Advocate for Christ

The best life is a God First life

Tag: Salvation (Page 1 of 5)

Praying for the ultimate well-being of others: That they hear and follow the message of Christ Romans 10:17 – directly links hearing the message of Christ to faith Mark 16:16 – shows the response of believing and obeying (following) that leads to salvation 2 Peter 3:9 – reveals God’s heart for the well-being of all people through repentance

The Best Thing We Can Pray for Anyone’s Well-Being

August 22, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Do you pray for the well-being of others?

As I was praying I asked myself this question: What is the best thing we can ask of God for anybody’s well-being? There are many possible answers: One might think of health, happiness, peace, Joy or maybe something more specific that we know they need or want. But, what is the best thing we can ask of God for anybody’s well-being?

That they hear and follow the message of Christ!

Following Christ according to His commandments keeps us on a pathway towards eternal life with Christ, According to God’s word, to be “in Christ, ” we must hear the message of Christ, believe, repent, confess Jesus as the risen Son of God, and be baptized “into” Christ in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of our sins.

We need to realize that when we come out of that watery grave, we are doing God’s will and have ratified God’s Grace through Jesus. At this point, we are forgiven! We are free from our past sins, beginning a new life as a new creature, and ready to move forward as disciples of Christ, enjoying all the blessings that come with our obedient faith, like the knowledge that we now have never-ending life available to us in heaven, a spiritual world not made with human hands, where there is no more pain, tears, or death. That if we have put on Christ, we have God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit within us, helping us focus on righteousness and walk this world without being of this world. If we are IN Christ, we can take comfort in knowing the blood of Christ continues to wash us, even when we make mistakes.

So, what is the best thing for anybody’s well-being? – The message of Christ!

1 John 5:3; Romans 10:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17-18; 2 Peter 3:9; Acts 2:37-47; Acts 16:30-33; Acts 8:30-38; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:15-18; Ephesians 2:1-10; Luke 17:10; James 2:17-18; 1 Peter 1:17-25; 1 John 1:7; Mark 16:16; Galatians 3:26-27; 1 Peter 3:21; Hebrews 5:9; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3-4; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; John 3:5; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 1:5; Romans 16:26.

God First!

Not my will, but yours be done. Ultimate Control through love our salvation Follow Christ example - Love your enemy's

Exercising Control in the Face of Injustice

August 14, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Sometimes, controlling anger at injustice is a real challenge, and exercising control isn’t what we want; it can feel as if we’re choosing to absorb pain instead of doing something to stop it. The pain can feel unbearable at times, but with God, all things are possible, and it’s well worth staying the course and following Christ’s example.

Jesus exercised ultimate control; at any moment, Scripture says He could have called 12 legions of angels, and a Roman legion numbered about 6,000 men. The point is, Christ could have stopped absorbing all the pain He suffered, but he didn’t; Christ’s love for God and mankind was greater than every temptation to lose control or call it quits. Consumed with love, Jesus was determined to do His Father’s will; for this we should all be eternally grateful, for without His loving sacrifice we have no hope for eternal life in Heaven.

The trickle-down effect of Christ absorbing all that pain was our salvation. Jesus’s life, death, burial, and resurrection demonstrate God’s love for us. Every soul has the opportunity and promise of eternal life if we accept God’s grace with our obedient faith; Heaven becomes our home.

Jesus could have gotten angry and lashed out, as many of us might. He could have ended all of us at any moment, but instead, Jesus, being consumed with love and compassion, exercised ultimate control.

Jesus had experienced rejection before, and He knew what He was about to suffer was far beyond anything He had experienced. Knowing what was about to happen, Jesus was sweating blood on the Mount of Olives. He even prayed for a different solution, but if not, he wanted to submit to God’s will, not his own.

“And He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him. And when He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father if you are willing, remove this cup from Me. Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” LUKE 22:39-44

Jesus submitted to God’s will, but instead of showing anger, He demonstrated love and restraint; Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. I admit this is difficult sometimes, but if it were not for our betterment, Jesus would not have told us to do so.

Also, remember what Jesus says in Romans 12:14-21 and trust Him.

  • Matthew 26:53 (12 legions of angels)
  • Matthew 19:26 (all things possible)
  • Luke 1:37 (nothing’s impossible)
  • Philippians 4:13 (Christ who strengthens me)
  • Matthew 5:39-44 (love your enemies)
  • Matthew 22:37-40 (Encompassing)
  • Romans 12:14-21 (I will repay, says the Lord)
  • 1 Peter 2:21-23 (Christ’s not retaliating when reviled or suffering)
  • Isaiah 53:7 (the silent Suffering Servant who opened not His mouth)
  • Philippians 2:5-8 (Jesus humbling Himself, obedience even to death)
  • Hebrews 12:2 (enduring the cross for the joy set before Him)
  • John 15:13 (greatest love is laying down one’s life for friends)
  • Matthew 26:39 (praying “not as I will, but as You will”)
  • Romans 5:8 (God demonstrating His love while we were still sinners)

God First!

