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The best life is a God First life

Category: God will provide (Page 1 of 3)

Your soul is a beautiful thing. Guard it with all your heart. God First

Guard your heart from bitterness

May 18, 2026 / / 0 Comments

“Without expectation of reciprocation,” for me, this is the best attitude we can have toward helping others; it’s also my definition of agape love. If we see an opportunity and jump into action and help, we should expect nothing, not even a thank you. Being able to help is reward enough.

Personally, I have found that NOT expecting any reciprocation helps me avoid the pitfalls of disappointment or frustration that Satan may stir in our minds in his efforts to encourage bitterness should I think someone owes me but is ghosting me.

Should my mind start down such a path, when I want help, and it’s not available, I remind myself, “I asked for nothing and am owed nothing,” which helps stop those thoughts from propagating. Instead, I trust God will provide if I truly need help and let those thoughts go, dismissing Satan’s attempts to inflame my mind in his efforts to jeopardize my soul..

Freely giving of myself or my means helps guard my heart against harboring any animosity if someone can’t or won’t reciprocate in kind. One thing is for sure: I have never regretted time spent helping others. It’s always a win for me; A blessing from God.

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:9-10 ESV

  • Proverbs 4:23-27
  • Hebrews 13:6
  • Matthew 6:4
  • Proverbs 28:27
  • Ephesians 4:1-16

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Would $$$ change our motivation to share Christ?

Would $$$ Change our Motivation to share Christ?

May 17, 2026 / / 0 Comments

A question for thought: If someone were to offer you $100 for every individual who came to a worship service based on your invitation (with no limit), how many people would you invite?  1, 10, 100, more?

If your answer is more than you would invite with NO monetary incentive, then the real question to ponder is: Why would we not be this zealous for the Lord without immediate personal gain?

May the seeds of Truth that lead to eternal life in Heaven be planted and watered; God will provide the growth.

  • Matthew 28:19–20
  • Matthew 19:21
  • 1st Corinthians 3:6-7
  • Mark 16:15

To God be the glory!

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Our God is an Awesome God

May 8, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Though this knockout rose bush is gone now, it has a story. It was given to us several years ago by our neighbors. I set it on the back porch, intending to plant it, then forgot about it for almost two years. At that point, it looked like sticks in a bucket; I almost threw it away. Instead, I made the effort and planted it. God provided it with incredible growth, turning what was seemingly dead into a beautiful, thriving bush full of roses that we enjoyed for several years.

I’ve seen and experienced God’s Word provide the same incredible increase in people.

It’s an amazing sight to see when someone, once consumed by their own desires, puts on Christ and puts God first in their lives. God then provides growth, and they blossom into beautiful, caring followers of Christ.

Our God is an Awesome God!

  • Psalm 92:12-14
  • Isaiah 55:10-11
  • Ephesians 2:4-5
  • 1 Corinthians 3:6-7
  • 2 Corinthians 5:17

God First!

We all gain at different levels, but we all gain by studying Scripture.

Understanding God’s Word

April 28, 2026 / / 0 Comments

There are many misrepresentations of God’s word in the world today, and yes, scripture needs to be studied to be interpreted properly, not just read. If any scripture seems to contradict itself at any point, we are misinterpreting it and should study it more deeply to identify what we are missing.

Who it was written to, when it was written, and for what purpose can help us gain more insight than what we might get from scripture’s face value alone.  Sort of like the milk vs. solid-food scripture.

God, through His infinite wisdom and in His Word, has given us what we need for our understanding so that we can know what we must do to be saved. The whole Bible is from God, and no matter our educational level, if we have access to God’s word, we have access to God’s intent for us, without needing to know the background and history of every word we read.

Today, there are many translations of Scripture, written in multiple languages, some created with little scrutiny and sometimes with an agenda rather than strict interpretation. In contrast, others, such as the KJV, were completed using “rules of language” with strict interpretation and incredible scrutiny. Most later versions use the KJV as their base.

I have complete trust in God and don’t believe God would allow the translations from the languages of old to be included in the King James Bible if they did not convey His Words and intent properly, so I believe the correct interpretations from those old languages have been preserved. We don’t need to be Greek Scholars to understand God’s intent.

“Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”

Proverbs 30:5

Consider 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

While understanding the meat behind this scripture, such as who the letter was written to, Timothy’s history, and all the interesting additional information one can derive with deep study to gain deeper insight, the milk of this passage of Scripture stands on its own, pointing out that we need to study, to show ourselves, workmen, not ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

God’s Word is the whole of Scripture. God only needs to say something once for it to be true. That said, to understand what God says once correctly, one may also need to know more of Scripture; however, some attempt to change the face-value meaning of Scripture by using other possible Greek interpretations to claim the interpretation of all those past Scholars is wrong, in order to convey a message that tickles their ears and, sadly, misleads others.

As stated in Scripture, God did not give us a book of confusion, and no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation and provides understanding even to the simple. We all gain at different levels, but we all gain by studying scripture.

  • 2 Peter 1:20
  • 1 Corinthians 14:33
  • Psalm 119:30
  • 2 Timothy 3:16
  • 1 Corinthians 3:21
  • 1 Peter 2:2
  • Hebrews 5:12-13

God First!

After Death: Your first thoughts in Paradise?

After Death: First Thoughts?

April 15, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Upon entering paradise, what will our first thoughts be? Will we immediately want to return to our families? Will we first think,” But I’m not finished,” or will we immediately understand, we have no more worries; God is in control?

In the illustrated story of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man did not go to paradise; nope, he went directly to torment. Scripture says nothing of the rich man being carried by angels, only of Lazarus.

On the torment side of Hades, the rich man saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. At first, he asked Abraham to send Lazarus to cool his tongue with water, for the flames were anguishing him. Abraham pointed out the large, fixed chasm between them, which cannot be crossed in either direction. He pointed out how he had received good things on earth, but Lazarus had bad things.

Simply put: the rich man’s selfish life had earned him a one-way ticket to his eternal home in torment.

On the other hand, Lazarus’s suffering on Earth was over; he was no longer in pain from sores or hunger. No longer would he be considered less than anyone else, and would now be comforted forever. In asking Abraham to send Lazarus with water or to his family, the rich man still seems to view Lazarus as a servant.

The rich man’s next thoughts were for his family; he wanted to send Lazarus or someone from the dead to warn his brothers of his demise. But alas, Abraham said, if they did not believe Moses and the Prophets, they would not be convinced even if someone rose from the dead.

I don’t know the answer to my initial questions; I suspect I would quickly understand. My opportunity to help others on Earth is over. Maybe my example or some of my words will carry on briefly, but as always, God is in control!

You see, today, in addition to Moses and the prophets, we have the completed Word of God; we have the New Covenant of God through Christ, and are told exactly how to follow God’s Will according to what God wants.

Scripture tells us: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV)

Twisting God’s Words has happened since the Lord’s Church began; however, the Truth is readily available to those who will take the time to study God’s Word and shew themselves approved.

We will each be held accountable for our salvation, and eternity is a long time to wish we had made better choices. It is my prayer that all will prioritize the understanding of God’s Word beyond what others have told us.

Let God’s Word speak and listen.

“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, O you His angels, you mighty ones who do His word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His ministers, who do His will! Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!”

Psalm 103:19-22 ESV

  • Luke 16:19-31 (Rich Man and Lazarus)
  • Galatians 1:6-8 (twisting truth)
  • Philippians 2:12 (work out our own salvation)
  • Romans 1:16 (Salvation for everyone)
  • 2 Timothy 2:15 (Study)

God First!

A Walk in the Park

March 25, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Smiles, laughter, beauty, and sounds bring an epiphany of joy to our hearts as we walk in God’s creation.

We pause from time to time to listen and breathe; we feel the cool air as it caresses our skin, as it moves the leaves of the trees; our eyes, overwhelmed by the beauty of morning light as it speeds, seemingly still, warming our faces and bringing sparkles to our eyes.

It’s all perfect!

With each step, God conducts a combination of peaceful, calming sounds for us to hear.

It’s all perfect!

As squirrels rustle through the limbs of the trees and the leaves on the ground, water flows calmly through the nearby creeks, over rocks and tiny waterfalls, accompanied by crickets and tree frogs, creating a symphonic, heavenly background of sound to feature the birds as they sing and whistle in the trees.

A beautiful symphony of God, it is perfect!

