Jackie's Journey "What's Worth Dying For?"

During the reign of Maximian in the third century(A.D. 286), repeated persecutions were brought against Christians.  Yet the greater the persecutions, the more  the early church grew.

 One day Maximian ordered  all his armies to assemble near the city of Gaul.  Tens of thousands of soldiers were there.  They stood at attention to give a loyalty oath which included the killing of Christians.

 The captain of 6,ooo men, known as the Thebian Legion replied to this oath by saying, ”We  will fight and die for Maximian in battle, but we will not kill Christians.  We, ourselves, are all Christians.”  

 Maximian became infuriated.  He ordered their ranks to be decimated.  Every 10th man was killed by the sword.  The remaining legion still refused!  More men were killed until the entire legion was martyred for their faith!

 The tens of thousands who watched saw men who had something worth dying for.  Soon, thousands became converted, and in A.D. 313 the entire Roman empire adopted the Christian faith.

 These men were strong in God’s Spirit.

Their faith was grounded in conviction, not preference.

 We live in a time when our fear of God is at an all-time low and our love of the world and all it offers, is at an all-time high!  God wants us mighty in spirit, “’To be strengthened with might by HIS SPIRIT in the inner man.’”

 This means God’s Word is dwelling richly in us, we are sensing His presence and recognizing His promptings. We are alert to spiritual dangers that would draw us away from Him and His purpose in our life and we are discerning of wrong attitudes and ideas that would neutralize our ability to make decisions with godly convictions and His blessing.

If HE is worth dying for…

HE is worth living for…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Profoundly Unbecoming!"

In life we are confounded with choices, preferences and demands.  They come as fast and as remarkably contradictory, as presumably thinkable!  Demands on us and demands we make on others!  We live in an age of personal rights and what we consider a “need”.  If life and experience have taught me one thing, it would be that my “needs” are minimal and my wants are unreasonably extravagant!

 C. S Lewis said, “When I am in the presence of God, it seems profoundly unbecoming to demand anything!”  We just celebrated Christ’s surrendering HIS will completely and HIS victory over death…our promise of resurrection. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; YET not my will, but yours be done.”  Luke 22: 42  In anguish our Savior cried out on the Mount of Olives, as HE faced death in our place!” 

 How often in our choices, preferences and demands do we stop and consider HIS will first?  Do we seek the author and finisher of our faith in the midst of our decision-making process? Do we take thought to get into HIS presence and acknowledge that the God of the universe has a will to be considered?  Can you hear His voice when HE whispers HIS will to you?

 Have you ever put your will in “neutral”; having no preference or will of its own in regard to making a decision?   Our battle ceases when we acknowledge HIS sovereignty and accept HIS perfect will for us.  HE’S got the plan and it is for our good…we are blessed if we find which way God is moving and get in harmony with HIM.

 The history of all the great characters of the Bible is summed up in this one sentence:

 They acquainted themselves with God, and acquiesced HIS will in all things.” Richard Cecil 

 Have a great week…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Faith Stroll?"

My granddaughter, Alexandra Grace, gave me the “Faith not Sight” and with its message comes, a promise of a walk unlike no other. It is in my kitchen and the daily reminder of a march of faith…like Abraham of old, “He went out, not knowing where he was going!”  When we left the United States and headed for the mission field , we had no idea where we were going.  We only knew that God had moved in our hearts to be His hands and feet to reach an unreached tribe in the jungles of Panama. With two little girls we, by  faith, found ourselves separated from family, friends and civilization.

 Faith became a series of “realizations “of  unknowns…and me, learning to see Him only…not my circumstance.  I got in the habit of asking myself…was God in control, or was I in His way? My    faith was becoming a daily stroll, rooted in his taking the lead and me learning to follow, without resistance, rationalization or excuse!  “Faith never knows where it is being led,  but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. It is a life of knowing Who makes us ‘go’”. Oswald Chambers

 Whether your faith journey is a health issue,  finances, a job loss, relationship divisions, or like me, a loss of a loved one,  the root of faith is the knowledge of a Person and his divine purpose in all that is going on around us.  For me the Person is my focus and the attainment of useful character for the benefit of His glory is the goal.  Will I be more profitable for the cross?

