Proverbs 25 - John Johnson

Show intro: 0:04

Welcome to affirming words, where you're encouraged to speak the word renew your mind and transform your life.

Rick Tarrant: 0:12

And hey there hi there. Whoa, there you are welcome as can be to the affirming words of abundance for this 25th day of February 2022, as we record this edition of affirming words, I am Rick Tarrant. And this ladies and gentlemen, would be John Johnson, my friend of more years than we could probably collectively remember, I don't know. But between the two of us we've had an experience or two along the way, haven't we? So let's pray. Father, we just stick commit this time to you over the next several minutes with my friend, John Johnson and Whoever joins us Lord in the in the Zoom Room, and whoever is on the Facebook stream or YouTube or podcast down the road. Whenever however that stuff works, we just again pray that whoever is supposed to hear will have the ears to hear and the heart to respond according to your word and your will. In Jesus name. Amen. Well, we do have a zoom room this morning, John, we have Oberhiri in London and Leilani is in Colorado and Vicki and Judith I believe her up and up in Boston and we I think I just heard somebody else Michelene, just popped in from rock wall down in downtown Dallas way. Probably got her boots on and cowboy hats. So and whoever is listening and Facebook, I have to I have yet to master the art of mastering all the different places where somebody might could be be listening, but we are here. And why don't you give us a brief introduction of who you are. And and, you know, in three minutes your life story before we jump into proverbs 25.

John Johnson: 1:53

Well, Rick, I thought you were going to introduce me on that.

Rick Tarrant: 1:59

Okay, well, you know what, I should be a better host. You know, my wife's always said, Rick, you should be a better friend of yourself, I should be a better host, ladies and gentlemen, John Johnson has a passion for worship, mentoring and training new songs, writing new songs. And he preaches the gospel of the kingdom dramatically through the Word, and He will even I have heard, I've actually seen this happen, break into song while preaching to better illustrate a point in the sermon. And I'm just hoping he'll do that today. He's the former head of worship leadership at visible music college where I built a little radio station a couple of years ago. And so here, he's here to share talent, wisdom, and tell us now a little bit about his history. Ladies, gentlemen, John Johnson. Was that better? Was that better?

John Johnson: 2:46

That's fine. It is great to be with you, man. I just really think that this is a wonderful thing that that the Lord is laid upon your heart to do. I know, some years ago, there was a CD that you put out with affirming words and back and in fact, back at that particular time, that was really quite a novel thing to do, and also a very encouraging thing to do. So it's great to be on this program with you this morning.

Rick Tarrant: 3:23

Yeah, that was the genesis. In fact, I have, I often bring out this framed thing that I have on my wall over here of the CD in the in the cassettes, and it was called words of encouragement. And you might recall a gentleman named Ted Kent from England. He was the he was the actually, in a way the instigator because he came over and had breakfast with me and our mutual friend, Malcolm Magee, who was pastor at the time. And I kept asking him, you know, he had all these amazing stories, right? I mean, he was talking about flying planes into Mozambique and rescuing people under house arrest, and like, what? This and he was kind of a short little guy, right? He's like, Yeah, do all that. And I remember asking him, how do you how do you walk in the Spirit like that? And he had three words, speak the word. Yeah. And when I said, Well, what about speak the word, but speak the word. It was that kind of a conversation. I wished he had elaborated more, because I've since come to find out I think it's speak the word and renew your mind in the process. Yeah, I don't think I think I missed that piece of the jigsaw puzzle. But he anyway, so thank you for bringing that up. And that was the instigation of it.

John Johnson: 4:33

Remember Ted and Esther can't know. Yeah,

Rick Tarrant: 4:37

from Bath England.

John Johnson: 4:38

That's it. Some Bath.

Rick Tarrant: 4:40

I remember sending him a CD or cassette. It's not here. It's Bath. But over there, it's Bath right Oberhiri and, and he wrote me a lovely letter back which I'm I know I have somewhere in my, in my memorabilia, but yeah, that was the start of it. So thank you. So but we're here to Talk about worship. And when did you get a heart for worship? That's what I'm curious about.

John Johnson: 5:06

When the Lord arrested me for his purposes, in 19, in the fall of 1974, it was then that I understood really why I had such an interest in music and in singing. And it was also it put it within the context of him, bringing me to himself. And I understood the purpose that He wanted me to use my voice and I have majored in music, and vocal music, training of choirs and things like that. So it was, it was in that, that period of time that I really had a passion, first of all, for him, and then a passion for using the gifts and the talents that he had given me for his purposes.

