Advocate for Christ

The best life is a God First life

Category: Belief (Page 3 of 3)

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!

Every day I wake up is a good day. If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change. If it is meant to be, it will happen. If it does not happen, then something better is meant to be. If you think that you can or you think that you can't, either way, you are correct.

Fostering a better attitude.

January 31, 2026 / / 0 Comments

The words in this picture are a combination of encouraging, secular statements that I’ve heard, read, and adopted over several years. We all experience wonderful and sometimes terrible moments, but what do we do with them? I typically see the glass as half full and cherish the good memories, finding comfort in them during difficult times. This helps me keep a positive attitude at all times.

Like most, I’ve had to deal with bad, harsh, sad, and challenging times. Nothing, however, has helped me more through difficult times than God, through my faith and trust in Jesus, which is grounded in my study and understanding of God’s word and His love for us. For this reason, I constantly go to God in Jesus name through prayer.

Stating one believes in Christ is good, but there is no substitute for knowing why one believes. We gain that knowledge through study, which is why I encourage everyone to set aside opinions and study God’s word for what it says.

Admittedly, the bad sometimes makes one question the wisdom of these secular statements, but I’m glad I adopted them, as, in my opinion, they foster a better attitude.

A few scriptures:

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” James 1:17-18

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer;” (2 Samuel 22:2)

“You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” James 2:19

“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

God First!

The Crux of God’s Forgiveness is our Repentance

January 28, 2026 / / 0 Comments

In my writing, I’ve been known to share the good, the bad, and the ugly of my life at times. I do this in hopes of encouraging others to seek their answers where I found mine, in the knowledge of Scripture.  This knowledge helps us realize that if we follow Jesus according to His will, not ours, we will come to experience peace far beyond our own understanding. Our lives have many Satan-crafted pitfalls designed to inch us away from our Creator and towards a valley of eternal death.

As a young man, I was baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of my sins and lived faithfully for many years. Faithfulness does not mean being without sin; rather, it means making every effort to pursue righteousness by following Jesus’ teachings and keeping His commandments. Sometimes we fail; however, if we know Scripture, it helps us recognize our failures, return to our creator, repent of our sins, and ask for forgiveness. Since we know from scripture that baptized believers are in Christ, God will forgive us when we repent.

The crux of God’s forgiveness is our repentance.

To truly repent of sin is to turn away from those sins as we experience Godly Sorrow, dedicating ourselves from that point to the correction of our lives using the Word of God as our foundation. Scripture defines Godly Sorrow this way: “For Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

With Godly grief, we repent of sinful ways; this means we change direction and stop indulging in those temptations that go against God’s Holy Word. Scripture lets us know that baptized believers who choose to indulge and continue doing what we know to be wrong are crucifying Christ once again.

 “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.  For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.” 2 Peter 2:20-21

also see: Hebrews 6:4-6, James 5:19-20, Hebrews 10:26-27

Although a baptized believer, I ended up spending 20 years with my soul in a lost condition as I had succumbed to a series of temptations and pitfalls designed by Satan.

I thought my faith was strong, but my decisions after a failed marriage proved my knowledge was weak, and my commitment shaken.  I allowed myself, inch by inch, to pursue worldly desires over following Jesus. These infractions stacked and built to the point that during those 20 years, I feared correction could jeopardize my adopted lifestyle and possibly put my relationship at risk.

I was, however, acutely aware that my choices had me living in sin. This bothered me. Satan had successfully painted me into a corner, forcing me to choose between following Jesus according to His will or losing my soul.

Indeed, as scripture states, I was crucifying Christ to myself. Years I can’t get back, a bad example to family and friends that can’t be unset, where soul-risking damage was done. Today, I draw on those years as fuel for my efforts to never give up on encouraging others to grow in Christ, and I often pray that, if they won’t listen to me, God will put people in their lives they might.  I cannot imagine ever allowing Satan to turn me away from God again.

I pray that if you’re reading this and reflecting on your own life, you find yourself right with God; but if not, I pray you will experience godly grief that produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, rather than worldly grief that produces death.

God First, forever and ever, Amen!

