Category: Love (Page 8 of 10)

If you love me, you will keep my commandments ~ Jesus

God’s Standards are fixed!

May 8, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

By what standard do you define good and evil, right and wrong?

We live in a society where a large percentage of people adopt whatever standard is exclaimed at the moment. It’s a variable floating standard with no foundation.

God’s standard is absolute, unchanging, and defined by scripture which is God-Breathed. It’s the only standard by which we can obtain eternal life, living forever in Heaven with the creator of everything we know. The Father, The Son, & The Holy Spirit.

If you’re looking for righteous discernment, it’s in God’s Word. The best standard by which any can live our lives. God’s Word defines right and wrong. God’s standard is fixed in pure love as God is Love!

God First!

Life Coach Recommendations

May 3, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 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!

IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE

May 1, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Give What?

Time
Money
Food
Compassion
Love
Service

Give To who?

Spouses
Children
Family
Christians
Widows
Orphans
Elderly
Strangers
Those in need

All commandments are summed up in love.

“Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Romans 13:10 Esv

‭‭God First!

but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.

Seen by God, Rewarded by God

April 29, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Have you ever gone out of your way to do good and help others in difficult times only to be overlooked or forgotten? Maybe as they recall the experience, you find your efforts credited to someone else or not even in their recollection. This forgetfulness sometimes happens in different situations. Stress can definitely affect what we remember. Maybe, you’re just so close to them that their mind categorizes your efforts differently as we sometimes do with family members.

I remember several times thru the years when my wife would become annoyed with me because I shared something with her I had recently learned from another.

Virginia’s annoyance was not with the info but rather, the fact that she had told me the same thing herself (maybe more than once), and here I was, giving all the credit to someone else and excitingly telling it to her as if it was the first time I had ever heard it. Yi yi yi!

The point is, not being credited, thanked, or having the credit given to someone else can be slightly discouraging, but it happens.

We just need to ask ourselves, why do we do good things? We see a need, and we step up. Are we looking to be praised? No, for most, we simply want to help others through the love and compassion in our hearts. It’s not about us. It’s about them.

“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

Getting Credit doesn’t matter
Being forgotten doesn’t matter

What really matters?

Sharing God’s Word matters
Continuing to do good matters
Showing love matters
Making a difference to the glory of God- these are the things that matter.

Jesus tells us:

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Matthew 6:3-4

God First!

Writer: Wayne Johnson

Worldly means vs The good life!

April 27, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

“Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)

This verse really stands out to me; why? Because I spent years with my priorities skewed. I spent years doing what I wanted, seeking more fun, money, adventure, and things. I attempted to find and express my worth to self and others through what scripture refers to as “worldly means.”

At this time in my life, I found wisdom in my own eyes. It was self Indulging manipulating wisdom. As a result, I spent those years treating Our Creator as if He only mattered when nothing else did.

The big issue here is I knew better! I had an understanding of “The Good Life,” The one that is given to us by God through scripture, and I knew much of what I was doing went against God’s will for us. As a result, I lived those years apart from God, not truly realizing the negative impact I could have on others.

To look back and pine for those old times and start longing for that old lifestyle indicates my love for Christ is neither hot nor cold but rather lukewarm, and by not looking toward Jesus, the path I plow would become crooked. I would effectively be longing for a time when I was ”apart from God.”

How then would I be fit for the Kingdom of heaven?

Jesus Tells Us:

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.“
Revelation 3:16-17

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,”
HEBREWS 10:26

Proverbs 3:7 (wise in our eyes)
Isaiah 59:2 (separation)

God First!

“will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?”

April 23, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Some spin God’s word to accommodate their desire rather than God’s plan, and others follow them. There are many reasons people do this, but I personally believe the main reason is not intentional but rather willful ignorance. Willful in the sense that one must have a willingness to study and accept scripture as a whole, and this takes effort and time. When we hear or read something different than what we actually practice, then why? For me, I want to know what Scriptures support that practice. Does it add or take away from God’s Word? Deuteronomy 12:32 and Revelation 22:18

The Lord’s path is straight and is available to us through God’s inspired word. We have no excuse for not exercising due diligence with self-study.

We are always learning, so; we can be mistaken; the real question is: Do we seek to correct ourselves when we realize we are wrong, or do we decide it’s a non-issue and do nothing? The bible is an accumulation of God’s Word and took thousands of years to come about. When we dismiss any of it as a non-issue, are we not effectively telling God His words are not important, we know better? (2 Timothy 3:16)

Paul is addressing the false prophet Bar-Jesus in Acts 13:9-10…

“But Saul (also known as Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at him and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness – will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?”

God First! Every second of every day!

Written by: Wayne Johnson

Mom’s advise

April 15, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

My mom’s been in Paradise for years now but her memories are instilled in me. One such memory was some advice. I’ve not always held true to it but, I have grown to recognize the enormous value of it.

”Don’t go to bed mad.” Why?

I believe it’s because when we harbor anger, it festers and can easily turn into sin, and sin separates us from God. Sometimes we just can’t fix a problem before bed, but we all have access to God’s Word and to God through prayer.

We can seek help in scripture and pray about the problem; insomuch as it is within our power, we can take action on our part. We can pray for wisdom, understanding and be willing to forgive those involved. If the problem is out of our control, we can turn it over to God, the one who can do anything, and then we can let go and trust in God.

Although anger (in itself) is not wrong, God knows what’s best for us and tells us in the following scripture.