Rick Tarrant: 6:01

I guess that would be kind of backwards. If you had a passion for worship and didn't have a passion for one you're worshiping wouldn't. You know, I think that I think that happens actually,

Unknown: 6:10

careful obvious. We can easily get off track and so easily get off center. It really is about him. And so the songs, the music, and in fact, in fact, this is the beautiful thing about crazed in the script, you'll you'll find that he is afraid. And then in another in another segment of secured says, and he is our song. So really, he is the music. He is the Lyric, he is everything, the harmony. It's really all about Jesus. And so I think I think that the church is, especially here in America, I'm not, I don't believe that this is all over the world. But in America, we need to come back where Jesus is our song, Jesus is our praise. Jesus is our passion. And really, he's just enough that we don't have to have another another offering another aside. He in himself is enough for us.

Rick Tarrant: 7:15

You know, part of the week, a brother named Rick Osborn came along side of me, at some point last year, you may have read some of his books, he's only sold like 10 million in his career. But um, Rick saw what we were doing an affirming words, and he added another component to it. And to make it speak the word yes, but renew your mind. And he, he presented it as presenting ourselves, as Paul said to do in Romans 12. Right, present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing, and acceptable. So taking these words, and saying, This is who I am, according to your truth, not how I feel today. And also a part of that was coming to the realization that the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead is alive in me and raising my mortal body. So what you were saying, If Jesus is alive in me, and he says, I and the Father are One, well, then you and I, you know, as I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, so I am in you, and you are in Me, we are one. If it's no longer either live, but Christ in me, shouldn't we worship like, Jesus worships the father? I don't know, John, it's like this could go.

John Johnson: 8:23

You know. I believe that for us, as believers, it's important for us, first of all, in our worship of Him, there's a beautiful thing that he does. And that as we worship Him, He reveals Himself to us. But in that same moment, there's a beautiful thing that happens is that we are revealed to us. And so like you're saying, Rick, Paul was writing by inspiration of the Spirit and said, that my life is hidden in Christ in God. So for the believer for us to discover more and more who we are, we do not look to anyone else. We do not compare ourselves to anyone else. We look to Christ, who he has made us to be. It's in Christ, that we discover who we are made to be. And our identity governs our behavior. And I think it's important that we really see how highly esteemed that we are in Christ Jesus, for the believer, for the believer, we do not suffer from low self esteem. We suffer from low Christ esteem. The more that we esteem Christ, the more that we understand how much he values and esteems us.

Rick Tarrant: 9:50

Okay, I have before we read Proverbs 25 I have to tell a story of just what you're talking about how you are involved in this And I have to go back to I think, New Years 1989. And I was praying, you know, some, you know, maybe we had a watch night service or something to church, I don't remember I just remember, I thought, Lord is I start this new year. Can I ask you a question? How do you view me. And I didn't get an instantaneous thing. And I don't remember if this then came to me later in worship, but at some point, it has been 30 something years, right. I got this picture. And it was a bunch of us men standing outside of this building, I think of a building in The Hobbit with the arched doorways, it was kind of an unusual structure. But inside you could see the light. And there was a room full of men worshiping, and it was like a men's conference worship service. But at the door was Jesus. And I saw myself there and some other guys. And we were like, in dirty work clothes. And Jesus was there, wrapping this most brilliant white robe around our shoulders, covering up our soiled clothes. And we walked into this room full of men worshiping. And so all that year, I just had this picture of like, wow, God sees me as as righteous. I wear those robes of righteousness, right? And then a year later, I want to say it's 1990 New Years. I'm saying, Lord, can I ask you something? How should I view you? I don't know why I didn't ask that, like, you know, earlier than the last year. But I'm kind of, I'm kind of slow on the uptake here, y'all, but takes me a while to absorb things, and nothing came instantly. But you came to town, from St. Louis. And you were teaching at a little church called Breath of Life, as I recall, it was African American church and our church, which was mostly Anglo, we had a we got together and merged our worship teams, and boy, that was fun with a with a guy on the beef be three organ you know, and I'm over here on my little keyboard. And, and so we were worshiping together, and you were teaching that night. And I remember this because I got the cassette and the audio cassette Hiss was louder than the volume I had to really struggle to hear this message again. But this is what I remember. You said, and you preached out of Zephaniah three. And you said that a lot of y'all view God as this grumpy old man who has a gray beard extending down into eternity with a cane ready to bonk you on the head. These may be your exact words, whenever you mess up. And he said, I want to paint a different picture. And you said, and you and you talked about how God is in the midst of us. In fact, I was reading it this morning. I'll just let me just go ahead and read it if you don't mind. Saying no daughter of Zion shout oh Israel, rejoice. Be in high spirits and glory with all your heart or Daughter of Jerusalem. For in that day, the Lord has taken away the judgments against you. He has cast doubt your enemy, the king of Israel, even the Lord Himself is in the midst of you. And after he has come to you, you shall not experience or fear evil anymore. In that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem fear nado Zion, Let not your hand sink down or be slow and listless. The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a mighty one, a Savior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy he will rest in silent satisfaction. And in His love, He will be silent and make no mention of past sins or even recall them. He will exalt over you with singing. And I remember you said when God rejoices, it's not a little hand clap like at a golf course. He explodes like dynamite and you said if Baryshnikov can dance, you just wait to see what the God of creation can do. And and that changed my revelation of God. And for several years, I began to see God is this generous father rejoicing over me with singing, I would come into private worship. And I would see him like a cornucopia of blessing just pouring out favor. You know, it was just and at some point along the way I got off track, but we won't go there right now. But that's that I just wanted to set that the stage for anyone joining us that you did that for me with that with that message. I don't know if you remember that night. But you

