Advocate for Christ

The best life is a God First life

Category: Doing God’s Will (Page 1 of 13)

Advocate for Christ God First God First The best life is a God First life

Putting God First: My Life as an Advocate for Christ

July 26, 2026 / / 0 Comments

To friends who read my posts (whether on my personal FB timeline, the FB Advocate for Christ group, or this website): Some have assumed I am a pulpit minister; I am not, and I am not affiliated with any denomination. I am solely a Christian who wants to Advocate for Christ, one who loves the Lord and wants to share God’s love and Word with others. I worship and study with my brothers and sisters in Christ at the Buford Church of Christ congregation in Buford, Ga.

I use the words “God First” as my profile picture and to end many of my writings because I want to emphasize that God should be first in all our lives.

When God is at the helm, those who are “in Christ” have His promise of eternity in heaven. The God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) gives real peace and joy in both good times and hard times. I have personally experienced that comfort in some of the most difficult seasons of life, and that thankfulness drives me to share Christ so others can know the same blessings.

Many use sportswear to depict their favorite teams, schools, sports, etc.

Instead of sportswear, I use “Spiritwear” to depict my favorite team – the team of God. When I say God, I am referring to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (the Godhead).

You’ll often see the words “God First” on clothing or accessories I wear, carry, and share; these simple words have sparked conversations and help easily identify me as someone who believes in God. I also suspect these clothes and accessories have curtailed language I’d prefer not to hear. I started using the term “God First” as my faith deepened, and I experienced that choosing to pursue God First in our lives added significant joy and peace, sparking my desire to help others to share in the Peace that surpasses understanding that God offers.

Eternity is a serious matter; loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is the natural response when we truly understand how much God loves us. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15), and “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

 As Don Blackwell has said:
“The Lord’s Church is not a country club for saints; it’s a hospital for sinners.”

  • 2 Corinthians 1:3-9
  • Mark 12:28-34
  • 2 Timothy 2:15
  • 1 John 4:19
  • John 14:6
  • John 14:15
  • Matthew 28:19
  • 2 Corinthians 13:14
  • John 10:30

God First!

Our Lives But a pencil dot on the timeline of Eternity

Life’s Pencil Dot: Our Choice to Follow Christ into Eternity

July 25, 2026 / / 0 Comments
  • – God is real
  • – Jesus is real
  • – The Holy Spirit is real
  • – Heaven is real
  • – Our souls are real
  • – Eternity is real
  • – Satan is real
  • – Hell is real
  • – Your Soul’s place for eternity is real.

Our lives are but a pencil dot on the timeline of eternity, yet a pencil dot so essential that God gave His only Son so that each of us might have eternal life in heaven. Many things are unseen by our eyes, yet real. The evidence surrounds us; hundreds of fulfilled prophecies over centuries appeal to our logical minds as proof. God-breathed Scripture shares all God wants us to know. It is written with God’s inspiration through the Holy Spirit by many authors and is uncontradictory because it is all from God.

“yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” James 4:14

Psalm 39:4-5, Psalm 90:4-10, John 3:16

  • “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36
  • “So those who received His word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:41
  • …the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:10
  • “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
  • “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15
  • “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6.

God First!

THE TRUTH SHOULD NEVER BE OFFENSIVE Why would it be? It's the truth God's Word is 100% Truth

God’s Word Is 100% Truth — Feelings Don’t Get a Vote

July 24, 2026 / / 0 Comments

The truth should never be offensive. Why would it be? It’s the truth!

God’s Word is 100% Truth, and knowing this, we should all agree that the Bible is our ultimate authority. It’s the words God gave us; it’s the message of Christ, our salvation, our promise. It tells us what’s expected of us by our Creator.

If we agree that the Bible is our ultimate authority, then we have unity. Although feelings have their place, God’s truth is not subject to our feelings but rather to the words of God. So, if we want to keep the precepts, examples, and commands of God, we go to God’s Word to find Biblical Authority for our actions.

Truth

  • Galatians 4:16 – “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?”
  • John 8:32 – “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
  • John 17:17 – “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”
  • 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
  • Psalm 119:160 – “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”
  • Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Feelings

  • Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
  • Proverbs 28:26 – “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”
  • 2 Corinthians 5:7 – “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Unity

  • Ephesians 4:3-5 – “…eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”
  • 1 Corinthians 1:10 – “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”

God First!

SELFISH DESIRE BIRTHS EVERY SIN From Adam and Eve to you - God First!

