I woke with these lyrics playing in my mind.

“Oh, isn’t this amazing?
It’s my favorite part because you’ll see
Here’s where she meets Prince Charming
But she won’t discover that it’s him ’til Chapter Three!”

The lyrics are from Beauty and the Beast. Artful words and gorgeous music!

Meeting Pam for the first time was not love at first sight. I knew her casually for a couple years at a large church we attended. I saw her as fun and energetic and a serious Christian, but there was no romantic chemistry. In fact, Pam got engage to a friend of mine, which I thought was just great. Bob and she seemed to be a fun couple. A month before the wedding they both had cold feet. I shared lunch with Bob and listened to his struggles.

After listening, I prodded Bob, “Look, Pam is a great gal. I think you should go ahead and marry her!” He looked back at me and responded, “Why don’t you?” I sputtered a bit at the question, but of course, I had no romantic interest at all.

A year or two later Pam and I started co-teaching a college class. I began seeing her in a new light. She was creative, spontaneous, industrious – more fun than I had realized, deeper in Christ, and determined to do the right, no matter the price.

One day she gave me a gift she had made, a sailing ship made of modeling clay and glued to a slice of tree trunk. It quoted Joshua 1:9; ”Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

There was something sweet about that expression of friendship. Then I took a second look. Perhaps a third look. It was Chapter Three! I started to realize she was cute, in fact attractive. Come to think of it, she was vivacious and beautiful!

The revelation of Jesus as Prince Charming comes to many of us in Chapter Three! Some think Peter’s first encounter with Jesus was when Jesus commandeered Peter’s boat for a pulpit, and then had him go out deep for the miraculous catch. Then supposedly, Peter spontaneously left his whole career to follow Jesus.

The real story is more like this: Peter first met Jesus while John was baptizing. Remember, at that time Jesus changed Simon’s name to Rocky. Jesus’ mother probably had family in Capernaum. They had visited on several occasions. Jesus set up home base in Capernaum. He had been preaching in the region and had actually been living at Peter’s house for some time. They certainly had had many discussions. The great catch of fish was Chapter Three!

Few of us meet someone for the first time and decided spontaneously, “They are the one for me!” Learning of Jesus initially may be the same. We like Him, but it is too soon to talk about marriage in chapter one. Hang around. You will be amazed at the revelations in Chapter Three!

What’cha think? Have you had a Chapter Three revelation in a relationship? Tell us about it. 

Steven C Johnson

LandingStripEnterprises.com

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I was in a sticking point in ministry and needed counsel. We were living on our mini-farm on Wilson Creek Road in Ellensburg, Washington. I traveled to visit John Sandford for counsel in Sandpoint, Idaho. John was one of the fathers of the modern prophetic movement. Years before when I had met him for the first time he told me things about myself only God could reveal. His words got me on track with my calling.

I remember the night before getting down by the side of the bed and praying for our next day’s meeting. I asked God to give me a dream to share with John the next day that might help in the counseling.

That night I dreamed I was walking down the middle of #6 road. (As you went South on our road, Wilson Creek, it became #6 Road)

There was a rickety shack taking up both lanes of the road. I went into the shack and to the far-right corner where there was a mimeograph* machine. I entered it, flipped through it, and was spit out of the shack on the far end. You can only do that in a dream!

John Sandford was standing in front of me.He looked at me with concern and said, “What happened to your ears?” I became self conscious and put my hands over my ears. I said, “It must have happened when I went through the mimeograph machine.”

John told me the dream was perfect.

First, rather than going North in the “Will of the Son” I was going South (down hill) on #6 road. Six is the number of man’s way.

Going through the mimeograph was a picture of trying to duplicate the way others were doing ministry. Indeed, I was looking at other pastors and wondering what kind of minister I should be. Should I be a gregarious, glad-handing, slap-you-on the back pastor? A compassionate visit-in-every-home pastor? A detailed administrator pastor? A scholastic theologian pastor? I was looking for others to imitate.

John explained, by trying to copy other leaders’ personalities or approaches, or duplicating their gifts and callings, I was no-longer myself. He said I was designed to be wildly creative, but by trying to conform to other people’s images I was losing myself and my ability to hear God’s direction.

I still reflect back on that experience and its lesson. Because of it I have become more, myself, more comfortable in my own shoes.

I’ve learned to appreciate the amazing qualities of other saints. I honor them and learn from them, finding inspiration. But when we are truly ourselves, and not copies of others, we find the greatest personal satisfaction, and express the uniqueness of God’s creative genious.

Take care of your ears!

• Mimeograph: a dinosaur duplicator pre-dating the copy machine.