John Johnson: 14:18

do remember that night? Yeah. He rejoices over us. The Amplified Version says and he spins over us like a top.

Rick Tarrant: 14:26

Ah, yes, I do. Remember you saying?

John Johnson: 14:29

Yes. He is singing. He's spinning over us like a top. I mean, I mean, I think what has come out of that for me like is, you know, like, you've seen this as well. In Wisconsin. We see these fans are the football team. They take their shirts off and it's in the coal of winter. And then they paint on their chest these big letters of their team and whenever their team's score. was appointed. They are just emotional and they give praise and adulation and to their team and I said, I'll never allow any sport that I like, to out way I prayed of Jesus Christ, who has redeemed me by His blood. And I can't understand people who say, you know, you are just getting so emotional. No, no, no, no, no. There's just a point in which you realize what he has done for you of which no football has ever done. Ever shed blood for me no football has ever saved me. No, offers ever redeemed my life. I'm going to praise him with everything that's in me because it and I will include my emotions in it. emotionalism is is when a crowd of people that are in a stadium and you are coming from a distance and you just hear this roar. And then when you get into the stadium, you find that there's no football team on the on the field. That's just emotionalism. They're just excited to make a noise. But praise to praise is when you see and you dwell upon what Jesus Christ has done for us, in redeeming us and bringing him back to Himself. And that's not emotionalism that's praised with understanding, and it's including everything, some some 47 says sing, praise, sing praise, sing praise with understanding, so that we are including everything, our hearts, our minds, our emotions, everything. Why because of what Jesus Christ has done and who he is. Wow, emotional grace, why not us being emotional?

Rick Tarrant: 16:59

Yes, yes, yes. So we should start spinning like tops is what you're saying. So speaking of understanding, shall we read through the Book of Wisdom, at least the the chapter for today, and I believe today's the 25th of February, according to my calendar, it is Happy Friday. So So what version Do you like to use?

John Johnson: 17:21

I have the NIV.

Rick Tarrant: 17:23

Okay, NIV is on my screen. You want to go three verses at a time and we'll just back back and forth. Sure. All right, I'll let you start.

John Johnson: 17:35

These are more proverbs of Solomon copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter. To search out of matter is the glory of kings, as the heavens are high, and the earth is deep. So the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

Rick Tarrant: 17:56

Remove the dross from the silver and a silversmith can produce a vessel. Remove wicked officials from the king's presence and His throne will be established through righteousness. Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence and do not claim a place among his great men.

John Johnson: 18:15

It is better for him to say to you come up here. Then for him to humiliate you before a nobleman. What you have seen with your eyes, do not bring hastily to court for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame. If you argue of your court your case with a neighbor, do not betray another man's confidence.

Rick Tarrant: 18:40

Or the one who hears it may shame you. And the charge against you will stand like apples of gold and settings of silver is a ruling rightly given like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.

John Johnson: 18:58

Like the coolness of snow and harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him he refreshes the spirit of his masters, like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boast of gifts he does not give through patience. A ruler can be persuaded and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

Rick Tarrant: 19:22

If you find honey, eat just enough, too much of it and you will vomit. Sell them set foot in your neighbor's house. Too much of you and they will hate you. Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is He Who gives false testimony against a neighbor.

John Johnson: 19:40

Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble. Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. If your enemy is hungry, given food to eat If he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

Rick Tarrant: 20:05

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head and the Lord will reward you. Like a Northwind that brings the unexpected rain is a sly tongue which provokes a horrified look better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

John Johnson: 20:24

like cold water, to a weary soul is good news from a distant land, like muddied spring or a polluted well, is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked. It is not good to eat too much honey. Nor is it honorable to seek one's honor.

