Advocate for Christ

The best life is a God First life

Month: February 2026 (Page 2 of 2)

Shouting from the rooftops

Shouting from the rooftops!

February 10, 2026 / / 0 Comments

I will never regret doing so; in fact, I cherish having expressed my love both privately and publicly. One close to me teased that I was making other men look bad by posting this mushy stuff. In teasing, they said, “I told my wife when we got married that I loved her; if anything changes, I’ll let her know.

However, in my mind, this occasional public display of affection may have been slightly embarrassing for both of us, but I treasured her smiles and appreciation of my efforts more than what people might think, and shouted our love from the rooftops of social media.

Our Anniversary is approaching this coming Saturday, Feb 14th. I will probably remind her of the day’s significance, get her some flowers, a card, and some chocolates to enjoy. I will probably write and share something on that day, then read it to her, and she will enjoy all these efforts only in the moment.

Not everyone needs to write the mushy stuff or shout it from the rooftops, but while our loved ones are still here in mind and body, whether spouses, parents, grandparents, etc. It’s a valuable time we each have to lift up our loved ones in praise and love.

It’s been 10 years now since I wrote the following and posted it on Facebook. This was pre-Alzheimer’s, and Virginia loved and appreciated it.

“Your smile is my sunshine

Your voice is my song

Your mind intrigues me and baffles me some

Your laughter, my ocean

Your eyes are my stars

Your love is my heartbeat and a gift from above.

I love you, babe, and don’t mind shouting it from the rooftops of Facebook.

Oh… and happy Valentine’s Day, Wayne.”

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” – Romans 12:10

“Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”  – 1 John 3:18

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. – Philippians 2:3

Ephesians 5:25, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 1 Peter 3:7, 1 John 4:19,

God First!

Seeding Social Media

Jesus seeds

February 8, 2026 / / 0 Comments

We can plant seeds of evil or seeds of good. Some view social media as a “devil’s playground” because many abuse it. Some air their dirty laundry, some are disrespectful and hateful, some spread gossip, and the list goes on and on. I view Social media as farmland, farmland with equal opportunity to spread good seeds, good thoughts, praise, laughter, accolades, and the message of Christ.

We can just as easily spread seeds that build each other up as we can spread the seeds of Satan. We need to keep in mind that what we like, share, and say on these platforms is an extension of ourselves.

Wouldn’t you love to see social media inundated with uplifting posts, shares, and likes by good people wanting to make positive change? It starts with us.

If we’re not planting good seeds in the farmland, the seeds of weeds Satan plants will take over the land.

God is good; let’s share the goodness in all that we do!

James 3:18 – The seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

  • Matthew 28:19-20
  • Mark 16:15
  • Luke 24:47
  • Ecclesiastes 11:6
  • 1 Corinthians 3:6
  • Galatians 6:9
  • Luke 8:11
  • 2 Corinthians 9:10 – God will supply and multiply your seed for sowing.
  • Hosea 10:12 – Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love.

God First!

The 20-year battle within – Part 2

February 6, 2026 / / 0 Comments

We have now been together for 41 years, not long after we married on Feb 14th 2003, I told Virginia I wanted to go back to Church. This literally scared her, and she bawled. In her mind, my desire equated to me not thinking she was good enough. I assured her this was not the case. When I attended, I would arrive late for Worship and leave immediately. I thought that if people got to know too much about my life, they would try to change it, so I stayed very private at first. However, I remained consistent in my efforts to attend and learn, and eventually began attending all the Bible classes and evening services.
I was also a friend of Jimmy Miller, the minister at the time, whom I had known when I was a faithful teenager, so at that time, I mostly only talked with Jimmy.

Though we had corrected the marital part of our lives, there were other parts of my life that, in light of God’s Word, I thought conflicted with a selfless pursuit of following Christ; however, as my faith and understanding grew through study and application, so did my desire and efforts to address or replace those issues with better choices and habits as well.

Although few knew of my past at the time, I decided to repent publicly and move forward, asking the Church for forgiveness for those wayward years. As I attended, I would invite my wife, but only occasionally, as doing so constantly would irritate her. One Sunday morning, Virginia said yes and went with me. She then began attending with me sporadically, but over time, she came with me to every service and Bible study. Jimmy had some one-on-one Bible studies with us, and Virginia concluded she needed to be baptized into Christ.

My wife had been raised Catholic; she had adopted atheism from her previous husband, who was killed in a motorcycle accident, and on March 23, 2010, about 7 years after our marriage, she was immersed in the waters of baptism for the forgiveness of her sins and became a disciple of Christ, a Christian. During her immersion, it was noticed that her elbow did not go underwater, so they baptized her twice. I then teased her that her sins were so bad she had to be double dunked. 🙂 There is nothing that could make me waver again!

