Category: Relationship with Jesus

Several years ago I heard someone share a message, and while I can’t remember much about it there was one point that has really stuck with me over the years.  The question was simply asked, “What would be on your tombstone?”  The idea behind the question was to cause us to take a moment and consider what others would have to say about us after we died, and what would they put on your tombstone.  Really, quite a pointed question when you stop and think about it.  After all, there usually isn’t a lot of space on a tombstone so people would have to sum up in as few words as possible what you were all about.  You’ve seen them.  Some have said, “He was a good father”, “She loved her children”, “He gave it his all”, and so forth.

So, the question to be asked is simply, “what would people put on your tombstone?”  Would they put something on it to remember the financial successes you’ve had, or the many accomplishments you’ve made, or the number of college degrees you’ve obtained?  Would they put something on it to remember the type of parent you were, how you related to others, or whether or not you were a person of integrity and character?  Would they remember you as a jovial and cheerful person, or as a hot tempered, rude individual?  Perhaps they would say something that would identify what made you “tick”, what the driving force in your life was, or what was most important to you?  There are countless things that could be put on a tombstone, but the question is asked what would be on your tombstone.

As you consider this question, when you think of what people may or may not say about you, is it what you would want them to say about you?  Would it be something that you would be proud of, or is it something you would be ashamed of?  While it is true that you can’t change your past, you can change the direction of your future, which means that you can change what people may say about you and how they will remember you.  When we think of Matthew in the Bible, we don’t remember him as the tax collector but as the disciple of Christ.  When we think of Paul we don’t remember him as the violent persecuter of the Christians but as one of the most powerful Apostles of the Christian faith and the one who wrote 2/3’s of the New Testament.  When we think of Moses we don’t remember him as an heir to the Egyptian throne but as the one who led the Israelites out of Egypt.  No matter what your past, if it is something that you are not proud of or don’t want to be remembered by, you have an opportunity from this day on to make the necessary changes to become the person you most want to be remembered by.  While there may always be some who will be determined to remember you in a light that is either not accurate, or is based on unresolved issues within themselves, or based on a perception of what they want to believe, you can resolve to live in such a way that the majority of people will remember you as you want to be remembered.

When I think of myself, even though I can think of a number of good things to be remembered by, the main thing I want to be remembered by is that I was someone who strived to be a true follower Christ.  How about you?  How do you want others to remember you after you cross over to the other side of eternity?  Think about it.

www.resoundingshophar.com

Copyright 2012 – John Johansson

Here in America we have a lot of things that vie for our attention.  These attention grabbers come in many different forms.  Some are in material possessions, some are in the realm of recreation and hobbies, some are in the acquiring of various forms of resources, some are in the realm of career and education, and some are even in the form of relationships.  This isn’t to say that any of these are bad, but they become bad when we use them as a reason, or should I say an excuse, that pushes God and the things of God out of His rightful place as the center and top priority of our lives.  Things that are attention grabbers for one person may have no effect or value for another, but each person does have things that jockey for their attention.  It’s bad enough when people heed the things that pull on them, but it’s worse when churches heed those things, or at least cater to people who heed such things.

One of the biggest attention grabbers that pulls on a lot of people happened just last weekend.  I’ve seen how this pulls on people for years, and how it has even effected churches when either the leadership is pulled towards it, or when they cater to the people in their churches who are pulled by it.  It is something that pulls on people in all walks of life, across all levels of financial and material status, across all levels of educational and career accomplishments, and even across gender lines.  There have been some in recent years that have seen the startling parallels between the ancient Roman empire and the United States, both in their beginnings, their duration of existence, and in their fall.  No, the United States hasn’t fallen as the ancient Roman empire, but some of the signs of Rome’s demise can be seen even in our culture in this day.  One of the parallels between the two civilizations encompasses this big attention grabber I’m alluding to.  The Romans had their coliseums and their ‘games’, and we in America have our football and the Super Bowl.  In both cultures these things grew to be one of the biggest things they were identified by, things that became something that they could as a nation rally behind.

Don’t get me wrong.  I am not opposed to football and the Super Bowl.  Football is my favorite sport, and I love to watch the Super Bowl, especially when my favorite team is playing in it.  That is not the problem.  The problem comes when people put a greater importance on these things than they do Christ and the things of God.  I can remember way back when I was in junior high how that some would be so focused on the game, especially the Super Bowl, that they would actually bring their radios or mini-tv sets to watch the game during church.  They went to church because they knew they were supposed to or were expected to be there, but their heart was not there.  Their heart was wherever the game was.  Over the years things have changed some.  It isn’t just a mans thing anymore, but it is also something that women get absorbed into.  Oh, they may not get into the game itself, they may get into the commercials, the food and fellowship, or even into the halftime show which has become less and less family friendly over the years, but nonetheless they are just as much pulled towards it as are the men.  In the days of the Roman empire, the women may not have gotten into the blood and violence of the ‘games’, but they were also drawn in some way to them.  Also, things have changed in that churches now plan and schedule around the Super Bowl, and in some cases will even cancel services because they either want to watch the Super Bowl themselves or they don’t see the value in it if the numbers in attendance are low because of it.

