Category: Love (Page 9 of 10)

If you love me, you will keep my commandments ~ Jesus

Worldly means vs The good life!

April 27, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

“Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)

This verse really stands out to me; why? Because I spent years with my priorities skewed. I spent years doing what I wanted, seeking more fun, money, adventure, and things. I attempted to find and express my worth to self and others through what scripture refers to as “worldly means.”

At this time in my life, I found wisdom in my own eyes. It was self Indulging manipulating wisdom. As a result, I spent those years treating Our Creator as if He only mattered when nothing else did.

The big issue here is I knew better! I had an understanding of “The Good Life,” The one that is given to us by God through scripture, and I knew much of what I was doing went against God’s will for us. As a result, I lived those years apart from God, not truly realizing the negative impact I could have on others.

To look back and pine for those old times and start longing for that old lifestyle indicates my love for Christ is neither hot nor cold but rather lukewarm, and by not looking toward Jesus, the path I plow would become crooked. I would effectively be longing for a time when I was ”apart from God.”

How then would I be fit for the Kingdom of heaven?

Jesus Tells Us:

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.“
Revelation 3:16-17

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,”
HEBREWS 10:26

Proverbs 3:7 (wise in our eyes)
Isaiah 59:2 (separation)

God First!

“will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?”

April 23, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Some spin God’s word to accommodate their desire rather than God’s plan, and others follow them. There are many reasons people do this, but I personally believe the main reason is not intentional but rather willful ignorance. Willful in the sense that one must have a willingness to study and accept scripture as a whole, and this takes effort and time. When we hear or read something different than what we actually practice, then why? For me, I want to know what Scriptures support that practice. Does it add or take away from God’s Word? Deuteronomy 12:32 and Revelation 22:18

The Lord’s path is straight and is available to us through God’s inspired word. We have no excuse for not exercising due diligence with self-study.

We are always learning, so; we can be mistaken; the real question is: Do we seek to correct ourselves when we realize we are wrong, or do we decide it’s a non-issue and do nothing? The bible is an accumulation of God’s Word and took thousands of years to come about. When we dismiss any of it as a non-issue, are we not effectively telling God His words are not important, we know better? (2 Timothy 3:16)

Paul is addressing the false prophet Bar-Jesus in Acts 13:9-10…

“But Saul (also known as Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at him and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness – will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?”

God First! Every second of every day!

Written by: Wayne Johnson

Mom’s advise

April 15, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

My mom’s been in Paradise for years now but her memories are instilled in me. One such memory was some advice. I’ve not always held true to it but, I have grown to recognize the enormous value of it.

”Don’t go to bed mad.” Why?

I believe it’s because when we harbor anger, it festers and can easily turn into sin, and sin separates us from God. Sometimes we just can’t fix a problem before bed, but we all have access to God’s Word and to God through prayer.

We can seek help in scripture and pray about the problem; insomuch as it is within our power, we can take action on our part. We can pray for wisdom, understanding and be willing to forgive those involved. If the problem is out of our control, we can turn it over to God, the one who can do anything, and then we can let go and trust in God.

Although anger (in itself) is not wrong, God knows what’s best for us and tells us in the following scripture.

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians‬ ‭4:26-32‬

‭‭God First!

Isaiah 59:2,
Hebrews 10:26-31
James 1:14-15
James 5:16
Matthew 5:24

Love is why many church building doors (not the Church) were temporarily closed this time last year.

April 14, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Love is why many church building doors (not the Church) were temporarily closed this time last year.

————LOVE ———

No Christian wanted the doors closed, and we knew It was only temporary.

We asked ourselves, which one of us would volunteer to bury our parent, spouse, siblings, child, best friend, etc., as a result of NOT taking precautions? We took comfort in knowing that closing the building’s doors does not stop those “In Christ” from being ”The Church.”

It did not stop us from reaching out to say hello, letting others know we care or seeking how we can help others. It did not stop us from praying or sharing God’s Word through medians such as this or live streaming, among others. It did NOT stop us from remembering Christ’s death and resurrection on the first day of the week and partaking of the bread and fruit of the vine In remembrance of Christ’s body and blood as it was shed for us, doing so every week.

We still sang praises to God, shared the message of Christ, and continued to support our Congregation’s efforts to share God’s Word to the world financially.

While we were apart physically, we sorely missed the smiles, handshakes, hugs, and maybe most of all, engaging personally with the encouragement and active examples of our brothers and sisters in Christ who we faithfully see at every bible study and Worship service possible.

