How to Keep Faith During Perilous Times

 by Gregory A. Johnson

We are living in perilous times. Inflation is on the rise, making it harder on those already financially challenged. The frequency and severity of natural disasters are increasing rapidly. Years into the Covid pandemic, hundreds of people still die of the disease every day. 

We are at the brink of World War III with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Maybe the invasion of Ukraine and the killings of innocent civilians, including children, indicate WW III has already started. It is hard to see how this ruthless attack on innocent people ends well. Our prayers are with the people of Ukraine. 

Adding all this to the struggles you are going through can make it hard to keep the faith that brings supernatural life and hope.

Jesus said it would be like this in the last days, which began at his crucifixion and has escalated to our day. Jesus warned that in these days, some faithful followers — “if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24 ESV) — will fall away.

How do we keep the faith that brings us supernatural life and hope in these perilous times? Consider Jesus. God’s word to us today is “…consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.” (Hebrews 3:1 ESV).

December Tornados in Kentucky

 by Gregory A. Johnson

Friday night and early Saturday morning, December 10 and 11, 2021, a massive tornado swept across Kentucky. It was on the ground in Kentucky for nearly 200 miles. It was destructive and life-taking. 

At bedtime that night, I prayed for the Lord to protect Becky and me through the night and that He would protect our house here in central Kentucky. Around 3 AM, we were awakened by the tornado sirens, and our phones started going off with code-red alerts. We did the drill, shutting all our interior doors, gathering our two cats, and shutting ourselves up in our utility room, the only room in our small one-story house that does not have an outside wall. As we waited, we could hear it approaching when it got over us, the wall I was leaning against started swaying back and forth for maybe a minute. 

Top Ten Posts of 2015

by Gregory A. Johnson

Readers from 97 countries read and hopefully was encouraged by what I have written and shared in 2015.

I am always humbled by the number of people who take time to read what I write. I simply share what God lays on my heart, finding that God often allows me to be transparent, writing from a life that has experienced not only joy and peace, but also pain, hardship, hurt, trials, and tribulations on my journey as I follow Christ. I pray for the Spirit of God to encourage and inspire each reader as they read each word.

Please allow me to share with you the top ten posts read in 2015:

How to Stay Strong and Courageous in a World Full of Fear

by Gregory A. Johnson

There is much fear in the world today. There is no safe place to live. Terror, the fruit of terrorism, grows and ripens daily. There are wars and rumors of wars. Natural disasters are frequent, intense, and brutal. Drought, famine, and disease are widespread. Pandemic viruses know no boundaries. As we live as sojourners in a world that grows increasingly out of step with the Gospel, I encourage you to be strong and courageous.

In the first chapter of Joshua in God’s Word, God is getting ready to take Joshua, and the people of Israel, on a journey out of the wilderness that they were in for forty years, delivering them to the Promised Land. It won’t be easy. They will face a lot of obstacles on the journey, but God tells Joshua repeatedly to be strong and courageous.

Likewise, Christ’s followers are on a journey. On our journey, we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2). Jesus is taking us out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land; it is a journey from earth to glory. We will face a lot of obstacles along the way, but Jesus encourages us to be strong and courageous.

In the midst of all that is going on in the world and in our lives, how do we stay strong and courageous? Allow me to share the two ways that are revealed to us in the first chapter of Joshua.

Are We Living in the Last Days?

by Gregory A. Johnson


There is more of an infatuation with the end of days than in any other time that I can recall in my lifetime. Movies have been made, books written, and predictions made. Survivalists or doomsday preppers are building bomb shelters, stockpiling food, water, guns, and ammunition while buying up silver and gold. Are we living in the last days?

The last days began with Jesus coming into our world and was accelerated at the cross of Christ when these three powerful words, “it is finished,” were uttered from the parched lips of our tortured and dying Savior.

Throughout the years, many have predicted the return of Christ for his followers. These dates have come and gone, but the truth of Jesus’ return remains. Each time a prediction is made with the date passing, some are swayed into believing that it is nothing more than a myth, but it is not a myth; it is truth and will occur at God’s beckoning, which will not be in response to his creation’s predictions. God will not consult with anyone.

Jesus Christ Will Return

by Gregory A. Johnson

I am thankful that we are one day closer to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Media has utilized the date-setting false prophets of our day to desensitize society to the reality of the return of Christ, but that does not negate its truth. I feel the Holy Spirit compelling me, more and more, to remind people that Christ is returning as he promised, and we are to always be ready.

So many in our day, both inside and outside the walls of the church building, base what is right from wrong on what feels good, what is socially acceptable, what media and Hollywood suggest, instead of on Scripture. They are not hearing much different coming from behind the pulpits, and they are not reading the Bible on their own. Many go to church and only hear about receiving God's blessings. This bless-me-and-all-that-I-do message mimics many of the books written today by popular television preachers.

The Best is Yet to Come

by Gregory A. Johnson

God is so good to his children, giving us a foretaste of glory that is to come.

Scripture declares: “And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us” (Romans 8:23, NLT).

Life can be difficult at times, but God does not leave us to navigate our journey alone. He has given each Christ-follower the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit living within assures us of God’s constant and unconditional love for us and our future glory with him. The Spirit gives us tiny tastes of glory now, giving needed comfort, strength, and joy, reminding us that we are God’s children.

The Spirit living within also serves as a reminder that the best for us is yet to come. You see, if this is as good as it gets, it would be rather depressing, but we know that this is not as good as it gets. When we receive our new bodies, as promised, we receive our full rights as God’s children. Think about what this means for us:

• We will be in the presence of the Lord for all eternity.
• We will no longer be where sin is present.
• We will never be tempted again.
• We will never be lonely, depressed, or sad.
• We will not have to remember to take our medicine.
• We will no longer experience sickness, disease, or suffering.
• We will receive our perfect healing from the Great Physician.
• We will be held in the loving arms of the Lord.

The End of the Age

by Gregory A. Johnson

Many today are wondering how much longer this world can go on like it is going. Is the end near?

The disciples questioned Jesus: "As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?’ (Matthew 24:3 ESV)."

Jesus responds: "And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:11-14 ESV)."

Allow me to quickly point out some things about the end of this age, according to Jesus:

• Many will be led astray.
• Lawlessness will increase, resulting in the love of many growing cold.
• The one who endures to the end will be saved.
• The gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed to all nations, and then the end of this age will come.