WHO WERE THEY? (C) 2007?
BY RONALD LEE JOHNSON?
They came as they were. They wanted no more oppression or opposition. They had no cars, boats, homes, TV’s, computers or cell phones. They crossed the ocean waters hoping for a new life, a new era of time. They began from scratch. The only real true possession they came with was their faith and that deep desire, and undaunted determination to be free and discover a new home, a new land and way of living. And they did. But at what price?
Who were Franklin and Hancock? Who were John Adams and James Smith? Just common names. Who were Jefferson and Harrison; Charles Carroll of Carrollton? Why a Patrick Henry crying, “Give me liberty or give me death??
Imagine or try to imagine what little they had and yet what expectations they felt. Imagine what fears they must have known from the oppression they experienced from the King of England and all of its armies.
But who were they? Who were these gallant countrymen of different professions who turned into brave soldiers and revolutionary thinkers? They signed their names to a Declaration of Independence. They knew the consequences if they failed. They knew that they would lose: their lives, their families and all of their assets that they had mustered up in a Land that they had come to know as America.
But by the guiding hand of Almighty, by the strong will of the people to be free; by their own personal commitment to a new world and by their rightful rapacious passion for life, liberty and pursuit of happiness they began forging a sacred document that has changed the course of all human history. Who were they? Who were these men and women wanting a land filled with the sheer beauty of freedom’s choice and the rights of all mankind to be equal?
And in those closing lines whoever they were they designed a framework of words that give us a hint that they were indeed the bravest of human beings; and the most desirous of souls to find complete liberty and joy absent from the tyranny of an unruly King and burdensome government with senseless restraints. So they wrote with tears and fears their most honest hearts before man and God:
And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.?
Down the road ...
Ronnie Johnson
THE MENU©2008?
O taste and see that the Lord is good.? Psalm 34:8a (KJV).
The house was quiet at least for a moment. I was half asleep on the sofa. Then this ringing in my ear, “Wake up Papa!”
I awoke and remembered I was supposed to be keeping four little boys while Jean, Jason, Laura and the new grandbaby, McKinley were gone shopping. Carter Lee wandered down the stairs rubbing his eyes while Davin somehow corralled each of us (Jackson {neighbor}, Blaine, Hayden and Carter Lee around the formal dining table. For whatever reason Davin came up with this idea that we needed to have a meal from his new make believe restaurant. He had asked me earlier how to spell menu. I should have known then that something was up before I fell asleep momentarily.
The next thing I know Dal (our shorter version for Davin; we picked it up from a younger brother who could not get Davin out his mouth) was sticking a handwritten menu in my face for me to place my order. “What da ya want Pops?” Now I have just turned 61 on Christmas Eve and I find myself a couple of days later around this huge formal dinging table at our daughter’s home in San Antonio having a gourmet meal with five little boys. The Menu? Oh! My apology. It’s listed below—I actually stole the menu so I can remind Dal one day about this eventful meal I shall never forget. This drummed up menu was written on a purple jacket folder Dal found somewhere their house.
DRINKFOOD?
1. Milk 1.P P (Pumpkin pie)
2.Apple Juice 2.Fruit Snacks
3.Tea3.Pop Tarts
4.Water4.Crackers
5.Chocolate Milk 5.Candy
6.(Number six got scribbled out for some reason)6.Banana Nut Bread
On the first order I wasn’t surprised. Jackson (8), Blaine (6), Hayden (4) and Carter Lee (3) all ordered—you guessed it, Candy, on the first course of this exotic meal. I ordered Fruit Snacks. Memorable! To say the least.
In life there are many menus we can partake of. But the most inviting, the most fulfilling and satisfying is not in physical food. Remember He is The Menu, “I am the bread of life.” One taste of God lasts forever, too. In fact, The Menu is never the same after you taste of God; you are never the same. “Ask and you shall….....”Oh, those Fruit Snacks cost me 8 bucks, too. A costly meal wouldn’t you say? But I joyfully paid it. ?
Down the road ...
Ronnie Johnson
THE TRANSLATION OF THE VISION© 2008?
BY RONNIE JOHNSON?
Where there is no vision, the people perish.?
(Proverbs 29:18 (KJV).
BRIEF JOURNEY?BY T. P. LOTT?
Only wise men know the way? Only wise men ever will? Know the journey is but a day,? From crib to cross upon a hill.