It’s sad when the Super Bowl or its festivities puts God on the shelf and takes the place of greatest honor on an individual basis, and even in the very churches that proclaim that Christ should be number one in a persons life.  Again, I’m not saying that football or the Super Bowl isn’t a good thing, but it is a bad thing when it takes precedence over Christ and His rightful place in our lives.

Even though the Super Bowl may be one of the biggest attention grabbers in our society, there are still countless things that can pull people to remove Christ from His rightful place in our lives, and each of them are potentially and equally destructive in light of eternity.  So, the question is asked, is there anything or anyone in your life that is jockeying for the supreme position in your life that is rightfully due God and the Creator of the ends of the universe, the Son of God, Jesus?  If so, you need to decide whether or not you want Him in that position, and if so you need to make decisions and choices that ensure He is, and remains, in that position.  What will it be for you????

www.resoundingshophar.com

Copyright 2012 – John Johansson

I was talking to someone the other day and the issue of being perfect came up.  Wow, what a topic.  This may be one of the big reasons why people either choose to not serve God or give up trying.  We know that scripture tells us to be perfect even as God is perfect, and I can’t help but wonder if what we are understanding here is different than what God intended.  After all, aren’t Christians supposed to be perfect?  Well, that is the impression we often put on ourselves, and it is many times the reason people give for not committing to follow Jesus seeing imperfect Christians and declaring them as hypocrites.  Is it possible for us to be perfect?  Even with Gods help?  Well, I venture to say that on this side of heaven it is virtually impossible to be perfect as we ascribe perfection.  So, if our understanding about perfection is wrong, then what should it be?  I’m glad you asked.

Several months ago, well maybe a year or so ago, our Pastor, Pastor Craig Andrus, tackled this very issue and had a very good way of explaining it.  He used an example from his personal life to make his point, and it was a powerful point I might say.  He spoke of how they had loaned their camping trailer to some friends for a short period of time, and how that when they returned it they didn’t mention anything about one of the manual cranks for leveling it being broken.  When they went to use it a short time later is when it was discovered that this manual crank mechanism had been broken.  Understandably he was a bit frustrated, but he began to see if there was a way he could fix it enough to do the job.  He was successful in finding a way to repair it enough to work, but it didn’t look pretty.  It did not look like it had from the factory, and it definitely didn’t look perfect as it was not accurately aligned to the rest of the molding on the side of the trailer, but it did the job it was intended to perfectly.  The point he made was that while the crank wasn’t perfect as we would measure perfection, it was perfect in that it could perform its intended purpose perfectly.  He later related that to us in that while we may not be perfect as we understand perfection, if we are performing the tasks that God has created and planned for us to do perfectly as He intended, then we are in essence perfect in His sight.

So, what has God created and planned for us to do perfectly?  Simply, to serve Him with everything within us, with all our strength, mind, body, soul and strength.  Also, it is to be His ambassadors to a lost and dying world, using our giftings and talents for His purposes and the Kingdom of God, and not so much for our own desires and agendas.  The question is then asked, are you perfect in His sight?  Or, are you giving Him less than your all and best, and using the gifts and talents He’s given you more for your own purposes and agendas than for His?  Are you more concerned about building yourself and your “kingdom” than you are about building His?  Just some things to think about.  I trust that you will, as I often times do, re-evaluate where you stand with this and if God could honestly say you are perfect in His sight.  None of us are perfect, and I would be the first to admit that I’m not and that I have a lot to learn as I strive to be more like Christ, but can we be perfect in fulfilling the purposes God has uniquely planned for each and every one of us?  I believe we can be, and that is my aim and goal.  How about you???????

www.resoundingshophar.com

Copyright 2012 – John Johansson

I was thinking the other day about the regrets many people carry in life.  In fact, if we are all honest with ourselves, we all have some regrets. Maybe it is wishing we hadn’t bought that one item, or going on a date with that one classmate, or taking that one trip that seemed to be more of a diseaster than a good vacation?  It could be just about anything, but I’m sure we all have at least one.

So, what do we do with our regrets?  It’s one thing to have to deal with one or two regrets, but what if our life is filled with more regrets than we care to remember?  Makes it pretty tough to rise above them, doesn’t it?

Sometimes, one can experience so much regret that they think there is nothing good for them.  They think that they don’t deserve or are even worthy of anything good, and because of it many give up the hope of better times and a good life.  It can be a paralyzing thing, regret that is.  Is there hope for someone with regret?  Or even someone with a lot of regret?