I pray that anyone reading this who may be in a similar situation will begin now, set it right, and never waver again. It’s comforting to have certainty in our souls’ condition, knowing we will spend eternity with Jesus. 1 John 5:13

  • God’s Grace: Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:24, Titus 2:11, Acts 15:11
  • Hearing the Gospel:– Romans 10:17, John 8:32
  • Belief/Faith: – Hebrews 11:1, John 8:24, Romans 10:17, Acts 3:19
  • Repentance of sin: – 2 Cor. 7:9-10, Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30
  • Confess Christ: – Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 12:8-9
  • Baptism by immersion for forgiveness of sin: – Matthew 16:15-16, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:5, Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12, Acts 8:36-39, Mark 1:9-10, John 3:23

God First!

The 20-year battle within – Part 1

February 5, 2026 / / 0 Comments


“I really need to go back to church,” I carried this thought in my mind for over 20 years; however, after my first marriage failed, I made destructive choices, destructive to my soul and my example to others. Choices that pulled me away from the teachings of God’s word. I met the woman who would one day become my wife, and though we were not yet married, we moved in together with my three-year-old son, who was in my custody.

I knew enough of God’s Word to recognize my choice was wrong, but I ignored God and spent the next 20 years living in direct opposition to Christ’s teaching. Arrogantly and foolishly thinking that if I died, I could claim ignorance, or use the perceived loophole of justification, that since we had the commitment of marriage, we didn’t need the paper. In my arrogance, I thought that if I came before Christ at Judgment, I’d be able to explain the circumstances that led to my situation, and Jesus would make an exception for me and respond: Oh, that makes sense and not hold me eternally accountable, yet Scripture points out that Jesus will and must treat everyone equally. “Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Acts 10:34-35.

I was not doing what I knew was right, and by following my own desires, I was dismissing God’s Word, which means I was dismissing God.

There are no words to truly express how sorrowful I am today for these ungodly decisions, and my example during those years, nor for how grateful I am that I lived through them to the point of correction and repentance.

During this time, I deliberately stopped laying claim to the name “Christian” or attending services, thinking that my absence somehow made me less of a hypocrite. I look at these words now and think HOW SAD, how could I have been so foolish? I then avoided Christian friends, influences that might prompt my repentance or lead to any conversation about my salvation. By doing so, I ignored everything I knew to be true about my soul’s condition. I even prayed occasionally that it would not take a major heartache to prompt my return home, thinking I would set things right. However, if I had lost my life during those years, Jesus would have had no choice but to say, “‘I never knew you; depart from me, you worker of lawlessness.’ See Matt 7:21-23

Although I thought, in those early years, that I had faith and believed, my understanding was built on sand; I was no better than the demons mentioned in James 2:19, who believed and feared.

Had I truly understood, as I do today, the gravity of my decisions and the destructive power of my example, I would never have allowed myself that first inch into such a lost position so far away from hope.

Jesus’s message of love and forgiveness does not grant me special privileges in the name of forgiveness. I had no right to ignore His teachings and live as I wanted. Those commands, those teachings we find in Scripture, are there for a reason. I thought I knew God’s Word, but after I returned to the fold, I attended every class I could and discovered how little I truly understood.

I pray that anyone reading this who may be in a similar situation will begin immediately, set it right, and never waver again. It’s comforting to have certainty in our souls’ condition, knowing we will spend eternity with Jesus. 1 John 5:13

Acts 3:17-19, James 4:17, 1 Corinthians 10:11, Matthew 12:36, Acts 2:38, Luke 13:3, 2 Peter 3:9, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Ephesians 5:5, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 6:9, Matthew 15:19

God First!

Is God part of our daily conversation?

February 4, 2026 / / 0 Comments

If you want to become close to someone, do you reach out by ignoring them?

Many people say they believe in Jesus, some will shout it from the rooftops, yet few take time to truly get to know Him. Why?

I’m not talking about feelings, like when you listen to music and become emotional. No, I’m talking about getting to know Jesus through His Father, His life, His words, His example, and His message and commands.

It’s not until we study God’s Holy Word that we truly get to know and understand Our Heavenly Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. Because when we study, we draw closer to God, closer to our creator. The creator of the world and everything in it. In John 1:1-2, we find: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, He was in the beginning with God.”

What an opportunity we have to become close to Jesus!

We cheat ourselves immensely when we don’t spend time in God’s Word, when we don’t spend time getting to know our Heavenly Father or make an effort to draw closer to God so that God will draw closer to us.

8 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

If we choose to be in God’s Word daily, it’s only natural that God will be part of our daily conversations. Is He?