 “The life of faith is not a mounting up with wings, but a life of not fainting.” Oswald Chambers From  my early Christian life my faith has been tried and proved and because of His faithfulness…has stood the test.  Like Abraham…I believe God.  He’s got the plan.  My job…keep in harmony with Him!

 Have a great “faith walk” this week…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "A Divided Heart"

Sometimes, don’t you just wish you knew the future?  Just a little heads-up?  Life is so full of obstacles, decisions, and the unexpected, it would be nice to know a little ahead!  Shortly before God called my husband home, he texted me Psalm 86:11 with the note…”Prayer for our family this week”.  This was the verse…“Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart that I will fear your name (the beginning of wisdom).  I will praise you, Lord, my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.  For great is your love toward me; You have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead.”

 In a way, this was prophetic.

He left this earth for his heavenly home the following week!

Ralph had given me the verses I needed to begin to journey on… before he left!

 An undivided heart is one that uses difficult and impossible times to demonstrate our commitment to God and those HE has called us to serve.  This is called LOYALTY. Loyalty is the bonding of individuals in a long-term commitment of sacrificial support and defense. Infidelity or unfaithfulness is total betrayal to God and our designed purpose.

 Each of us has loyalties to certain people or things.  We are all loyal to something!  We are loyal to things on earth(family, friends, money, job…) or we are loyal to things in heaven (rewards, abstaining from sin, godly relationships, walking in holiness, faithful in our witness and service). Loyalty is one thing a leader cannot do without.

 All day long we are making decisions that tell us where our loyalty lies and to whom!  It reveals what our mind is focused on.  We are to make our decisions based on two things:

1 – Am I loyal to the authority responsible for me?

2 – Am I standing with those I am serving in their time of need and making them first, more successful than myself?

 I guess the question is: 

Do we doubt God’s sovereignty during adversity

or do we draw nearer to HIM?

Hence, my prayer for us this week…

“Relying on HIS faithfulness, give us an undivided heart”…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "A Royal Easter Story"

“And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and appeared to many.”  Matt. 27:52-53

Yesterday was a Day of Celebration!  One of the simplest definitions of Easter is that we are living in a world which God has the last word!  A Royal Easter Story was written to bring the hearts and minds of little prince and princesses into focus on our heavenly King, who is selfless and reminds us to fix our eyes on the eternal, not the temporal.  This King sent His only Son who gave the ultimate sacrifice…His life for ours on the cross of Calvary! The book motivates us to honor Christ, who died for us and rose again on the third day, giving us the promise of eternal life.

 We are saved to serve selflessly.  A true prince or princess, whatever their age, must learn to lose their life serving others first…no, “me first” attitudes.  This holiday book is currently available on ThePrincessParable.com website, Amazon.com ChristianBooks.com, etc.

 Jeanna and I trust your Easter celebration spotlighted

the story of the Royal Prince, Jesus Christ,

who came to save us from our sin, self and separation from Him…and then…

rose again!! Our eternal HOPE.

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Thorns and Thistles!"

“By His wounds we are healed”.  Isa. 53

 Family celebrations are on the horizon!  The cross is the center of our commemorating the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  His selfless and sinless sacrifice in our place is our reason to celebrate and praise His Name.  We call the holiday Easter and for a moment in time we stop and rehearse His ultimate sacrifice…His life for ours on that thorny, thistled “old rugged cross”.  Not only did he die for us but also on the third day He rose from the dead and gave us the promise of a resurrected life after death! 

 This deliberate and divine act of love was to give our lives promise, plan and purpose.  We are destined and programmed to serve others first, not ourselves.   In our Easter release to the Princess Parable Series, “A Royal Easter Story”, we have introduced our five young knights who present a challenge that draws our young princesses into a chariot race that reveals the truth of what the cross teaches. 

 Do you live a life selflessly and sacrificially serving others?

