Proclaiming Good News

Proclaiming Good News

My name is Gary Marvin Johnson and I am proclaiming good news to my world. Currently, I work as a caregiver for a company called Indiana Mentor. I reside in the United States of America in Selma, Indiana. I am married to Laura Johnson and we have one child. Living in America is one of the many blessings that have been bestowed upon me. In this country, you can worship God anywhere without harm from the government. Many Americans, including myself, hold our first amendment right very close to our heart.

At the age of 18, I gave my life to Christ and my salvation was followed by water baptism. In my teenage years, I was surrounded by an ungodly company within the walls of my school and within the walls of my home. I chose to follow the ways of the world. Shortly after my 18th birthday, I realized that I desperately needed the Lord in my life. I needed my sins forgiven and because of my mother, I knew that Jesus was the only One that could deliver. Therefore, I called upon His name and He answered. He broke every chain of sin in my life. I am proof that the Lord does forgive! He is just as alive today as He was 2,000 years ago! Ever since my salvation, it has been the desire and dream of my heart to know Jesus more on a personal level and to be a mouthpiece and an example to the world for His cause.

Ever since my salvation, it has been the desire and dream of my heart to know Jesus more on a personal level and to be proclaiming good news about salvation in Him. My ministry dream is to build up the congregation in sound doctrine. My desire is to be a full-time minister to the church in every way. I believe that it is God’s desire for me to help, encourage, and build up the church in some way every day.

When I came to the Christian Leaders Institute website, I was eager to start! I was surprised to find out that this was an organization that actually offered FREE college level ministry classes to anyone! I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I was ready to jump right in. Now that I’ve taken the Christian Leaders Connection Class, I am glad that I did not jump right into the programs offered by Christian Leaders Institute. The Connections class taught me many things that I did not know beforehand and now that I have taken it I can understand why it is a necessity to take before you’re given your free tuition.

I believe that I identify with the title “Evangelist” more than I do any other title. I am often on social media proclaiming something about the Lord. I am often talking to someone about the Lord. I was first prompted to really consider following the call of ministry when more than one of the fellow Christians who I gathered to meet with told me they believed that I was good at preaching God’s Word. After preaching two lessons in front of a congregation, I felt the call to continue down this path.

Even though I live in the United States of America, there are still some challenges to preaching the Word here and proclaiming good news to the lost. It is believed by many that you can be a Christian without obeying God. It is clear that the Scriptures teach otherwise (Romans 6, Heb 5:9). Many people here in the United States of America believe that all religions lead to the kingdom of God even though Scripture teaches otherwise (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). Many people choose to follow their “cultural Jesus” rather than to follow the true One revealed within the Scriptures.

Connecting to the Bible has brought transformation to my life in so many ways. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12). It is the Word of God and the faith in Jesus Christ that God placed in my heart that completely transformed my life. It is His Word that convicted me and continues to convict me of my sins. His Word brings me joy and hope in times of discouragement.

The church which I was a part of gave me opportunities to preach, and I am grateful for that blessing to this day. Their kind words encouraged me to pursue this calling of proclaiming good news. My wife is very encouraging and loving when it comes to what I believe God is calling me to do. She has shown great support in my calling. Obtaining a scholarship from CLI will help me tremendously. It will help me further my education in God’s Word and it will help me obtain a credible certificate, diploma, and degree. Obtaining a scholarship from CLI is a strong desire of mine. I am praying that God will lead me to the type of ministry that He desires. Please pray that God’s purpose will be accomplished in my life through this ministry journey of mine. May the Lord always give us grace in our time of need.

Learn about ordained minister study programs at Christian Leaders Alliance.