet are ye able.

For as ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you enving, strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

For while one saith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? WHO then is Paul, and WHO is Apollos, but ministers BY whom ye believed even as the Lord gave to every man? 1 Corinthians 3:1-4

GOOD MORNING! and if it is not Morning for you, then may I wish you a wonderful evening and blessed night. We are actually going to finish up with that passage in just a bit, but I wanted to stop and relay a few points, First Paul was expounding to them that it was time for him to speak with those who listened with a little more depth, things that they should be getting on a spiritual level, but they were still not quite ready.

We also deal with those that we are to minister to, sometimes a little too softly, not wanting to “choke” them with truths that can be very hard to swallow. But Paul had to enlighten them to the truths that all the envy and jealousy and one upmanship was just not going to get as behaviours for those in the Kingdom of God.

And I love the fact that he is pointing out so clearly, asking who is Apollos, even asking who, he himself was, as much as we honor them and rightfully so, they were still ministers that God had sent to led his people home.

As the old timers say ” No little “I”s and big “U”‘s and that is one thing I do very much believe is going to come out of this pandemic. Restrictions placed about and that many can no longer attend church because the church is not there to attend (Some serious symbolism in that)

So there will be none of the envy, strife, and divisions spoke of and there will be no favorite pastor, minister, preacher, or singer that helped spark those divisional fires that have helped consume the church from her original state, you can’t have one mind and one accord if there are minds present that are full of discord.

But now, the churches, like most everything else are closed and some are having “Parking Lot” and “Drive by” church which is an awesome ideal, reminiscent of the old tent revivals that we need to get back to.

People are going to be there because they want to be there not out of some weird sense of duty or family commitment but because they want the Word of God. And Paul is saying that God has many “ministers” that God sends his Word and His offer of salvation through many different workers.

And I want you to think about something, if you are saved, you ARE sent and if you are not saved the moment you repent, you WILL BE sent, your life, your light, and above all your decision to accept Christ and proclaim, especially in this world of unbelief, your faith in God and your belief that not only is His Word true but also the truths of the life after this can, does, and will absolutely change the course of the lives of those around you.

Back to our verses, shall we? 1 Corinthians 3: 5-16

“I have planted, Apollos watered; but GOD gave the increase.

SO then neither is he that planteth any thing , neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward for his labour.

For we are labourers (workers) together with God: Ye are God’s Husbandry (field) ye are God’s builders.

According to the grace of God which is given me as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But every man take heed how he buildeth thereon.

For another foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try (test) every man’s work of what sort it is.

If any man’s work abide (endures) which he hath built thereon, he shall receive a reward.

If any man’s works shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by (through) fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.”

Now Paul went on to set forth some warnings after that verse, but I want to use it to encourage you today.

You ARE the TEMPLE of God, your body is a CHURCH of God, when you have the Holy Spirit LIVING inside of you you become the church on this earth!

How exciting is that? I know we are faced with a dreadful, dreadful time but during that time if you remember that God has a plan and purpose for you in these days. God does not make mistakes and he does nothing out of “season” He could have chosen you to have been born hundreds of years, or even thousands of years ago, or He could have chosen to never send your soul to this earth, but He chose this time, this season for you because ye have work to do and only God knows that work that He predestined for you to accomplish for his Kingdom, BEFORE He laid the foundations of this earth.

And I want to give you those scripture also quickly, because this is meant to be heard by someone today.

In THESE times, in THIS hour and THIS season that God has chosen for you, as bad as it all appears at the moment.

Romans: 8:28-30: ” And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are THE CALLED according to his purpose.

For whom he did foreknow, he also did PREDESTINATE to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also CALLED, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

So maybe you can’t get to a church but remember that you are the church.

And remember that God uses it all, all the bad, all that we do not understand, He will use it for the Kingdom. Let your light shine, do whatever God puts on your heart, reach out by card, letter, or phone to whoever he is bidding you to reach out to. Use this season to know Him more and deepen your relationship with him and if he leads you to, share that “meat” of his Word with others around you, we often do not want to hear the rougher stuff but we are coming down to the wire and we have much work to do.

Among all the pain and uncertainty we still have a great promise, the outpouring of God’s Spirit “upon all flesh” this began at Pentecost, but we have the promise of a great outpouring in the last days, so plant that seed, the word of God shown in love and mercy, kindness, water if that is your job, water those seeds that someone has already planted because you are one in those action and ask God blessing on your “hands” as you work in his field, He will, he never sends us unprepared and He never send us alone.

You are His Temple, and you are His church, be it and just watch what grace, blessings, and miracles unfold!

Φλογιζω NBJ 2020/ Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

February 16, 2020 by Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

Angels, Roses, & True Love/ Intro