When Napoleon was made emperor of France in 1804, he used two crowns to mark the occasion. First, he wore a golden laurel wreath which symbolized he was an emperor like the Caesars of Rome. Then he put on another golden crown which had been made exclusively for him, which he called the “crown of Charlemagne.” He was known for vanity and his crowns displayed it.

With so many kings and queens of past centuries, most European countries own an assortment of historical crowns, usually on display in museums. The most well-known collection is the British crown jewels, heavily guarded in the Tower of London.

In Bible times, the average person had no contact with anything like a royal crown. They were obviously enjoyed only by powerful people. It must have been startling when John revealed in the book of Revelation that God will reward faithful Christians with a crown. And not just something loaded with diamonds and jewels. He said, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev.2:10). Napoleon enjoyed his personal crown for a few years, but then he died in exile. But our crown is a reward that will last for eternity.

John included a peek into heaven in chapter 4, and what do we see? Twenty-four elders sitting on thrones that circled God’s, and they’re all wearing golden crowns (v4). These men represent the entire church, protected and rewarded by God. You are represented in this group, for you are God’s son or daughter. A crown is waiting for you.

Don’t worry about collecting a lot of gold and jewels during your lifetime on earth. They’ll only be with you temporarily. Determine to be faithful until the end of your life and receive your crown from Jesus.

Not even Napoleon had one as precious as the one coming for you.

– Tim Johnson

In a recent article we looked at the great wisdom and fame of king Solomon, the author of most of the Book of Proverbs. We remember him for his fabulous wealth, his popularity among the ancient world’s leaders, and for his pledges of faithfulness to God. Yet in the pages of the Bible he died a disgraced man.

In his elderly years he stocked his harem with an amazing number of foreign wives. He became a womanizer. 1 Kings 11 tells us that his wives were idolaters and Solomon accommodated their beliefs by building shrines where they could worship. He compromised. But it also seems that the king became comfortable with all his wealth. Chapter 10 describes the precious objects he owned, his palace and its splendor. His wives and his wealth took his heart away from following God.

There’s a tendency in north America these days, in all our relative wealth, to become too comfortable. Many people surround themselves with costly things, the best quality that can be found, and connect their homes with every convenience and form of entertainment. They enjoy their wealth and often become insulated from the hardships of other people. Unwilling to lose any of it, they determine to protect it at all costs. But worst of all, like Solomon, their hearts turn away from God through compromise and weakening conviction.

Perhaps it’s hard for us to identify with someone as wealthy as Solomon. Nonetheless, we all seek to have comfortable surroundings – and there’s nothing wrong with that. Harm comes when we let comfort keep us from our responsibilities to God.

Don’t let comfort cost you.

– Tim Johnson

We are living in scandalous times. With our modern press listening to the words of prominent people, any verbal mistake can be emphasized and used against them. Several politicians and well-known celebrities have recently experienced downfalls over their words.

In the Bible we can read of the fall of the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar. God heard him elevate himself as if he were some sort of deity, and quickly brought him down (Dan.4:30-31). The Judean king Manasseh, removed by God for his royal crimes, repented in prison and expressed words of sorrow. God heard and elevated him back into power (2 Chron.33:10-13). Our words can bless us and everyone around us or cause us to fall and be ruined.

Christians have a special responsibility to be careful with the words we allow to come out of our mouths. We represent Jesus Christ in this world, and we must be pure. Ephesians 4:29 directs us to “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.”  The Greek literally censures “rotten words.” It’s common to hear trashy talk in our society, but it should never come from a Christian. Don’t let it even proceed from your mouth. Rather, people should hear things that are edifying, appropriate for the need of the moment. This implies consideration and thought. We ask ourselves, “what does this person need to hear from me right now?” Then we try to provide it.

Through our words we offer “grace to those who hear.” Grace is something we don’t work for nor do we deserve. It’s a gift. Perhaps the people we speak to don’t deserve edifying words from us, but they need to hear it anyway. Isn’t that what Jesus practiced when He was in the world?

We all have trouble with our tongues, but Jesus gives us an important goal. Don’t let your words ruin you. Let them be a blessing.

– Tim Johnson

The article below was written by David Johnson, who left this life back in May. Most of us know he was a man who was contented with very little, especially in his final years.

It is not uncommon for us to receive numerous credit card offers in the mail. It seems everyone wants our business. If we responded to all these offers, we could easily get in over our heads in debt buying stuff we don’t need and can’t afford. The next logical step is for someone else to lend us money to pay off our credit cards so we can, in turn, buy even more stuff.

Jesus cautioned people long ago with these words: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…You cannot serve both God and money” (Matt.6:19 & 24). Will we meditate on His words, or will we listen to the god “MORE?”

It is tempting for us to worship at the feet of this god, MORE.  He tries to tell us we are entitled to more. He tells us we don’t have enough, and that we deserve newer, bigger, better, stronger, faster things.

This god MORE is a lousy god. He is demanding, controlling and never satisfied. He wants us to enjoy heaven before we die. It is hard to hear what Jesus is saying when this god is around.

On the one hand we have the god MORE, and on the other we have the word ENOUGH. When do we have ENOUGH? The attitude of ENOUGH counts blessings and is marked with trust, contentment and acceptance. Jesus teaches us not to put the highest value on things of the earth. Our soul is more important. With this attitude it is easier to say ENOUGH to the god MORE.

– David Johnson

November is the time of year that backyard gardeners hate. All their beautiful flowers, babied since spring, are now dying – or at least going dormant for winter. Hostas, one of the most prolific plants, shrinks from a 4-foot wide display down to almost nothing, hiding below ground for the season. But as it shrivels up, it turns a beautiful yellow colour for a few weeks. It goes out with personality. I snapped this picture just before we pulled the leaves out for disposal.

Similarly, as we go through life as Christians and finally age, it’s important to decide we’re going to display the great character of Jesus Christ right to the end. Sure, life throws all kinds of troubles and discouragements at us, but we can still practice great lives that show the world who we live for.

In Philippians 4:4-5 we’re told to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.”  Great men and women in the Bible practiced these things admirably. Imprisoned for the final time and facing execution, Paul looked forward to his the eternal reward and said, “In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.” He went on to say that this reward was “not only for me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim.4:8). At advanced age, Peter blessed the brethren and said, may “grace and peace be multiplied to you” (2 Pet.1:3). John, isolated and aging on the island of Patmos wrote the last verse of the New Testament, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all, Amen” (Rev.22:21). Simeon and Anna, both seniors, had a mission to meet the infant savior, blessing His parents (Luke 2:25-38). All these people lived with patience, good wishes for others, and they rejoiced.

Great people with great personalities. They knew the power and love of the One they served – right to the end!

Make that your goal too.

– Tim Johnson