Interview with Author G.e. Johnson and a Review

Okay, so this isn't my usual inspirational post, but I recently read a book by author G.e. Johnson.  It's called Volume One of Discovery of The Shepherd, A Study of Psalm 23.  I was so impressed by the study itself that I invited Gerria over to my author blog to discuss it.  Well, as it turns out, I want to share it with you as well.  I feel like you'll understand the Psalm so much better if you read this study, and trust me, you'll definitely want to check it out.  I have a new respect for the Psalm now. So, here's my interview in full for you guys on this page.


Guys, I’m thrilled to introduce to you author, G.e. Johnson.  She’s a dear friend, extraordinary author, and wonderful Christian woman. 

Welcome to my blog, Gerria!  I’m so thrilled that you’ve decided to join us.  Let’s start with you telling us a little about yourself.

Thank you so much for having me! I started writing as a teenager, mostly dabbling in poetry and free verse. Then, two years ago I published my first fiction work and I’ve been immersed in the literary world ever since. Recently, I made the switch to writing non-fiction Christian books and I love it. When I’m not writing, I spend my literary time helping other authors with marketing & promotion.

I’ve recently read your new novel, Volume One of Discovery of The Shepherd, A Study of Psalm 23,

and I have to say, I’m deeply impressed with the revelation that this first part of this study reveals.  How long did you spend in just a study of Psalm 23, each verse of it?  I’m betting it took a while.

For volume one, it took me about 2 months to put everything together. I’m actually studying as I go along because I want the revelation that I share to be fresh. For upcoming volumes, I’m giving myself a few weeks each because I would like to release a fresh volume each month until I have covered the entire Psalm.

You also studied the original meanings of the words in the Psalm itself.  How long did you spend searching original meanings and definitions?  Were you surprised at what you learned there?  

I am constantly reading and re-reading the original words and their meanings as I write. I also listen to audio recordings of the words and speak them out loud. I feel that this helps me to connect with the text and gain a better understanding of the literary voice of the writer, in this case King David. He was a very passionate, emotional man and the imagery that he uses in his writing is an awesome reflection of that. I have learned many things from the Hebrew text, but my first big discovery was that the “green” in “green pastures” is not an adjective at all in the original language. It is a noun – a living thing! This blew my mind and opened up an entirely new dimension to that verse. I write all about it in the book.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again.  I was so impressed with this study.  I’ve heard the Psalm hundreds of times before, but this study brought out so much about the Psalm I wouldn’t have seen on my own.  Were you surprised by what God revealed to you?  How did you feel while writing it?

I was a little surprised, but I must say that I went into this project with very high expectations. My desire to write bible study material came from God so I knew that there were some things that He wanted to say specifically and I was anticipating something mind blowing. My only prayer was that I would be able to capture what was being shown to me and put it into words. The revelation of God is a spiritual experience, but I have been charged with packing that revelation into the cerebral experience of reading. I feel challenged every time I sit down to work on this study, but when God gave me the assignment, He also gave me the ability to complete it and I have His help.

Okay, what can we expect from future studies of this Psalm?  Will there be more of different Psalms?  Different passages of the Bible?

 The upcoming volumes of the Psalm 23 study will look just like the first volume. I am continuing to explore the original text and revealing the things that have become hidden through translation. There will also be more revelation of the ties between this scripture and the New Testament scriptures that fulfill what King David wrote. At this time, I have not been assigned another Psalm, but I do have a desire to “discover” some of the Proverbs of King Solomon as well as to write about some of the more general principals from the bible.

Where can we keep up with you and your work? 

The “Discovering The Shepherd” Psalm 23 study is being hosted by my wonderful friend and spiritual sister author Zari Banks who also writes revelatory works and teaches the word through multiple outlets. You can order an electronic copy (pdf, Kindle, or Nook versions) of volume 1 for $5 from Zari’s website at http://www.zwriteswords.org. For a limited time, those who order volume 1 will receive all upcoming volumes of the study for FREE and will have access to my closed study & discussion group! Readers may also e-mail me directly at gejohnsonmedia@gmail.com or join me on my author page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/gejohnsonfans.

Review:
5 stars
Discovering the Shepherd is literally what we do in this study.  G.e. breaks the Psalm down into individual passages (verses), gives us complete meanings of each verse, including original text and definitions.  What we see in the definitions will completely astound you, and you’ll see God, our Shepard in a new light, a bright light that will help you focus on letting God fully become your Guide, Shepard, Savior in life. 
The revelations we see in this novel astounded me, and honestly, left me speechless.  I felt God in these pages, and I could see that they were divinely inspired.  I honestly think we all need to read this study to focus on the meaning of Psalm 23.  Most of us know it by heart, but do you know it?  Do you know exactly what it means?  The answer is, yes, after you read this book, but until then, I don’t think we fully understand the importance of this Psalm.