I called several ministers at the beginning of the year and a number of them talked about the vision they had for their church. However, I got to thinking about the value and significance of the translation of the vision. A vision is like a dusty old book upon a shelf unless there is a true translation for the vision.
A vision is first caught before it is carried out. One cannot appreciate or even benefit from a vision, until the translation of the vision is clear in his/her mind and heart. There is that fine line between the reality of the vision and the real understanding of the meaning and purpose behind the vision. A person can even believe that there was indeed a vision given to someone, but that vision is still in cob webs unless there is, in fact, a translation of the vision—its importance and true meaning.
I love the story by Arthur Gordon about a young doctor who left a beautiful young lady for another woman who came to town. The small town reeked at the way this Payton Place story was carried out. They felt that Dr. Jeffrey Penniman treated Miss Caroline like dirt when he made Christine, his new bride; especially since Miss Caroline had waited so patiently for him to get through med-school. A young boy was given the assignment after the dust settled to deliver each week to Miss Caroline the best rose in the local florist. There was never a card included. For years the young lad did his assignment and was told to keep his mouth shut about his delivery and he did.
Many years later the young boy came back to this small town to visit. He asked the old florist, Mr. Olsen, why he thought that Dr. Penniman sent all those roses to Miss Caroline — he had assumed that the doctor perhaps still loved her. To his amazement the young boy learned differently. The lad learned quickly that Miss Caroline received all those roses from a lady who chose to be anonymous; not even Jeffrey knew she had done this. The old florist said, “A lady who said she wasn’t going to sit around watching Miss Caroline make a martyr of herself at her expense. Christian Penniman sent those roses.”
So many people are like this young lad when it comes to a vision, but do not have the accurate translation; so close, yet so far away from the truth. They think they know the story, the vision, but they don’t. And people without a vision perish. The vision is oxygen to the church. No vision, no church. An authentic vision comes to those with an open heart as well as an open mind.
The root meaning of vision in Hebrew means to gaze at. It is the word chazah. It is a reference to mental perception. Without the real translation to the vision, we are still looking through a shower curtain. Nothing is perceived as it should be. We see only partly the truth. We do not know in actuality who the rose is really coming from.
As a former pastor I believe a church without a vision is already dead. There is life in a vision. But the translation and interpretation of the vision is a must. If the vision is kept only in the heart of the minister, then no one benefits. A vision is to be shared, not hid. It must also be translated, not just hinted.
How many churches lock their selves into a maintenance mode because they have lost their vision; or never had a vision in the first place. The wise Solomon gives us hope for life in the church, in the kingdom of God with these awesome words.
Where there is no vision, the people perish.?
A vision with a translation means everything. It means that you know where the rose came from—who sent it. And a true vision comes from heaven, not from earth, from Almighty, not from the feeble minds of human clay. Be sure there is a translation to the vision. Someone is sending the rose—Who?
Down the road ...
Ronnie Johnson
ON GOING DOWN HILL? BY RONNIE JOHNSON?
And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves who stripped him of his clothing, and wounded him, and departed leaving him half dead.? Luke 10:30 (RKJV).
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho is a descending road. For approximately 17 miles a traveler descends about 3,000 feet. Along this steep winding way it was a perfect place to rob people and take advantage of them on their trip.
This attorney wanted to know from Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” He knew the commandment to “love God with all of his heart, soul, strength, and mind; and to love his neighbor as he loved himself.” But this neighbor business he wasn’t so sure about.
Jesus tells how this certain man is robbed and left half dead. Then he explains how a Priest, one who should show others compassion, just passed by this half dead man showing no compassion whatsoever. Then another religious guy, a Levite did the same, a person who normally would assist a priest in ministry.
However, the Lord points out how another person came along, a Samaritan. This person was, in fact, considered a non-religious person; yet he stopped and gave incredible aid and support to this half dead man. He saved his life.
Then the Lord asked this attorney who was the real neighbor in this case? And the lawyer answered, “He that showed mercy on him.” And the Galilean immediately urged him to “Go and do likewise.”
Most of life is lived in the down hill spiral. It is not lived when everything is going your way. Life has never been that way and never will. It is on those downward swings that we need each other most. What a perfect setting for this story! A certain man going downward from Jerusalem to Jericho. It is in this down hill sphere that troubles reign, frustrations take hold and impending dangers rule. The real neighbor forgot his own agenda and helped a man in crisis.
