The Gospel: What It Means To Me

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing awesome, thanks be to God. I recently started serving at the Church I have been attending since the beginning of this year - children's and youth ministries, as well as worship. As some of you may know from my posts later last year, I was very prayerful about being planted in a God-fearing, Jesus-loving, Holy Spirit-filled, and Bible-teaching church, as well as get to serve in ministry that God calls me to. Like many other Churches, one is encouraged to serve in ministry when you are part of the body of Christ. As an ambassador for Jesus Christ, I know the relevance of serving and my spirit highly desires this form of worship to God by being a vessel in His kingdom. In addition to receiving salvation, baptism by immesion, and attending a new membership meeting, Christians are encouraged to fill out application forms for some of the ministries at my new church (Living Stones Church - Elko). A common question in both vetting processes was: what does the gospel mean to you?

Well...To me, the Gospel is the representation of God’s love for us. The good news of Jesus is that even though I was dead in sin, He still saw value in me and thought I was worth dying for – so He did. The good news is that even though most of my life I have not acknowledged the works of God in my life, He still gave me grace and welcomed me back into His Kingdom. The good news is that I serve a sovereign God whose Son came to give me life in abundance, and I have the Holy Spirit living inside of me that guides and leads me in wisdom. The good news is that even though I fall and still struggle in my walk, God’s mercies are new every morning. The good news of Jesus is that what He has already done for me is much greater than what anyone has ever done to me or will do to me. The good news is that I don’t need to try to be perfect because He who started this good work in me will bring it to completion and He has great plans for me. The good news is that God’s ways are greater. This good news gives me peace and joy, and I am His beloved. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Zoom Out: The Entire Picture

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ.

I pray you and yours are doing well. This has been a busy workweek for me, but my Father in Heaven has been oh so gracious to me. As some of you know, I recently went on a vacation to Miami which I shared on a post few weeks ago as well as on Facebook. I shared the exciting experience I had at the Everglades National Park and getting to watch a gator show and even having to hold and get one of the young ones in the park, with the mouth restrained of course.

The photo above is one that a lot of folks took a lot of interest in and were truly fascinated by. Not fascinated by me carrying a gator or the little gator I am holding but the one behind me. Some folks were amused by the photobomb from it, some made comments warning me of the one behind me, and some even questioned if it was a real alligator and if I was aware of the alligator behind me when taking this photo. Being that this is a photo of me and I was situationally-aware when it was taken, I got a lot of laughs from reading the comments as well as talking with friends and family regarding the alligator behind me. The real alligator in the photo was in plain sight of me and its mouth was restrained, so I had nothing to be afraid of.

Since so many folks called my attention to the gator behind me, I took a closer look at the photo and something dawned on me. I saw this photo as a representation of man's relationship with God. As Christians, we have a limited vision of our lives, whereby God sees the bigger picture. We have a zoomed in image of what has happened and is happening in our life whereby God knows what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen. King David perfectly describes the omniscience of God in Psalm 139:1-6, O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. I recall hearing a sermon a while back whereby someone described the omniscience of God with respect to a parent and a young child. For instance, if a child is playing outside and their toy happens to get out of the safe boundaries for the child, the child immediately wants to run and retrieve their toy from the street. However, the parent intervenes and tells the child not to run to the street but rather notify the adult/guardian to get the toy. The parent/guardian gives that instruction because they will be more attentive to an incoming car or other potential hazards that may be on the street, whereby the child is more focused on retrieving their toy and not attentive to everything going on around them.

As Christians, it is so important that we walk in obedience. Although sometimes God doesn't call us to comfort, He leads us with wisdom and grace. His ways sometimes don't make sense in our human brains but we must continually remind ourselves that He knows best and He is omniscient. This all-knowing God we serve continuously reminds us that He is with us and will not forsake us. As I type out this post, I know this is an area God is working on me on and it is why I'm inclined to encourage your spirit in wherever you are in your walk with Christ and what choices and situations you're dealing with in this current season of your life. I still struggle with this but so grateful for His sufficient grace. I pray you are encouraged by God's Word for you today: fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Be reminded that your Father in Heaven sees the entire picture. His vision is greater than yours. As it says in Ephesians 6, we are going against spiritual forces of evil in high places and God is fighting for us and doing things we cannot see with our plain eyes. We must ask God what His will for our life is and let not our will but His will be done. His instructions are perfect and His leadership is best, and reminds us of this important truth in Isaiah 55:8-9, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Godly Lessons - Firefighting and Spiritual Walk