Rick Tarrant: 20:44

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self control. And this is the word of the Lord from Proverbs 25. And let me just say, neither John or I have any knowledge of what verse 24 is even about. Better to live on a corner of a roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife Martha and Christie are not cut from that cloth are they? Know, I can be pretty quarrelsome all on my own. And there was another LSA, so many that jump off the page, but let's see. And then and then that's the thing about Proverbs, this was recommend sitting down and taking, you know, one verse and just meditating on it, because you can just kind of blitz through, you know, and not and not taking in the whole message. What jumped off the page to you today, my dear friend?

Unknown: 21:44

Oh my so many things. The first was in verse two where it says, it is the glory of God to conceal a matter. To search out a matter is the glory of kings. You know, I believe that the Lord does that intentionally is just to, I think you have, like I have read a passage. And then one day, as you're reading through it, you go, Oh, my goodness, wow, I never even saw that. I never, I never understood that. Until now. Or you find yourself searching a little bit more because of the revelation or the insight of which God has, has given and I think a part of his concealing it is. He wants to give it to faithful men, he wants to give it to a faithful people. Those who really are hungry, those who are really thirsty. Those who when they find it, they really treasure it. It's like Mary, there were things that she did not understand that the shepherds were telling her there were things that she didn't understand of what other people were giving to her. But it said this, that she treasured them. And she put them in her heart. She didn't discard them. She She kept them. And I think God really honors that, that he wants us to dig. He wants us to muse on the meditate on them. And in the meditation. He sees our hearts that are really seeking after him. And then He will reveal it to those who really wanting to understand it.

Rick Tarrant: 23:35

Wow, that reminds me of Jesus when he was he would tell his parables. And his disciples would say, Well, why are you doing this? And he said, Well, it's for those who have ears to hear, which I can't and a lot of people in that crowd obviously didn't have ears to hear. They just came for the the freebies, I suppose. But then even they his closest disciples went, but we don't get it either. Can you explain?

John Johnson: 24:02

Yeah, yeah, I love those things. Because, you know, you can kind of see the disciples and right there with Jesus. And so they're saying, Amen. Oh, teach it, Lord, preach it. Yes. Yes. Bringing on Lord. And then they get along with him and they say, What did you mean when you

Rick Tarrant: 24:27

say, He's like, he's like the cheering squad or the amen corner.

John Johnson: 24:31

We didn't get it either. But I think that that's that's something that again, the reason that the Lord you know, some people say this, they said, some people say that, you know, Jesus taught in parables, but parables because he wanted to use objects and things that people could really understand. And that's not how the Scripture explains why he taught in parables. He taught in parables, in fact, to hide it, to hide it from those who did not believe in him to hide it from the Those that did not accept His words that He was who He said He was. And so when it when it came time to the disciples, they would say, Well, why is it that you're giving it to us? And he said, he was basically saying, it's because you believe who I am. You believe that I am the son that has been sent by the Father, you believe that I am the Messiah, the others, he hid the truth from them in parables. He wanted them to actually if they really wanted to, to, to search out the matter, like this the same here, in Proverbs search it out, because it's the ones who really are searching for him, the ones that are hungry, the ones that really are digging, that he will reveal His glory revealed His truth.

Rick Tarrant: 25:49

I think he showed me something some weeks or months ago, when he was talking about the pudding, you know, you're not hiding alive under a bushel basket. And whether this is explicit in Scripture, or just something I felt in my spirit, I felt like the Lord was saying to me, and as I give you revelation, or if I explain something to you, the more you share that, I'll give you more. Because it's like, if you don't, even what you have will be taken away from you. Which seems seems kind of harsh, but it's like if I'm in if God is interesting, John Johnson with this revelation about the the dynamite rejoicing of God, and you kept that all to yourself, and I wouldn't have gotten that. And then why would the Lord be motivated to give you any more. So I appreciate that you are a faithful, you are a faithful steward of what God reveals to you.

John Johnson: 26:39

That that's what it is. It's it's faithfully stewarding the revelation that God gives to us. One of the things that I I was, I was leading worship for a number of people, it was a, it was a pretty good size, we would call it mega, especially back in that day, in the Midwest. And I would I would say to the Lord, sometimes I would just say, you know, I feel like I say the same thing over and over again. And I feel like, you know, do you ever get tired of that, and he said, I just sent them say to me, you know, you're being faithful to the revelations that I have given to you. And so I never will despise or turn away, when you are giving those back to me. And you can't say anything new to me until I reveal myself in a new way to you. So, you know, I, I can't, I can't come up with something. I can only give back to God faithfully, that which He has revealed to me but I believe that, that that is like you're saying like it's a part of the faithfulness of stewarding the revelation that God gives to us, he never tired of hearing from us, the things of which he has done or the things of what she has revealed to us, and giving them away to others.