Desire Conceived: The Selfish Root of Every Sin

July 23, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Is there a single sin that cannot be traced back to selfish desires (Lust)?

I can’t think of one; can you? Selfishness seems to be at the root of every sin from Adam and Eve forward.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”   (1 John 2:15-17, emphasis added)

Giving Birth to Sin

 “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13-15, emphasis added)

  • Genesis 3:6
  • Mark 7:21-23
  • Romans 1:24-25
  • Galatians 5:16-17, 19

God First!

To Tolerate Everything Is To Stand for Nothing: Why We Must Teach Our Children to Care and Stand for Righteousness — God First!

July 20, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Pursuing “the right things” only matters to those who care. We need to teach our children to care so they will want to stand up for what is right. When we fail to take a stand and do nothing, we teach our children apathy, which is the same as teaching them that wrong is okay; look the other way. IT’S NOT!

Doing wrong doesn’t matter to the unconscientious, so we must train our children to be conscientious, to care. We need to teach righteousness in our homes and by our examples. The best source for lessons in righteousness, love for others, and selflessness is God’s Word.

Training Children in Righteousness

  • Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.“
  • Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
  • Ephesians 6:4 – “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.“
  • 2 Timothy 3:15-17- “and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (emphasis added)

Rejecting Apathy

  • James 4:17 – “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
  • Proverbs 24:11-12 – “Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?

Not Tolerating Evil

  • Ephesians 5:11 – “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;” (emphasis added)
  • Revelation 3:15-16 –‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.’

Caring for Others & Christ’s Attitude

  • Philippians 2:3-5 – Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,“

Putting God First

  • Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

God First!

Blindness opened Paul's eyes But baptism saved him

Blindness opened Paul’s eyes, yet baptism saved him.

July 19, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Paul’s eyes were opened in Blindness on the road to Damascus, Jesus told Saul…

“But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭9:6‬)

Saul had 3 days of blindness to think and pray about his “literal” come-to-Jesus meeting.

In a vision, the Lord came to a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord tells Ananias where to find Saul and to heal his sight. Scripture reads:

“So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;” (Acts 9:17-18).

Note: Baptism was the very first thing Saul did after meeting Ananias and having his sight restored.

Why? If Saul/Paul’s sins had been forgiven before this moment, he would not need to be baptized to have His sins forgiven or to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, would he?

God’s word tells us that when we are baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, this is when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

“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

In 1 Peter 3:21, it reads:

“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Jesus’s own words are very straightforward in Mark 16:16,

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Mark 16:16

Paul shares his story in Acts 22:1-16. Please read it for yourself.

  • Why believe all of God’s word when so many claim otherwise? Because all Scripture is from God, inspired by God. Not believing or believing something else would mean calling God a liar, and God cannot lie. ( see: 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Matthew 5:18, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18, Numbers 23:19)
  • How many scriptures need to state something for it to be true? only one.

That said, it is important not to take any single scripture out of context, as God’s Word encompasses all of Scripture; if scriptures seem to contradict, we can know we have the wrong understanding and need to seek what fits the whole of Scripture. There are a lot of false teachings in this world about what God wants, a lot of feelings about what God wants, yet it rests upon each of us to discern what God’s Word actually teaches. Don’t believe me, believe God!

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Philippians 2:9-13

God First!

We study hard for our jobs. Why not study even harder for our souls?

We Study Hard for Our Jobs — Why Not Study Even Harder for Our Souls?

July 18, 2026 / / 2 Comments

To become proficient in our professions, we study and practice to become Doctors, Nurses, Accountants, Engineers, Firefighters, Carpenters, Bricklayers, etc. Learning and skills are not developed by osmosis. To do our profession to the best of our ability, one must be studious and committed to learning every aspect possible about our endeavor.

Shouldn’t we put even more effort into getting to know God and keeping his commandments? The less we know of God’s Word and the message of Christ, the less we know of God. Yet our souls’ eternity depends on our submitting to God’s will, not ours.

How can we do what we do not know how to do? We should make ongoing efforts to deepen our understanding.

Today, many around the world are denied access to Bibles by their governments, even though they would love to have scripture to study; in some cases, even having a bible can be dangerous to their well-being. However, in our country (the United States), most homes have more than one. So, for us, there is really no excuse for choosing ignorance when God’s Word is so readily available. Understanding comes through study, and there is no better time to begin study than right now. Why not grab your closest Bible or download a Bible app and read it daily starting now?

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

“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)

“But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

God First!

The most valuable time of the day is the time we take to pray!