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I have been really busy but thankful to God for His favor and grace. This week I took the wildland fire rookie school, taught by experienced and diligent firefighters. I am so thankful to God to be working for such an awesome agency like the US Forest Service and having great opportunities like this in addition to growing professionally as a mining engineer. The first 4 days was a mix of classwork and field work exercises; the final day was a full day on the field: hiking uphill and downhill at a fast pace with our 20-25-lb packs on, from constructing a fireline to performing rehab on a fireline, and all other protocols done on a real fire incident. After this full week of rookie school, I have to do and pass the pack test, and I can be able to join a crew to go fight fires during fire seasons. I have always respected and admired firefighters but this week, I gained a whole new level of respect for the men and women who put their lives in danger to fight wildland and urban fires across our country being that I was literally in their boots. In this current season of my life, it is my desire to grow spiritually as a child of God and see the lessons God is teaching in my everyday life. This week of training taught me a lot about firefighting but also some things about myself that I believe can align with our walk with Christ and maturity in the faith.

Lesson 1 - God Has Equipped Us For Trials
This week I realized that being a firefighter takes a lot of grit and push through. I don't think I have ever pushed my body physically this much in my whole lifetime like I did this week. For Friday's field day, there were few moments I felt I couldn't keep going but with determination and encouragement from the guys on my squad, I persevered and fully participated till the end. The moments I struggled hiking uphill or constructing the fireline, my squadees would tell me "it's all mental and your body can handle more than you think" as well as "you got this, Ruby!" They were right! Their encouragement and my determination to complete all tasks helped me push through and I was pleasantly surprised at my endurance and how much my body can handle; through the grace of God, I did not have any health emergency even though there were moments I thought I would by the end of the day. So how does this apply to our spiritual walk? Well it says in Ephesians 4:11-13, Jesus gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. As Christians, God has equipped us for whatever He has called us to. We may see ourselves as unqualified but sometimes God calls the unqualified so He can get the glory. For instance, I could have seen myself as unfit to be a firefighter because there aren't many women doing it, especially a woman that is 5'2" tall and small as I am. So in our walk with Christ, we must remember that whatever trials and setbacks come our way, as long as we hold firm to the Word of God and His promises, we will prevail. We must remember that we serve a mighty God, we are His beloved, and we are fighting from a place of victory. There are so many scriptures in the Bible that remind us to be fearless, God will not forsake us, and he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). The screensaver on my cellphone currently says "Let your faith be bigger than your fears." If we are going to declare God as the King of our hearts and Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we must fully rely on Him and not underestimate His ability and the work He is doing in us. Even when we come close to giving up, DO NOT GIVE UP. We are equipped and can persevere through whatever season in life we are in, so Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).

Lesson 2 - Be Fed By The Word Constantly
Earlier in the week, the instructors emphasized on the importance on staying hydrated on the job. Nutrition and hydration are key with a job like firefighting. Working on a hill in a canyon in high desert northeast Nevada like we did yesterday for field day comes with a lot of elements for the body to handle. The temperature ranged from 75-90 degrees yesterday while we were out there. We had to hike and work uphill and downhill. It made me understand why the fire guys stressed so much on drinking water earlier in the week. While we were out there, the moment I looked forward to the most was when our squad boss would give us quick water breaks. On a regular day, I drink water often but I have never desired water so badly as I did yesterday. With our packs, we can carry a minimum of 4 canteens and most of us in the crew finished at least 2 during our exercise outside. In our spiritual walk as Christians, it is important that we are constantly fed with the Word of God by reading our Bibles, as well as listening to sermons at home and at church. As it says in Matthew 4:4, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” It is imperative that we are equipped with God's Word: know who we are in Christ, what we can do in the name of Jesus, and be sanctified through and through by continually being fed with the Word of God and have it stamped in our heart. Two members of our crew had to return to the rigs and not participate in our field exercise - the reason why one of them had to do this was because he forgot to fill up his canteens with water. So upon being up on the hill digging the fireline, he became dehydrated 2 hours later and had no water to drink. Someone in his squad could have given some of theirs to drink but that person needs to drink water just as much also. We need to have a personal relationship with God and not through our family or friends. I consider the Bible to be the manual to life and believe it is a guide to not just living a life that honors God but also builds up our spirit man. Going to church every Sunday and serving in ministry are wonderful, but those moments in the week that we commune with God in our rooms or convene with our sisters and brothers in Christ reading God's Word are oh so crucial. In this walk with Christ, it is God's will that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:9-12).