Rick Tarrant: 28:05

So many questions that I'm getting my eye on the clock, and I realized we've we've half of our time as he left. So first dealing earlier, maybe yesterday and my and you know, and I have a confession to make this past year I think of well, not I think I know, I have made it a priority to meditate. One verse at not one chapter at a time, not one book at a time, not one Bible at a time, but like one verse edited at a time. So kind of a slow process. But I think my personal worship time has taken a backseat in in recent time, not like what it used to be used to, I'd get up every morning, go to my studio, fire up the keyboard, and, you know, you get loud in there, but I had a soundproof studio. So it was okay. Right. But that, that over the years has kind of faded. And I guess what I was originally going to ask was, I was in my praise and worship time, if you will. And I found myself going, Lord, I praise you. I praise You, I praise you. And I'm like, you know, that's a stupid thing to say, Lord, that that'd be somebody come up to Rick. Rick, I just want to I pray I just want to praise you. Well, okay. Oh, I just praise you. Okay, tell me something good. I praise you, Rick. And I was like, I do that to God and is like, what does that even mean? It means nothing. I mean, I know the psalmist said, Praise, praise the Lord. But he was giving a command. Not an excellent, you know, an exclamation, right. Can you help me with that? Just a little bit what it means to praise the Lord.

John Johnson: 29:35

Oh, and I think it's very important. What you have just asked, because I grew up in a church where we, we would do things like well, we would say, Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank

Rick Tarrant: 29:53

you. Oh, in this terrible song we used to do Thank you. Thank you, Jesus. Oh, which which I equated with the Flintstones theme song. Thank you, thank you. Anyway, I ruined it for everybody. And I hope I ruined it for y'all today.

John Johnson: 30:09

My voice to sing my

Rick Tarrant: 30:11

song to you.

Unknown: 30:14

And the Lord, the Lord, the Lord helped me. And he said, you know, he said, Any, anytime that you say thank you, or you say, Praise You, it's it's the exhortation, but you must fill it, you must complete it by doing what you're exhorting either people to do or you're exhorting your own soul to do. And so we praise Him by recalling the works, the deeds, the names that He has revealed Himself to us, and we give it back to him. Here's what I've noticed, Rick, wherever God does a work in our lives, he leaves his name there. For instance, whenever the Lord heals us, whatever, whatever has happened, and we pray to Him, we cry out to Him, and He does something, then that becomes the actual praise. And he leaves his name there, Jehovah rock, refer the Lord God who heals us, but we tell the story of what he has done. And then we revealed the name. So we're praising, we're praising his name. The other is that I want to just say to you, whenever you amusing and meditating on the Word of God, you're still worshiping thank you for that. You have not, you have not gone to do something else. It's, I think we have, we have a view sometimes of what worship and praise is, and we equated to song, but song is only like, 1/14, of the things of which God gives to us, that we can actually worship and praise Him. Worship is a lifestyle. And so if we are washing the dishes, and there were music, music on a passage of Scripture, or like my wife, who is scrubbing out the tub, and she's praying, and she's mentioning, and bringing people before the Lord, that's worship. That's, that's that our mind. Our minds a state upon him. There's a song that the Lord gave to me. And it's this little ditty. I will keep my mind stay on you. Stayed on you stayed on you. I will keep my mind stayed on you. Aid on a on you. You will keep my mind in perfect peace. When it stayed on you. Stay on you. You will keep my mind in perfect peace. When it stayed on you. Stay on you. So whatever we're doing, and this brings our focus upon the Lord, it's worship. It doesn't always have to be a song. It's bringing back to him back which he has revealed. of that which He has given a box of to us of him. And we offer it back to you.

Rick Tarrant: 33:32

I don't know what you just did, but it just washed over me like a ton of bricks. Thank you. Just that just that just that little simple phrase. Which makes me feel a lot better because I'm blanket. Yeah. Michelle lean in Rockwall, Texas joining in. Yes. Like a soft warm blanket of, of Jesus love. Thank you, John. That's why Wowzers well, okay, we can go down. No, can you just do that for the rest of I want more that, you know, it's like, yeah, so since me Chalene opened the floodgates here. Anybody in the Zoom Room? Have a question for John. And if you're listening to the podcast and wondering who are these crazy folks, just go to a firming wisdom.com This month, and we'll tell you more about what we're even doing here. But I know I know for sure over Riri might have a question, but I think I see Vicki flashing her hand. So do you have a question or a thought for John?

