Kristie Johnson: 0:00

Hey, Ron, it's good to be back. It's good to see you again.

Ron Meyers: 0:03

Yes, you have been traveling the world doing all kinds of things with ministry and you and I are going to talk for a few minutes and I just want to talk about doing life with Jesus. You know, christy, I think you can see the news. A lot of people are concerned. They're worried. Should we worry as believers?

Kristie Johnson: 0:22

No, in fact, the Lord tells us that worrying cannot do anything for us. It can't change a color of our hair, it can't add a day to our lives. So worry is actually the opposite thing. That we need. To have Concerns come up, yes, but we're to seek the Lord and pray. And he says that if we will take faith instead of fear, then worry is something he can get away from us and allow us to grow in the struggle we might be facing. Whether it's international worries, whether it's daily worries, god wants us to grow in our strength through the faith in Him that he will freely give us. You know, faith is also a gift from God. We have to ask for it sometimes.

Ron Meyers: 1:06

Yeah, you know you and I were talking before. We went on the air that my target audience is for people that don't go to church. Maybe they have church hurts or they just don't go to church, but they can still love Jesus. What is our role as believers? Are we supposed to be punching that time clock every single Sunday at church?

Kristie Johnson: 1:28

Well, ron, I think the problem is just what you said. It's punching a time clock. God, I was there. Hey, I got to go next week. Uh-oh, today I'm sick. What am I going to do? No, it isn't about punching a clock at church, one of the things that has happened to a dear friend of mine. She's a friend now.

Kristie Johnson: 1:48

I was counseling her at the time and she was attending church regularly, really doing it as a work to please God or an obligation that she thought she had to do to be a good Christian. And one day she did not have gas in her car. She didn't have money to get gas, and she called another person in the same church a family member, as a matter of fact, and they told her well, if you were doing what God wants, you'd have enough gas in your car, you'd have money for gas. Man, this is the worst thing that someone can tell a Christian that if they do what God wants, then they'd have everything. But now you must have done something wrong. This is so devastating to people's faith and also it's an ugly picture of Jesus that isn't who he is. Who is Jesus? Well, jesus is the Son of God, who loved you so much and knew you could never be good enough to deserve anything.

Ron Meyers: 2:51

And I'm going to go to church. As soon as I clean up and straighten up, I'm going to be there. I've been saying that for a few years, but I don't seem to get into church.

Kristie Johnson: 2:59

Well, one of the problems is the church itself. The Bible tells us even that churches have terrible flaws. They are doing things that don't please God and yet they're not called to account, even until the end of time. But ultimately, our relationship with Jesus sometimes has to be individual and we may not have a congregation where we can go and attend. You know, there are Christians who go to the service with other believers at the risk of their lives. They're not doing that because they think they're punching a time clock. They're going there to meet with other believers, to be encouraged in their faith and to face the trials and tribulations they may have. We're talking about non-Christian countries where people risk their life to go. Why do they go? Because God's ordering them to do that or they're a bad Christian? No, because they meet there together to join together with other believers. Because Jesus said where two or more not a whole congregation, where two or more are gathered there. I am in the midst.

Ron Meyers: 4:07

So I could have church with another believer at Waffle House or at IHOP or Cracker Barrel my favorite place.

Kristie Johnson: 4:14

I don't have to be in a building that has a cross on it Absolutely, and there are no numbers that are being counted in heaven about how many times that you attend a church service. But, ron, a lot of people do get wounded in church because they're misled, like this young woman that I'm talking about, who was made to think that God was mad at her because she'd done something wrong and that was the reason she didn't have enough gas in her car.

Ron Meyers: 4:44

And we're not picking on churches, we are just lifting up Jesus for individuals that your answers aren't going to come from a church. Your answers are going to come from Jesus. And maybe you don't feel like God is a part of your life, but I believe that all of us I know I did, christy I got to a point at one part of my life that I just hated my life, and when I started hating what I was doing, it opened the door to who Jesus is.