Steven C Johnson

Landingstripenpterprises.com

John Sandford’s ministry is carried on at elijahhouse.org 

Adoration of the Mystic Lamb,Ghent Altarpiece

It was the middle of the night and I needed to relieve myself. My groggy plan was simply to do my business and get my head back on the pillow. As I stood and started to the bathroom I was surprised by a voice as clear as any conversation you have ever had. It spoke, “You will see Jesus face to face.” I had trouble getting back to sleep afterwards. That was thirty years ago.

I have often harkened back to that surprising voice in the night. In many ways that word has been profoundly answered. It has not happened with a vivid and tangible face to face encounter but with astonishing Holy Spirit experiences, answers to prayer, prophetic encounters, dreams and visions. There have been a few appearances of Jesus in my dreams but I still have a great longing to see Him lucidly and in tangible reality.

I know there is a pan-ultimate day when all of us will have the opportunity to see Jesus face to face. It makes me shudder and thrill with anticipation.  Honestly, I feel a push-me-pull-you in encountering Jesus. I have so much desire to see him fully, yet I have had experiences with his glory which have overwhelmed me to incapacitation and trembling.

Just last night, in a dream, I was in a church building where I was praying longingly, brokenly to experience his presence and see His face. He began to make himself known in such power and holiness, I was pressed and physically overwhelmed! Pam heard me sighing and groaning and shook me awake. I have a little idea as to why God told Moses, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

Apparently, the Jews are not troubled by our western thinking and see no contradiction between the exhortations to seek His face and the thought, you can’t survive if you see Him.

Jesus was seen walking about in His flesh suit and people typically managed seeing Him trouble-free.

But when Peter, James and John saw him transfigured on the mountain it was overwhelming.

When John saw Jesus in His glory in Revelation it was not the Jesus of former, familiar times but the glorified Jesus. John was down as a dead man.

One of my prayers is that my constitution and character be upgraded in wiring, and much grace be added, so I may have the capacity and ability to stand and see more of His wonderful Face! I think my attitude may be like many hurricane/tornado chasers. I chase after the experience, but “sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.”

‘Ooh’ said Susan. ‘I’d thought he was a man.

Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion…’ 

‘Safe?’ said Mr Beaver … ’Who said anything about safe?

‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.

He’s the King, I tell you.’ 

(The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe)

Steven C Johnson

LandingStripEnteprises.com

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Like many of you, I’ve been privileged to have experiences with God, in Christ. Some of those experiences have come as I have earnestly sought him. Other experiences have totally blind-sighted me with surprise. He has been The Pearl of Great Value I have sought for, as well as the Hidden Treasure I have stumbled upon!

God has spoken to me through dreams and visions and prophecy. Like many I have experienced His unspeakable joy. I have felt His comforting peace. I have felt exhilarating love! Sometimes there are simply no words to describe these moments.

My most intense, literally take-your-breath-away experience, was with the holiness of God. We had sponsored a youth conference at a local college. The presence of God was palpable! Many were overcome by the sense of His glory. There was a small circle of people on the floor praying for an individual. Someone waved to me to come over and join their prayer. As I got close I saw one of our daughters, laying on her back with four people on the floor praying for her.

Intense and amazing prophecies were spoken over her. As we continued to pray a forceful pressure came over us. Several of us found our heads shaking wildly side to side. Together we began to speak out, groan out, a great “Aaaaawwwww!!!” My breath expelled as we exclaimed together. It felt very much as if a strong man had put his hand on my chest and back and then pressed until there was not a drop of air left. But still, there was a silent “Aaawww!” coming out without air.

The experience left us washed out and spacey. We were in awe, almost unable to speak. This was not an experience of peace,  joy, or love. It was holiness! The intensity immobilized us on the floor. It was a pressure, a fear, a largeness, a power beyond description.

I have thought many times over the past three decades about those moments. If the experience could had been put into a bottle, and anyone had tasted a drop of it, they would certainly be overwhelmed with the fear of the Lord! No one on earth could withstand such an encounter without reverencing God.

In the Scriptures we find others who tasted the holy glory of God in similar ways. Moses said, “I am full of fear and trembling.” Priests were not able to minister because of the glory of God. Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel were overcome! John in revelation fell as a dead man. Through church history many have testified to the intense, bowl-you-over, immobilizing holiness of God.

The closest thing I can compare our experience to is a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark, as the Ark was opened at the end of the movie. Remember?

I often pray for the awareness of the holiness of God, and the great, pressing fear of the Lord it inspires. May He capture us and overwhelm our nations with His holiness! Please pray for the sensibility of Father God’s holiness to convict and set straight our neighborhoods and the world!

Steven C Johnson

LandingStripEnterprises.com

Please share with us accounts of your encounters with our holy God.