With all the challenges we faced while the church building doors were closed, many of our Christian siblings sought and found ways to continue edifying, lifting each other’s spirits, and sharing Christ during these difficult times.

Christians who vigorously showed all that “The Church” is alive and active 24/7 demonstrating the Love of Christ.

The Government established Covid-19 guidelines, and in adherence, the building doors re-opened as soon as possible. In Consideration of these guidelines and health concerns for themselves or others, People began to return to in-person Worship and study as they could.

With the introduction of the vaccine and Improved treatments, we get closer each day to life pre-covid and look forward to that day when everyone is together again. When we Worshiped from our homes, we did so out of Love. Love for God and love for others. We adhered to the Word of God concerning our responsibility towards governing authorities.

Maybe the real test in all this is whether we would each be ”The Church, ” no matter what, building or no building, and keep our priorities on God, First!

I love the Lord’s Church, Don’t you?

To help clarify. I posted the above article on a social media site and had some take exception to it so, In my opinion, Love for others is one of the main reasons many Church’s closed the building doors a year ago.

At this time, much of covid-19, how it was transmitted, how to treat it, how deadly was it, was very new and unknown. There was and still is a ton of misinformation regarding it.

I remember having and listening to discussions of concern for others, for their safety, especially those more susceptible.

Based on some of the comments I recived on the social media site, maybe some never did, but I classify these discussions and concerns for others as love. Love for others!

I believe since it is the second greatest command that it strongly played into the decisions of our elders’ at my congregation.

I am not an elder or deacon, but I am confident the elders weighed the circumstances and all scripture very carefully and made the right decision.

I believe It was made out of love for God, God’s Word, and love for others.

I use to carry the equivalent of these 4 bowling balls everywhere I went

April 5, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

On January 6, 2019, blood clots were found in my lungs and legs, and my blood sugar was 465 with an A1C of 11.6, which crash-landed me in the ICU.

It feels more prolonged, but tomorrow is two years and three months since I experienced this life-changing moment. I was sent home taking 4 insulin shots and 2 blood thinner shots daily. 2 months later, I originally posted the following on FB…

”I have stopped joking around about my health and began working on it. I have begun replacing bad eating habits with new ones.

I gave myself goals for the year.

1. Be 25 again by year’s end (

)

2. Lose weight

3. get off insulin

4. Get off the blood thinner

I had previously joked about my obesity. It was easier than serious effort. I enjoyed my gluttony of foods, and though I wanted to change, I wanted it without real effort. I actually think I had settled into and accepted the idea that losing 45 lbs would never happen, so why try?

However; As of 4/5/2019, I had lost 45 lbs, which put me at about the weight I was when I was 25 yrs of age.

I have been off the insulin since March of 2019, but they did put me on metformin. I have now cut that dosage of metformin in half. I feel great and have energy again.” It’s amazing what you can do with God’s help when you put both your mind and heart into it.

I am so thankful that I had this wake-up call two years ago tomorrow – It was a life-changing moment indeed!”

Update to this update:

I went on to lose a total of 60 lbs by June 2019 (4 bowling balls), putting me right at 200lbs. I am still on a blood thinner and 1/2 the metformin dosage.

At the start of my recent Covid19/pneumonia experience, which started 3/3/21, I had slacked up during the winter and gained about 12 lbs but recently saw 198lbs. (The only plus from covid)

As with most of my other shares, my intent for sharing this story is not to brag but somewhat out of hope. I hope to inspire those in similar situations. To help them realize they can also accomplish similar goals.

If doing it for yourself is not enough, think about how negatively the impact of your absence would affect those you love, Those who need you. Ask yourself a couple of questions.

Do you really want to take a chance of leaving them without you?

Would you be happy to take several shots a day or tons of meds when you can avoid it by changing habits instead?

I did not want my wife or family to have to live without me; We are all needed by those that love us, those whom we love. So, Wheresoever it’s within our power to do so, let’s do what we can by replacing bad habits with healthy habits.

What can we give to God?

April 1, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

We are God’s creation; We are the focus of God’s love! During the steps of creation, we find this phrase stated several times “And God saw that it was good” However, it was after God created man in His image that scripture tells us, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 )

Jesus died that we might have eternal life with Him, That our souls could have never-ending life in heaven in a new heavenly body. (2 Corinthians 5:1-10)

What can we give to God?

God wants us to love Him; He’s given us every reason to love Him. Our love is the only thing we can give God because it’s all we have to offer.

What does God want from us?