Kristie Johnson: 5:13

Yes, ultimately, god has created us, that we need him. He knows that we can't accomplish all the things that God has equipped us for. You know, god gives us gifts. There are gifts that is given to every human that's born. There is a personality, there is skills, there are strengths. Sometimes there are weaknesses, but he knows who we are and he wants to bring us to the best place we can be in life. Through his spirit, through his relationship with us, he makes us better than we really are.

Ron Meyers: 5:49

Now if somebody is listening saying well, I'm glad I do all these good things. I go to the soup kitchens, I volunteer at the nursing home and I do a lot of good things out there, so I know God is pleased with me. Do good works, make a difference with our relationship with Jesus.

Kristie Johnson: 6:05

Well, actually no, but at the same time, Jesus may inspire you to do that. But there's a key factor I believe, Ron, and that is are you doing it in the name of Jesus? He said do all things in the name of Jesus. If I examine myself and I think, oh, I'm doing this because I want everyone to see what a good Christian I am, that's an error, because that is not about Jesus. You're making it about you. It needs to be how good Jesus is. It needs to be that you're there because of his goodness, not because of who you want people to recognize you to be. The scripture tells us that there is a sin of pride, and sometimes we can become proud of how good we are in Jesus.

Ron Meyers: 7:00

We create our own religion, pleasing ourselves for God. Right now, christy, you are on a lot of news shows and you talk around the country. What is on the hearts? What are you hearing from people out there with Christians? What's going on in this world?

Kristie Johnson: 7:11

Well, there are groups of people that are finding their daily life is being challenged by economics, being challenged by a loss in their family, a death, an illness.

Kristie Johnson: 7:25

There are many challenges that Christians are facing, but there's one thing I can tell you is that every human being will face these challenges. It is part of the fact we live in a fallen world. But without Jesus Christ, I don't know how people get through those things. He is there to be a comforter. He says that he has an account of every tear you've shed. He knows the struggle you have and he's there to take you through it, to take you through the fire, to take you through the flood, to take you through the valley of the shadow of death. And I don't think people realize sometimes that's because someone you loved and you depended on died a child, a parent, a loved one in your family is gone and you need Jesus to walk you through and to be the shepherd to take you through that valley. And this is where Christians need to encourage one another that Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you. We have to know that and we have to share that with others.

Ron Meyers: 8:29

I talk about destiny a lot on this show. I think all of us have a purpose. We have talents, skills and abilities that no one else has. Christy, you've done a lot of incredible things. What's your purpose?

Kristie Johnson: 8:41

Well, number one. I believe that we're all called to be servants, and that is to be servants to one another as human beings. Sometimes we're called to love our enemies, sometimes we're called to meet the needs of the lesser fortunate. Sometimes we're called to pray. But I also believe that God has higher callings for us, because in being a servant, he said humble yourself before the mighty hand of God and in due time he will lift you up. Ultimately, what God's purpose for us is is to bring a picture of Jesus to others, that he can be glorified for the good things in our life, and God will give you the ability to do amazing things you can't do or imagine.

Ron Meyers: 9:30

But somebody listening says well, that's easy for all those educated people and those college graduates and people that went to seminary, but I'm just not the brightest light bulb on the shelf. What could God possibly use me for?

Kristie Johnson: 9:43

I'll tell you what God uses those who will humble their heart and say Lord, I want to be used by you. The simplest thing that someone can do is just to encourage another person, whether they're a believer or not. He said if you give a cup of water to a child in my name, you will not lose your reward. There are little things that we all can do, and if we'll do it in the name of Jesus, then that will be recognized as a picture of His goodness, his love, his caring, his mercy and His grace.

Ron Meyers: 10:19

You know they say that you never miss anything you've never had. And if people listening have never really had a fun time in life or really saw the beauty in life, then it's hard for them to imagine that God has something better for them. And I say that because I think of my days when I was doing things in the world. I was happy. I had no idea when I started following Jesus my life was going to change in ways that, like I tell people, I'm doing things I never knew I could do and the things I thought I would do. I'm doing things I never knew I could do and the things I thought I would do, I'm not doing them. So I say all that, that sometimes it's just putting that step forward. And I think your friend had a beautiful prayer. Maybe it was you that said Lord, use me every morning when I wake up.