We returned to colorful Colorado recently after a wonderful Christmas visit with our children and grandchildren. We had heard about all the snow that had fallen, too. I just knew I had a lot of work cut out for me when we returned home—namely shoveling tons of snow. But as we drove up the street I noticed our neighbors had spent hours cleaning our drive and walk way. Even though the weather had taken that cold, snowy, downward plunge, our neighbors came to our aid.
Neighbors. Who are they? You find out On going Down Hill.
Down the road ...
Ronnie Johnson
LET’S KILL ‘EM! (C) 2008?
For the son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.?
Luke 9:56 (KJV).?
Attitude. That is what it is always about….really. For hundreds of years the Jewish people and the Samaritans had grown apart and actually hated one another. When the villagers of the Samaritan community resisted Christ coming their way the disciples wanted to extinguish them. They wanted to kill ‘em just like Elijah of old had done by calling fire down from heaven to destroy those opposing God (2 Kings 1:9-12).
My way of the highway seemed to be the attitude of the disciples. But when you look closely at the Carpenter you hear a totally different attitude. His purpose was to save people, not wipe them off the map. His spirit was that of redemption. No matter what color, creed, culture or community they were from, the Lord sought to rescue souls, not rid them of their lives.
He, in fact, said to his disciples (added in later manuscripts) “You do not know what your hearts are like.”
In life we ingest our beliefs and ideas, digest them, assimilate, translate and carrying out those thoughts into actions. It is always about attitude, too. Always! How we view one another. How we think. How we discriminate. How we evaluate. How we choose—those choices that make all the difference in this life.
From the lips of the One who gave everything we hear those compassionate and caring words of mercy and forgiveness, “For the son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” And just think, He could have killed ‘em had He wanted to. What love! What unconditional love! The Savior.
Down the road ...
Ronnie Johnson
RAIN! (c) 2008? BY RONNIE JOHNSON?
I remember those hot, damp, rainy days in Southeast Texas. With the rain came a certain odor. In fact, you could just tell when the rain was coming by the thick, dark, ominous clouds that formed and the heaviness of the moister in the air.
I can also remember my mother’s meals and the smell of suppertime on those kinds of days. My mother was able to make so much out of so little; with five children and a household of seven the food always went around somehow.
But those old hot, damp rainy days. Wow! And then the peppering of the drops upon our roof; they sounded like a billion little Pygmies dancing above us. Sometime it felt as though the rain would never go away.
But those huge showers and downpours brought with it a kind of cleansing in this semi-tropical part of the world. It was after the rainstorms that life appeared to change. Even your headache went away. The soggy ground and the blue sky meant that the Gulf had finished blessing this part of the coast of Texas with needed moister for the trees and plants; and for those wishful souls who loved to hear the raindrops upon the rooftops.
Now when I travel home from colorful Colorado I actually pray for those heavy, strong Southeast Texas downpours. I miss them. There is just something about how the wind whips up those storms from the Gulf, and bring such a fervor of sound in the air—RAIN! The heavy humidity in the atmosphere is always the obvious sign that something’s gotta give. And it does. RAIN! RAIN! RAIN!
Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he has torn, and he will heal us; he has smitten, and he will bind us up…...Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come to us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.?
Isaiah 6:1, 3 (RKJV).
Come and heal our land Lord, and our people. RAIN! RAIN! RAIN! Please.
Down the road ...
Ronnie Johnson
JUST ONE MAN© 2008
By Ronnie Johnson?
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.?1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV).
Your actions are speaking so loudly that I cannot hear what you are really saying.?
—Dr. Rogers (My speech Prof. in college) ?
Many years ago when I was a young pastor (20 yr.) in East Texas I was called to a very difficult church situation. The pastor before me had become confused over a period of several years; he had been baptized three times and the church split apart over his decisions and behavior. When I finally arrived as the new pastor some of the church members were meeting at one end of the building and the rest were meeting at the other end. I walked into that kind of a hornet’s nest and had no idea what I was even getting into.
Many pastors had come and gone before me at this church. Sadly enough the church had an ugly history of quarreling, bickering and fighting. I was never informed about its history.
Across town where the church home was (parsonage), Jean and I lived oddly enough in a very nice house and community. It was a “cut above” as my long time friend C. R. Rodney Wall says. An old lanky red-necked American lived beside us with his wife. He owned the most beautiful light blue Chevrolet truck I have ever seen before. It had all the bells and whistles on it that a 1956 Chevy truck could ever have. It was one of those long wheelbase step side trucks with chrome everywhere; especially the beautiful chrome tear drop head lights hanging on each side of the truck.
