Tag: God First (Page 6 of 10)

700 years before Christ

January 25, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

Think about this prophecy, read it slowly, and take it into your heart and mind; Isaiah 53 was written about 700 years before Christ’s death and resurrection.

“He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.”

Isaiah 53:3-12 ESV

God First!

Offering to pray with someone.

January 23, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

The day I wrote most of the following, I had the urge to ask someone if I could pray with them about concerns weighing heavily on their heart, not just pray for them; however, for some reason, I felt awkward about extending this offer of prayer and instead offered to include them in my prayers. After they left, I reflected on that moment and was disappointed in my hesitation. I believe wholeheartedly in the power of prayer and that God hears and answers prayers, but I’d missed the opportunity to share that understanding one-on-one.

There are several benefits to praying with someone rather than just for them; here are a few:

In praying with someone, we step out of our shells and open our hearts to their needs; by doing so, we display Christ’s love for them through prayer.
We show compassion and genuine interest in their situation while demonstrating our faith and trust in God’s ability to help them.
Our relationship with that person builds.
I’ve been told how such an unexpected invitation to pray inspired people to change their lives and move toward Christ dramatically, and I’ve seen them do so.

Christians care about others!

Praying for others is good, and praying with and for others can have a significant impact.

I’ve personally shared concerns with others and been unexpectedly asked: “Can we pray about this?

Admittedly, I was taken aback by their offer; however, these one-on-one moments are now fondly etched in my mind forever. I believe much good can come from praying with others and making such prayer invitations a habit.

In Acts chapter 4, the disciples prayed for boldness. As I grow stronger in Christ, I pray that God will help me overcome hesitations, great or small, and that I will serve Christ with all boldness.

If I never make a difference, it won’t be because I didn’t try!

James 5:16-18
Ephesians 6:19
Ephesians 5:2
John 13:34
1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

God First!

Prayer, Don’t deprive God, Don’t deprive yourself, Don’t deprive others, Ask for prayers Doing so gives others the opportunity to help and God the opportunity to hear those prayers. Do you truly believe

Depriving self deprives God

January 21, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

I was reviewing some of my memories on Facebook. It’s now been 13 years since I had my hip replaced and 7 years since the pulmonary embolism that nearly took my life.

I’m undoubtedly grateful that we live in a time of such incredible medical understanding, doctors, and treatments. I’m also certain that without God’s help, our insurance, and today’s medical advancements, I would probably be suffering greatly or dead by now, and unable to be the caregiver of my beautiful wife. I’m so blessed to be here and thankful to be able to serve.

One of my most valuable memories from these events was having people take time from their busy lives to come to the hospital and pray with me, and knowing that many others were praying as well.

People knew to pray because I had asked for their prayers. I asked for prayers because I believe God answers them, and, thankfully, in these instances, He helped me recover, per many requests. I’m often surprised when someone says they believe in prayer, but later, when they need prayers, they hesitate to ask for them on their own behalf, as if they don’t want to bother others with their problems. By doing this, they deprive others of the opportunity to help and deprive God of the opportunity to hear all those prayers.

Much good came from both of these experiences. God is good, and God is love, all the time!

God wants our prayers, and He wants us praying for others.

In Jesus Name!

John 14:13-14
James 5:16
Philippians 4:6
3 John 1:2
Ephesians 3:14–19

Finding Truth

January 19, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

It’s been said,” Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see.” With AI, editing and narrative pushing, this saying is obsolete. We cannot believe anything we see or hear in the media without extensive investigation.

Our media is inundated by ego-driven, biased commentators who call themselves reporters. In their “Reports,” they give us partial information and tell us what to believe in what we saw and heard from them. Purposely attempting to sway and distort our thinking. And they do this under the false label of ”NEWS.”

AI has many good purposes, yet it is also being abused to create fake media, distort the truth, and even spread lies through video, pictures, and sound. Lies that seem credible. With all this bad information, the most astute become gullible. As viewers and listeners, we are truly out of the loop when it comes to firsthand knowledge and should be very careful in forming and stating opinions, as without direct knowledge, we speak from a foundation of sand. This sandy foundation is full of countless weeds amongst elements of truth—a large puzzle with many pieces. When we take positions and voice opinions without in-depth research, we become part of the problem, unwittingly spreading lies.

Misinformation is nothing new; it has been with us since Adam and Eve. It’s just light-years faster to spread with today’s fingertip technology.

In Genesis 3:4-5, God’s own words were distorted by Satan when he told Eve, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Adam’s knowledge was direct from God in Gen 2:16-17, he was told “…You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” It’s unspoken whether Eve’s knowledge was directly from God or Adam, but her response to Satan showed she knew it was forbidden.

Satan could be considered the first “Reporter” with his agenda-driven distortion of truth.

Since Adam and Eve, Satan has not given up; he is relentless in trying to distort God’s Word. However, if one really wants to know the truth, God’s Word is where we find it; Jesus is the Firm Foundation we need that leads us to eternal life.