Kristie Johnson: 11:05

Yeah, we actually did this, Ron, before on the radio and my friend also has been doing that. It's when I wake up in the morning just to say, lord, if there's one thing I can do for you today, I want to do it, but please make sure that I know this is you speaking, and if you'll show me what to do, I'll do it. That one small thing might be, just as I said, to see someone who has a need and just say, hey, I want to help you with this because I'm a believer in Jesus and I know he loves you. That is a simple thing to do, it isn't complicated. But I will tell you, god wants to use you. He wants people to be blessed in his name.

Ron Meyers: 11:48

Why does it always seem to happen, at least to me? I go to church, I'm singing songs and I feel good, and then I get on the road and I get behind all these incompetent drivers honking at me and I start wanting to say certain words that I can't say anymore. It seems like when everything seems to go well in life, there's always someone or something that comes in to rain on our parade.

Kristie Johnson: 12:15

Well, this started in the Garden of Eden, I'm sorry to say. We got to go back there and realize that Adam and Eve had a perfect world. There was nothing that they could not have had through the power of God. His relationship with them was.

Ron Meyers: 12:36

There was a spoiler no, no it wasn't a woman.

Kristie Johnson: 12:41

She ate the apple. Well, she got tempted. But she got tempted because it was a trick of the devil to tell her that there was something God was withholding, and if she would eat this fruit she'd have what God wouldn't give her, and that was the knowledge of good and evil. Well, there was no evil at the time. But once they ate the fruit and we fell, we turned over the control of our life as a matter of choice.

Kristie Johnson: 13:12

God had given us freedom of choice, freedom of will, and now we have to deal with the consequence of a spiritual evil in the world. That is why, every time God does something good for you, the devil wants to come along and rob you of it. But we just have to know that we're in a spiritual war. But Jesus won that spiritual war. God won that war. Jesus' blood paid the price of our sin and our mistakes. And we now enter into a relationship with God where he says this is what I'd like you to do, but if you make a mistake and you repent, you can come right back to that relationship. Jesus paid the price for everything that we've done.

Ron Meyers: 13:55

Amen, you are a little energizer bunny. You are so excited about life. Would you give some hope there to our listeners?

Kristie Johnson: 14:05

Yeah, absolutely, Ron. I want people to know that, as we face these fearful events coming on the earth, we should know that God knows everything that is coming, everything about your life, everything about mine, everything about what's happening in the Middle East. And he said fear not. He said you're going to hear of wars and rumors of wars, but don't be fearful of these things. These things have to happen and, ultimately, the reason that we have a spiritual war is because Christ is reclaiming the earth, is because Christ is reclaiming the earth, he is reclaiming mankind and he is going to destroy all the works of the enemy.

Ron Meyers: 14:46

Now, when I go up to heaven, will I be able to do podcasting up there?

Kristie Johnson: 14:51

Well, Ron, I don't know.

Ron Meyers: 14:52

Maybe you will.

Kristie Johnson: 14:55

I know that you have this gift for talking, just like I do, so what are we going to be doing? Maybe we'll be talking. I think that when we look at heaven, it is important to realize it is not about the clouds and playing a harp. It is about worshiping God and being close to Jesus. And I want to say if you ever loved a human being in your life, if you ever loved your little baby, if you ever loved your little son, your daughter, if you ever loved a husband or wife, understand how important they are to you. Jesus is that and all more than that. He is ultimately the ultimate lover of our soul.

Ron Meyers: 15:37

Now what about my little dog Muffy? Will I see Muffy in heaven?