~Wayne R Johnson

God’s perfection surrounds us daily; it helps quiet our souls, take time, make time, to soak it all in. We are so blessed to be part of and amid His creations. Let’s notice what we often overlook, the peace and love our Heavenly Father provides.

God is perfect, Love never ends, it is well with my soul.

Psalm 119:24 Psalm 104:1, Psalm 19:1, Ecclesiastes 3:11,

God First!

The Best Part of our Story

February 16, 2026 / / 0 Comments

I don’t like giving “Off-the-cuff” answers to questions, as my response often seems inadequate; I prefer to think before responding, but sometimes we must.

Case in point-
At a restaurant on Valentine’s Day, in 2024, a young man asked:

“What do you think is the best part of being married for so long?” (We must have really looked old to him) We had just met the lad about 90 minutes earlier when Virginia and I were at a restaurant reviewing the menu, trying to decide whether to stay or leave.

As mentioned, it was Valentine’s Day and our Anniversary.
The evening was not unfolding as I had planned. I had intended to have an early dinner at a nice Italian restaurant, but we got a late start. The restaurant’s website indicated they were NOT booking reservations, so I assumed “first-come, first-served,” but when we arrived, I saw the dreaded sign at the doorway: “Call for reservations.” It was about 5:30 PM; the place was almost empty, but they would not seat us. This plight pressured me to find someplace quickly; Virginia was hungry, and I still hoped to beat the main crowd. We found a restaurant we had never tried. It was not fancy nor the type of food we typically eat; In fact, it was entirely out of the norm for us.

It was a family-style Cuban Restaurant called Papis. We entered and talked with a young man behind the counter. We mentioned it was our Anniversary, looked at the menu, got his recommendations, and decided to stay. They sat us in a quiet booth where we enjoyed some flavorful dishes. Although we were apprehensive at first, stepping outside our norm made the evening even more enjoyable and memorable by night’s end. We showed our waitress a FB picture I’d recently posted of us over the years. Then, before we left, she presented us with a complimentary dessert, one of our favorites, “Flan.” As we were leaving, Virginia went to the ladies’ room as I waited at the counter. I thanked the young man for his food suggestions and began a casual conversation when he asked:

“What do you think is the best part of being married for so long?”

I was not prepared for that question. I thought briefly, looking for a quick answer, and said: Contentment – We are both very content with each other now. A moment later, I added: When you’re as young as you are, jealousies and things like that often get in the way, but with a good wife, you don’t have to worry about that.
Shortly after that response, I finally hit the nail on the head and stated:

“But actually, the best part was when we decided to include God in our lives and live that type of lifestyle.” The young man acknowledged my final answer and said, “Really?” Yes, Really!

Putting God first is by far the best thing we ever did for our marriage.

The young man then thanked me and said, “I really appreciate it!”

I wish my last response had been my first, so I could have expanded on it, as choosing to make God’s Word “The Standard” for our lifestyle has indeed been the most important decision Virginia and I ever made in our marriage. I could expand for hours on all the facets of why our marriage is strong, but the bottom line is that the decision to put God First has been the best part of our story by far!

  • Matthew 5:6
  • Acts 5:29
  • Proverbs 16:3
  • Matthew 6:24
  • Galatians 2:20
  • Galatians 6:9-10
  • 2 Corinthians 8:6
  • Acts 10:35
  • Matthew 13:44-46
  • Proverbs 3:5-6
  • Proverbs 19:14
  • Proverbs 31:10
  • Ephesians 5:44-33

God First!

Bible Translations

February 13, 2026 / / 1 Comment

The languages of the Bible are unique to their time, and this is excellent!

Here is why

Language scholars can refer to the original writings to clarify meaning. They can discover how the original text was used and written. Often, the words in the original language have several possible meanings. Yet only one of those meanings fits best within the context of how the word was used and stays consistent with the whole of other scripture.

None of the manuscripts or letters are in the original writer’s hand. They were all copied by scribes repeatedly, regardless of the type of paper or stone they were originally written on.

With the “King James Version,” all the manuscripts available at the time were combined into the books of the Bible. The translations were completed by a large group of approximately 50 highly qualified scholars. These scholars checked, double-checked, and triple-checked the letters and manuscripts they had. They tested each piece against a set of rules they created to ensure it had been correctly translated. These scholars also defined the chapters, verses, and punctuation to facilitate reading today, as these were not part of the original language.