Lesson 3- Be Equipped For The Battle
There are different kinds of fitness: healthy living fitness, pageant fitness, marathon fitness, military fitness, etc. There is also firefighting fitness. So how does this apply to our spiritual walk? Well Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:10-13, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Therefore, we have to be equipped the right way for every battle that comes our way. If I want to be an efficient wildland firefighter this fire season and be a contributing member in my squad, I have to train my body the right way. I can't train the way I did for when I competed in pageants but I would focus on all muscle groups that will make me physically fit to carry my 30-lb+ pack and tool for long hours, hiking on various terrains, and digging a fireline. I will focus on hiking uphill and downhill with weights and not just rely on running on a treadmill and doing crunches at the gym. In our spiritual walk, we mustn't rely on blaming people for the shortcomings that come our way but attack the real enemy, the devil, and use the right tools: prayer and the Word of God. I know the importance of getting on my face in my war room and praying specifically, as well as the relevance of studying God's Word: the Bible. So when the enemy comes for me or those I love, I am in full attack mode with prayer and saying out loud or in my heart the scriptures that declare the power of my Father in Heaven.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

WAR ROOM - My Place of Intimacy With God

WAR ROOM

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ! I pray you and yours are doing well. I am blessed, thanks to my Papa in Heaven. The picture above is my favorite place in my house. Small yet powerful space. In this corner of my closet, I commune with my Father in Heaven and welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit. In this space, I go on my knees and get on my face talking to God on behalf of my parents and family members, friends and co-workers, church family, mentors and mentees, future husband and our children, myself, and whoever I come across or the Lord lays on my heart to pray for. In this space, I sing praises and worship my Savior, study God's Word, smile, cry, repent, receive God's peace and have even fallen asleep while worshiping late at night. If you saw the movie "War Room," you will know this is where I got the idea. After seeing that movie last year as well as following the teachings of Priscilla Shirer I was inspired to create this space in my house. For me to give up space in my closet may be tough but there is greater reward in doing Kingdom work. The cards taped on the wall are written prayers for folks along with few scriptures. So I f you'd like me to pray with/for you, you're welcome to send me a message on Facebook!

“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 

Mark‬ ‭11:23-24

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Best Resolution for 2017

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing wonderful, thanks be to God! It's a new year and I know there are folks with a list of resolutions on how they'll like to improve themselves in 2017. If you have already created your list or still making yours, I have one more important resolution I highly recommend you add and see through this year - give your life to Christ! The best resolution you can make and stick to in 2017 is accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior and living for Jesus!

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 

Romans‬ ‭10:9-13‬

The walk will not be easy but His grace is sufficient. Rededicating my life to Christ in 2015 was the best decision I have ever made. I count it all joy with the ups and downs I have had afterwards because what's different is that I am in Christ and I know God has always got me in whatever situation I am in. To be in Christ is that you may not know sometimes where your life is going but you are confident of who is in charge of your life.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Blessed Sunday - August 22nd

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing great, thanks to my Father in Heaven. Yesterday at church, we were blessed with a powerful Word from God through one of His own vessels, Bishop Julius Laggah of Bethel World Outreach Ministries Sierra Leone. He talked about the importance of the Holy Spirit and need to tap into that power that the Holy Spirit gives us at it dwells in us as born-again Christians. I thank God for using this man of God in my nation of birth (Sierra Leone) and beyond. To God be the glory!

Also, I thank God for the leadership of my Senior Pastor and leader of Bethel World Outreach Ministries International (BWOMI), Bishop Darlingston Johnson. I am blessed to grow in my faith under his guidance along with his wife Pastor Chrys, and humbled to serve in the youth ministry as part of the body of Christ.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”” Acts 1:8.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Establishing and Maintaining Godly Moral Boundaries

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing great, thanks to my Father in Heaven. This past Sunday, I was blessed with the opportunity to share God's message to my Church's youth ministry. This was my first time sharing a sermon publicly. The week prior, being led by the Holy Spirit I wrote out talking points and reflected on scriptures with respect to the subject of the message, as well as fasted. This summer, our youth ministry has been on the series titled "Moral Boundaries: Purity Paves the Way for Intimacy," and our youth pastor has been leading the conversation diligently. The key scripture we have been using as a guideline is 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8. My conversation with the youth at this Sunday's service was the conclusion of the series. I thank God for using me as His vessel and being blessed to serve as a leader in the youth ministry. I want to share some things below from my sermon notes, and I pray it blesses you. At the beginning of the message, the Holy Spirit led me to share my recent struggle with moral boundaries and used me as an example to show application of the message. So how can we maintain godly moral boundaries? This can be accomplished in 3 ways: relying on God, reading and living by the Word of God, and writing down our boundaries.