Kristie Johnson: 15:41

Well, god created the animals and brought them to Adam to be named. He expected us to care for the creatures on earth, not to forget humans, but to care for the creatures on earth. And all I can tell you is that God knows how much we can love our little Muffy or our other animals. He even gives an illustration of that when he was talking to David, when the prophet Samuel was talking to David about his sin and he said there was a man that had a little sheep and he brought him in his house and he raised him in the house and then this neighbor killed that sheep. Now you know that story is to tell David about the sin that he committed with adultery with Bathsheba. But the truth is it also tells us that God knows we love our animal creatures and I'm going to tell you I don't know if you're going to see Muffy, but I don't say you won't.

Ron Meyers: 16:38

You know one of the things I was talking to someone a few weeks ago. I said I think I have a theory of why pets are on the increase. Dogs and cats are being adopted because they are the perfect, unconditional love. I mean that is a picture of Jesus in our pets because no matter what we do to those little pets, they come back loving us, licking our face and saying where's my treat?

Kristie Johnson: 17:06

Yes, but I don't think Jesus licks our face or asks for a treat, ron. But I understand what you're saying. Every person needs love in their life and if you're getting that love from a pet, you need to remember Jesus God. He is the creator of everything. Jesus Christ is the creator. He created those pets to show not just that the pet loves you, but that he loves you, and that love that he has manifest in his creation is also to help us understand who he is. So that little pet is a picture of the love that Jesus has for us.

Ron Meyers: 17:43

That's it, the character, the nature of Jesus. He comes back to us, no matter how many times we fall, no matter how many times we stumble. He never leaves us, he never forsakes us, he will never divorce us. We are the bride of Christ. And you know, when we really understand at least for me, christy, when I really started understanding that, believing that and having that seared in my conscience how much I'm loved and forgiven, I just seem to approach life in such a different perspective because I had no fear. God had me in his hands and I was just doing life with Jesus and I was going with the flow.

Kristie Johnson: 18:17

Yeah, the Lord talks about him returning for a bride. I mean, most of us can understand the love that we would have for another person, that we would wait on them and we would be welcoming the next time and the next opportunity we got to see them. That's a heartfelt thing and Jesus is comparing that relationship he has with us as an expectation of one day. We're going to be together forever. We're going to be all together.

Ron Meyers: 18:47

I know no more weeping, no more tears. We'll be back with our loved ones. I know you have a husband that's passed, but one day my mom's gone, my dad's gone, but one day we'll all be together. I tell people, listen, I'm going to believe in Jesus just so I can see my family. I'll take all the other stuff that comes with it, but you know, I want to see my family again and I do believe in what Jesus says, that we will be together for them that believe in him.

Kristie Johnson: 19:12

Absolutely. And this is why you should not neglect ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ, his mercy and grace, to your loved ones, because you are going to want to see them. But, ron, you know something else that's even more incredible when you think about it.

Kristie Johnson: 19:27

There are people who went before you that you never knew. There are people in your family that have gone, left this earth, and they are with Jesus now and they're looking forward to seeing you there. If you ever had a grandma, a grandpa, a great grandma, a great grandpa, do you know? Their prayers are still in effect, calling you to come to know Christ, because they want to see you.

Ron Meyers: 19:53

That's a beautiful statement. Thank you for sharing that Before we go. We're about out of time. Will you pray for our listeners?

Kristie Johnson: 20:01

Oh, absolutely. I'll be honored to do that, lord Jesus, as we come before you as just flawed human beings, people who have made mistakes, people who don't deserve to have the goodness that you've showed us. But, lord, that goodness and that mercy that you have is for each and every human being that was ever born. You knew us in the womb before we were even born and, god, you had a plan to bring us to yourself. I ask, lord, that you help us to humbly submit ourselves and to ask you to bring that glory into our lives by the power of Jesus blood, that blood that cleanses us and that blood that makes us your own, god. Thank you for dying for us, thank you for loving us and thank you, lord, that you give us an opportunity to reach out to others so that they also may find eternal life in heaven with you. Thank you, jesus. In your precious name we pray Amen.