3 Things You Can Do to Help Yourself

By Gregory A. Johnson


Please allow me to give you three things you can do today and every day to help yourself regardless of the circumstances that surround you.

First, rejoice in our confident hope. As a child of God and a follower of Christ, rejoice in the fact that Christ is saving you from this world and all its difficulties. His return is imminent. All Bible prophecy up to the return of Christ has been fulfilled. Be ready. It is the very next big event on God’s agenda. Beloved, this is our confident hope. Rejoice in it.

Second, be patient in trouble. When trouble comes your way, pray, asking God to help you. He will help you, but his help may not be immediate. Be patient. Don’t try to fix your troubles without God’s solution. That will bring more trouble. Instead, pray and wait for God’s solution.

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:

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.

The Cross and the Empty Tomb

by Gregory A. Johnson

Not just during the Easter season, but each day, we are confronted with the cross of Christ and the empty tomb. What do they mean? Why are they so significant?

In the 1800's Ralph E. Hudson wrote the chorus to the sacred hymn, At the Cross: "At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day!"

• At the cross, we realize how much God loves us (Romans 5:8).  
• At the cross, we are justified and saved from God’s wrath (Romans 5:9).  
• At the cross, we are reconciled to God (Romans 5:10). 
• At the cross, we experience forgiveness of sins (Luke 23:34). 

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.

Taken Out of this World

by Gregory A. Johnson

For many years, it has been popular to trace a family’s ancestry back as far as one can go. There are many resources available now, including the Internet, which makes information for genealogical research more readily available.

The genealogy of Noah is given in Genesis 5:1-32 of the Bible and traces all the way back to Adam. It is interesting to note that after stating the name of each ancestor and years of his life, it is always stated that the individual died, except in one instance—Enoch. It does not state that Enoch died, but instead it says “God took him.”

Enoch was close to God, and God enjoyed his company very much. They would walk with each other every day. I imagine God waited for Enoch to awaken each day so they could spend time together. One day, God just took Enoch into His presence to be with Him for all eternity. Enoch bypassed death.

God has made a way for us to have eternal life through Jesus Christ. We can walk with Him every day, and one day He will take us to be with Him forever. God taking Enoch typifies the great gathering in the sky with the LORD that is to come for Christ-followers.

Focusing on a Bright Future

by Gregory A. Johnson

Oftentimes we focus only on what is happening or not happening to us now. Doing so can cause anxiety, discontentment, hopelessness, and depression. What would happen if, instead of focusing on the present, we focused on what our future is in Christ? We would be tremendously encouraged in the midst of it all.

Christ-followers may not have a pleasant present, but they have a marvelous future that is literally out of this world. Christ has prepared the way for them to spend eternity with Him. At the cross, the power of sin was broken. At the resurrection, death was defeated. At the ascension, a promise was given—Jesus will return for His faithful followers, so they can be with Him forever.

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.