 We cannot be consumed with a life that seeks its own and find life abundantly.  It is an impossibility.  Local churches open their doors on Good Friday to give us the opportunity to take a personal account of our commitment to our first love and renew our loyalty to live as Jesus challenges us to live…Holy!  We are reminded to live serving others, as He did, with eternal values and purpose in view.

 As women, we are dedicated to living and then, teaching the character of Christ to our little princes and princesses.  We focus on drawing their attention to the importance of serving, helping and caring for others.  That is why we find ourselves saying, “Can you comfort your little brother” or “Will you help mommy?”  Teaching by example, without excuse, is the most powerful tool in our toolbox!  We are “known and read” by these little eyes and ears.  They know if the cross is real in us, or not.  We don’t fool them, but we do confuse them when our life message does not speak the reality of Christ in us!

 Are your little ones confused?

 “Then said Jesus to his disciples, IF any man will come after me,

 let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

Matt. 16: 24

 The cross holds the hope of humanity.  Denying self-life (our pride and selfishness in all its ugly forms)…and taking up His cross (His desires and His perfect Will for us)…  authenticates His life in us.  Living life consistently with no unconfessed sin and nothing between us and another person enables us to follow Him.  “His crucifixion is the key; His resurrection the door…it is only by His death that we have the mandate to enter into the gates of eternal life.  His door is open always.  Christ is King.”  Isrealmore Ayivor

  “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live;

yet not I, but Christ lives in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me, and gave himself for me?”

Gal.  2: 20

“There are no crown-bearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers here below.”

Charles H. Spurgeon

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "A Divided Heart?"

Sometimes, don’t you just wish you knew the future?  Just a little heads-up?  Life is so full of obstacles, decisions, and the unexpected, it would be nice to know a little ahead!  Shortly before God called my husband home, he texted me Psalm 86:11 with the note…”Prayer for our family this week”.  This was the verse…“Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart that I will fear your name (the beginning of wisdom).  I will praise you, Lord, my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.  For great is your love toward me; You have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead.”

 In a way, this was prophetic.

He left this earth for his heavenly home the following week!

Ralph had given me the verses I needed to begin to journey on… before he left!

 An undivided heart is one that uses difficult and impossible times to demonstrate our commitment to God and those HE has called us to serve.  This is called LOYALTY. Loyalty is the bonding of individuals in a long-term commitment of sacrificial support and defense. Infidelity or unfaithfulness is total betrayal to God and our designed purpose.

 Each of us has loyalties to certain people or things.  We are all loyal to something!  We are loyal to things on earth(family, friends, money, job…) or we are loyal to things in heaven (rewards, abstaining from sin, godly relationships, walking in holiness, faithful in our witness and service). Loyalty is one thing a leader cannot do without.

 All day long we are making decisions that tell us where our loyalty lies and to whom!  It reveals what our mind is focused on.  We are to make our decisions based on two things:

1 – Am I loyal to the authority responsible for me?

2 – Am I standing with those I am serving in their time of need and making them first, more successful than myself?

 I guess the question is: 

Do we doubt God’s sovereignty during adversity

or do we draw nearer to HIM?

 Hence, my prayer for us this week…

“Relying on HIS faithfulness, give us an undivided heart”…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Unforeseen Journey!"

When my husband unexpectantly left to be with the Lord, “”I groaned in anguish of heart”.  I began reading Psalms, knowing I could not doubt in the dark what God had given me in the light. HE had proven Himself over and over again and I was in the habit of thanking HIM  through the unknown and trusting HIS sovereignty.  Every Psalm spoke to me and portions were jumping off the page!

When I got to  Psalm 40, the pattern through this storm was clear.  “ I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.  HE lifted me out of the slimy pit and set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth and heart…and if that wasn’t  enough, He gave me a plan and a promise”. (vs. 1-5)

 I waited

I cried out

HE heard me

HE turned toward me

HE put a new song in me

HE gave me the plan

HE gave me the promise

 HE said “Blessed is the  one who trusts in the Lord” (vs 4 the promise) and “Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in HIM” (vs 3b the plan). I will look forward to sharing the wonders He has done and the things HE has planned for us. None can compare with all HE has done.  If I was to speak and tell of His  great deeds…they would be too many to declare.