This world is full of lowercase churches, but Scripture speaks of Only One Church, the Church Christ built, the one His life, death, and resurrection founded. The more we know of Christ and all Scripture, the more equipped we are to discern the truth and the more capable we become to spread the seeds of absolute truth.

Let us not be gullible but rather pursue the truth of Scripture, doing our best to serve God according to God’s intent, His purpose, His word.

Otherwise, Satan is the only one planting seed and cultivating the land. We need the truth exposed in our lives—people need to understand why we turn to Jesus, why we believe the truth of Scripture, and how the Truth of God’s Word equips us to discern the truth amid lies.

We need to share what we have learned, as WE CANNOT SPREAD TRUTH WITH SILENCE!

Matthew 16:18
Ephesians 4:4-6
John 14:6
Acts 4:12
1 Timothy 2:5
Deuteronomy 4:2
Revelation 22:18-19
Revelation 12:9

God First!

Hearing our names

January 14, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

I went to my room tonight and immediately heard Virginia say my name over the baby monitor, “Wayne?”

To see what she wanted, I went back downstairs, drawing closer to her so I could hear her better and give her my full attention. Basically, I just comforted her, gave her another peppermint kiss goodnight, and went back upstairs, telling her on my way out of the room how much I love hearing her say my name.

This is also true of my son calling me “Dad,” my grandchildren calling me “Grandpa,” my nieces and nephews calling me “Fantastic Uncle Wayne.”

or even a brother or sister in Christ calling me Brother.

I’m grateful for all these designations, as each one warms my heart in its own unique way.

I believe God and Jesus feel much the same way. They love hearing us say their name with respect, as we do when we approach them in love, through prayer and supplication

Dear Lord, Heavenly Father, Father God, in Jesus Name… All designations of love that reach for the heartstrings of our Heavenly Father, drawing us closer to Him and Him closer to us.

James 4:8, Scripture tells us: ” Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…” One way we do that is through prayer. We are told to pray without ceasing, and to cast our burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain us.

So, why not take a moment right now and pray, calling upon the name of the Lord, let him hear you call his name.

He wants to hear from you!

1 Corinthians 1:2
Acts 2:38–41
Psalm 145:18
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
Psalm 55:22
1 Peter 5:7
Isaiah 41:13
Matthew 11:28–29
Philippians 4:6
1 John 5:14
Psalm 116:2

God First!

Supplementing our faith; If you do this, you will never fall.

January 8, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “supplement” as: 1 a: something that completes or makes an addition

The ESV uses the phrase “supplement our faith” in 2 Peter 1:5. Other versions use the terms

Support your faith
Give all diligence, add to your faith…
Add on your part all diligence

What an admirable pursuit for 2026

To pursue making our faith more complete by adding the attributes in this scripture, and bettering ourselves.

“For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.“

2 Peter 1:5-11 ESV

God First!

Update on God First Cup efforts,

January 7, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

I have now given several cups to strangers and invited them to visit the congregation I attend. In doing so, I have noted what they can expect during their visit, stating: we are not an “entertainment church,” but rather we are a Church that focuses on teaching and studying God’s Word.

This point is made because I have been invited by others to visit their church with the preludes, “It has a great band,” “You will love the band, “The lead singer in the band is awesome,” and so forth. So, I want people to understand that I am not inviting them to be entertained, but rather to worship and learn.

Before giving away a mug with its message, I generally ask one or two questions

Do you believe in God? These answers have been: Yes, No, sort of, I believe in a higher power, and I am a Buddhist. If they are Believers, I often ask, do you go to Church somewhere? Yes, No, I’ve been looking for one, not yet, I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t believe in God.

I ask these questions to avoid offending the disbeliever by giving them a cup they don’t want; however, for everyone else, my desire is to plant seeds by giving them this cup of inspiration that states, “the best life is a God First life.”

Recently, I talked with a young lady at the carwash who said she did not go to church anywhere and sort of believed in God. I still offered her a cup, pointing out the message of love on and inside the cup, while giving her a Buford CoC card with service times, address, website, and phone number, and invited her to visit and learn more.

Opportunities abound. I stopped and gave mugs to a family down the street with two small children. They are outside a lot and exchange waves with us when we drive by. As they received their cups, they told me they had been looking for a Church. We also have a new family across the street with three small children who currently attend a church. I gave them cups and invited them to visit. We’ve given cups to people on our daily park walks, and yesterday to the receptionist, where we had our dog Casper groomed, and invited her to visit.

It’s my hope that these gifts will inspire some of these people to attend and learn, but at the very least, this God First message is planting seed and being seen in their homes, cars, and hands, so I pray for open hearts and fertile soil.

If you’re interested in using the cups to help you plant seeds or invite others, reach out to me. Although I cannot afford to give all of them away, I am reselling them for pennies above my actual cost and including the paper message inside each cup. By having others purchase some of the cups, I can buy enough to get reasonable prices and do it over and over.