  • 1 John 4:8-19 (Love Love Love)
  • Romans 5:8 (showed His Loves for us)
  • 1 John 3:16 (Laid down his life for us)
  • James 4:8 (Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you)
  • John 1:1-17 (Jesus was with God in the beginning)
  • 2 Timothy 2:15 (Do your best and study)

God First!

God and Country

February 3, 2026 / / 0 Comments

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

When we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we promise loyalty and support to each other. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “Republic” as: “a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to the law.” So we, the people of the United States of America, are “the republic,” and the American flag represents our unity of power.

In 1954, the pledge of allegiance was modified one last time, with the most important words of all added: “One Nation under God.” These four words acknowledge our nation as being under God. In other words, God First!

These words demonstrate that the majority of “We the People” recognize our nation’s strength is beholden to God, and we are thankful to God for his incredible blessings. The pledge also states: “indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”
The concept here is that we will not allow ourselves to be divided, and that the power of the people is to be used to pursue liberty and justice for all.

Some believe Christians should abstain from politics and set the example of not voting because they don’t like the choices, and will point out that heaven is the only true Christian nation.

As a Christian, I understand and agree that God should be first in all our lives. And for true Christians, Heaven is our final home.
However, I don’t believe that speaking up for the values and principles of Christianity in our country or against destructive policies in this worldly government somehow, someway, means we have pledged our loyalty to the Country instead of to Christ and His Kingdom, as some want to claim.

To me, such statements encourage silence and apathy, and discourage speaking up and taking a stand for what’s good. When we stand for good, we stand for God and promote the message of Christ, as God is Good. Our example and the words we use, in and out of politics, should encourage others to want to know the reason for the hope that is in us. 1 Peter 3:15

I appreciate that our “Pledge of Allegiance” includes: “One Nation Under God.”

I am both an Advocate for Christ and part of “We The People”; I speak with my vote and voice.

When I speak against evil and against unjust actions, and when I speak for liberty. I am NOT excluding God. I am taking a stand for God and doing my part to ensure that “We, the people,” continue to acknowledge God at the Helm.

I vote for those whose platform, in my opinion, best aligns with God’s Word.

“A Country without God is a Country lost; a Country with God is a Country Blessed.”

My opinion, WRJ

Loving God

Loving God

February 2, 2026 / / 0 Comments

No wonder Jesus was sweating blood; I imagine, to Jesus, separation from His Father may have been worse than the betrayal, worse than the beatings, torture, and death He was facing by the ignorant. In John chapter one, we find that Jesus is “The Word”, that He was with God and was God at creation. Jesus knew His purpose, and He knew the suffering that was about to begin.

In preparation, Jesus prayed, “Not mine, but your will, be done!”

At every moment, Christ had the power to say: Enough! Nope, not doing this, but instead, He was steadfast and adhered to His Father’s plan.

Obviously, God’s plan was the only way, through Christ’s sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection, the only way we could be graced with the opportunity to follow Jesus, keep His commands, and in doing so, receive the promise of eternal life with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Woe to those who reject the love of God. (John 3:18-21)

Jesus’s sacrifice demonstrated His immeasurable love for God, doing God’s will, and His love for you, me, and all mankind. Can you fathom the emptiness, loneliness, and pain Christ felt when He cried out, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani,” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

A Hymn says: “I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou giv’n for Me?”

  • Do we give of ourselves to God in gratitude?
  • Do we respect God? – enough to remember Christ and do His Will.
  • Do we love Jesus enough to do as He commanded? – setting time aside on the first day of each week to be with the Church and remember Christ, reflect on the cross, partake of the bread and fruit of the vine, which represents the body and blood of Christ that was shed for us that we may obtain forgiveness.
  • Do we look forward to gathering and worshiping with fellow believers as often as possible? – Praising God with song, prayers, teaching, and edification of our brothers and sisters in Christ, being lifted by their presence as we study and grow together in our understanding of God’s will and plan for us.
  • Do we take time to try and share the Gospel of Christ with others?

Scripture tells us that baptized believers are those who are “In Christ,” and when we are “In Christ,” God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit work in and through us. Christ told us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments, and He gives us a new commandment. ‘That we love others as He loved us.’

Do you love the love that surrounds us all in the Lord?

I wonder: when we don’t take time for Christ, when we don’t put God first, when we choose not to be with the Church, would Christ, in a similar way, cry out, “Why oh why have you forsaken me?

Related Scriptures:

  • Galatians 3:23-29
  • Philippians 2:13
  • John 13:34–35
  • John 17:23
  • 2 Corinthians 13:5
  • Romans 8:10-11
  • Galatians 5:22-26
  • Acts 2:38
  • John 1:1
  • Matthew 27:46
  • Acts 20:7
  • Luke 22:17-20

God First!

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