Yes, there is.  It’s through Jesus.  He gives us the reason for the hope of life and the victory over regrets.  It is at the feet of Jesus that we are able to relinquish our regrets and give them to Him, and He in turn gives us freedom from them and a life we would not otherwise have.  His grace and mercy is so precious, and it is something never to take for granted.  That doesn’t mean that we will forget our past regrets, but it means that we no longer have to be in bondage to them.  And if we will remember to trust and leave those regrets with Him, giving our lives to serving Him each day, He promises to turn all those regrets into something good.

The results of our regrets may stare us in the face each day, but once we’ve given them to Jesus we can trust Him that He will take care of them.  People may want to remind us of past regrets, ensinuating that we won’t be able to change and rise above them, but don’t listen to them.  Listen to Jesus, the One who created all things including you, the same one that died to give you freedom from past regrets, and listen to HIm when He says you are a new creation once you became His follower.

As we remember Jesus in the manger during this time, let us also remember to leave our past regrets at the feet of the cross He hung on for us just 33 years after His birth.

Merry Christmas!

Copyright 2012 – John Johansson

Have you ever heard someone say that Jesus is their best friend?  I have, but one question that keeps coming to my mind when I hear it is whether or not they really treat and desire interaction with Jesus like they do their best friend here on earth.  Often times people I’ve heard say this actually treat Jesus as an acquaintance instead of as a best friend.  Before we say that Jesus is our best friend, we need to first ask ourselves if we treat Him just as well, if not better, than the person we call our best friend here on earth.  If we don’t treat Him the same or better than our other best friends then we have no business calling Him our best friend.

Along those same lines I’ve had another thought.  Over the years, I’ve known people that get real serious about the pursuit of their education, their career, or even about different aspects of health and business.  I’ve even known people who are very serious for or against different causes, causes such as abortion, marriage, or even gay rights.  I’m not going to say that any of these things are bad, or that they are even good, but one thought keeps going through my mind.  What would happen if people invested the same energy and resources they spend for these things into their relationship with Christ and living for Him.  If we are spending more time, energy or resources into anything or anyone else than we are in our relationship with Jesus and living for Him, then we are missing it and are involved in idolatry as those things are taking precedence over Jesus.  Many people talk about how they haven’t committed murder, adultry or even theft, referring to the Ten Commandments, but they forget about the first and most important commandment.  Both in the list of the commandments and the two that Jesus mentioned, the first one was that we are to love God with all our heart, mind, strength and body, so if that is not the case then we are missing it.  We can rationalize and justify why we may put more energy into these other things than we do our own relationship with Christ and living for Him, but when it is all said and done those excuses will not hold any water.  I even have to remember to keep myself in check because sometimes I can get caught up more with my tinkering with computers than I do with Him, and that is wrong.  The excessive tinkering with computers can have a negative effect in other areas that I need to be mindful of, but if I can make sure to maintain Him as first and foremost in my life then the other areas will end up getting worked out.  I mention that to say that this is something that we all need to be mindful of as it is so easy to get caught up and distracted with others and other things.  We need to remember to make a conscious effort to keep Him first and foremost in our lives.  Our eternity depends on it, believe it or not.

One simple question to ask yourselves in closing.  Is that which you are putting so much time, energy and resources into of greater importance than your relationship with Jesus and living for Him according to His will?

Copyright 2012 – John Johansson

Did you know that ‘legalism’ and ‘compromise’ are kissing cousins?  It may seem hard to believe, but they are.  Legalism focuses on a list of do’s and don’ts by which one lives by, and compromise goes the extra mile to avoid any list of do’s and don’ts because they believe God’s love and grace will cover them.  So, what do they have in common?  They both lack the needed relationship with Jesus.  Legalism’s driving force is based on pleasing God and gaining acceptance into Heaven by works, and compromise’s driving force is based on the belief that God will accept them now and into heaven no matter what they say or do simply because they’ve said a prayer.

Relationship with Jesus is the ‘missing link’.  There is nothing wrong with a list of do’s and don’ts as long as it is a result of our relationship with Jesus, not the basis of it by which we seek to claim his acceptance and approval.  There is nothing wrong with not living by a list of do’s and don’ts provided our life is based on an active relationship with Jesus and living to please Him in all our ways.

What about you?  Are you living your life by a list of do’s and don’ts?  Or, are you living on the basis that the way you live has no bearing on your eternity?  Or, are you living your life based on an intimate relationship with Jesus?  Pursue first and foremost a relationship with Jesus, a vibrant and passionate relationship with Him, and then share it with others so they can have one as well.  Eternity hinges on it.

Copyright 2012 – John Johansson