God wants us to be Healed, Whole, and Delivered

I saw a commercial the other day for some kind of medicine. I’m not sure what kind it was, maybe for arthritis, but what I noticed was that the list of side effects was extensive and well, I think death was probably one of the side effects. I’m serious. I think it said something about heart failure, and well, we need our hearts to survive. I told my mom that I’d rather deal with the arthritis or whatever it was than face the side effects of the medicines. But then it hits me. We don’t HAVE to put up with anything. God wants us to be whole, healed, and delivered.

1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) states, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” Notice the “you have been” part of that verse. That means we were already healed. That healing is ours for the taking. So why are we putting our faith in the medication that could cause heart failure?

It’s not easy, putting our very health in someone else’s hands completely. It’s not that we want to be sick, it’s just that “Well, it happened. What else can I do?” attitude that is keeping us in our current state of mind. Not only that, we put our faith in medications and other remedies to heal us when in fact, we only have to pray and receive for our healing.

This faith doesn’t even have to do solely with healing. What else do we need in our lives? Why don’t we have them? Are we not putting enough faith into our prayers? Do we even think that it’s worth praying for?

I can tell you that no matter how small your request is, God will answer it, and He will supply whatever need you have.

Don’t limit what God can do for you. He wants to help us succeed in our social, emotional, physical, and financial aspects of life. Most importantly, have the faith that NO MATTER WHAT, God will in fact hear your cries. He will heal you. He will deliver you.

Psalm 100 v.3 Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. v.5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Where Is God? Why hasn't He heard my pleas?!

How many times have you wondered where God was in your distress?  Have you echoed David's words in Psalm 22:1?

My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are You so far from helping me, And from the words of my groaning?

You don't hear an immediate answer.  You cry out again.

O my God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;... (Psalm 22:2)

You feel like everyone is getting their answers, but not you.

 They cried to You, and were delivered...  (Psalm 22:5)

Again you plea.

Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. (Psalm 22:11)

You're weak.  You can't face the world on your own.  You need someone, but you can't find someone.  Your prayers are bouncing off the walls.  Face it.  We've all been there.

I think Psalms is probably one of the most relatable books of the Bible.  Why?  Because there is so much in it that we deal with on a daily basis.

Honestly, I can't tell you how many times I've read it.  It's comforting to know that I'm not alone in experiencing what I've gone through or am going through.

Take this Psalm for instance.  David was suffering.  And just like most Christians, we plea for someone to ease our suffering, and we beg for someone - God - to help us bear our troubles.  We can't bear them alone, but we don't let go like we should.

When we don't let go, God can't work in our lives.  He can't give us "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding."  (Phil. 4:7)

God doesn't want us to suffer.  Suffering is a curse, brought on by the enemy.  God only deals in blessings.  He wants to help!

Eventually, in that same Psalm, David acknowledges that God "...has not despised nor abhorred the afflictions of the afflicted; Nor has he hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him, He heard." (Psalm 22:24)

He came to his senses and realized that God wasn't the one despising or abhorring him and his people.  God had in fact heard his cries!

Don't let the enemy lie to you and tell you God isn't hearing you.  He is!  You just have to believe He'll help and then receive that help.  He's there for you to bear your burdens.  You just have to let Him. 

The world doesn't have to weigh on your shoulders.  God's there, like He always has been.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11: 29, 30)

Stop Talking, Start Praying - Moving beyond our worries

Some things have been on my mind lately.  Mostly, they’ve been revolving around our country, what’s happening with it, and all these politics.  I’m not a very political person, and I usually don’t speak out about my politics.  This is still one of those times.  This post ISN’T about politics or how I view the running of this country.  This post is about something we’ve probably forgotten to do. 

PRAY.

I’m not saying that you don’t pray.  That’s between you and God, but what I’m saying is that it’s easy to FORGET to pray about important things.  Instead, we want to talk about it, get our feelings off our chest.  There’s nothing wrong with that, but sometimes, that can do more damage than good.

I strongly believe that we need to stop talking about it and start praying about it.  Talking won’t do any good.  It will lead you to worry unnecessarily or start unintentional debates that might not lead to the best of times. 

My family and I were discussing politics and some decisions we weren’t too thrilled about our president making, but I stopped the discussion and said, “It’s time we stop talking and start praying.”  Because, you know what?  God has us in His hands.  God will be the one who delivers His people out of the mess we find ourselves in.

Psalm 29:11 (Amplified Bible) says, “The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.”

So why should we keep talking about our problems, or the problems we MIGHT face when the Bible says that The Lord will give us strength; He will bless us with peace?  Isn’t that enough that enough to know that no matter what happens in our life, that God will give us strength and peace?  He isn’t going to let anything bad happen to His people. 

Sure, we all face trials and tribulations, but God will give us that peace and strength we need to survive it. 

This goes beyond politics.  This applies to everything in our lives.  We need to stop worrying and talking about it to praying about it and seeking out the only person who can help us – God. 

I’m not saying don’t discuss your problems with friends, family members, counselors, etc.  What I’m saying is, sometimes we need to talk to God about it.  Prayer changes everything.  So, stop talking about it and start praying about it.  You’ll feel much better about it in the end.