[1] Relying on God
As Christians, the most critical way we can maintain godly moral boundaries is to rely solely on God and not ourselves. We must remember that God does not put us in situations to test us and see if we can handle it. As it says in 1 Corinthians 10:13,  No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. When we are tested and/or satisfy our fleshly desires, we must ask questions such as: what is my prayer life like? Did I pray about that time I allowed that man or woman to touch me inappropriately or had that sex dream? We must pray in tongues when we don’t know how to pray about our strongholds. Additionally, we must rely on God because He knows best. God is omniscient. To successfully maintain godly moral boundaries, we must remember that God has a greater view of everything. Be reminded of what our Father in Heaven says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9.

[2] Reading and living by the Word of God
From the moment we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we let go of being in control and submit to His authority. Now that we are in Christ, our primary focus must be seeking Him with our all. When we focus on Kingdom work and take care of His business, He takes care of ours; He takes care of our cares. Therefore when the goal is to maintain godly moral boundaries, we must read and meditate on the Word of God and live by what it says. As we dig deeper into God's Word, we are nourished from His Word and that renews our minds. In Matthew 6:33, we are instructed to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. So while you have all these moral boundaries, are you reading and meditating on God’s Word as well? When we keep our eyes fixed on God, who is the author and finisher of our faith, He takes care of everything going on around us. Remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were thrown into the burning fiery furnace? Picture how they were in that furnace and God took care of them that when they came out, they had no smell of fire on them (Daniel 3). That is how God will take care of us and what's going on around us when we fix our eyes on Him and live by His Word. No matter what we are dealing with, once we live by the Word of God, He will take care of it. To be deceived by the enemy and engaging in sex of any form, masturbation, pornography, using foul language, etc. is evidence of spiritual forces in one's life. The acts may be physical but results from spiritual strongholds in someone's life. We must be reminded by what Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:10-12, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

[3] Writing down our boundaries
The third critical way to maintain godly moral boundaries is to put pen-to-paper and write or type out one's moral boundaries. We must question ourselves and dig deep into what these include. Ask ourselves: what are my boundaries when it has to do with social media, entertainment, school, friendships, image, dating, etc.? What people/things do I follow on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook? What do these accounts focus on? Do they build me up? Is it focused on sex or body image? With respect to entertainment: what am I exposing myself to? What kind of music am I listening to? What kind of TV shows and movies am I watching? Regarding friendships – what kind of friends do I have? Are they a good influence on me? Are they friends I feel comfortable to introduce to my family or invite to Church? Do these friends honor God? What is their position on sex before marriage, masturbation, pornography, cussing, etc.? When it comes to body and public image - my sisters, how do you carry yourself? Are you wearing outfits that are provocative? You want to be respected but you don’t dress like the princess that you are. Gentlemen, do you carry yourself like a leader? Are your words life-giving? Do you respect yourself and others when you speak? When it comes to dating - are you always ready to pick a call from that guy or girl at any time of the day? Does he or she honor your purity? Does this person honor God with their life?

Be reminded that if you want to be different, you have to do things differently. As it says in Romans 12:2, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. As a woman or man in Christ, our thought process has to be different. We cannot have the same mindset as those of the world. We must fix our minds on the things above and think on things that honor God. Be reminded of what Apostle Paul says Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8. A few months ago, I did an activity with this scripture by writing down what I think is true (Jesus died for my sins), noble (praying for those who hurt me), just (respecting my parents and those in authority), pure (being free from thoughts and actions of lust), lovely (encouraging others), and good (God’s amazing grace). Times when I face struggles or temptations, I reflect on these things.

To conclude the message, I shared an excerpt from our Church's daily devotional for that day which states: Run to the One who, with full knowledge of your struggles and temptations, loves you unconditionally; the One whose blood cleanses you from sin, whose grace can lift and sustain you, and whose power can help you live an overcoming life.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Being Born Again - One Year Report (Part II)

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing wonderful, thanks to my good, good Father in Heaven. Next month will mark the one-year anniversary since I rededicated my life to Christ; I first got saved around the ages of 8-9 but did not really understand what that really meant. Years went by and I backslid, attended Church on Sundays but did not live the life God desired for me throughout the week. My life got rerouted back to God's track last year due to a series of events and an encounter with a man of God. When I confessed my sins and accepted Christ into my heart while in my bed that night, I wish I'd have remembered to mark the date down, but I do remember that this significant moment in my life happened in August 2015. Would have been nice to be one of those Christians who can tell you the day, date, time, and location when they accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. In this post, I'd like to share the blessings and lessons I have experienced in this past year as a young woman fiercely seeking God's own heart.