Vicki Bey: 34:37

Hi, I'm Vicki Bey. Um, she's in Boise was from Boston. And I met Jesus in a charismatic meeting 30 years ago. But um, the woman who became my godmother, she she would leave visit and you know, we'd all be singing and jumping in waving our hands. And really the world and, and then she said, let's see the love song to Jesus. And poof the atmosphere changed and you felt the spirit there and it was just just like you did right now and I just want to thank you for for that because, yeah, you've had the spirit of that in a more anointed way to me, apparently to chat to Rick but, but it was such a lovely memory and I'll always remember her saying that yeah, let's see loved mob sign to him. So thank you.

John Johnson: 35:32

Welcome Vicki. My son lives in your area there he teaches Harvard University he's an astrophysicist

Rick Tarrant: 35:42

I forget that, that you you. You gave birth to it, but you didn't give birth to but to an astrophysicist I don't have many friends that can make that claim. And who teaches at Harvard and Cambridge I guess. As Vicki was talking, would you sing I love your Lord. None of my voice.

John Johnson: 36:03

Huh? Yes. I love Lord. And I lift my voice to worship you. Oh my soul rejoice take joy my King in what you hear let me be a sweet sweet sound, in your ears. Let me be a sweet sweet sound, in your ears.

Rick Tarrant: 37:21

Thank you, Lord. Thank you Lord for your presence. I thank you for just how quickly you allow us to enter into your presence. Just a moment and an inkling in an instant. You're not far. And you're here. And I thank you for that. We make worship complicated.

Unknown: 37:43

Yeah, I think we do. Someone said it this way. Man takes that which is simple. It makes it complex. God takes that which is complex and makes it simple. Someone asked me once they said, Where does the anointing come from? And I think they expected me to go into some bit discourse on the anointing and the anointing oil. And, and, and I, I just said, I believe it comes with being and spending time with the Anointed One sociation with him, changes things that when you open your mouth, the presence of God come and it overtakes the people, not because you have such a great voice. It's because I said this way, spending time giving private recitals to the king. Whatever, I'll sit in his presence. What is it that you want me to do? Just overshadowing because we've been with him and we're not trying. So before I was trying to make a name for myself, I wanted my my name in light, the marquee. But when Jesus arrested me, for His purpose, I understood it was not about me building a tower and like the Tower of Babel, they wanted their name to be, it's about being with him. And you want his name to be loved his name to be on and you want him to be seen in the forefront. You want whatever it is that whether you're speaking or whether you're singing, whatever it is that you're doing. He's at the forefront of it all. And you just minister? I was reading just recently, out of the book of Ezekiel, there were two priests that God spoke to one, they had gone astray and lead the people astray. And so God said, I'm going to allow you to do the offerings. And I'm going to allow you to do certain things but you Were Minister only to the people and to those who kept themselves pure and, and caused people to be focused upon the Lord. He said, You will be able to minister and come near to me, and also to my people. What I, what I got out of that was, it's important for us to have our hearts devotion, to have everything that's in us focusing upon who he is, that he might be seen, that he might be heard, that he might be adored, even as I was singing that song, I heard you know what I heard, I heard the Lord saying, I love you who are on the line, I love you. And I live my voice, and I esteem and I value you. And I want I want, I want to be in you. A sweet, sweet sound, he seems to us as much as we sing to Him, His love songs, that he wants us to know just how much he loves us. And then that love. We give back to him.

Rick Tarrant: 41:15

That was so good. John, I was I've been in Psalm 91 a lot over the last two years. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty, whose power NOFO can withstand. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my god on him, I lean and rely on in him, I confidently trust. It is a good thing, a good and delightful thing to give thanks to the Lord to sing praises with musical instruments according to the amplified to your name almost hi to show fourth your loving kindness in the morning. And your faithfulness by night with an instrument of 10 strings and with a lute. And with a solemn sound upon the liar. I don't have a lute today. I do have a six string instrument. But what you just said about if you want the anointing hang around the anointed one that's just like, that's not complicated at all, is it? You know? So, John, any if we want to explore worship more deeply, in our own personal time? And could you address corporate worship and private worship?