More transcripts were found after the “King James” translation. Some of these writings were older than those used to create the KJV. Many modern versions use the King James Version as their base to create versions that are easier for readers to understand. In contrast, other versions compare the manuscripts used to translate the KJV with older manuscripts and then revise the new versions, prioritizing the older manuscripts. Note: In a few cases, an entire verse was removed based on older writings; these changes were minor and did not alter the text of Scripture.

If English is our native tongue, we often think only of these versions as being in Old or modern English; however, many translations of God’s Word have been made in multiple languages.

It’s also true that not all versions were translated with the same care. In fact, some versions are no more than one person’s interpretation, while others are produced by groups with an agenda beyond a strict translation; this is why it’s essential to understand how a translation came about to determine how much credibility we should accord to what we read.

Personally, I like ESV, KJV, NKJ, NASB1995, and the ASV the most. I also use other versions occasionally to help understand some verses. The most meticulous interpretation of scripture undertaken in the 1600s, under the threat of death, was the KJV.

As a follower of Christ and not a scholar of biblical languages, I rely heavily on versions I believe were compiled with the greatest accuracy.

All this said, I trust God

I believe God’s Holy Word is just that: God’s Holy Word. I trust each word and believe it is possible to understand everything God wants us to understand clearly. We just need to set aside our desires and expectations, open our hearts and minds, and pay attention to God’s desires and will.

The Bible is not a book of confusion.

What makes it seem confusing is us. When we try to twist what it says into what we think it should say. We also need to remember that the Bible is a collection of several books that make one book. So, when we look at one verse using the word faith, it does not discount all the verses that include baptism and vice versa.

What’s the whole picture? What do the books combined tell us is necessary for Salvation?

If we’re willing to admit to ourselves that we may have more to learn. The complete answer is available to us in Scripture

The Bible continues to be the #1 bestseller

I cannot fathom God giving us His complete Word in forms we can’t possibly understand. Can you?

I can’t perceive that God went through all this effort, including the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross so that we might have eternal life, spent thousands of years bringing all of this to fruition, only to give us a Bible, we can’t trust to be accurate or understand with a little effort, reasoning, and discernment; this would be ridiculous.

“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 ESV

God First!

There has to be a better way

The best advice

January 3, 2026 / / 0 Comments

So often, the best advice is not what we want to hear, as it does not give us what we “think” we want. So, we reject it!

We view our situation as unique; the biblical answer; too simple.

Biblical advice would require us to change our mindset, which, in a sense, implies the problem is with us. It requires effort on our part to correct our understanding and change direction.

God’s word points out that there is nothing new under the sun (in this world) and that if we humble ourselves to the Lord, He will lift us up.

God’s word is full of the best advice!

God’s advice may not be what we think we want. However, the best answers are found in God’s Word, and if we strive to follow it according to His will, God will bring us joy and peace that surpasses all understanding. He is, after all, the God of all comfort.

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

  • Ecclesiastes 1:9
  • 1st Peter 5:6
  • Philippians 4:7

God First!

God Knows

January 7, 2022 / / 0 Comments

“In a world that blames God for disasters, yet credits luck for life’s blessings, we need reminding that the Lord alone is the universal Maestro. Evil and suffering are not from his hand, yet he is mighty enough to work the worst of circumstances for our ultimate good and his own exalted glory. It is ours to choose whether we will cooperate with his unfolding redemptive drama—whether we will submit our lives to his will. Each step taken and a word spoken should be a confession of just who is crafting our life’s story.”

Above is an excerpt from the book: The Epic of God – by Michael Whitworth; the book is an in-depth look at Genesis that I found very interesting. I introduced the book to my wife and happened to reread the introduction when the above excerpt stuck out to me. I posted the above in 2016 on Facebook – I wonder now as I see it in my FB memories if God knew I would need this reminder later in life and that I would share it with all who read my articles (of course, he did).

  • Psalm 139:4
  • 1 John 3:20
  • Hebrews 4:13
  • Isaiah 51:3
  • Psalm 119:76
  • Matthew 5:4

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