Of course, this old man had met many other pastors before me and I just assume most all them tried to get him converted and join the church I was now pastoring. I did not stay but a couple of years at this Baptist church and ministry. The awful division over the minister who had left before me had created too many bleeding hearts at odds with each other over this pastor’s actions. I walked into what I would now call a War Zone with a mine field underneath my feet—and actually never knew where I was even walking at the time.
I shall never forget when Jean and I left this Baptist church how the old man came out to our car to see us off. He had done this many times before and would do the same in the future. I had come to know him well; he owned a little service station where I would have him change the oil in my car. I remember looking him in the eyes and listening to his closing lines that are now an indelible print in my heart. He leaned over the window of the passenger’s side of our car where Jean was sitting. I can still see those piercing eye of his directed right at me. And he said, “Son, I know you haven’t seen me go to your church. But I do want you to know one thing. I know and have always believed this. There was just One Man who walked this earth and graced its presence with a perfect life in 33 years. And there never will be another.”
We drove away. And this tall, lanky red-necked man waved good bye to us with that beautiful baby blue shining Chevy truck in the background…...and he is right; there never has been and never will be another Man like this.
Down the road ...
Ronnie Johnson
SHADOWED BY THE AGES © 2008?
By Ronnie Johnson
People of all ages were drawn to him. Wherever he went people followed. They brought their sick, invalid, hopeless and helpless to the feet of this Galilean. Even little children wanted to get up into his lap. He was a man on the move. However, people moved with him. From early dawn to late into the night he was shadowed by the traipsing of humans edging near to get just one glimpse of Joseph’s son.
But that’s all he was in the minds of his enemies who also dared seek his face to see who this Revolutionary was. They wanted to extinguish his light of influence and finally did—they thought. They killed him, but only made him more alive to the world he came to redeem.
Imagine on a Judean hill this figure standing before five thousand and seven thousand breaking and multiplying bread. He was literally surrounded by humanity. People were saying to themselves like the lady with the issue of blood disease, “If, I can but touch the hem of his garment there may be hope for me.” The commotion at the feast he attended and the parties he went to were phenomenal for this age. Remember he followed that uneventful period where nothing had happened for 400 years. Those dark ages were the darkness before the Dawning Light. No great painters or inventors had appeared upon the horizon, no famous prophets or preachers had heralded any good news whatsoever, no new scientific discoveries or incredible feats had occurred. It was a dismal era of time for all humanity. No smiles of joy! And now dust is stirred up from a distance and people are marching through the streets of Jerusalem crying “Hosanna! Hosanna! To the King of kings and Lord of lords.” There was shouting and screaming and jostling to be near this newfound Hero.
What a shake-up took place! What a contrast from the Dark Ages to the beginning of a brand new time in history—it was no longer B.C. but A. D. (In the Year of our Lord had indeed come to pass). There was now a new King on the street of life. A new Teacher. A new Healer. A new spiritual heart Surgeon had entered the world’s ER. Time changed. People changed. History changed! The Promised One had come. And people wanted to see.
People here, people there, people everywhere. On a boat, in a garden, at a temple, in a wilderness, by a river, at a home someone wanted to see Jesus. So they even tore a roof apart to get their beloved cripple to the Christ. What a scene among human souls! This man Jesus of Nazareth had truly parted history. From the babe in the haystack to the Teacher and Preacher in the streets and byways of Palestine he had, in fact, arrived. And people, people with burning hearts and fearful minds sought his touch. They wanted to be cleansed, healed, changed and find some light at the end of the tunnel of their awful despair and restless future under Roman rule; and even more so under the laborious, tedious and cruel religious regulations that had come to enslave them. This strong, horrible strictness and heavy legal weight of religion that had been imposed upon them was even worse than when they were making bricks out of hey in Egypt.
The time was ripe. History was ready. People needed Hope.
Suddenly a child grew into a Man and made the whole universe take notice that God, the Creator, was paying a visit to mankind, his creation. The Man had taken his stand. That passionate and compassionate voice echoed over those hills of Judea:
Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.?
And he did.
So there he stood. But never alone. Those hands were reaching out to him. People pushing and shoving inching a little closer to his face. Those hearts were longing to be near him. And so the crowds followed him wherever he went and whatever he did. And then in the end they even followed him at distance to a tree on hill called Cavalry.