John Johnson: 42:28

I believe that in your devices, if you want to turn to Psalm, I believe it's 34. Yes. And it says this, I will extol the Lord at all times. His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord. Let the afflicted here and regroup and rejoice. Now, that's that's David, talking about his own personal devotion and his own personal ministry, to the Lord. And I believe that to the degree that our people are daily, moment by moment, having their focus and their praise and their boast in the Lord. And they bring that then into the corporate gathering. I believe that that's where the explosions, and the realm of the spirit really happens. We're trying to manufacture I believe too much. When in rather than a smoke machine. When we have the presence of God that is so heavily manifested upon us, I sense that there is a cry within the hearts of God's people. We want more than we're presently experiencing. We want we know that there is more in him. We know that it's not by fanciful things. It's not by outward external things. It's by inward things. And then David says in in the, in the third verse, he says, The Emperor at the NIV says, glorify the Lord with me, but I think Another version says, oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us let us exalt his name together. And so I believe that both the private, the private, and the corporate, are tied together here beautifully in Psalm 34, where it's our ministry of what we're doing on a daily basis that we then bring ourselves into the corporate gathering. And one of the things that I believe that that we are needing to do is to make sure that we have clean hands clean hearts, and unbroken and fractured relationships. Because we are the temple, we are the dwelling place, now of the Spirit. So it's not a building it's not, Lord come in fill this room, it's Lord come and fill us, that we are the vessels. And so with unhindered and unbroken relationships, the Spirit of the Lord then has given opportunity to move powerfully in and amongst us, and through us, because of our love not only for Jesus, but our love for one another. And the Spirit of the Lord has a place to dwell rather than to leak out. And I think it's important not, I'm, I'm the Lord, I think it was like four or five months last year, he just kept it was like the importance of relationship with Him relationship with, with one another. And, and really approving that love, where we are caring for one another, we're getting to know, we're encouraging one another, we're lifting one another up, we're calling each other to account in our walks with the Lord. And that requires us really relating together. And I think that we will experience more and more of the manifest presence of God in our midst.

Rick Tarrant: 46:31

So, big drums and smoke machines, Don't unnecessarily usher in the Shekinah glory of God. Now, you kind of demonstrated that when you when you sang a simple chorus a moment ago, because I'm instantly was there, you know, since what we do in affirming words is about speaking the Word. And of course, you are just doing that in showing us that in Psalms, I will bless the Lord at all times his praise, shall continually be in my mouth. The idea of speaking the Word and renewing your mind, how does that factor into worship? Or how can we how do you incorporate the word and worship to coin a phrase?

John Johnson: 47:11

Well, Jesus was the one that in John chapter four, he said to the woman, she asked a question, a theological question. And she said, Is it here up on this mountain? Or is it in Jerusalem that we are to worship? Some people look at that, and they say she was trying to skirt off the issue because he revealed things about her, I believe that she was asking a genuine question as to where is the place. And Jesus said, a time is coming. And now is, when the true worshipers of God will worship him in spirit. And in truth, he will not be either on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem. And so he broke it open in spirit and in truth. Here's the interesting thing about that, Rick, is that Jesus came to Jacobs Well, in a town called sidecar. And when you look at the the definition, or the meaning of psychosis, it means falsehood, and drunkenness, falsehood, and drunkenness, he came to the place called citEcar, falsehood and drunkenness to teach on worship of the Father, in spirit, and in truth. It was no accident that he was there. He went to the place of where they were drinking of the wrong spirit, right? Walk up the true spirit, and to bring instead of falsehood, to bring truth, Thy word is truth. So that I believe Paul, then, in Ephesians, chapter five, says, Be being filled with the Spirit and speaking out to yourselves in psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs and making music and melody in your heart to the Lord. And then in Colossians, chapter three, he says, Be filled, be being filled with the word. So spirit, and word, spirit and truth. The word has everything to do to guide us to the truth and the spirit has everything to do because God is Spirit. They that worship Him must worship Him on the dimension and in the realm of who he is and where he is. And that's in the realm of the spirit. So, I believe, I believe that one of the things that has happened for us in coming to know Christ, He made our spirits new, but we fight a battle here in our minds, and he's given us that we call But with him in not the removal of our mind, but the renewal of it. And we do that with the Word of God.

Rick Tarrant: 50:09

As you're speaking, I'm thinking that a lot of churches, maybe some we've been involved in, heavy into the worship heavy into emotions, maybe not so strong in the Word. And then we've been in churches that are strong in the word, the teaching the exit Jesus, the exhortation, you know, not a lot of the, you know, you don't necessarily feel the, the spirit but boy, bring those two together.