If you’re not yet in Christ as a baptized believer:

  • 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

700 years before Christ

January 25, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Think about this prophecy, read it slowly, and take it into your heart and mind; Isaiah 53 was written about 700 years before Christ’s death and resurrection.

“He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.”

Isaiah 53:3-12 ESV

God First!

Prayer, Don’t deprive God, Don’t deprive yourself, Don’t deprive others, Ask for prayers Doing so gives others the opportunity to help and God the opportunity to hear those prayers. Do you truly believe

Depriving self deprives God

January 21, 2026 / / 0 Comments

I was reviewing some of my memories on Facebook. It’s now been 13 years since I had my hip replaced and 7 years since the pulmonary embolism that nearly took my life.

I’m undoubtedly grateful that we live in a time of such incredible medical understanding, doctors, and treatments. I’m also certain that without God’s help, our insurance, and today’s medical advancements, I would probably be suffering greatly or dead by now, and unable to be the caregiver of my beautiful wife. I’m so blessed to be here and thankful to be able to serve.

One of my most valuable memories from these events was having people take time from their busy lives to come to the hospital and pray with me, and knowing that many others were praying as well.

People knew to pray because I had asked for their prayers. I asked for prayers because I believe God answers them, and, thankfully, in these instances, He helped me recover, per many requests. I’m often surprised when someone says they believe in prayer, but later, when they need prayers, they hesitate to ask for them on their own behalf, as if they don’t want to bother others with their problems. By doing this, they deprive others of the opportunity to help and deprive God of the opportunity to hear all those prayers.

Much good came from both of these experiences. God is good, and God is love, all the time!

God wants our prayers, and He wants us praying for others.

In Jesus Name!

  • John 14:13-14
  • James 5:16
  • Philippians 4:6
  • 3 John 1:2
  • Ephesians 3:14–19
God First Cups The best life is a God First life! Some days have peaks, others have valleys, but most are just rolling hills. Plant good seeds along your way, and when you look back, you will find beauty growing in your path. ~wrj

Update on God First Cup efforts,

January 7, 2026 / / 0 Comments

I have now given several cups to strangers and invited them to visit the congregation I attend. In doing so, I have noted what they can expect during their visit, stating: we are not an “entertainment church,” but rather we are a Church that focuses on teaching and studying God’s Word.

This point is made because I have been invited by others to visit their church with the preludes, “It has a great band,” “You will love the band, “The lead singer in the band is awesome,” and so forth. So, I want people to understand that I am not inviting them to be entertained, but rather to worship and learn.

Before giving away a mug with its message, I generally ask one or two questions

Do you believe in God? These answers have been: Yes, No, sort of, I believe in a higher power, and I am a Buddhist. If they are Believers, I often ask, do you go to Church somewhere? Yes, No, I’ve been looking for one, not yet, I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t believe in God.

I ask these questions to avoid offending the disbeliever by giving them a cup they don’t want; however, for everyone else, my desire is to plant seeds by giving them this cup of inspiration that states, “the best life is a God First life.”

Recently, I talked with a young lady at the carwash who said she did not go to church anywhere and sort of believed in God. I still offered her a cup, pointing out the message of love on and inside the cup, while giving her a Buford CoC card with service times, address, website, and phone number, and invited her to visit and learn more.

Opportunities abound. I stopped and gave mugs to a family down the street with two small children. They are outside a lot and exchange waves with us when we drive by. As they received their cups, they told me they had been looking for a Church. We also have a new family across the street with three small children who currently attend a church. I gave them cups and invited them to visit. We’ve given cups to people on our daily park walks, and yesterday to the receptionist, where we had our dog Casper groomed, and invited her to visit.

It’s my hope that these gifts will inspire some of these people to attend and learn, but at the very least, this God First message is planting seed and being seen in their homes, cars, and hands, so I pray for open hearts and fertile soil.

If you’re interested in using the cups to help you plant seeds or invite others, reach out to me. Although I cannot afford to give all of them away, I am reselling them for pennies above my actual cost and including the paper message inside each cup. By having others purchase some of the cups, I can buy enough to get reasonable prices and do it over and over.

God First!