Dealing With Temptations
Temptations - so this is something I thought I would not have to deal with after I gave my life to Christ. I was wrong. Even Christians deal with temptation and I believe the devil puts in overtime with us Christians because these are folks that desire a life that honors God and that's a threat to the enemy's kingdom. Being that I desire a life that honors God with my words, thoughts, deeds, and body, I am fiercely seeking a life of purity. Even though I may not be having sex in any form, masturbating, watching pornography, the enemy still presents things and people that will indulge me to lust. For example, I have had to deal with temptation with a man (man who loves the Lord also) to the point whereby we would have dishonored God, ourselves, and our future spouses. Being that we are Christians, the enemy manipulated with our minds that it is completely innocent for us to do anything - that is a lie. To be a young, single Christian woman in this hypersexualized world, it is important to set boundaries and be honest with oneself. I may stay clear of interactions or environments that could foster temptations but the enemy still finds ways to manipulate situations and to attack our purity. In the past, I used to think that God is testing me that is why I am put in certain situations but as my relationship with God grows, I have come to know that No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13. After dealing with the temptations and repenting from them, I have seen how God has kept me clear from that happening again. But that only happened when I came humbly to God, seeking for a change and a way out, and expressing my desire for a righteous life free from that stronghold. Additionally, me and this guy submitted to authority at Church and followed through with the godly counsel received.

Setting Boundaries
Like I previously talked about dealing with temptations, one way to tackle them is by setting boundaries. This is something I am learning to do. In the youth ministry, we have been talking a lot about moral boundaries this Summer. When I gave my life to Christ last year, I did not fully comprehend what boundaries meant. But as I continue to seek God, He is revealing to me the importance of setting boundaries. Relating to my previous example of dealing with temptation, I acknowledged that I gave the enemy leeway to attack mine and his purity by not setting boundaries. As a woman desiring a husband who loves God and to have a marriage that honors God, what boundaries do I have now in this single season of my life? Besides abstaining from sex in any form, my heart must be guarded from men I come in contact with, I cannot use my guy friends to serve as boyfriend when it is convenient, give or accept privileges from a man that I'm not in a courtship with, as well as be in an isolated space with someone of the opposite sex. Setting boundaries sets the pace for the life I live. Remembering that God is the author of those things in my heart, those boundaries I set. They must not be compromised. I am learning to set boundaries in different areas of my life: in family and friendships, my words and actions, my thoughts, social media interactions, how I carry myself and body image, etc. I can set a long list of boundaries for many things but I have to constantly remember that all this will be accomplished when I rely on God for wisdom and direction. A few weeks before I indulged into temptation from the enemy, I had written down boundaries relating to it but I still did not follow through because I was relying on my own strength rather than on God. As it says in Philippians 1:9-11, And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. I can write as many boundaries on paper but I have come to realize that until I surrender to God, that is when these boundaries are enforced. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57.  How great it is to know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8.

Trusting God's Timing
In this season of my life, I'm trusting God to fully reveal to me my purpose, build my career, as well as reveal the husband He has created for me to do life with. With respect to purpose, I know God has given me a caring heart and desire to serve others. I'll be honest with you and say I do not have a full picture yet of what my purpose in life is but I know God has put me in the path to it. God has given me a passion for ministry, children and the youth, girls/women, service and leadership, public speaking - I believe that my life's purpose lies within these things. To the world, I may be all over the place because I am passionate about so many things, some that are completely unrelated to others, but I know there's a purpose behind it all. If you would have asked me 5 years ago where I'll be in my career today, I'd say I see myself growing in my career as a mining engineer and on the path to being a CEO of a mining company. But if you ask me now, I'd tell you with an honest heart and say I do not what my future holds in my career as a mining engineer. The reason is I have been through different seasons in my life over the past 5 years that it has made me realize that I need to be in full submission to God for what He desires for my life. My passion is still there for mining and working in the industry but God has rerouted my steps in so many ways that I just do not know where I'll go next during this season of my life as a mining engineer. I may not know if I'll be that mining CEO I dreamed of, but I know that God is in charge and He'll put me where He'll get all the glory. I am trusting God's perfect time. The third thing I am learning to trust God on this past year has been revealing my husband to me. I'm going to be vulnerable and let you know that I am still learning how to do this. After rededicating my life to Christ, I have crossed paths with some men of God and gotten to know them but being that I desire marriage, I have hastily thought of them as "the one." So far, I have been wrong about them all. Now, I am relying on God that when it's His time, He will reveal the one to me that I will have no doubts in my mind when he finds me. But in the meantime while I wait on God's best for me, I have made my husband part of my prayer life; over the past year, I have been praying for my future husband, lifting him up to be the man of God He was created to be and covering Him under God's protection everyday. Waiting on God's best has not been easy but I have heard and seen testimonies of women and men who desired godly spouses and God showed himself faithful and now I see the beautiful unions they have which glorifies God. I want that and I know God will do it for me at His perfect time. As it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1, There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