Work out your own salvation

No Exceptions Needed: Following Scripture to Heaven

August 7, 2026 / / 0 Comments

I am certainly glad that our eternal salvation does not depend on others. Each individual chooses to live their lives in faith and obedience to God or not; the choices of others do not change my outcome. I heard the following story many years ago: A lady stated: “I don’t attend church services because there are hypocrites there.” Her friend then responded: “I would rather attend services with hypocrites than spend eternity with them.

According to Scripture, we are each responsible for working out our own salvation; no one can work it out for us. Others may share Christ with us, but it’s up to us to study and discern from Scripture if what they shared is truly by God’s authority; in other words, found in Scripture according to God’s word, because if we don’t, are we not putting our faith in that person’s teaching rather than God’s own Words?

We are all individuals, collectively seeking eternal life in heaven, and we need to pick up the Cross to follow Jesus as stated in Scripture. If we do so according to God’s Word, we don’t need to seek or hope for exceptions to His Word not found in Scripture to gain eternal life. Nope, we can know by simply doing His will; heaven is our home. Following the ideas of others over what is actually found in Scripture is dangerous, no matter how widely accepted.

“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:22-24

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” Philippians 2:12

Acts 17:11, Luke 9:23, Matthew 16:24, Romans 14:12, Galatians 6:5, 2 Timothy 2:15, James 1:22, John 14:15

God First!

Our Lives But a pencil dot on the timeline of Eternity

Life’s Pencil Dot: Our Choice to Follow Christ into Eternity

July 25, 2026 / / 0 Comments
  • – God is real
  • – Jesus is real
  • – The Holy Spirit is real
  • – Heaven is real
  • – Our souls are real
  • – Eternity is real
  • – Satan is real
  • – Hell is real
  • – Your Soul’s place for eternity is real.

Our lives are but a pencil dot on the timeline of eternity, yet a pencil dot so essential that God gave His only Son so that each of us might have eternal life in heaven. Many things are unseen by our eyes, yet real. The evidence surrounds us; hundreds of fulfilled prophecies over centuries appeal to our logical minds as proof. God-breathed Scripture shares all God wants us to know. It is written with God’s inspiration through the Holy Spirit by many authors and is uncontradictory because it is all from God.

“yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” James 4:14

Psalm 39:4-5, Psalm 90:4-10, John 3:16

  • “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36
  • “So those who received His word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:41
  • …the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:10
  • “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
  • “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15
  • “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6.

God First!

SELFISH DESIRE BIRTHS EVERY SIN From Adam and Eve to you - God First!

Desire Conceived: The Selfish Root of Every Sin

July 23, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Is there a single sin that cannot be traced back to selfish desires (Lust)?

I can’t think of one; can you? Selfishness seems to be at the root of every sin from Adam and Eve forward.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”   (1 John 2:15-17, emphasis added)

Giving Birth to Sin

 “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13-15, emphasis added)

  • Genesis 3:6
  • Mark 7:21-23
  • Romans 1:24-25
  • Galatians 5:16-17, 19

God First!

To Tolerate Everything Is To Stand for Nothing: Why We Must Teach Our Children to Care and Stand for Righteousness — God First!

July 20, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Pursuing “the right things” only matters to those who care. We need to teach our children to care so they will want to stand up for what is right. When we fail to take a stand and do nothing, we teach our children apathy, which is the same as teaching them that wrong is okay; look the other way. IT’S NOT!

Doing wrong doesn’t matter to the unconscientious, so we must train our children to be conscientious, to care. We need to teach righteousness in our homes and by our examples. The best source for lessons in righteousness, love for others, and selflessness is God’s Word.

Training Children in Righteousness

  • Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.“
  • Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
  • Ephesians 6:4 – “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.“
  • 2 Timothy 3:15-17- “and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (emphasis added)

Rejecting Apathy

  • James 4:17 – “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
  • Proverbs 24:11-12 – “Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?

Not Tolerating Evil

  • Ephesians 5:11 – “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;” (emphasis added)
  • Revelation 3:15-16 –‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.’

Caring for Others & Christ’s Attitude

  • Philippians 2:3-5 – Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,“

Putting God First

  • Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

God First!

