Christ's Super On My Natural

My grandfather Gary Johnson, Papa as we grandkids call him, has had a tremendous influence on my life. I could never really take anybody at their word. I was always questioning everything, especially authority. It mattered a lot more to me how people treated me than anything they said. How they made me feel on the inside was a lot more important than anything they might try and teach me. Papa always made me feel like I mattered; like I was loved just for who I was at that moment. Those type of people are a rarity these days, but they are so needed. My grandmother Evelyn (Nina) is the same. They are of one spirit as God intended. She has respected, loved and served my Papa. He would not be who he is without her: they are completely intertwined. God views them as one flesh, and so when I speak of Papa, Nina is there just as much. It is Papa’s spirit that is greater, much greater, than his flesh. His spirit speaks out to people, and they respond. He is the living, breathing embodiment of love. This tenderness of heart and attuned spirit is not an accident or a factor of birth; it has come from years spent following the Spirit of God wherever it would lead him. He has stepped out and had his faith tested. He has spent hours on his knees calling out for wisdom and guidance. He has walked in the world and experienced the condemnation of the crowd, the rejection of friends, the loss of family and through it all maintained his devotion to the Almighty Creator of the universe. He has dedicated his life to helping people come out of the fog and into the light of saving grace. He has helped countless people stop living under their addictions and empowered them through the knowledge and power that is Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected. There are many times that he could have advanced his position in life or taken greater security by shrinking from the calling on his life but he didn’t. He has stood in the arena and fought the good fight. Even in this manuscript, that details his life well lived; he is declaring God’s goodness, authority, and mercy again and again so that those who read might be encouraged to continue on the path toward heaven. Some of the stories seem impossible, but I can assure you my grandfather is not one to say something just for a story. He wouldn’t even let me change some of the wording in certain stories to fit today’s sensitivities because “that is the way it happened.” There is a really good God and a really bad Devil. The encounters with the Supernatural that my grandfather describes are simply this conflict playing out in real life. Those in the darkness want to experience true light. They need an encounter with a Supernatural God, not a watered down human version of God. Papa has given his all to helping people overcome the enemy of the human soul by creating space for God’s Spirit to move. His love for all people emanates from his relationship with the Father. Papa and I have chatted about this book in great detail. I have spent many hours reading and editing his lifetime on paper. I am humbled by the stories of my great-grandparents and the true adversity they experienced. I am humbled by the depth of Papa and Nina’s faith and the rewards it has conferred. It has been my honor to have helped in this effort to leave a legacy. I hope my kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids will read it and remember who they are and whose they are. It has inspired me and encouraged me. I hope it does the same for you. Carl Johnson