Praying and Fasting Continually
Since I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, my prayer life has improved significantly. Praying is no longer going on my knees and talking with God when I need help or saying a memorized prayer before going to bed. Now, prayer is talking with my Father in Heaven at any time and any place. I have learned that prayer isn't only done when you need help from God. My goal is that communing with God is the most consistent thing I do every day and that involves praying: talking with God when I wake up and before getting out of bed, when I get in my car or while I drive, seeking God for wisdom when making decisions, as well as asking Him for peace when I get anxious, fearful, or upset. One conscious decision I made is that when I say I'm going to pray for folks, I do it immediately; when God lays it on my heart to pray for someone, I do it immediately, even when it's for folks I barely know or haven't kept in touch with for a while. With respect to fasting, since I went to Nigeria this past December, I made the resolution to fast at least twice a month. If you followed this blog some months ago, you will recall that I had documented my 40+-day fast. As I grow in my faith, I have come to see how fasting builds up my spirit man; fasting is not about showing God how dedicated you are as a Christian or trying to convince Him to give you something because He will do it in His perfect timing; fasting is for us the body of Christ to be edified with God's Word and to kill our fleshly desires. I fast with purpose, to get clarity on things, I seek God on specific questions and surely He sees me through or leads me towards a path that will provide the answer.

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, in no way do I have this whole Christian thing figured out during this past year of being in Christ, but I am at peace that I don't have to do anything in my own strength anymore but I can rely on Him and when I fall, I know His grace will pick me right back up. I won't say I have attained the status of that Proverbs 31 woman yet, but by God's grace I will get there. The scripture below was shared to me by a pastor I was on a flight with from Lagos to London this past January which continually blesses me. This scripture has been my life goal as a Christian and I believe is the root of what it means to be a woman or man fiercely seeking God's own heart. I pray this scripture blesses you and that you meditate on it as well. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, Ephesians 1:17-18.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Being Born Again - One Year Report (Part I)

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing awesome, thanks to my Father in Heaven. Next month will mark the one-year anniversary since I rededicated my life to Christ; I first got saved around the ages of 8-9 but did not really understand what that really meant. Years went by and I backslid, attended Church on Sundays but did not live the life God desired for me throughout the week. My life got rerouted back to God's track last year due to a series of events and an encounter with a man of God. When I confessed my sins and accepted Christ into my heart while in my bed that night, I wish I'd have remembered to mark the date down, but I do remember that this significant moment in my life happened in August 2015. Would have been nice to be one of those Christians who can tell you the day, date, time, and location when they accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. In this post, I'd like to share the blessings and lessons I have experienced in this past year as a young woman fiercely seeking God's own heart.

Abiding in God's Everlasting Love
Knowing that God loves me so much that He sent His only Son to die for my sins and for Him to restore me even when I turned my back on Him for most years of my life always leaves me in awe. To fully understand the depths of the grace we receive from God is a wonderful thing. Each and every day I am coming to understand the core of God's grace for us: His love for us. Sometimes I reflect on what my life was before I made the conscious decision to live a life honorable in His sight, and all I can say is thank you Lord for loving me, not turning His back on me even when I turned mine on Him. Each and everyday I understand nuggets of God's abundant and everlasting love for us. In this past year, I reflect on so many things that have happened and I see manifestations of God's love all over it. God truly is love. As Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 3:16-19, I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Understanding Joy and Peace from God