God wants us to recognize that He is, our God, the only God. He created us and everything we know and understand. He has made us a home beyond this world if; we chose to accept His grace and keep His commandments.

May we all seek God First in our lives, Love each other as Christ has loved us, and show Jesus that we love him by keeping his commandments.

Genesis 1:1-31
John 3:16
Mark 12:30-31
John 14:15
John 13:34

God First!
written by: Wayne Johnson

If you were to die tomorrow, what would you wish you had gotten done today?

March 31, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Several days each week, my sister-in-law Julie and her two teenage children meet to go on evening walks with some other brothers and sisters in Christ. Yesterday, on the ride there, in an attempt to spark conversation with her teenage son, she asked him this question: “If you were to die tomorrow, what would you wish you had gotten done today?”

She expected a secular answer, but his response: “Be Baptized.”

This lead to further discussion, and my nephew Michael Jr. Johnson (affectionately known as Mikey) made the absolute best decision any of us ever make in this life. Mikey decided he wanted to have eternal life in heaven by being baptized and following Christ for the rest of his life.

So, last night, Michael Jr. confessed Jesus as the Son of God and was baptized into Christ in the name of The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of his sins. Later, Mikey told me he had been thinking about it for a while. You just never know what’s on someone’s mind.

The timing of his mother’s question and a follow-up question of “why wait?” Seemingly perfect.

Welcome to the Lord’s Church, Michael Jr. Johnson

God First?

written by: Wayne Johnson

Satan is the evil one.

March 27, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

God’s Word tells his disciples…

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
James‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭ESV

‬If you feel farther away from God today than you have in the past, the question becomes… WHO MOVED?

Hint: it wasn’t God.

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.”
James‬ ‭1:13‬ ‭NASB‬‬”

If there is any evil in it, it is not from God

“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him, there is no darkness at all.”‭‭
1 John‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭NASB“

God is Love

“The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
1 John‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭NASB

God is Good

“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All the Time

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
Isaiah 5:20

Sometimes we are tempted to blame God when our hearts are torn in anguish and pain; We struggle to reason why such tragic things happen to good people, innocent children, loved ones, or maybe to ourselves. We might ask, why me? Why us? Why them? We may experience the tragic loss of life or have life-altering events we simply don’t understand. We want an explanation, and we want to assign blame but blaming God is misplaced.

As we see from the scriptures above, there is NO evil in God. There is, however, refuge; there is hope, there is help, answered prayer. There is the possibility of eternal life in heaven for those to choose to become In Christ and keep his commandments according to God’s will, Not our own.

“For he makes the sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.” Matthew 5:45

Satan is the evil one.

God First!

Acts 2:38-41, 1 Peter 3:20-21, Colossians 2:11-13, Romans 6:4-5, John 3:5, Mark 16:16, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Titus 3:5, Matthew 28:19–20, Acts 10:48

Examples of Jesus and how We can overcome!

March 14, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Jesus would not be swayed from his purpose. His purpose was to do the will of His Father!

Even after fasting 40 days and nights. When Satan tried he could not sway Jesus.

When Jesus was weak and hungry Satan tried to exploit that hunger and provoke Jesus to perform a miracle “tell these stones to become bread”

Instead, Jesus quotes scripture to Satan telling him that life comes from “Every Word of God” (The Holy Bible is the word of God for us today)

Satan then tries to get Jesus to prove; He is, the Son of God, by throwing himself down from the pinnacle of the temple in the holy city, SATAN EVEN USES SCRIPTURE in his temptation.

Jesus quotes scripture again,

” ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

Satan tries yet again, and shows Jesus the splendor in all the Kingdoms of the World and offers them to Jesus If, he will just bow down to him.

Jesus tells him to “BE GONE” and quotes scripture a 3rd time.

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

This is a great example to Christians to not allow Satan to sway us from our purpose, to put God first, to seek all his righteousness, to hold fast and to trust God.

It shows us that Satan, knows scripture, Satan will try to use scripture to mislead us. It’s also a great example of how knowing scripture can help ”us” overcome temptations and discern the truth. It points out that we are NOT to test God and ARE to Worship and Serve God Only

God knows what’s best for us, if we love him we will keep His commandments and when we study we shew ourselves approved unto God.

If God is for us who can be against us!

May God be with us all!

Matthew 4:1-11
2 Timothy 2:15
Romans 8:31
John 14:15

God First!

Category: Love (Page 9 of 10)

Worldly means vs The good life!

“will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?”

Mom’s advise

Love is why many church building doors (not the Church) were temporarily closed this time last year.