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians‬ ‭4:26-32‬

‭‭God First!

Isaiah 59:2,
Hebrews 10:26-31
James 1:14-15
James 5:16
Matthew 5:24

Love is why many church building doors (not the Church) were temporarily closed this time last year.

April 14, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Love is why many church building doors (not the Church) were temporarily closed this time last year.

————LOVE ———

No Christian wanted the doors closed, and we knew It was only temporary.

We asked ourselves, which one of us would volunteer to bury our parent, spouse, siblings, child, best friend, etc., as a result of NOT taking precautions? We took comfort in knowing that closing the building’s doors does not stop those “In Christ” from being ”The Church.”

It did not stop us from reaching out to say hello, letting others know we care or seeking how we can help others. It did not stop us from praying or sharing God’s Word through medians such as this or live streaming, among others. It did NOT stop us from remembering Christ’s death and resurrection on the first day of the week and partaking of the bread and fruit of the vine In remembrance of Christ’s body and blood as it was shed for us, doing so every week.

We still sang praises to God, shared the message of Christ, and continued to support our Congregation’s efforts to share God’s Word to the world financially.

While we were apart physically, we sorely missed the smiles, handshakes, hugs, and maybe most of all, engaging personally with the encouragement and active examples of our brothers and sisters in Christ who we faithfully see at every bible study and Worship service possible.

With all the challenges we faced while the church building doors were closed, many of our Christian siblings sought and found ways to continue edifying, lifting each other’s spirits, and sharing Christ during these difficult times.

Christians who vigorously showed all that “The Church” is alive and active 24/7 demonstrating the Love of Christ.

The Government established Covid-19 guidelines, and in adherence, the building doors re-opened as soon as possible. In Consideration of these guidelines and health concerns for themselves or others, People began to return to in-person Worship and study as they could.

With the introduction of the vaccine and Improved treatments, we get closer each day to life pre-covid and look forward to that day when everyone is together again. When we Worshiped from our homes, we did so out of Love. Love for God and love for others. We adhered to the Word of God concerning our responsibility towards governing authorities.

Maybe the real test in all this is whether we would each be ”The Church, ” no matter what, building or no building, and keep our priorities on God, First!

I love the Lord’s Church, Don’t you?

To help clarify. I posted the above article on a social media site and had some take exception to it so, In my opinion, Love for others is one of the main reasons many Church’s closed the building doors a year ago.

At this time, much of covid-19, how it was transmitted, how to treat it, how deadly was it, was very new and unknown. There was and still is a ton of misinformation regarding it.

I remember having and listening to discussions of concern for others, for their safety, especially those more susceptible.

Based on some of the comments I recived on the social media site, maybe some never did, but I classify these discussions and concerns for others as love. Love for others!

I believe since it is the second greatest command that it strongly played into the decisions of our elders’ at my congregation.

I am not an elder or deacon, but I am confident the elders weighed the circumstances and all scripture very carefully and made the right decision.

I believe It was made out of love for God, God’s Word, and love for others.

I use to carry the equivalent of these 4 bowling balls everywhere I went

April 5, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

On January 6, 2019, blood clots were found in my lungs and legs, and my blood sugar was 465 with an A1C of 11.6, which crash-landed me in the ICU.

It feels more prolonged, but tomorrow is two years and three months since I experienced this life-changing moment. I was sent home taking 4 insulin shots and 2 blood thinner shots daily. 2 months later, I originally posted the following on FB…

”I have stopped joking around about my health and began working on it. I have begun replacing bad eating habits with new ones.

I gave myself goals for the year.

1. Be 25 again by year’s end (

)

2. Lose weight

3. get off insulin

4. Get off the blood thinner

I had previously joked about my obesity. It was easier than serious effort. I enjoyed my gluttony of foods, and though I wanted to change, I wanted it without real effort. I actually think I had settled into and accepted the idea that losing 45 lbs would never happen, so why try?

However; As of 4/5/2019, I had lost 45 lbs, which put me at about the weight I was when I was 25 yrs of age.

I have been off the insulin since March of 2019, but they did put me on metformin. I have now cut that dosage of metformin in half. I feel great and have energy again.” It’s amazing what you can do with God’s help when you put both your mind and heart into it.

I am so thankful that I had this wake-up call two years ago tomorrow – It was a life-changing moment indeed!”

Update to this update:

I went on to lose a total of 60 lbs by June 2019 (4 bowling balls), putting me right at 200lbs. I am still on a blood thinner and 1/2 the metformin dosage.

At the start of my recent Covid19/pneumonia experience, which started 3/3/21, I had slacked up during the winter and gained about 12 lbs but recently saw 198lbs. (The only plus from covid)

As with most of my other shares, my intent for sharing this story is not to brag but somewhat out of hope. I hope to inspire those in similar situations. To help them realize they can also accomplish similar goals.

If doing it for yourself is not enough, think about how negatively the impact of your absence would affect those you love, Those who need you. Ask yourself a couple of questions.

Do you really want to take a chance of leaving them without you?

Would you be happy to take several shots a day or tons of meds when you can avoid it by changing habits instead?

I did not want my wife or family to have to live without me; We are all needed by those that love us, those whom we love. So, Wheresoever it’s within our power to do so, let’s do what we can by replacing bad habits with healthy habits.

Category: Love (Page 8 of 10)

God’s Standards are fixed!

Life Coach Recommendations