For 24 years of my life, I thought I knew what it meant to have joy and peace. I truly get to understand what those words mean now through the help of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Honestly if you have never felt it, I may unsuccessful in you comprehending this portion of my experience in Christ. After I gave my life to Christ, I became filled with joy. This joy was freedom, I felt empty and clear of worries. I was fearless. The enemy steals our joy by overwhelming us with worries and anxiety but the moment I realized that God is in charge and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28. Knowing all that makes me smile even when I am in the middle of chaos. Don't get me wrong, there are times I fall for the enemy's tricks but I always go back to what the Word of God says about me and my future, and that restores my joy. I have always been the type of person who likes to know what is happening now and what's to come and when I don't have that, it drives me crazy. Over the past year, God has taken care of it. Even in times of confusion and raucous, I abide in the peace Christ left us. I'll admit, there are times I'd be peaceful in situations and question my temperament because I am amazed at how calm I'll am. These are the moments that I know that my God is truly at work and He's in control. One of my favorite scriptures is Philippians 4:7, which may explain this feeling best. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Reading and Living by the Bible
One of my favorite folks from TV that I enjoy watching his sermons is Evangelist Marcus Lamb, Founder of Daystar. I have always admired his knowledge of the Word and how he has memorized so many scriptures in the Bible and can say so many verses word-for-word! That is one of my goals, to be able to recite as many scriptures as possible. However I realized that there was one problem with this ambition of mine: I memorize the scriptures but barely understand them. Some months ago, I made the conscious decision to fully meditate on the scriptures and allow God to interpret them to me. To God be the glory, God has been putting several scriptures on my heart and I have been allowing Him to interpret them to me. With these scriptures, I'd meditate on them for weeks or months. The latest scripture God put on my heart is Isaiah 55:8-12, previously it was Romans 12:2; prior to that it was 1 Corinthians 10:31, John 10:10, Isaiah 43:4, and Jeremiah 31:3. All these scriptures have been very timely with respect to the seasons I am in life. For instance, lately I started feeling that I had things figured out in certain areas of my life, but God being omniscient revealed to me that His thoughts are not my thoughts and His ways are greater as He says in Isaiah 55:8-9; He is showing me that He's in control of my life, and now my prayer is that my thoughts will be His thoughts and I will have the mind of Christ at all times.

Praying and Fasting Continually
Since I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, my prayer life has improved significantly. Praying is no longer going on my knees and talking with God or saying a memorized prayer before going to bed. Now, prayer is talking with my Father in Heaven at any time and any place. I have learned that prayer isn't only done when you need help from God. My goal is that communing with God is the most consistent thing I do every day and that involves praying: talking with God when I wake up and before getting out of bed, when I get in my car or while I drive, seeking God for wisdom when making decisions, as well as asking Him for peace when I get anxious, fearful, or upset. One conscious decision I made is that when I say I'm going to pray for folks, I do it immediately; when God lays it on my heart to pray for someone, I do it immediately, even when it's for folks I barely know or haven't kept in touch with for a while. With respect to fasting, since I went to Nigeria this past December, I made the resolution to fast at least twice a month. If you followed this blog some months ago, you will recall that I had documented my 40+-day fast. As I grow in my faith, I have come to see how fasting builds up my spirit man; fasting is not about showing God how dedicated you are as a Christian or trying to convince Him to give you something because He will do it in His perfect timing; fasting is for us the body of Christ to be edified with God's Word and to kill our fleshly desires. I fast with purpose, to get clarity on things, I seek God on specific questions and surely He sees me through or leads me towards a path that will provide the answer.

Serving and Doing Kingdom Work
A month after I rededicated my life to Christ, God placed me in the youth ministry and in the past 9 months, I know that I'm in the right place at the right time. God has been using me in this ministry to serve and sow seeds into these young lives. These teens are dealing with real and relevant issues, some I experienced and some I did not at their age. Therefore I am constantly seeking God's guidance for wisdom as well as being blessed with an anointed man of God as youth pastor and serving with a great team of youth leaders at our Church. In this time of serving, I have served as a mentor to amazing girls who love the Lord in the 7th and 8th grade in a Christian mentoring program called Ladies Into Priceless Standards (LIPS). Youth ministry may be the only ministry God has ordained for me or He may lead me to other ministries, but in this time I praise God that He has been using me for His glory in the body of Christ. I am very passionate about the youth and I pray that they grow in faith and faithfulness. These teens are the future of the body of Christ and the direction the Church or nations go highly depends on how the character of the youth is built today.

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, in no way do I have this whole Christian thing figured out during this past year of being in Christ, but I am at peace that I don't have to do anything in my own strength anymore but I can rely on Him and when I fall, I know His grace will pick me right back up. I won't say I have attained the status of that Proverbs 31 woman yet, but by God's grace I will get there. The scripture below was shared to me by a pastor I was on a flight with from Lagos to London this past January which continually blesses me. This scripture has been my life goal as a Christian and I believe is the root of what it means to be a woman or man fiercely seeking God's own heart. I pray this scripture blesses you and that you meditate on it as well. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, Ephesians 1:17-18.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Reset 2016 - Jesus Changes Everything

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing well, thanks be to God. This past Saturday, I attended Reset 2016 with a few folks from my Church. Unfortunately by the time we arrived in DC that afternoon, executive decision had been made to shutdown the event due to the scorching heat and there had been some medical emergencies with some attendees. Although the program did not go as late as it should have, I give God all the glory for an event such as this whereby hundreds of thousands of Christians come together to worship Him. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7.

JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING!

if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Social Media Break

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing awesome, thanks be to God! So over the past month, I've been on a social media break. So what does this mean? Well, I deactivated my Facebook account, and signed out and deleted these apps off my phone; these apps include Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. In the past, I've done social media breaks for a week or less; also in 2010, I had deactivated my Facebook account for a few months. But this time around, this social media break was a move from God. It was around 2 a.m. while I was prayerfully meditating and laying in bed, in between being awake and falling asleep, and the Lord put it on my heart to get off social media. Of course my flesh was hesitant initially and I tried to ignore the voice of God, but then I became tormented in bed and couldn't fall asleep. The enemy started speaking the opposite on me and telling me to disobey this word from God. But to God be the glory, my spirit man took charge and I obeyed. After finally saying yes, God put on my heart this scripture: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2.

The Lord told me that He needs me to take this time off from social media. I was taking in a lot of junk from social media and He needed my mind to be clear from it. He needed me to take some time to focus on Him. In the beginning of the social media break, I started to realize how addicted I was. For instance, I'd wake up and immediately search for my phone; rather than reading my Bible, praying, or just going into a place of worship, I'd check my Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. Hours would pass by and that will be time completely wasted. Also, I realized how much I held on so tight to my phone just because I'd feel the need to check my accounts every hour or frequently than that. As time goes by, I've seen the amazing things God is doing in me; in the past months God has been teaching me discipline and this social media break is one of them. I have been seeing the difference God is doing in my life, and the Lord has been giving me amazing resources for the renewal of my mind. A couple weeks ago, I watched a fantastic series on Youtube that blessed me called "Mindworld" by Pastor Ron Carpenter. I have also been getting into the habit of praying when I wake up, lay in bed to read my daily devotional, and the only time I reach for my phone is to read one of the daily plans in the Bible App. All I can say is, to God be the glory.
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11-14

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,
Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Serve Hope and Share Kindness

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing well, to God be the glory. Last Friday (May 20), I served breakfast at So Others Might Eat (SOME), located in the District of Columbia. I have been volunteering at SOME since 2013. SOME is an interfaith, community-based organization that helps the poor and homeless of our nation's capital. SOME tries to meet the immediate daily needs of the people by providing food, clothing, and health care; they break the cycle of homelessness by offering services, such as affordable housing, job training, addiction treatment, and counseling, to the poor, the elderly and individuals with mental illness. Generous hands are blessed hands because they give bread to the poor. Proverbs 22:9 (MSG).

Since I've been volunteering at SOME for almost 4 years, it is always a pleasure to serve breakfast and lunch. SOME does such amazing work for so many in DC, and I am blessed to be a small fraction that could be a blessing either by serving meals, wrapping up Christmas gifts, or cleaning up the SOME shelter in these years as a volunteer. Usually I serve the meal and greet with a big smile as folks enter the dining room, but this time I decided to do something different by serving coffee. This was a blessing because I got to be able to interact a little more and hear a few stories. I thank God that He put me in a position whereby I could offer hope to someone on an early morning, which possibly set the pace for the rest of their day. Each person has a story and it is a blessing to listen to them or to encourage them as the Lord leads. As much as the folks express their gratitude to me for serving them, I am grateful for them that God could use me in some way to share love and kindness. One of the guys even prophesied into my life as I shared a little about my current employment status and said that God is already blessing me by serving them at SOME and that I should just trust God. What a blessing! As it is said in The Word, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27.

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:17.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,
Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you gotten right with the Lord? Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste anymore time and receive salvation now.

Earth Day 2016

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing well, praise be to God! The annual Earth Day on April 22nd was celebrated some weeks ago; April is known as Earth Month. On each Earth Day, events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970 and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year. As a nature lover and former Miss Earth Maryland, I am passionate about our planet. While I run, walk, or hike, I am always in awe of God's beautiful creation known as earth; from our blue skies, tall and strong trees, radiant flowers, height of the mountains, to the length of our seas. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1.

On this Earth Day, I planted boxwood plants as well as carex plants in the newly constructed parking lot at Brookside Gardens. I have been a volunteer at Brookside Gardens for almost a year now. I love flowers and nature as a whole, so it was a pleasure to be part of something like this as I know the beauty Brookside Gardens comprises of. As Christians, we are not of this world but in this world, therefore we must do our part in keeping God's creation beautiful. Take care of your community and let us clean up our nations. I am one of the daughters of Dr. Wangari Mutha Maathai, an African woman who advocated for the planting of trees worldwide. What will your legacy be?

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:11-12

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,
Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you gotten right with the Lord? Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste anymore time and receive salvation now.