Include God; He offers so much!

July 15, 2026 / / 0 Comments

We know from scripture that we are made in the image of God; we know that God has feelings, God loves, He hates sin, He is righteously jealous, etc., So, here’s a couple of questions to ponder:

How do you feel when the only time someone thinks of you is when they need or want something?

How do you think God feels when we treat him that way?

Why treat him this way?

It’s obvious from Scripture that God wants to be included in our lives; He wants us to love Him as He loves us. This said, why would we not want to include God in all that we do?. After all, Jesus told us to: ask, seek, and knock.

Our very breath is dependent on our creator! By embracing God’s love and keeping his commandments, we secure God’s promise of eternal life. In other words, we can obtain the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. If we are truly In Christ, serving Christ, our hearts are filled with joy and the comfort of God.

Therefore, it seems unwise to exclude God when he offers so much to our lives both in this world and for eternity.

  • John 1:1-18 (The Word is Jesus, with God from the beginning)
  • John 14:15 – How to show our love to Jesus
  • Ephesians 6:18 – pray often.
  • Matthew 7:7-11 – Ask, Seek, Knock
  • James 4:8 – How to get God to grow closer to you
  • James 5:16 – Prayers of the righteous avail much
  • Philippians 4:7 – Peace beyond understanding
  • 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 – God of all comfort
  • John 15:1-16 – Joy

God First!

Social Media not just the devils workshop / Seeds of Truth - Let your light shine for Christ

Satan’s workshop or God’s? our choice

July 14, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Social media turns off many people because freedom of speech is abused with disrespectful, attention-grabbing rants, gossip, foul language, crude and distasteful images, etc.; I’ve heard many refer to social media as “the devil’s workshop.” Well, this may all have some truth to it;  however, it will be what we make of it.

It doesn’t have to be just Satan’s workshop. No, when good, righteous-seeking people who love Jesus decide to post, share, like, and love only good things, we help make social media a better place. The simple truth is that Satan is in this world, his actions are all around us, and we can’t make a difference if we hide rather than let our light shine and try to make a difference (Mathew 5:14-16). Jesus charged His disciples with sharing the gospel with the whole world; we are to plant the seeds of Truth. So, when we choose to walk away from farmland we could cultivate and plant, we leave it wide open for Satan to spread seeds of weeds and destruction.

Why not be engaging instead? We can use social media platforms to encourage and share the soul-saving truth of a better life with Christ. We don’t have to write articles, but we can support those who do with LIKES, LOVES, and encouraging COMMENTS. We can share articles and memes of truth and uplifting thoughts.

On social media, the seeds of truth will be cast on all types of soil; so spread them, God will provide the growth, even if you never see the results. Trust God (1 Corinthians 3:7).

When you encounter negative statements, and you will, don’t take them personally; be compassionate, understanding, and try to be helpful; they stem from the ignorance of God’s Word. Jesus and his disciples cast numerous seeds, and when they were rejected, it was in far worse ways than a negative or hurtful comment.

I personally don’t want to gamble my soul’s eternity on what someone feels scripture says when there is so much understanding to be had by gaining a fuller knowledge of what God’s Word actually says.

God’s word cannot be shared with silence. It is what it is, but it will be what you make of it!

  • Mark 4:1-20
  • 1 Corinthians 3:6-11
  • Mark 16:15–20
  • Matthew 28:19–20

God First!

SnackelFrackle

Rather than break a habit, Change it!

July 13, 2026 / / 0 Comments

It’s almost impossible to break a bad habit. However, it’s very possible to replace it! For example, when I was young, my dad suggested replacing any profanity that surfaced in my mind with his made-up word: Snackelfrackle.“

Admittedly, this has gotten some strange looks from people, some questions, and a few laughs, all of which are better than any profanity or using the Lord’s name in vain. However, it also sends the soft message that I don’t use that type of language.

In today’s world, a large percentage of people use, condone, and even defend their use of profane language and taking the Lord’s name in vain. However, so far, most are respectful of my stance when they realize that I do not appreciate its usage, and I very much appreciate their efforts to control their language at least when around me or children.

I personally don’t understand the need to use vulgar or profane language, and I know what God’s Word says about it. So, whether it’s one word that has become a bad habit or a slew of them, I know “if a person wants to,” they can replace these habits with good ones.

“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:8-10)

Ephesians 5:4
Matthew 12:36-37
James 1:26
Exodus 20:7
Romans 12:2
Romans 12:21

God First!

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