Advocate for Christ

The best life is a God First life

Category: Speech

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!

Alzheimer’s and change

July 8, 2026 / / 3 Comments

The point to the attached meme is not lost on me. However, I have also discovered that things may not be what they seem on the surface. My wife once had issues with her “pew seat” as her Alzheimer’s progressed. You see, for such patients, small changes can be big issues; even a simple change, like having to sit in a different location, can be a problem as they are losing their ability to understand the change.

This was during an earlier period of the disease; where she would sometimes say loudly, “They’re sitting in our seat or some other irritated remark, and she would sometimes become discombobulated when she couldn’t find and sit in her usual seat. I would then try to get her to understand it’s not a big deal and sit elsewhere with her.

Alzheimer’s or other dementia-type diseases don’t always stand out in appearance. For a very long time, people would talk to my wife occasionally and have no idea she was on this downward journey.

My reason for addressing the message behind this meme is to draw attention to the possibility that, before we assume rudeness is intentional or unchristian-like, maybe we should consider that there may be more to the situation than we see on the surface. Maybe it would help to assume there is such an issue and draw on our compassion rather than frustration or judgment in such a situation. I’m sure that if a Christian knows there’s a reason like this behind someone’s attitude, they would be more than happy to accommodate them.

Today, because of the progression of this disease, that issue is gone as we are not able to attend services as we used to.

I hate Alzheimer’s

  • Colossians 3:12
  • 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

God First!

HATRED IS NOT FUNNY!

Take a stand, be the example

June 19, 2026 / / 0 Comments

In 2026, several Hollywood elites, TV shows, and news personalities seem to believe and justify the idea that hatred, disrespect, and often foul language are now funny, even required to make their points and get attention. Of course, they would never agree with this assessment, yet their actions and words show how true it is.

HATRED IS NOT FUNNY

Hateful actions are not funny, Hateful pictures are not funny, Hateful words are not funny. Hateful videos are not funny. Laughing and sharing hateful things encourages hateful things. Stop it, please! Instead of laughing at and justifying gossip and hate, encourage kindness, make a positive difference, inspire positive change, and help remove hate from the overall equation.

We have a choice!

Don’t laugh, don’t justify, don’t encourage, change the channel, walk away, take a stand, and protect your heart and soul. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (See Philippians 4:8)  

It is what it is, but it will be what you make of it!

“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 4:29-32 ESV

Romans 12:18, Matthew 5:16, Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 22:39, Ephesians 5:2, John 15:12, Jeremiah 31:3

God First!

Mistreating Jesus

Mistreating Jesus?

May 9, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Jesus is not our equal; He is God.

God’s love is NOT an issuance of permission slips to treat “God the Son” or “God the Father” as our equals. God’s Love is extended by grace, not to be abused.

According to Scripture, Jesus is the Word… “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5)

Jesus is our Messiah, the Lord of Lords, King of Kings, and we should treat Him with humble reverence. Jesus is Holy (John 4:26, 1 Peter 1:15-16, Revelation 19:16).

We should be mindful that when we use language without thought to its meaning, like” OMG” or exclaiming terms like “JESUS CHRIST!” and other derivatives, we disrespect our Creator and Savior. We are mistreating the Almighty with our lips. Doing so is not harmless, and according to God’s Word, we will be held accountable for taking God’s name in vain. His name is Holy.

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7)

I cringe when I hear or see such terms being used by anyone, but especially those who claim to love God.

One who loves God should understand what God did for us, how Christ suffered for us, and that this knowledge would make one’s heart extremely conscientious with gratitude and respect. That our heart, soul, and mind would “WANT” to make every effort to treat our Heavenly Creators with the utmost reverence by not using Their name lightly.

Christians should show love, appreciation, and respect with every word and action we take. We are to be an example to the world of Christ-like love, which includes displaying our ultimate respect to the Godhead.

Colossians 2:9

Matthew 12:36-37

Psalm 111:9

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Galatians 2:20

1 Peter 2:9

Ephesians 4:22-24

2 Timothy 1:9-10

Mark 12:29-33

Psalm 119:9

Romans 6:1-23

James 3:9-10                                                          

God First!

Let your light shine

Scully Cursed Worse Than a Sailor

April 16, 2026 / / 0 Comments

The term “curses like a sailor” is often used to describe people who use a lot of foul language. Scully was a friend of my grandparents, and one year, as we visited my grandparents for the summer, my grandmother pulled us aside and let us know he was coming over and what to expect, warning us that Scully cusses worse than a sailor, but also pointing out he was a really good-hearted man and friend for many years. She hoped he would not do so in front of us; however, she knew it was just part of his makeup. When we met him, he was very kind, and they all sat around for a long visit. He may have been mindful of his language at first, but quickly fell into his habit.