Godly Sorrow, Repentance, Forgiveness, Baptism, Salvation, Accountability, Responsibility

A story Change

January 5, 2026 / / 0 Comments

I caught him stealing; he had broken into our home. I was upset and nervous as I held the gun. Then, he began begging me not to call the police, let him go, insisting he would not come back. We started talking, and he told me the harsh circumstances of his life that led him to this moment of crime. I began telling him about Christ and the forgiveness of sin available to him through Christ, how, if he would repent of his sins, change the direction of his life, and put on Christ in baptism, he could have forgiveness and eternal life in heaven, as well as a better life here on earth.

We sat at the table, opened a Bible, and studied for several hours. He came to understand God’s gift of grace, the Sacrifice of Jesus that offers us eternal life if we will pick up the cross and follow Jesus according to His will, not ours. We also discussed how following Christ does not relieve anyone of accountability for their actions.

During our study, this criminal came to believe in Christ, experienced godly sorrow, and wanted to begin making things right, so he reached into his pocket and handed me the jewelry he had taken. By doing so, he began taking responsibility for his actions and attempted to make things right. He informed me he wanted to be baptized. After hearing the word of God, he repented, confessed Jesus as the Son of God, and we took him to the pool and baptized him for the forgiveness of his sins, immersing him in water in accordance with Scripture.

After baptism, he understood that his decision did not absolve him of the consequences of his actions. His heart had changed; he now wanted to take responsibility and accept accountability, and I applauded his decision. We then called law enforcement.

Because of his sorrow and request that I forgive him; I did so and chose not to press charges. His decision to make things right was admirable, but it would be costly for him, since he had also broken into other homes and entered our country illegally. He knew, in his heart, that he needed also to correct these wrongdoings.

At least now, when he is deported to his country, he takes with him a greater purpose: to spread what he has learned about the message of Christ with others. Maybe he will return to America legally someday. I gave him my study Bible and contact information. I look forward to hearing from him about his efforts to share Christ.

While this story is fictitious, it’s also possible.

Following Christ does not negate accepting responsibility and accountability for one’s actions; it enhances it. If we genuinely love Jesus and righteousness, we will want to do what’s right, even if it means exchanging our loss of earthly freedom for eternal life in heaven. (Matthew 16:24-26, John 14:15, Romans 6:1-14, Mark 16:15, Philemon 1)

Scripture’s definition of Godly Sorrow: (2 Corinthians 7:9-13)

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!

Wiping the dust off our feet

December 23, 2025 / / 1 Comment

In sharing Jesus, we must sometimes wipe the dust off our feet and move onward. This does not mean we suddenly stop caring, as we never stop, but it may mean the soil we are working with is not ready for the seeds of truth. I’ve had to do this many times with family, friends, and strangers when my efforts to share scriptural truth were rejected, ignored, or dismissed either kindly or with disdain.

Sometimes people read God’s Word for themselves, understand the context, but on some subjects refuse to believe what they’ve just read because it flies in the face of what they’ve been told, so they dismiss the discussion with words like: “That’s your opinion or interpretation!”

They will state they believe in God and that Scripture is God’s word, yet when confronted with the truth of God’s own words, the soil is not ready to accept the seeds, or maybe it just takes a different approach to get their full attention. Whatever the reason, when truth is rejected, we are in good company; Jesus was rejected, yet died for everyone, including those who rejected him, and even after His resurrection, some of the same rejected Jesus again.

When rejected, I respect their wishes and pray that my efforts will help condition the soil of their mind and heart. Maybe someone else’s approach will plant seeds that take root; perhaps mine or someone’s example will spark a conversation down the road that leads to better understanding. Wiping the dust off my feet doesn’t mean giving up or that we will never speak of the subject again.

In the meantime, I continue to plant seeds of truth, hoping to find those with fertile soil, those seeking to do all they can to follow Christ – even if it means change.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Matt 16:24-28

God First!

Would you believe it!

February 2, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Would you believe it? These sticks and stones just ended up on the tree stump seen in this picture, looking like this cute face all by themselves. It was simply an accident.

No, me neither. Logic tells us someone definitely laid these sticks into their positions. This face was created by design.

Do you also realize it is far more probable that this artwork all landed into place by accident than to believe that anything other than God created everything we see, smell, breathe, feel, and know?

IN THE BEGINNING, GOD created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

It’s the most logical conclusion, and both science and math support it.

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