New Eyes? By Jason Lloyd
I hear the tambourines
I see the huge crowd
I hear a different voice
I know someone has been healed
I hear the commotion
I see the huge crowd
Something’s happening over there
People are everywhere
I hear people singing
I see a huge crowd
And a baby crying
Someone has come
I feel that whiff of Wind
I see that huge crowd
This just must be Him—must be
Who gave me these new eyes to see
Down the road ...
Ronnie Johnson
His Journey © 2008?By Ronnie Johnson?
And he went through the cities and the villages, teaching, journeying toward Jerusalem.? St. Luke 13:22 (KJV).?
The Master was always on the go. Up beat! He had a life assignment to keep. He had a mission to accomplish. He ran into all kinds of opposition and ultimately was wiped out of the picture by His crucifixion. But He never lost sight of His journey. His life and ministry was a very pointed and definite journey that He was on. He knew where He was going and why He was going there. His life wrote His personal journal.
The Perfect Life was just that, too. The Lord reached out to The Twelve and enabled them, educated them and equipped them for their own journey and ministry to come about in the future. His life was a fast pace for the ancient world in which He came and did His great work. He was “up and out” in His lifetime; on the go! He was seeking people, namely lost, mixed up and troubled souls who needed hope and a deep feeling that someone really cared about them. Do you know the map of your journey?
His journey often took Him into a garden and other places to meet with His Father alone for prayer; to make sure He kept up His faithful journey to the cross.
He went and healed people, too. Many televangelists seem to capitalize on this kind of ministry. People are drawn to the exotic, the miraculous and the magical experiences they can see and talk about. But the Christ could not help but perform healing wonders simply because of who He was. But this was not His main mission—it was the cross. This was His sole journey—everything else mankind got to witness was just icing on the cake. What’s in your life journal? Where is your life headed?
His journey is now in volumes of books throughout this world. No person in history has been written about more. His Bible has been the best seller for all times. When you read about Him and His journey, you cannot help but think about how much He loved “the world” (human beings).How much love He gave unconditionally and freely even to those who hated Him most and spitefully tried to use Him.
The amazing truth about this Man and His journey is that it is still not over. He continues to walk with us and talk with us every single day. He still lives. He is still on a journey to bring mankind to His Father. He fulfilled His earthly journey, but now He is here with us through the power and presence of His Spirit who continues His eternal journey for Him. And most of all, He even promises you and me:
I will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5b (RKJV).?
Down the road ...
Ronnie Johnson
SHINY CHICKEN BONES© 2008
By Ronnie Johnson
My father told me that one day a man came to his office in Southeast Texas. He was Hispanic. He needed work real bad. Dad said the man looked pretty run down and poor. His clothes were quite worn, baggy and dirty. He explained to my dad with his broken English that he needed to work so he could buy food and clothes.
So my dad gave him work that day. My father said he worked and cleaned up some weedy areas around his shop. Dad had one of his employees go and buy some KFC for the lunch hour.
He called the man over to him and gave him a big plate of chicken and side orders for his lunch. My dad later went out to check on the man and he looked down at the man’s plate and all he could see were shiny chicken bones. Dad later called me about the incident and explained to me how taken he was over this Hispanic man’s plate.
“I have never seen chicken bones that clean and shiny after a meal,” dad explained graphically, “he had to have been starving to death. To think that such hunger exists in this great country of ours. There was not even a smidgeon of crumbs or food fragments on this man’s plate. He ate everything but those shiny chicken bones that were completely licked clean. They were so clean, in fact, that the bones even sparkled—-just amazing!”
Remember that Carpenter who claimed in another age, I am the Bread of Life.
I’m convinced that people are hungry today as never before for answers to their overwhelming problems. They want food to fill their inner person. They are looking for answers; for direction. They want to be able to “get to where they want to go in life.” Each day is a new day; each opportunity is a new venture for you and me to change the hunger and poverty in this world. Each moment we live we can make a difference in the lives of others around us. It is all about attitude and optimism—and that undoubting faith that with God’s help we can do anything. It is about believing and believing some more. It is about getting out of ourselves and reaching out to those in need. It is about bringing hope to the hopeless, and help to the helpless. I love this old quote—and how true!?
“Tis always morning somewhere in the world.”?
(Inscribed on a sundial on a pier in Brighton, England.)
* Note – Today there are 854 million people who suffer from hunger, up from 852 million one year ago…..hard to believe in such a modern, high tech world that 15 million children will die this year as a result of hunger and malnutrition.?
Down the road ...
Ronnie Johnson
