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If you were to die tomorrow, what would you wish you had gotten done today?

March 31, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Several days each week, my sister-in-law Julie and her two teenage children meet to go on evening walks with some other brothers and sisters in Christ. Yesterday, on the ride there, in an attempt to spark conversation with her teenage son, she asked him this question: “If you were to die tomorrow, what would you wish you had gotten done today?”

She expected a secular answer, but his response: “Be Baptized.”

This lead to further discussion, and my nephew Michael Jr. Johnson (affectionately known as Mikey) made the absolute best decision any of us ever make in this life. Mikey decided he wanted to have eternal life in heaven by being baptized and following Christ for the rest of his life.

So, last night, Michael Jr. confessed Jesus as the Son of God and was baptized into Christ in the name of The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of his sins. Later, Mikey told me he had been thinking about it for a while. You just never know what’s on someone’s mind.

The timing of his mother’s question and a follow-up question of “why wait?” Seemingly perfect.

Welcome to the Lord’s Church, Michael Jr. Johnson

God First?

written by: Wayne Johnson

Written for a reason

March 29, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Someone brought us Jell-O with fruit last week, and we enjoyed having a little each night for a dessert. Last night I decided to make some myself. The directions on the box looked very simple. (2 cups of boiling water, stir 2 min., mix in 2 cups cold water, refrigerate 4 hours). I added banana and pineapple.

I have made Jell-O successfully a couple of times in my life, but admittedly, rarely. After 4 hours in the fridge, I picked up one of the containers to see if the Jell-O was set. The lid was loose, and liquid Jell-O splashed all over the refrigerator and onto the floor.

This morning, “being a lot more cautious,” I found the Jell-O still Not Set and threw it all away. I looked at the box carefully to see what I could’ve done wrong, and guess what I found?

I found it essential to read all of the instructions and the notes written on the box as they were written for a reason. By not reading them carefully, I wasted my time, effort, and money, which caused me to fail at the most simple task.

Not that much different from God‘s Word. Everything in “The Word of God” was put there for a reason and put there for a reason by God.

2 Timothy 3:17-17

God First!

written by: Wayne Johnson

America’s Greatness (Canceled)

March 28, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Our forefathers (for many, this is distant relatives) suffered, fought, and gave their lives in battles for independence, for “Liberty and justice for all,” and in 1776, America was born. “We The People” celebrate America’s independence on the 4th of July each year.

Fast forward 245 years, and it seems almost half the nation wants to give away the independence our forefathers fought and died for; half the nation seems “Ok” with the idea of socialism and would rather whine and have government be our babysitter than take personal responsibility for their role in Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Our country did not become great from our ancestors sitting on their tushes and wallowing in self-pity, expecting a government to provide for them. Our country became great as our ancestors meet overwhelming struggles head-on. Dreaming and working to make those dreams reality, legal immigrants became Americans, and those Americans came together, working and striving to better their lives through hard work and big ideas.

American’s of all shapes, sizes, colors, and beliefs made the seemingly impossible possible. They forged wilderness into the country of vast convenience we know today. Our American families had to work hard to get us to this point, and we have to work hard to maintain it.

Sitting on our tush and expecting others to provide for us will destroy our nation. Let’s honor the lives of those who fought and died to give us freedom; let’s take pride in the work we each do—One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We need to find as many legal ways as possible to stop America’s Cancelation! Our constitution is under attack, our freedom of speech under attack, our voting system under attack, freedom of religion under attack, the list keeps mounting.

While it’s true that our ultimate home is not of this world for Christians, those of us who live in America have been blessed to live in this land of the free and given the opportunity to share God’s Word, According to God’s Word, let us study, learn, and spread the seeds of Christ’s message. Let us make a difference today before our children suffer the consequences of only having Satan seed the land we were blessed to live in.

God First!

I love this Biblical story! What do you take from it?

March 5, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

“There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it. Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man. Then I said: “Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard. Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good.” (Ecclesiastes‬ ‭9:14-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

God is my refuge

March 4, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Thankful that with God, we don’t have to face life’s difficulties alone.

Cast your Anxieties on the lord. (Share in prayer)

“casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:7 ESV….

No need to be Anxious

.“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7

God of All Comfort

^“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

God First!

We have authority

March 3, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

In Matthew seven, Jesus spoke as one who had authority because, Jesus has authority.

We have been given authority also. Christians have been given the authority to share the message of Christ to the world. With this authority comes an obligation that is driven by our love for others and Christ.