John Johnson: 50:34

What's the railroad track? The balance the railroad track, that we need both spirit and we're both, both, both of those are needed in for the genuine and the true worshipers of God? I think, I think it's, it's, it's by the renewing of our minds that we actually begin to understand not only who God is, but who he has, like we said, at the very beginning, who he has made us to be, see, I found a few people who think really highly of themselves, but not even, not even on a on a one hand, can I identify that many? It I find that most people think too low of themselves. They do not esteem themselves or value themselves the way that God values and esteem cells. How, how much are you worth? What value has God shown you that you're really worth? They say, if we were to reduce all of the elements that are in us, whether it's iron, magnesium, whatever it might be, it would be 98 cents. But God doesn't look at us that way. How much did he value us? Well, you have to look at when something is lost, then what are you willing to pay to redeem it back. And God counted us so worthy. If he sent his Son, He sent His Son, to die for us. So it shows us how much he values us how much he loves us, that he would like this Dear son, for Isaac, Abraham was to take Isaac upon Mount Moriah and sacrifice him. Take now your son, your only son, and God spared Isaac, but on that mountain called Calvary. He took the lamb without spot without blemish. I believe that Pilate thought that by him saying I find no fault in this man. There is no blemish in him, there is nothing that I can find of what you all are saying and bringing a charge against him. There is no spot or blemish, that he did not know and understand that he was proclaiming that Jesus was the worthy lamb being examined, to be able to die for all of mankind. That's how much we are valued. God gave His only Son that we might add life. Wow. Yeah.

Rick Tarrant: 53:37

John, you teach on this on our weekly basis, do you not? How do we? How do we tap into that?

Unknown: 53:46

You can go to hisinstrumentsofworship.com. And there it is. And you can see where I will be doing. In fact, we just did the intro to worship. A four week series where I taught on the first week created for worship. The second week, God's objectives for our corporate worship the third week. We are a part of a kingdom priesthood. And the last week I taught on the well of rehearsed memory. And you can see if anyone would want to have me come there. There's all kinds of information there on that site.

Rick Tarrant: 54:32

So that's hisinstrumentsofworship His hisinstrumentsofworship.

John Johnson: 54:38

God gave me that name because it's not that we just play any instrument we are his instruments of worship. We are his song as he is our song. We are his high bodies are his instruments of righteousness to be presented back to him. He who redeemed us all he wants us to do this To keep giving ourselves back, like today, before I came on the show, I gave myself back to him. I want, I want whatever you've given to me, I want to give it back to you and to your people.

Rick Tarrant: 55:14

Because then he gives he has given, well, he gave him that we tend to forget that, you know, if we've been given a talent or something we can some, you know, want to see our name and lights or whatever and and forget that, oh, no, it was a gift. And something the Lord, I think is showing me on quite a regular basis. I don't know if this what this might mean, but that Jesus said, we must work while it is day. Yeah, cuz night is coming. That's right. So we don't know when that expiration date is or on the whether it's on the voice on our mind on our on our very existence, you know, so to be about? Well, as Jesus said, I only do what I hear the Father do. So being being in that intimate relationship, so we can even have a clue what that is. So is there a, is there a charge for these, these zoom teachings? And when do you do them?

John Johnson: 56:08

Well, we did these zoom teachings on this past this month, on every Wednesday night, and it was open to all free. I do accept love offerings and gifts and donations, to support the ministry. But we just wanted to open it up for anybody and everybody. I'm I will be giving more word of upcoming things. And if they want to go to that site, they will be able to keep up with what I'm doing. Okay. God was

Rick Tarrant: 56:48

his instruments of worship calm, John Johnson, this has been a delight. I think we could do this for another hour. But I know you've got things to do. And I've got things to do. And all God's children got things to do.

John Johnson: 57:03

Thank you so much for the invite. And thank you so much for being able to be with you all this morning.

Rick Tarrant: 57:10

If you have a word or a prayer, would you close us out with that?

John Johnson: 57:13

Certainly, Father, I want to just say thanks for your goodness, thank you for who you are to us. And thank you for again, affirming your great love for us. surrounding us, blanketing us with your love, your liquid love, we were so grateful to you. May we go from this place and for all that we will see and whoever we come in contact with. May we Splish Splash upon them, the goodness and the grace, the love, of which you have given to us, may we share it. We want to honor you and everything that we do, and we give you praise in Jesus name. Amen.

Rick Tarrant: 57:59

Wow. Well hanging out with you just makes me want to hang out with you more. And it makes me want to hang out with Jesus more. That's a good thing. I'm reminded of a gentleman who came from the states to London back when Charles Spurgeon was pastor and he, he got to hear some great oratorical preacher preach, and, and he got to hear Charles Spurgeon preach, but after he heard the great orator, he was like, Wow, what an amazing speaker he is. But after he heard Charles Spurgeon speak, he went, Wow, what an amazing savior he is. And I feel like that around you, John. So

John Johnson: 58:43

with let me just say this to you. I believe what God has laid upon your heart and what you're doing through this is so wonderful. I want you in His name, that the many people that you are touching, and you're interviewing and bringing the encouragement and the affirming word and the wisdom, it is just on not just a nice idea. This is a god. So Blessings to you, my brother.

Rick Tarrant: 59:14

Thank you. Well, thank you, John. Our time has elapsed. So I will I will leave you as I do every day with speak the word. renew your mind, transform your life.

Show intro: 59:31

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