 Here I am… my desire is to do HIS will…As HE leads,

I will follow with  joy…one day at a time.

Thank you for praying for our family...

 I am grateful for all the love and support that

has been showered on us throughout this journey

of tremendous loss and HOPE.

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Listen Up!"

Are you a mom?  Not yet?  I have been thinking about my life spent as a mother, first and then, a grandma and I am, as I am sure you are, desperate for our little princesses and young knights to be equipped to face the world waiting to devour them!  They will be required to be wise and disciplined, ones who understand the words given for help in direction and insight, able to willingly receive instruction in prudent behavior, ever learning to discern good from evil and accept guidance in making right choices, etc.

 Are we not urgently seeking answers in preparation?

 We get on google (the new ‘how to’), read books on how to love and nurture our little ones, etc.  We get pre-occupied with how our friends are raising their children. We join groups of young moms desiring instruction.  We ask, “What should be our goal for their benefit?  What works best in this  or that situation? What words should I use? How should I address this?”

 It is a huge responsibility!

 When all the time the tools are readily available and written in uncomplicated and straightforward terms…the work has been done for us, ladies.   It calls to us every day and screams for our attention to its clear teaching.

 Where…you say?

These tools are found in the Word of God.

If you feel you are too busy to spend time studying the Bible…

you ARE too busy!

I started reading Proverbs this morning and the first verses

give the key to attaining these desired goals mentioned above and

are written in one long sentence!

 “Listen children to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.  For attaining wisdom (is seeing life’s situations from God’s point of view and acting in harmony with HIM) and discipline (accepting trials as God’s fastest path to growth and giving thanks for it) for understanding (applied wisdom) words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent (projected wisdom; a person who thinks consequences!) life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple (without wisdom), knowledge (familiarity gained by insight to truth, experience and accumulated facts and reports) and discretion ( the God given ability to understand why things happen) to the young…let the wise child listen and be discerning (seeing through surface problems to root causes).”Proverbs 1:2-4, 8

 The definition of a word has a way of putting feet to its purpose.  God calls us to get in HIS Word, to call out for insight, to cry aloud for understanding and to search for wisdom as for hidden treasure. Proverbs 2: 3

 The reward is we will understand what God says is right and just and fair…”for wisdom will enter our heart andknowledge will be pleasant to our soul (our mind, will and emotions).  Discretion will protect us and understanding will guard us!  Proverbs 2:10

 I will meet you in the morning…

 Let’s read Proverbs this month…31 Chapters…one chapter a day

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Hiding Places"

It has been 23 days since Ralph left for heaven and the Word of God has come alive.  I can remember in the jungles of Panama different times when trials and difficulties made the Word seer my heart like fire with truth, comfort, encouragement, and life-lessons.  I can attest to God’s unfailing love and faithfulness… there is  “Joy in  the morning”!  Ralph used to tell me, “Trust in the dark what God gave you in the light”.

 My hearts song this morning is, “Hear my cry,  Oh  God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the Earth,  I call  to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me  to the  rock that  is  higher than I.  For  you have been my  refuge, a strong  tower against the foe.  I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.  For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me  the  heritage  of those who fear your name.”  Psalm 61

 This is the vow Ralph and I made shortly after we married in 1965.

I found it in my Bible…

 Lord, we give up our  own purposes and plans and all desires, hopes and ambitions…(whether they be of flesh or soulish) and accept your will for our lives.  We give ourselves to YOU, our lives, our all… to be YOURS forever.  We hand over to you all our friendships, and all the people who we love are to take second place in our hearts. We surrender to you.  Fill us with YOUR Holy Spirit, work out YOUR WILL for our lives…at any cost, now and forever…

 He kept his vow…

Now…it’s my turn!

 “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty…

HE will cover you with HIS feathers and under HIS wings you will find refuge.” Psalm 91: 1,4

 I am resting and rejoicing this morning…

 Have a great  week…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.