The Answer to Hardships

by Gregory A. Johnson


There is one thing that I’m certain of today—life is full of the unexpected. Difficulty often comes in hours
when we are least prepared, taking us entirely by surprise.

Some respond to these hardships saying, “This is an attack of Satan. The devil is out to get me.” Some question saying, “Where did I go wrong? Is there sin in my life? Is God mad at me?” Some ask, “Why me? I’m doing everything God has asked me to do. I’m obedient to the Bible. Why is this happening to me?”

Trust in the Lord and Be Blessed

by Gregory A. Johnson

This is what the LORD told Jeremiah the prophet:

Thus says the LORD:
"Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places
of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit"  (Jeremiah 17:5-8 ESV).

How to Focus on What You Know

by Gregory A. Johnson

Life is full of the unknown. What we know tends to bring comfort; what we don’t know can bring much anxiety if we allow it to mess with our thinking. I’m convinced that we will be better off emotionally,
physically, mentally, and spiritually if we focus on what we know instead of concentrating on the unknowns of life.

If you make the unknowns of life your focus, it will get the best of you, bringing you down into the gloomy loneliness found in the dark prison of despair, paralyzing your life, and destroying your future. What would happen if you focused on what you know instead of the uncertainty that robs you of your sleep, joy, and peace, threatening to rattle your sanity beyond what is repairable?

Living in the Joy of the Resurrection

by Gregory A. Johnson

Becky was pregnant with our second child, and the doctor calculated that her due date would be April 1—April Fools' Day. Becky was adamant that our baby would not be born on April Fools' Day and throughout the pregnancy she stood firm, prayed and probably even tried to will herself out of that due date.

The closer we got to the due date, the more Becky proclaimed that our baby would not be born on April Fools’ Day. Well, it was the morning of March 30, and guess what? Nope, there was still no baby. Then that evening, Becky felt the first contraction. Was it a false contraction or was our baby coming? We waited a couple of hours and guess what? Yep, our baby was coming. I took Becky to the hospital later that night. She was in hard labor all night long and the next morning she gave birth to our precious little baby, Kelsey Ann. It wasn’t April Fools’ Day. It was March 31. And you know what fell on March 31 that year? It was Easter Sunday morning! I told everyone who would listen that Kelsey Ann was our little resurrection baby. Becky and I rejoiced!

Kelsey has grown to be a beautiful and intelligent young woman, and on every Easter morning, I remember the joy I felt the Easter morning she was born. She was not an April Fools’ baby. She was a resurrection baby!

Females preach the first Easter Sunday message

by Gregory A. Johnson

The most important day on the Christian calendar is Easter. The most important day of the Christian week is Sunday. Jesus died on Friday evening, and He was buried in a borrowed tomb before the start of the Jewish Sabbath at sunset. On that Sunday morning, Jesus arose triumphant over death, hell, and the grave. Easter Sunday is celebrated once per year, but on every Sunday Christian churches meet around the world to celebrate an empty tomb. He has risen!

All day Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, the women mourned the loss of Jesus. They went to bed that night in sorrow, not realizing that the next morning joy would replace it.

At dawn on Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb to minister to the body of Jesus. After seeing Jesus die a horrible and violent death, they were still fearful, but their loyalty to Jesus got them up that morning. They were determined to go to the tomb where they had seen Jesus' body placed. Their main concern that morning was how they were going to move the heavy stone, so that they could spread spices on the body; they would have no help from the men. The men were hiding while being full of fear and sorrow.

The Kingdom According to Jesus Book Trailer

There is Hope in a Prison of Despair

by Gregory A. Johnson

There are two words that, when used together, form an imperative that is easier said than done. It seems to be automatic when times are good, and all is going well in one’s life. It’s more difficult when the walls of security and well-being are crumbling around you, despair setting in like a cold-damp fog on a pitch-dark night, holding you captive in its harrowing prison. The two words: Trust God.

He was a giant in the faith, planting churches in cities where the Gospel of Christ was fresh and new. His relationship with Christ was intense, strong, and personal. He walked with Christ, followed Christ, and continued the point-of-need ministry of Christ. His prayers were both fervent and effectual. He preached with power and anointing; miracles oftentimes confirming the message of Christ.