The most valuable time of the day is the time we take to pray!

Include God; He offers so much!

July 15, 2026 / / 0 Comments

We know from scripture that we are made in the image of God; we know that God has feelings, God loves, He hates sin, He is righteously jealous, etc., So, here’s a couple of questions to ponder:

How do you feel when the only time someone thinks of you is when they need or want something?

How do you think God feels when we treat him that way?

Why treat him this way?

It’s obvious from Scripture that God wants to be included in our lives; He wants us to love Him as He loves us. This said, why would we not want to include God in all that we do?. After all, Jesus told us to: ask, seek, and knock.

Our very breath is dependent on our creator! By embracing God’s love and keeping his commandments, we secure God’s promise of eternal life. In other words, we can obtain the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. If we are truly In Christ, serving Christ, our hearts are filled with joy and the comfort of God.

Therefore, it seems unwise to exclude God when he offers so much to our lives both in this world and for eternity.

  • John 1:1-18 (The Word is Jesus, with God from the beginning)
  • John 14:15 – How to show our love to Jesus
  • Ephesians 6:18 – pray often.
  • Matthew 7:7-11 – Ask, Seek, Knock
  • James 4:8 – How to get God to grow closer to you
  • James 5:16 – Prayers of the righteous avail much
  • Philippians 4:7 – Peace beyond understanding
  • 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 – God of all comfort
  • John 15:1-16 – Joy

God First!

With God's help, today's challenges are tomorrow's victories!

Do not be confused, be wise instead

July 11, 2026 / / 0 Comments

With God’s help, today’s challenges are tomorrow’s victories!

Do not be confused, be wise instead; study and pursue the will of God as if your soul’s future depends on it because it does. You cannot follow Jesus if you don’t understand the conditions. “Then Jesus told his disciples, 

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?“”

You cannot do God’s will if you don’t know His will.

Satan wants us to believe that good is evil and evil is good.

Through the study of God’s Word, we gain understanding, and with understanding, faith, and discernment and how to obtain eternal salvation and help our loved ones to do the same.

  • Matthew 16:24-26
  • Romans 12:2 
  • Ephesians 5:17
  • Psalm 119:105
  • Proverbs 3:5-6
  • Isaiah 5:20
  • Proverbs 13:20
  • Proverbs 15:21
  • Philippians 1:9–10
  • Hosea 14:9
  • Romans 10:17

God First!

It is better to be closed minded to the words of mankind than to be close minded to the Word of God God's Word is Eternal

Be closed-minded to Mankind, not God

July 5, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Are we willing to unlearn to learn more? Sometimes, this is precisely what we need to do because sometimes, we derive conclusions without realizing we don’t have all the facts. Those very conclusions can keep us from accepting and recognizing that there is more to consider. We may think of ourselves as open-minded, but are we really?

When it comes to God’s Word, we owe it to ourselves and those we influence to always seek the truth in our studies and be willing to unlearn and let go when we find evidence in scripture (not our feelings) that shows us there’s more.

Are we able to embrace and replace incomplete thinking at the expense of admitting we were wrong? We need to be.

Is it not crucial that we stand firm on the evidence of scripture, not be swayed by our own wisdom or the ideas of others, but instead rely on God’s Word as our standard for discernment? (Philip 1:9-11, Matt 10:22) God and” God’s Word” are unchanging. The destiny of souls is at stake, not to mention the power of our influence, which can lead others to truth or misinformed, dangerous ideas.

If our beliefs or practices contradict or can’t be found in Scripture, who are we following?

  • Romans 16:17-20
  • Isaiah 40:8
  • 2 Timothy 2:15
  • James 1
  • Psalms 119:89
  • Malachi 3:15
  • Genesis 13:15
  • Hebrews 12:7-8

God First!

What's not to love about Christianity?

What’s not to love about Christianity?

June 29, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Unless one’s goals are to do evil, what’s not to love about Christianity?

Christianity promotes: (Goodwill, Kindness, Love, Honesty, Compassion, Mercy, Forgiveness, Sharing, Sanctity of Life, etc.) “All things good!”

Christianity opposes: (Lies, Thievery, Corruption, Greed, Dishonesty, Revenge, Murder, Hatred, Deceitfulness, selfishness, hate, etc.) “All things bad!”

Utopia on earth is NOT possible, but if everyone embraced the teachings of Christ using God’s Word as our standard, we would be much closer.

  • 1 Corinthians 13
  • Ephesians 4:32
  • Mark 11:25
  • Matthew 6:14-15
  • John 13:34-35
  • Acts 2:38-47
  • Romans 12:19

God First!

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