God First!

Does God love some more than others?

January 6, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

As I contemplated this question, I concluded God loves the “response” of some more than others.

Like parents and children, one child might do as directed most of the time while the other doesn’t. Parents do not love the obedient child more than the other; however, they do love the obedient child’s response more than the disobedient response. The obedient response shows a desire to please the parents by doing as told. (its a response of love)

In Scripture, we learn that Jesus died for everyone in the world and that God shows no partiality. Scripture also tells us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and Jesus said if we love Him, we will keep His commandments.

David was considered a man after God’s Own Heart; why? God tells us: “He will do my will.” Saul, on the other hand, lost his kingdom for doing “his own” will, not God’s.

King David made many huge mistakes and, unlike Christ, was far from perfect, yet David constantly turned to and relied on God; David pursued righteousness. (Respecting God and doing His will mattered to David)

We all have the same choice!

We can choose to follow God’s will by study, learning, and following the commands and examples of Scripture, to the best of our ability, or we can choose to follow our feelings, our ideas, or those adopted from others, then woefully expecting that if we are wrong, God will be ok with us because we had good intent. However, that is not what Scripture tells us, and when we do this, we set examples that mislead others from following Christ according to the directions God gave us in His Holy Word.

When we follow God according to His will, we spend our lives pursuing righteousness. In James chapter 5, we find the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. To have our prayers accomplish much, pursuing righteousness should be our goal so that our hearts may be where King David’s was in devotion to God.

John 3:16 tells us: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

“So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.” Act 10:34-35

“And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom He testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’” Acts 13:22 ESV

“But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over His people because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.” Samuel 13:14

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:16 NASB

God First!

Godly Sorrow, Repentance, Forgiveness, Baptism, Salvation, Accountability, Responsibility

A story Change

January 5, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 0 Comments

I caught him stealing; he had broken into our home. I was upset and nervous as I held the gun. Then, he began begging me not to call the police, let him go, insisting he would not come back. We started talking, and he told me the harsh circumstances of his life that led him to this moment of crime. I began telling him about Christ and the forgiveness of sin available to him through Christ, how, if he would repent of his sins, change the direction of his life, and put on Christ in baptism, he could have forgiveness and eternal life in heaven, as well as a better life here on earth.

We sat at the table, opened a Bible, and studied for several hours. He came to understand God’s gift of grace, the Sacrifice of Jesus that offers us eternal life if we will pick up the cross and follow Jesus according to His will, not ours. We also discussed how following Christ does not relieve anyone of accountability for their actions.

During our study, this criminal came to believe in Christ, experienced godly sorrow, and wanted to begin making things right, so he reached into his pocket and handed me the jewelry he had taken. By doing so, he began taking responsibility for his actions and attempted to make things right. He informed me he wanted to be baptized. After hearing the word of God, he repented, confessed Jesus as the Son of God, and we took him to the pool and baptized him for the forgiveness of his sins, immersing him in water in accordance with Scripture.

After baptism, he understood that his decision did not absolve him of the consequences of his actions. His heart had changed; he now wanted to take responsibility and accept accountability, and I applauded his decision. We then called law enforcement.

Because of his sorrow and request that I forgive him; I did so and chose not to press charges. His decision to make things right was admirable, but it would be costly for him, since he had also broken into other homes and entered our country illegally. He knew, in his heart, that he needed also to correct these wrongdoings.

At least now, when he is deported to his country, he takes with him a greater purpose: to spread what he has learned about the message of Christ with others. Maybe he will return to America legally someday. I gave him my study Bible and contact information. I look forward to hearing from him about his efforts to share Christ.

While this story is fictitious, it’s also possible.

Following Christ does not negate accepting responsibility and accountability for one’s actions; it enhances it. If we genuinely love Jesus and righteousness, we will want to do what’s right, even if it means exchanging our loss of earthly freedom for eternal life in heaven. (Matthew 16:24-26, John 14:15, Romans 6:1-14, Mark 16:15, Philemon 1)

Scripture’s definition of Godly Sorrow: (2 Corinthians 7:9-13)

God’s Grace: Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:24, Titus 2:11, Acts 15:11

Hearing the Gospel:– Romans 10:17, John 8:32

Belief/Faith: – Hebrews 11:1, John 8:24, Romans 10:17, Acts 3:19

Repentance of sin: – 2 Cor. 7:9-10, Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30

Confess Christ: – Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 12:8-9

Baptism by immersion for forgiveness of sin: – Matthew 16:15-16, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:5, Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12, Acts 8:36-39, Mark 1:9-10, John 3:23

God First!

The best advice

January 3, 2026 / Wayne Johnson / 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!

Tag: God First (Page 6 of 10)

700 years before Christ

Offering to pray with someone.

Depriving self deprives God

Hearing our names

Supplementing our faith; If you do this, you will never fall.

Does God love some more than others?

A story Change

The best advice

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