Victoriously, he came through physical and spiritual attacks alongside hunger, abandonment, illness, imprisonment, and poverty. Nevertheless, while on a missionary trip in Asia, discouragement and depression led him to despair life itself. He was mentally weakened and fragile, welcoming dying instead of living. With all desire and ambition gone, death seemed to be the remedy.

The Cure for Troubled Hearts

by Gregory A. Johnson

We are living in troubling times, but Jesus warned us that it would get this way, and it can get a lot worse before it gets any better. Beloved, Scripture says, “But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!" (Revelation 12:12 ESV).

Yes, the world is troubled, but I feel led to talk to you about something more personal. As Christ’s followers, we are troubled by what is taking place in the world, but many are also dealing with troubled hearts concerning finances, loved ones, relationships, poor health, aging, and uncertainty.

Experiencing Victory in the Midst of Trouble

by Gregory A. Johnson

The news of this world is troubling. If you watch the evening news or read the daily newspaper, you know what I mean. There are wars, rumors of wars, terrorism, civil unrest, genocides, droughts, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, shootings, kidnappings, robberies, assaults—the list goes on and on. This world is troubled.

Christ-followers live in this troubled world, struggling at times, but they are not part of this world. They are here on temporary assignment to follow Christ, making His Kingdom known. Their citizenship is out of this world. They live here in the midst of trouble, but their victory is secure! The One they follow has overcome the world, and because He did, they will.

Beloved, our victory is in Jesus. We find trouble in the world, but we find victory in Him. Jesus secured our victory. There is no trouble that can keep us down. Death cannot stop us. The grave cannot hold us. Jesus is coming back riding a white horse of victory. The first time He came to be our example and our savior. The next time He comes as the King of kings and the Lord of lords! We can shout today in total VICTORY! Hallelujah! Maranatha! Our Lord, come.

How Far God Separates You from Your Sins

by Gregory A. Johnson

I have had the privilege of watching the sun rise from a sandy beach on the East Coast of America, and I have watched the sun set from a sandy beach on the West Coast. Both shorelines are beautiful yet they are completely different, with flat topography on the East Coast and a mountain range hugging the West Coast. Both experiences are breathtaking, causing an awareness of a Creator who inspires awe in all that He has created and in all that He does.

One of the most incredible things any of us can experience is the forgiveness of our sins. The forgiveness of our sins by the Creator is truly wonderful and amazing. If we confess our sins to God, and we run to Him in repentance, He not only forgives us, but He also removes those sins from us. We are guilty, but owe no penalty. Why? Christ took the penalty for our sins when He died on the cross for them.

Just how far does God remove our sins from us?

We need a faith and justice revival in our day!

by Gregory A. Johnson

"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'" (Revelation 7:9-10 ESV).

On January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born in a day when those with dark skin did not have equality with those with white skin. The African American was not allowed to ride in the front of the bus with the European American. African Americans could not use the same restrooms. They could not eat in the same sections of the restaurants. The children could not play in the same playgrounds nor go to the same schools. They could not drink from the same water fountain. They could not even go to the same church. Slavery, a great sin of the nation, was over, but segregation and all of its inequalities remained in America. In the land of the free and the home of the brave, not everyone was free; many were bound by the injustices of racism. It is with that backdrop that a dream was birthed in an individual. Although that dream has not fully reached reality, it is burning intensely in the hearts of many in our day.

Dr. King lived his life in the belief of God’s rule that all people are created equal, and all people should be treated equal. This is the dream of justice driven by faith. It is the dream that God gave to Dr. King. It is the dream that God plants deep into the heart of citizens of the Kingdom.

Close your church office on Martin Luther King Day!

by Gregory A. Johnson

The senior pastor walks into the room to conduct yet another weekly staff meeting that amounts to the same questions being asked week after week; they were just worded in different ways. The basis of the questions is this: What can we do to get more people to attend our weekly service.

Many of the staff grow tired of these questions and the staff meetings. Dreading to attend, and trying to find ways to avoid them, the staff often made light of the meetings in private. It is very obvious to those close to him that the only thing driving the senior pastor is numbers; he doesn't have a heart for people. It is all about the attendance numbers he reports to the denomination's headquarters. This is how he measures the success of himself, his staff, and the church.