This love motivates us to study and understand what it means to keep Jesus’s commandments according to the will of God. Sometimes in our attempt to understand or please, we edit God’s instructions, His teachings, precepts, and commands. When we do this (Accidently or not), we are demoting God to being less than perfect and promoting ourselves to having better ideas or ways than, God. Maybe this, in part, is why we are instructed not to add or take away from scripture. (Rev 22:18-19)

God’s way is the best way, its from God!

We do not have the authority to change the message of Christ!

We do not have the authority to do things our way!

God is the creator of everything we know and understand. We are servants to the King of Kings, and Jesus is our loving master. The perfect Son of God sacrificed his life, that we Might live forever.

What can we offer God? We can offer the one thing God wants from us. The one thing that all the laws of the prophets are summed up into, Our Love. We can be examples of God’s love for others by our efforts and actions. We can do everything in our power to share it all, God’s Way!

Matthew 22:34-40
Matthew 28:16-20
Deuteronomy 4:2
John 3:16
Matthew 7:1-29
Genesis 11:1-32
1 Timothy 6:1-21

God First!

Favorite bible verses change, what is yours today?

Favorites; Yesterday and Today

February 26, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Recently I saw a post asking, what’s your favorite Bible verse? As I briefly pondered this question, I realized my favorite Bible verse has changed over the years.

For years I leaned on the following verses and repeated them most often: Matthew 7:7-8 and Luke 11:9-10. At that time in life, I did not have a good understanding of these Scriptures, yet I latched onto them as my favorites. They helped prod me to ask, seek, and knock.

In recent years other verses come to mind most often. The following would now be three of my favorites:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:33-34 ESV
“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
“…The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:16b

At this moment, no matter where we are in our spiritual life, Jesus, through God’s Word, can help us. When we study Scripture, we gain from the verses and stories we read. Some will become our favorites. One thing to keep in mind, As we journey and grow in our biblical understanding, we can rest assured, “If it’s good, it’s from God.” James 1:17-19

What are your favorite verses?

The gift we can give God that God wants?

February 24, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 1 Comment

God gave mankind a unique opportunity. He created us in His image and gave us the ability to give to Him the one thing He really wants from his Creation. “Our Love by Our choice” I can think of nothing else we can offer God that He simply could not create for himself. In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus points out that all the law of the prophets is dependent on Loving God with every ounce of our being and loving our neighbors as ourselves. In John 14:15, Jesus tells us, If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And in John 13:34-35, A New commandment to love others as Christ loved us.

How can we know God’s commandments if we don’t study? Someone said to me, “it does not matter what we believe; we are all headed to the same place.” Why would God document thousands of years of interactions between Himself and mankind, that we may know him and provided us a pathway through the sacrifice of His Son on the Cross if it doesn’t matter what we believe?

We have been given the opportunity to accept God’s Grace through our loving obedience, which we strive earnestly to give because we love God. It’s that love that creates in us the desire to do God’s Will, according to God. While it might be comforting to say, it doesn’t matter what we believe, teach and practice, it’s not what we find in the words, examples, and precepts of Scripture.

The Bible is the most available book on the planet, and according to God’s word, all scripture is “God-breathed.” (2nd Timothy 3:16). I never want to hear Jesus say to me the words He mentions in Matthew 7:21–23. According to Scripture, it matters to God what we believe, what we teach, and the example we set.

I never want to take God’s love for granted; Instead, I want to give God, The one gift he values from you and me. “Our Love” We can do this by studying and sharing the message of Christ, keeping his commandment, pursuing righteousness. Doing all that we can to follow the commands, examples, and precepts of God according to God’s Word, not ours.

God First!

Absolute Truth

February 18, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Absolute truth is the only truth from God.

Shades of gray have nothing to do with God.

Jesus put it this way…

“Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.” ‭‭MATTHEW‬ ‭5:37‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God First!

When our Faith is in the Lord

February 12, 2021 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Joy is in our hearts; it is unwavering and unscathed by the winds of happiness or sadness as our trust is NOT, In Ourselves, Our Emotions or Others.

Our Faith Is In The Lord!

May others always see the joy in our hearts through our actions and reactions. Not as fleeting emotions, but as resident parts of our very being. (Joyful souls)

Share the joy!

God First !

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1st Peter 1:8-9

Advocate for Christ

Page 22 of 23

Written for a reason

I love this Biblical story! What do you take from it?

God is my refuge