Q- When did you accept
Christ into your life and who did He use to reach you?
I asked Christ into my life while I was living in the Boston area, studying
theology at one of the oldest Protestant seminaries in the United States. I had
been at this school over a year, but, even though I didn’t know it,
I had no personal relationship with Christ. All this changed on the night
of February 21, 1971. Right in the middle of Kenmore Square, in response to the
simple invitation of a young woman I’d just met in a church service earlier
in the evening, I simply said “Christ, come into my life” and
He
revealed Himself to me on the spot. I was immediately overwhelmed with
joy.
For the first time in my life I knew God was real. The next morning I drove
back to the seminary and told everyone I met that I had just become a Christian.
Needless to say, I got quite a few strange looks!
Q- When did the Lord lead you to Sabbath observing Church?
My
faith journey over the next several years led me through several denominations,
each of which taught me more about Christ and the Bible. Meeting a Seventh-day
Adventist Christian in the summer of 1974 proved to be the final part of
my early doctrinal formation. He showed me a few key Bible passages and
it quickly
became clear to me that God wanted me to keep His Seventh-day Sabbath. In
the fall of 1974 my wife Brenda and I joined the Seventh-day Adventist
Church.
(Brenda, by the way, happens to be that young woman who witnessed to me at
Kenmore Square. We’ve been married for 34 years)
I’ve been an Adventist
pastor since 1978. Brenda and I have served several congregations-- from the
Badlands of North Dakota to the streets
of New York
City to the suburbs of Chicago. We came to the Portsmouth church in 2005
and have already grown to love the Seacoast area. Brenda, in addition to
her preaching
and teaching ministry at the church, also works as a chaplain for Seacoast
Hospice.
Q- What is your favorite piece of scripture?
My favorite Bible
text is Philippians 1:6 (NIV)—“being confident
of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus.” The Christian life is a marathon, not
a sprint, and this verse has helped me “keep on keeping on” Another
passage I often turn to is Proverbs 3: 5,6 (NIV)—“Trust in
the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your
ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”
Q- Other than Christ, who within the Bible do you respect the
most and why?
When I’m asked about my favorite Bible characters, two come to mind.
Abraham, with his willingness to follow God everywhere in every way, has
been an inspiration. Paul, in describing his personal battle with the sin
living
in him (Romans 7), also speaks to me in my struggles.
Q- What three books would you recommend a new believer?
I’m a book lover and can recommend dozens of titles, but here are just
three of my favorites, especially for the new believer: Steps to Christ by
E.G.White (deals with many of the decisions and issues new believers will
face); Messiah by Jerry D.Thomas (this is a contemporary life of Christ adapted
from
the classic Desire of Ages by E.G. White) ; The Purpose Driven Life by Rick
Warren (40 short, biblically-based chapters on what it means to be a disciple
of Jesus)
Q- What is the greatest piece of wisdom you have learned in your walk with
Christ?
A word of wisdom the Lord has given me about being His disciple comes
from Psalm 46:10—“Be still and know that I am God…” I’ve
found that to help maintain my own spiritual vitality it’s
important for me to regularly spend some unhurried time in His
presence, just being with
Him. There are a couple of places in our house I’ll go to
simply sit with the Lord and let Him speak to me through His Word
and His Spirit. Sometimes
I’ll put some of my favorite Christian hymns on the CD player
to help me focus on God.
I wish you the best in your own journey with God. We at the Portsmouth Seventh-day Adventist Church are here to minister to you …and fellowship with you. Welcome!
- Pastor Phil Johnson