Advocate for Christ

The best life is a God First life

Category: Baptism by Immersion (Page 3 of 3)

Breath-Giving Love of God

In Christ, we have access to the power of God

June 14, 2021 / / 1 Comment

God: Unseen by the human eye, yet His power and love is evident in all of creation. Through Jesus, we are encouraged to tap into God’s power. Scripture tells us If we draw closer to God, He draws closer to us that we should work toward righteousness and demonstrate our love by keeping the commandments of Jesus. Although we live in the world, we should not be of the world, that so far as it depends on us, we are to live peaceably with all.

If God is with us, who can be against us!

  • IN Christ, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who intercedes with our prayers.
  • IN Christ and through Christ, we can petition God in faithful fervent prayer.
  • IN Christ, we have God’s ear; we can turn those burdens ”out of our control” over to Him and trust in Him.
  • IN Christ, the God of all comfort, helps us in times of suffering.
  • IN Christ, we can have peace that surpasses understanding.

Scripture tells us how to be ”IN Christ,”

  • The Holy Spirit helps with our prayers. (In Romans 8:26)
  • The prayer of the righteous is well heard! (In James 5:16)
  • The closer we draw to God, the closer he draws to us (in James 4:8)
  • If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (In John 14:15)
  • God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
  • Christ disciples are Not of the world (in John 17:14-23)
  • “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
  • “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man” (Acts 17:24)
  • To be In Christ (Galatians 3:25-29)
  • They were cut to the heart, and they asked, What do we do? (Acts 2:38-41)
  • Live peaceably (Romans 12:18)

God First!

Choices -The Apostle Paul and Us

May 26, 2021 / / 0 Comments

As I traveled down the road listening to the words of the apostle Paul, it dawned on me that just like all of us, Paul had a choice! Although Saul was spoken to directly by Jesus in a supernatural way and blinded for three days, he still had choices. Saul could have turned tail and tried to hide, maybe gotten angry about the blindness. He could have had a pity party, but instead, he listened and followed directions.

After three days of blindness, Saul’s vision was restored, and Ananias immediately asked him: “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” (Acts‬ ‭22:16‬) ‭Saul wanted his sins forgiven, so he chose to be baptized to have them washed away, calling on Jesus’ name.

If Saul had made any other choices, God’s will might have been done through someone else. Of course, God knew Saul’s heart, but it was still Saul/Paul’s choice to do the will of our God at all cost to himself.

We also make choices – we can read and follow directions according to God’s will, training ourselves to do so to the best of our ability, or choose not to follow God’s will or sort of do God’s Will. We should keep in mind; God knows our hearts; He knows our level of effort. Are we studying to “shew ourselves approved unto God” as it says we should in (2 Timothy 2:15)

I hope someday; we can all hear Jesus say: Well done, good and faithful servant.

I also thought of Esther‬ ‭4:14,‬ ‭where Mordecai said, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

‭‭God First!

Go - Take Action

“Go” is an action word

May 4, 2021 / / 0 Comments

“GO” is something we just can’t do by being still. Jesus said,

“GO into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.“

Mark 16:15

Jesus also said;

“GO therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

Matthew 28:19

God First!

Life Coach Recommendations

May 3, 2021 / / 0 Comments

I would like to recommend my “Life-Coach highly.”

We were introduced when I was very young. Unfortunately, I moved far away and lost touch with him for a very long time. In those years, my life was chock-full of unnecessary and often self-inflicted, avoidable hurt and struggles. I came to realize I missed my Life-Coach and how much He could and would’ve helped me with my choices and understandings in those difficult times. If only I had not chosen to move so far away from him. Eventually, I did reconnect, and He greeted me with open arms, excited to see me return. My life Coach has worked side-by-side with me ever since, helping me stay on track and avoid many potentially harmful choices. 

He now sits with me, listens to me, puts his arms around me, walks with me, and has taught me how to be joyful in challenging and good times. He provides me comfort that surpasses any understanding. 

I highly recommend my “Life Coach” his name: “Jesus.”

He’s not the kind of coach you pay for, in fact; He loves all people so much he gave his life through in a horrible death so that we could all choose to embrace him as our Life-Coach and follow His teachings forever. He came down from heaven and conquered death, was raised from the dead that we might all have hope for eternal life in heaven.

Jesus lives! He is the King of all Kings, God’s only son who was with God from the beginning. The arms of Christ are outstretched to any who will choose to “put on” Christ and follow him. We find how to “put on” Christ in the God-breathed words of scripture, The Bible, our “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.”

Jesus is the Ultimate Life Coach!

  • (John 1:1-5) from the beginning
  • (2nd Timothy 3:16) God-breathed
  • (Galatians 3:27) put on Christ
  • (Romans 6) united in Christ

God First!

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

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

March 31, 2021 / / 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

Wow, If only the Apostle Peter knew

March 30, 2021 / / 0 Comments

On the day of Pentecost when Peter preached the first gospel sermon, Do you wonder Why?

Why is it that when Peter and the other Apostles (in Acts 2) were asked by the crowd whose hearts had just been pierced by the message of Christ: ”Brothers, What do we do?” Why did Peter NOT answer the crowd’s question with: “accept Jesus into your heart and recite with me these words in a prayer and you will be forgiven, you will be saved.”

WOW, if only the Apostle Peter, who was; filled with the Holy Spirit, had known what many people claim today. That they could “just” accept Jesus into their hearts and recite a prayer to be saved; however, that’s “NOT” how Peter answered.

Peter never said: “baptism is an outward sign of an inward decision.” In fact, No such prayer is found in God’s Word. INSTEAD, Peter, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, tells them exactly what God wanted them to do… “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts‬ ‭2:38‬ ‭ESV) ‬‬None of Peter’s responses indicates any of God’s instructions were mutually exclusive.

In verse 41, God’s Holy Word says: “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”‭‭(Acts‬ ‭2:41‬ ‭ESV)‬‬

So, right after they received the message of Christ, they immediately went to all the trouble of following the Apostle’s instructions, and were immersed in baptism.

They could have set appointments, they could have done so in small groups over weeks, but instead, we find urgency is implied, “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41)

That day, about 3000 souls were added to the Church! (Don’t you know that took a while? )

These scriptures show us that; hearing, believing, repentance, and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ is how we obtain the Holy Spirit.

Who did the adding? Who was being saved? Verse 47 “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts‬ ‭2:47‬ ‭ESV)

Please, Don’t take my word for it. Take God’s word for it. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

‬‬Below are several passages on Grace, belief, repentance, confession, and baptism to consider. God First!

• Grace: – Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:24, Titus 2:11, Acts 15:11

• Belief/Faith: – Hebrews 11:1, John 8:24, Romans 10:17, Acts 3:19

• Repentance: – 2 Cor. 7:9-10, Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30

• Confess: – Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 12:8-9

• Baptism by immersion: – Matthew 16:15-16 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, Matt 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!

written by: Wayne Johnson

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