What I remember most about Scully, whom I think we only met twice, was his friendliness towards my grandparents, his kindness, his tall, rather thin appearance, and his laughter. I remember he did cuss a lot, but I don’t remember what specific words he used most. As my grandmother pointed out, it was part of his makeup.

My ears were not so offended by his use of foul language that I could not appreciate all the good in the man, of which I believe there was much.

As I grew into adulthood, I never adopted foul language as a norm. Dad used it sometimes when I was little. He drank beer and even smoked some, but as he began taking us to church, I was about seven, Dad began viewing things differently, and over time, found Scripture in God’s Holy Word that made him want to stop, and he did.  Cold turkey, he stopped smoking, never to return; the beer and cussing were habits that changed over time as he grew to appreciate God’s intent for us.

In later years, I used a curse word in front of dad, who then pointed out to me that foul language points out one’s inability to articulate well, that using disrespectful, foul, and hateful words is no more than a feeble attempt at attention when you lack a better vocabulary to command it. This thought helped me look for better ways to communicate rather than resorting to cussing. Dad also suggested I replace those types of words with something like Snacklefrackle (a word he made up), one I have used several times over the years, that people then ask, “What!”

I am glad that I never adopted curse words as part of my makeup and that Dad’s suggestions worked for me. I am thankful that I learned enough about God’s Word to know that God expects so much more of his disciples. (See Matt. 15:11, 5:22, Eph. 4:29, 5:4, James 3:2, Col 3:8)

I live in a neighborhood of 530 homes. I have many neighbors and friends who use foul language. I don’t condone its use; I don’t like hearing or reading it, nor the use of the Lord’s name in vain, which non-believers commonly use. The non-believer being one who is unwilling to study, learn, and do God’s Will, because if we believe, we follow and strive to live according to Christ’s example. Matthew 16:24-26 non-believers don’t strive to do His will. (James 2:14-26)

When opportunities arise, I voice my understanding of God’s Word, but I don’t live in a bubble; I know this is part of their makeup and habits. I also don’t join in with the habit.

I understand that if people truly believe in and understand God’s word, they don’t use it.

How can we be Christlike examples by living standoffish lives?

Doesn’t standoffish come across as “I think I am better than you” when we don’t?  I know some of my friends abstain from using such language around me, and I appreciate their effort and the respect they show me in doing so.

As Christians, we have an opportunity to teach and share God’s Word in all that we do and speak. We have an opportunity to be a light in a world of darkness; let us not hide our light in fear but rather shine and encourage others to live for Christ.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matt. 5:16

  • Exodus 20:7
  • Deuteronomy 5:11

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!

A lie called spin is still a lie.

October 3, 2021 / / 0 Comments

How many of us speak using the best choice of words every time? Or, write the perfect sentence, paragraph, statement, or blog? I would say none. Yet today, people are constantly attacking words or phrases being used, ignoring obvious intent.

This makes me think of the parable where Jesus said:” Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” How many of us imperfect people are casting stones at someone right now, NOT because of their intent, but rather because we did not like the words they used or how they presented them?

In politics and media, attacks are consistently made on purpose. Unfortunately, instead of calling these misleading efforts” deceit” or” lies,” we are Arrogantly told this is ok; it’s called” SPIN.” Phrases like” that’s their spin” or” what’s your spin?” are now commonplace. Today,” spin” comes with new meaning: distort the truth, change the focus of the original intent, weaken its impact, and confuse the listener or reader no matter how sound the original intent was.

Well, if it looks and sounds like a duck, it’s a duck! A lie called spin is still a lie.

To counter spin, we must have the truth; while this is almost impossible to get in politics and media, it’s not impossible when it comes to God and our salvation. Why? Because we have absolute truth! The Complete Word of God. God’s word can and should be our standard on all things. The answers are in scripture for all of us to follow and mimic. God is NOT a God of confusion.

  • Matthew 5:37
  • Proverbs 12:22
  • 2 Timothy 3:16
  • Galatians 5:22
  • 1 Corinthians 14:33

God First!

Snackelfracle!!!

July 14, 2021 / / 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, most are respectful of my stance when they realize that I do not appreciate its usage. I very much appreciate their efforts in controlling their language while around me.

I personally don’t understand the need for using vulgar or profane talk 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. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator”

Colossians 3:8
  • Ephesians 5:4
  • Matthew 12:36-37
  • James 1:26
  • Exodus 20:7
  • Romans 12:2
  • Romans 12:21

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